When Jorge Bergoglio was a young Jesuit, he wrote a statement of his personal beliefs. It began, “I want to believe in God the Father who loves me like a child, and in Jesus, the Lord who infused my life with His Spirit, to make me smile and so carry me to the eternal Kingdom of life.” The elements of this credo inspired the selection and arrangement of the reflections gathered here: Pope Francis’s thoughts on love for God and each other and, most importantly, God’s love for us. Here are his most intimate thoughts about the purpose and promise of love.

Marge Steinhage Fenelon knows the pain, fear, hopelessness, insecurity, resentment and anger of being raised by a troubled mother. She also knows the way out: Mary. In Forgiving Mother, Fenelon deftly explores the ways the Blessed Virgin can provide comfort and healing if you truly desire it. Drawing from personal experience as well as wisdom from Church documents, Scripture, and the saints, Fenelon sketches a path from despair to peace. She offers concrete steps and prayers to help you deal with the painful memories, emotions and fears that are rooted in your past.

Deepen your devotion to the Blessed Mother with this unique look at Mary’s relationship with her son throughout Jesus’ life - and beyond. Fr. McBride invites us to know Mary not only as the young mother of a newborn but also as the nurturer and caretaker of her son through his adolescence and into his adult ministry. We see Mary in grief at Christ’s death, and we meet her as the mother of the infant Church at Pentecost. These 42 reflections help us understand the whole picture of Mary as a mother.

In Who Does He Say You Are?, Catholic missionary and speaker Colleen Mitchell captures the confessions of 12 more women from the Gospels and shows how their stories answer this crucial question of identity: "Who does he say you are?" Holding up Mary as the ultimate example of intimate, transforming union, Mitchell weaves together moving anecdotes of her own search for identity as a Catholic woman along with 12 accounts of women in Scripture that are at once fresh yet familiar.

Pope Francis celebrates women in the Church and the world, seen through the lens of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in this enlightening new work.

Do you have two and a half minutes in your day that you can give to God? This is the beauty of the rosary. You don’t have to pray the rosary all at once and you can pray it anywhere! Do you struggle with praying the rosary: finding time, fighting distractions, worrying about your mind wandering? In Praying the Rosary Like Never Before, Edward Sri offers practical suggestions that come from the rosary’s tradition and, most especially, St. John Paul II. These helpful tips will make the rosary a constant companions through the different seasons, moments, and challenges we all face.

Marcellino D'Ambrosio dusts off what might have been just dry theology to bring you the exciting stories of great heroes such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, John Chrysostom, and Jerome. These brilliant, embattled, and sometimes eccentric men defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed, and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. It is they who preserved the rich legacy of the early Church for us.

Who are these four holy Teresas of the Church, and what does their example mean for you? Therese of Lisieux, Teresa of Avila, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, and Mother Teresa - all lively, determined, and direct women with an abundance of common sense. Using the Great Commandment as her guide, Gina Loehr focuses on how each of these women lived out one particular aspect of the command to love God with heart, mind, and soul and neighbor as self. Each chapter includes practical tips on how to imitate these holy Teresas.

This is a guided tour through the mind of one of the most acclaimed voices in contemporary Catholic writing. Brian Doyle effortlessly connects the everyday with the inexpressible and consistently marries searingly honest prose with interruptions of humor and humanity. 

When You Suffer is a refreshing look at the mystery of pain and suffering and how to find meaning and even joy in the midst of it. Jeff Cavins discusses why we suffer and how our suffering can draw us closer to God. He explains that suffering is the greatest opportunity to love as Christ loves and how, by "offering up" our suffering, we join in Christ's mission to redeem the world.

Whether you have made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or have always wanted to walk where Jesus walked, this book offers a rich experience of the many sites associated with Gospel events. Monsignor Vincenzo Peroni takes pilgrims on an unforgettable tour of the most important sites in the Holy Land through beautiful guided meditations, probing questions, and sensitive prayerful reflections. Each chapter also contains Scripture texts that set the scene. 

Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century features 21 saints who walked the earth in the 20th century and were canonized in the 21st. Each chapter tells the story of one woman’s radical gift and the world in which she lived. You’ll also find stories of everyday women who are living these gifts in ways large and small today.  

Times are difficult; Joseph Grant's meditative delivery wraps his listeners in hope, tenderness, and gratitude. Wandering and Welcome is a beacon of poetic kindness rooted in honesty, Scripture, and truth. You'll want to call loved ones and replay pieces to them. Some sections will make you sigh in astonishment, some will cause you to pause in revelation, and others will bring tears of joy and appreciation. If a book could be both giant reality check and tender hug all wrapped in one, this would be it.  

The Name of God Is Mercy, Pope Francis' exploration on the universal theme of mercy, is a spiritual inspiration to both followers of Christianity and non-Christians around the world. Drawing on his own experience as a priest and shepherd, Pope Francis discusses mercy, a subject of central importance in his religious teaching and testimony, and in addition sums up other ideas - reconciliation, the closeness of God - that comprise the heart of his papacy.

Franciscan Murray Bodo illuminates seven key teachings from St. Francis and tells us how these teachings are the foundation for Franciscan spirituality today. Beginning with the wonder of the incarnation, he moves through the paradox of evangelical poverty, living the Gospel, repairing God's house, making peace, the recognition that we are one with all of creation, and the joy and humble service of God. All of these teachings have their roots and destination in the love of God that surrounds all of creation and each individual person.