Gift Books

NEW!
'Tis the Season to be Baking
Christmas Reflections and Bread Recipes
Father Dominic Garramone, O.S.B., acclaimed author and host of PBS TV show "Breaking Bread with Father Dominic", weaves together holiday reflections and recipes in ‘Tis the Season to Be Baking. In this new collection, Father Dominic relates nearly two-dozen holiday baking traditions to scripture and shows that holiday preparations can seem less like drudgery if we can see the purpose behind them. Did you know that the French meal fougasse represents the genealogy of Jesus or that two very different Christmas breads—the traditional German stollen and the more recent Saint Bede tradition of “Bambino Bread”—represent the Christ Child in swaddling cloths? ‘Tis the Season to Be Baking offers such wisdom and it takes bakers, holiday traditionalists, and Father Dominic fans beyond bread yet again. 5x7" softbound (Item #86454) $12.00

Fr. Dominic Garramone is a priest and monk of Saint Bede Abbey in Peru, Illinois. Following a college education in theatre, he entered the monastery in 1983 and was ordained as a priest in 1992. He describes his culinary education as taking place between my mother s kitchen and the public library, and he honed his baking skills by providing bread for the twenty-five monks of his community. He is well known to public television viewers for his cooking series Breaking Bread With Father Dominic. Father Dom teaches religion and drama at Saint Bede Academy and also enjoys herb gardening and photography.

NEW!
Allegories of Heaven
An Artist Explores the Greatest Story Ever Told
Artist Dinah Roe Kendall, Text by Eugene Peterson
Since the earliest frescoes painted by the first Christians, the life of Christ has been portrayed through painting, sculpture and art. Now artist Dinah Roe Kendall offers a vibrant retelling of the full scope of Jesus' ministry, bringing the incarnation to life in ways engaging both the eye and the imagination. Kendall walks readers through the Gospel narratives from Annunciation to Ascension. Accompanied by Eugene Peterson's The Message rephrasing of the Gospel stories, Allegories of Heaven leads readers into a fresh experience of the Jesus story. Hardcover, 10" x 10", 100 pages (Item #85750) $14.95

NEW!
The Bad Catholic's Guide to Good Living
by Zmirak, John and Matychowiak, Denise

Jump right into this hilarious new book on enjoying and celebrating Catholicism in a whole new way! Both a comical read, as well as an indispensable resource for observing the Feast Days of the Saints, The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living is for anyone who is interested in celebrating the history and humor behind the Catholic Faith. Consisting of selected historical sketches of the feast days, as well suggested activities for celebration, this book serves as a must own for every happy Catholic! 6x9, 240 pages, paperback (Item #85106) $14.95

I Like Being Catholic: Treasured Traditions, Rituals, and Stories
Edited by Michael Leach and Therese Borchard
159 pages; Hardcover. (Item #86959) $19.95

And God Said, "Play Ball!"
This book manages to be entertaining and educational, as well as fanciful and inspirational. It draws from the lives of Jesus Christ and Yogi Berra, Joseph of Nazareth and Joe DiMaggio, Moses and Hank Aaron, Saint Peter and Jackie Robinson. And God Said, "Play Ball!" makes the Bible more approachable by relating it to a game loved by both children and adults. It shows that baseball is not only a game, but a never-ending series of lessons about life, as well. And God Said, "Play Ball!" will appeal to Christian Athletes of any denomination.

The author has been a baseball fan for more than forty years and a Catholic a lot longer than that. He has played, coached, watched, or taught baseball since he was seven years old. He is very active in lay ministry and catechetics at his Catholic parish in Seattle, and has found both the Bible and baseball to be among the greatest teachers in his life.

This book includes 8 pages of timeless photographs. You won't find a more inspiring gift for that baseball player in your life--of whatever age--or that fan in front of your TV!
192 pages; paperback • 5-1/2 x 8-1/4
(Item #88322) $12.95

Table of Contents | Introduction

Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord:
Encountering the Sacred in the Great Outdoors
by Rev. Joseph F. Classen

Fr. Joseph Classen is a native of historic St. Charles Missouri and received his theological education at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. Fr. Joe was ordained to the priesthood in 2003 and is currently living and serving in the St. Louis Archdiocese.

Along with his priestly ministry, Fr. Joe is a dedicated, accomplished, and passionate outdoorsman. In this his first book, Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord, Fr. Classen uses his love of the outdoors as a catalyst for delving into issues of faith and spirituality while sharing with the reader tales of outdoor adventure and wisdom. It is written with an ecumenical flavor, and so is intended for Christians of all denominations and even those who perhaps have little or no faith at all but love the outdoors and are possibly “hunting” for God. Paperback. (Item #88414) $12.95

NEW!
Understanding Scrupulosity: Questions, Helps, and Encouragement
by Thomas M. Santa
Many people, at one time or another, struggle with faith issues about sin, guilt, punishment, and hell. But a large segment of the population, many of them Catholic, are so afraid of sin that their lives are marked with anxiety and fear. These people suffer from an affliction called "scrupulosity." Rather than experiencing faith as a source of peace, scrupulous individuals can't seem to shake their feelings of impending doom, disappointment, and eventual condemnation.

