Sung from the first to the fifteenth of August, and at times of illness and distress, the "Paraklesis is a supplicatory song, a canon of praise, a collection of eight odes of love, a series of poems celebrating with honor the mother of Jesus our Lord." Father David Smith shares his own personal meditations on Mary, based on his reflections on the Paraklesis service.

This stirring book by renowned spiritual writer Groeschel will enlarge and deepen knowledge of, and appreciation for, Jesus and Mary by exploring a selection of the many and varied names and titles attributed to them.

The young abbot meditates on the singular role of the Virgin Mother of Christ 'to satisfy [his] own devotion', and in doing so bequeathes his own love of Mary and of Scripture to his Order and to the Church.

To praise Mary is to praise the way God chose to redeem the human race. Praying to and with the Blessed Virgin Mary is a tradition many centuries old. Throughout history we have looked to Mary for hope, solace, and guidance, and she has become the champion of the desperate, the weak, and the poor with magnificent prayers from around the world dedicated to her. Praying with Mary explores this practice, looks to the source of these prayers, them arranges them so we can easily find the very thing we are looking for, such as: strength in times of desperation, peace in times of strife, healing in times of suffering, compassion in times of sorrow, and love in times of isolation. Not simply a collection of prayers to the Blessed Virgin, Praying with Mary is a wonderful reference guide designed to assist in our daily lives. This book contains helpful prayers for specific needs, such as: prayers for gratitude, prayers for daily inspiration, prayer for holiness, and prayers for God's help and divine protection. However it is used, this exquisite volume will nurture and strengthen you along the challenging journey of life.

Do you long to feel more alive, to see the vibrancy in your daily life? Do you feel the seeds of a new calling tugging at you? Look to the Blessed Mother for help. In Birthing the Holy, Christine Valters Paintner--abbess of the online Abbey of the Arts--invites you to better know Mary and her heart through thirty-one of her titles, and, along the way, you'll nurture the new growth in your life. The Blessed Mother is known by many beautiful titles, some of which are familiar--Virgin, Queen of Peace, and Star of the Sea--and some we may not be aware of--Vessel of Grace, Greenest Branch, and Our Lady of Silence. Paintner offers a flexible format to reflect on Mary's titles through a thirty-one-day personal retreat, a series of novenas, or with visio divina exercises using striking images by printmaker Kreg Yingst. As you reflect on Mary in her role as Mother of Good Counsel, Woman Clothed with the Sun, Mystical Rose, Mother of Sorrows, Queen of the Angels, and other titles, Paintner invites you to hear what God calls you to develop in your life, help that dream or vision grow, and then nourish it in the world. Whether you're meeting Mary for the first time in these magnificent titles or revisiting her as a beloved companion, Birthing the Holy invites you to see the exploration of Mary and your life as a spiritual and creative act, one that can help deepen your faith even as it sparks new growth within you.