A new year is always a time for hope, and no new year has been looked to with such anticipation than this one! So we caught up with two of Pauline Books & Media’s favorite authors to see what their “hopes” are for 2021.Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is a Daughter of St. Paul and the author of Surviving Depression: A Catholic Approach. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Emmanuel College, Boston, Massachusetts and a Masters in Theological Studies from Weston ...

On Tuesdays during Advent we’ve been sharing the story of the Little Drummer Boy, through both the film version and the carol that inspired it. And now as we celebrate the Christmas season, it’s a good time to think about what it means for us going forward into a new year… and the rest of our lives.In the film version of the story, the boy’s heart, his fears and bitter memories, his hatred and loneliness melted as he looked upon the newborn King. And us? We’ve amas...

I’ve just written a book on hope.I don’t say that expecting you to nod in understanding; I realize hope is a forgotten virtue. Many people equate hope either with optimism or with wishful thinking. I wanted to get back to the theological virtue of hope, which described when our happiness, all of our desires, are directed toward eternity and heaven.But I also didn’t want to write a dissertation about hope; there are a lot of great books that do that already. I wanted t...

We’re living in a time that seems both devoid of hope and, at the same time, filled with it. We asked youth minister Kris Frank, author of Hope Always: Our Anchor in Life’s Storms, available now through Pauline Books & Media, to share some thoughts about hope at this difficult and defining moment. Pauline Books & Media: It feels like we’re at a crossroads of sorts. How can the notion—and virtue—of hope help us in our present moment?Kris Frank: No matter...

Two days ago I exited our temporarily closed Pauline Book & Media Center and a twenty-something-year-old woman bounded up to me excitedly and asked, “Do you work at the Catholic bookstore?” I responded with a big smile, “Yes!” She asked, “Are you hiring?” I replied that we weren’t, and she quickly rejoined, “Do you know anyone who is?”Promising prayers was all I could do, though I wished I could do more. And once again, I was reminded of ...

I recently asked an elderly neighbor how she was faring, and whether she needed me to pick up any groceries for her. “I’m fine,” she responded, then added, “Just trying to keep busy!”It’s a common expression, “trying to keep busy,” and it reflects a common belief that as long as we’re doing things, keeping productive, then everything is fine. Except that everything isn’t fine, is it, and no amount of activity is going to ...

from the interview with Patricia Marie Barnette, RGS, author of the new book: God's Mercy Awaits You: Find Healing After AbortionSister Patricia Marie Barnette was already a Sister of the Good Shepherd when she heard a call within her call. “As Sisters of the Good Shepherd, we take a fourth vow,” she explains. “We vow to labor with zeal for the salvation of souls. And zeal is from the heart of Jesus, the spiritual energy that keeps all our sisters praying and work...

When was the moment John knew? As he reached out his arms to baptize this young man before him, what tipped him off that this man was different from all the others who stood on the bank of the River Jordan, come to confess their sins and be baptized, “to flee from the coming wrath” (Matthew 3:7).Was it when he looked into Jesus’ eyes? The eyes betray the depth of one’s soul. Or was it when his arms guided Jesus, submerging him in the waters of baptism and repentance?How d...

In my late thirties, I was sitting in my office, the entire building penetrated by an eerie silence. It was the day after 911 and the skies were silent. Uncertainty cloaked the country as the march toward war began.I felt so small, so really all alone, there in my small corner office writing a newsletter and working on a website.Tragedy and uncertainty can isolate us from others. We might lose perspective as larger-than-life problems take over our awareness. The present darkness may seem too big...

We’re all called to sainthood—or to try for it, anyway! Scripture and the Church both make that clear: we’re all called to seek holiness and sainthood, whatever our state in life. The Church expresses this Universal Call to Holiness over and over again, most recently in Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate. The vocation, the calling, to holiness is universal; God is speaking to all Christians when he says, “Be holy because I [am] holy”...