Based on thirty-five years of questions and answers to the Scrupulous Anonymous newsletter, this book provides specific answers to questions and concerns related to sin, confession, self-worth, sexuality, prayer, God's forgiveness, thoughts, dreams, fantasies, and other issues. It offers words of encouragement and helpful suggestions to those who suffer from this affliction and for those who counsel them. 320 pages, paperback (Item #88712) $26.95

Purpose-Driven® Life, The
What on Earth Am I Here For?
by Rick Warren

The #1 international bestseller! This 40-day spiritual journey will help you understand why you are alive and God’s amazing plan for you both now and for eternity. Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and Christian Book of the Year Award.

Another Landmark Book by Rick Warren.You are not an accident. Even before the universe was created, God had you in mind, and he planned you for his purposes. These purposes will extend far beyond the few years you will spend on earth. You were made to last forever!Self-help books often suggest that you try to discover the meaning and purpose of your life by looking within yourself, but Rick Warren says that is the wrong place to start. You must begin with God, your Creator, and his reasons for creating you. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.This book will help you understand why you are alive and God’s amazing plan for you—both here and now, and for eternity. Rick Warren will guide you through a personal 40-day spiritual journey that will transform your answer to life’s most important question: What on earth am I here for? Knowing God’s purpose for creating you will reduce your stress, focus your energy, simplify your decisions, give meaning to your life, and, most importantly, prepare you for eternity.The Purpose-Driven™ Life is a blueprint for Christian living in the 21st century—a lifestyle based on God’s eternal purposes, not cultural values. Using over 1,200 scriptural quotes and references, it challenges the conventional definitions of worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and evangelism. In the tradition of Oswald Chambers, Rick Warren offers distilled wisdom on the essence of what life is all about. This is a book of hope and challenge that you will read and re-read, and it will be a classic treasured by generations to come. Hardcover. (Item #83592) $19.99

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America Out of the Ashes
True Stories of Courage and Heroism
On September 11, 2001 our nation experienced the horrific acts of terrorism through the tragic events in New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. However, the devastating effects were not just confined to these areas as the entire world felt the impact of this attack on freedom and the loss of innocent lives. This book depicts true stories of courage, hope, and inspiration accompanied by prayers to renew our souls and heal our hearts, to bring us from recovery to restoration. These inspiring stories of heroism and hte prayers for God's comfort and provision reveal that with God's help America is rising up out of the ashes, stronger and healthier than before. Hardcover, 251 pages.
(Item #83430) $16.99

The Cross at Ground Zero
by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.
Where was God on 9/11? Millions of Americans gazed in disbelief as the huge World Trade Center buildings collapsed into piles of rubble on September 11, 2001. After the shock and horror wore off, the questions began. Fr. Benedict reassures us that the steel cross found at the ruins of the World Trade Center leads to the cross of Jesus, which stands at the center of all pain, all suffering, indeed all history. Paperback, 144 pages.
(Item #91137) $7.95

DE-CODING DAVINCI
The facts behind the fiction of the Da Vinci Code
by Amy Welborn

Amy Welborn addresses the misrepresentation of history, religion, and art in The Da Vinci Code.

Did Leonardo actually build these "codes" into his paintings?
Was the Priory of Sion a real organization?
Is the Holy Grail really, as he says, Mary Magdalen's womb and now her bones, and not the Last Supper cup?
Is Opus Dei really what The Da Vinci Code says is it?
What was Constantine's true role in early Christianity?
Was Jesus human or divine or both?
Was he married to Mary Magdalene?
Do secret writings not in the Bible really contain truths about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the "sacred feminine"?

De-Coding Da Vinci is complete with discussion questions in every chapter. It is a perfect tool to become well-versed in the important issues raised by The Da Vinci Code. (Item #83670) $9.95

The Da Vinci Hoax:
Exposing the Errors in the Da Vinci Code
by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel
(Item #83706) $15.95

The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown’s best selling novel, purports to be more than fiction: it claims to be based on fact and scholarly research. Brown wants his readers to believe that he is revealing the long-concealed truth about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and early Christianity, a truth that he says has been suppressed by the malevolent and conspiratorial forces of the Catholic Church. The novel alleges that there has been throughout history a secret group of true followers of a Gnostic Jesus and his wife, Mary Magdalene, the true “Holy Grail”. Almost everything most Christians and non-Christians think they know about Jesus, according to Dan Brown, is completely wrong, the result of Catholic propaganda designed to hide the truth from the world.

