We all face stress and tension in our daily lives. We might even wonder why our God of abundant goodness doesn’t remove the everyday struggles we face. Jesus’ interactions with Martha and Mary in the Gospel provide us the key to understanding how God shows us his love by allowing tensions in our lives. As we follow the sisters’ transformative journeys through their own struggles, reflecting on what transpires between Scripture verses, we see their initial tension become the catalyst that drives both Mary and Martha to the feet of Jesus — the place where all discover peace. Grace in Tension explores the areas where stress arises in our own lives. Each chapter ends with a thought-provoking prayer to inspire us to go to God with our problems, followed by questions for reflection to help us see all the ways he’s working for our good. God doesn’t create any of it, but he does show up amid life’s difficulties, ready to lead us through. No matter how big or small our struggle, when we seek him out, he reveals what we need to do to resolve our tension, transforming it into grace. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Claire McGarry is the founder of MOSAIC of Faith, a ministry for mothers of infants to school-aged children to explore their faith through motherhood. She contributes regularly to CatholicMom.com and blogs at ShiftingMyPerspective.com. She is the author of Lenten devotional With Our Savior, and her work has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul, Keys for Kids, These Days, and Focus on the Family magazine. She lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three children.

The Angelus is a centuries-old Catholic devotion that recalls the annunciation of Christ’s birth by the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. In Praying the Angelus, popular author and speaker Jared Dees reinvigorates the devotion, shares intimately from his own experience of it, shows us how to get started, and enriches the practice with original meditations to reflect on the words of both the Angelus and the Regina Caeli. Jared Dees was twenty-seven and in his fourth year of teaching religion in a Catholic school when he first experienced the Angelus. The creator of The Religion Teacher website allows the devotion to anchor his prayer life and challenge him to daily conversion of heart and will. Dees introduces the Angelus devotion and explores its rich history and significance for the Church. As spiritual companion and guide, he offers meditations on the words and images of both the Angelus and the Regina Caeli, which is prayed during the Easter season. We find lessons about the power of repetitive prayer, the humility of being a disciple, the importance of admitting time belongs to God, the wisdom of taking time with discernment, and the joy of resting in the Lord’s presence. He shares personal stories of the life-change power of the Angelus and guides both newcomers and those already familiar with the prayer to contemplate the mysteries of salvation that lie at the heart of the devotion—the Annunciation, Incarnation, and Resurrection. Named for the opening words of the devotion's first prayer in Latin, "The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary," the Angelus is typically prayed at 6:00 a.m., noon, and 6:00 p.m. each day. Likewise the Regina Caeli is named for the opening lines of its prayer, "Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia." Praying the Angelus is supported by Dees’s website, TheAngelusPrayer.com, where people can gather online to participate in and share this devotion with others.

This beginner's guide to prayer will guide Catholics who need help learning to pray.

No one ever stops being a mom or a dad. So when our children become adults, we still worry about them—and want to care for them. One way we can still care for them is to lift them up in prayer. When we do so, God’s love for them—and for us—is unleashed. We are able to replace our concern with a love that comes from the heart of God. Our Father moves mountains of worry and discouragement, leaving new refreshment and delight in its place. This book is designed for parents who want to pray for their adult sons and daughters with the kind of power that makes a real difference in matters of the heart. This book: Gives parents hope, encouragement, and a renewed commitment to pray and to relate lovingly to their adult sons and daughters. Addresses the desire to be a better parent and shows how parents can best pray for specific needs. Provides questions for reflection and sharing at the end of each chapter as well as instructions for a particular prayer skill that will help readers grow as a loving parent.

Need hope? Enjoy daily doses of hope from our Lord from the writers of Living Faith. This is a collection of some of the most beloved devotions from our quarterly publication Living Faith for every day of the year. Hope-filled topics and experiences related to the various struggles that Catholics may face are explored from a Christian perspective. As always, Living Faith's page-a-day devotions apply Scripture as a starting point, and reflections seek to lead readers to prayerful moments with God. An excellent gift idea for family, friends, prayer groups, staff or volunteers, this book offers a peaceful reflection for every day of the year. Encourage the special people in your life in developing the habit of spending time daily with the Lord in scripture and prayer through Living Faith.

The Vatican-approved guide to opening up new connections to God. Today, more and more Catholics are looking to explore their spirituality in new ways: by trying meditation or contemplation, seeking to adapt monastic traditions to modern life, or seeking a deeper connection to Jesus through the Eucharist, giving rise to the growing popularity of Adoration. The Essential Guide to Catholic Prayer and the Mass offers Catholics a way to explore prayer styles they may have never before considered, and non-Catholics or fringe Catholics a look into a world that can sometimes seem mysterious or intimidating. Through Mass, scripture, ancient rituals, the examples of the saints, the lives of holy men and women in the world today, and more, Catholics of every mindset can find a style of prayer to suit them. • One of the first books with a detailed explanation and instructions on how to follow the new translation of Mass as prepared by the Catholic Church • Includes an imprimatur-a seal of approval from Paul G. Bootkoski, Bishop of Metuchen • Perfect for cradle, convert, and revert Catholics, as well as people from other faiths, students, and teachers