But are The Da Vinci Code’s claims fact or just plain fiction? Is the novel well-researched as claimed? What is the truth about Jesus, Mary Magdalene, and the early Church? Has the Catholic Church distorted the real Jesus? Why is the novel so popular? What about the anti-Catholic, anti-Christian agenda behind the novel?

Best selling author Carl Olson and journalist Sandra Miesel answer these and other important questions. Their painstaking research into The Da Vinci Code and its sources reveals some surprising truths. No one who has read or heard about The Da Vinci Code should miss this provocative and illuminating new book.

Praise for The Da Vinci Hoax

"Finally! Someone has taken the trouble to counter the absurdities of The Da Vinci Code, and to confront all the anti-Christian and anti-Catholic rhetoric that book has inspired. In writing their own well-informed and well-argued text, Olson and Miesel have done a real service, not just to Christians, but to anyone weary of contemporary fads and foolishness. And unlike the original Code, The Da Vinci Hoax is a delight to read."
--Philip Jenkins
Distinguished Professor of History and Religious Studies, Pennsylvania State University

“In The Da Vinci Hoax, Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel bring their considerable analytical powers to bear on the phenomenally successful novel by Dan Brown. The Da Vinci Code is a writhing nest of neo-Gnostic myths, blatant falsehoods, half-truths and absurd suppositions presented as facts--indeed, it is one of the most odious cases of revisionist history that have appeared during the past two centuries.
Olson and Miesel dissect it carefully--break the code of the Code, as it were--revealing not only Brown’s distortions of history but the underlying malice in his ‘fictional’ attack on Christianity. The Da Vinci Hoax is more than a refutation of a single book; it is an antidote to a poisonous genre that is growing in contemporary writing. This is a fascinating read and very good medicine!”
--Michael O’Brien
Author, Father Elijah: An Apocalypse

“The title of this book by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel says it all. The authors of The Da Vinci Hoax deserve our gratitude for exposing in considerable detail and with a sure touch the fabrications of Dan Brown’s book. Theirs is the definitive debunking.”
--Cardinal Francis George
Archbishop of Chicago

“I’ve painfully watched some usually-sensible university students fall victim to The Da Vinci Code disease. I’ll enjoy having this clearly-written antidote to prescribe.”
--Marvin Olasky
Professor, The University of Texas at Austin
Editor-in-chief, World Magazine

“Olsen and Miesel have done a superb and meticulous job of dissecting the fraud which is The Da Vinci Code. Not only Christians, but all fair –minded people owe them a debt of gratitude.”
--James Hitchcock
Professor of History, St. Louis University

The Screwtape Letters
by C. S. Lewis
In this humorous and perceptive exchange between two devils, C. S. Lewis delves into moral questions about good vs. evil, temptation, repentance, and grace. Through this wonderful tale, the reader emerges with a better understanding of what it means to live a faithful life.

Screwtape is an experienced devil. His nephew Wormwood is just beginning his demonic career and has been assigned to secure the damnation of a young man who has just become a Christian. In this humorous exchange, C. S. Lewis delves into moral questions about good v. evil, temptation, repentance, and grace. Through this wonderful tale, the reader emerges with a better knowledge of what it means to live a good, honest life. Paperback (Item #83015) $11.95

The Great Divorce
by C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis takes us on a profound journey through both heaven and hell in this engaging allegorical tale. Using his extraordinary descriptive powers, Lewis introduces us to supernatural beings who will change the way we think about good and evil.

In The Great Divorce C. S. Lewis again employs his formidable talent for fable and allegory. The writer, in a dream, finds himself in a bus which travels between Hell and Heaven. This is the starting point for an extraordinary meditation upon good and evil which takes issue with William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. In Lewis’s own words, "If we insist on keeping Hell (or even earth) we shall not see Heaven: if we accept Heaven then we shall not be able to retain even the smallest and most intimate souvenirs of Hell."
Paperback (Item #85412) $10.95

So, Where'd You Go To High School
Baby Boomer Edition
By Dan Dillon

In volume 2, author Dan Dillon looks back at the high school memories of St. Louis' Baby Boomers. This fun collection of trivia, celebrity tales, and photos will have you remembering your prom night light it was yesterday. From the 1950's through the 1980's, Dillon recalls the rivalries, the teams, the homecoming nights- and yes, the hairstyles- that made high school unforgettable. Packed with descriptions of St. Louis schools, past and present, and with stories from St. Louis personalities such as Dan Gray and Steve Savard, this book will complete any St. Louisan's yearbook collection. (Item #87690) $26.95

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Hooray For You!
Hooray For You! is a celebration of "you-ness" - the grand sum of body, mind and heart that makes every person truly unique! The perfect gift of congratulations, encouragement or just because, Hooray for You! says, "there simply is no other like you." Dimensions: 10-1/8" x 9-7/8"; Special Features: Hard bound with dust jacket
(Item #84047) $15.95

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Our Wedding Anniversary Memory Book
spans 50 years of anniversaries, the first 15, year by year. Featuring elegant watercolors and calligraphy of artist Joy Rodgers-Mernin, each left hand page has an illustrated border that is die-cut to fit a 3 1/2 x 5 or 4 x 6 photo, each right hand page is different quote and illustration with space to write. Each year lists that anniversary's special flower along with traditional and modern gifts. Exactingly printed on heavy, acid-free embossed paper. A matching gift box is perfect for gift giving. Our Wedding Anniversary Memory Book will become a cherished keepsake for years to come. Great for showers, weddings and first anniversary. (Item #22523) $29.99

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Childhood Memories- Birth & Beyond
The Childhood Memories book is a festive way to create a lifetime of memories in a few fun moments each year. Better than a typical baby book, Childhood Memories grows with your child, spanning 19 years from birth to graduation and all the important events in between. Simple to use-each year on your child's birthday just pop a 3 1/2 x 5 or 4 x 6 photo into the decorative die-cut borders and jot down that year's special memories. Fun watercolors are beautifully printed on acid-free embossed paper. 40 pages cover birth to graduation. Each left-hand page features a festive border die-cut for photos. Each right-hand page has a delightful quote and space for precious memories. In its matching gift box, Childhood Memories make a great gift for showers, births and first birthdays. (Item #22532) $29.99

Christmas Memories
Everyone eager to start a family tradition will delight in recording their Christmas history. Each memory book artfully combines a photo album with an easy-to-use scrapbook. Carefully printed on embossed, acid-free paper with beautiful borders, quotes, and decorations awaiting your holiday highlights, just jot them down, insert a 3 1/2 x 5 or 4 x 6 photo, and voila, a perfect presentation in less time than it takes to wrap a present. Our new Christmas Memories book featuring the warm watercolors of Joy Rodgers-Mernin and the traditional Our Christmas Memories Book by noted illustrator Tracy Flickinger come with beautiful matching gift boxes-perfect for weddings, housewarmings and of course, Christmas. (Item #22536) $29.99

365 Ways to Raise Great Kids
Activities for Raising Bright, Caring, Honest, Respectful and Creative Children
Inspiring and insightful, 365 Ways to Raise Great Kids will help you accomplish what all parents want: to raise bright, caring, honest, respectful and creative children. In this important book, you will find a concrete, activity-based guide for nurturing and building lifeskills in your children which will enrich them and your entire family. Illustrated by children. Filled with fun, creative, educational activities for your family, this guide is the ultimate resource for building self-esteem, character, and strength in children. "Imaginative ways to raise healthy, happy families".--"Healthy Kids". A great source for parents and educators. The book helps children build character and promotes self-esteem. The ideas and suggestions are invaluable. (Item #88275) $12.95

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way Through the Bible
Join Emmy-nominated comedy writer Martha Bolton on an absolutely hilarious journey through the Bible in
this laughter-packed book. Her zany wit will brighten your day and leave you chuckling with joy as you rediscover the Bible through the eyes of humor. (Item #90464) $6.99

101 Ways to Spoil Your Wife
Show Her She’s Your Queen - and Win Your Spot as King of Her Heart! Remember when she was a far-off dream you hoped to get a date with...the soft-edge fulfillment of
romance...the one ideal you pursued with more diligence than sports and hot rods? Now she’s your wife,
lover, confidant, and so much more. Remind yourself, not to mention your spouse, what really brought you
together. There’s no better time to surprise her with 101 romantic ideas, simple gestures, and grand
expressions all designed to help you show her she’s still your dream! (Item #90465) $9.99

101 Ways to Spoil Your Husband
Not Only Is He "The Man"...Show Him He’s Your Man!
You wrote your names together and drew a heart around them, told your girlfriens about his dashing good
looks, even practiced saying, "I’m Mrs.-his-last-name." You told him on your wedding day that he made you
the happiest woman alive. Show him today that you still feel the same way! (item #90467) $9.99

Snickers from the Front Pew
A hilarious collection of stories about growing up as preacher's kids! The authors prove that a good sense of humor helps put everything in better perspective-including that wonderful institution called the Church. You will laugh until you cry as you read this "tell-all" about growing up in the church from two guys who witnessed it all from the very front row. Stories that will have you rolling in the aisles include: "Special Music: What to Do When It's Not So Special"; "The Day Our Dog 'King' Got Saved";
"The Church Softball League: Pansies Need Not Apply";
"The Night Chadd Got on Fire for the Lord." (Item #90487) $12.99