Showing results by author "J. Thomas" in All Categories

The sacraments tell the powerful story of the Christian faith. Because these signs of grace are rooted in the work and teaching of Jesus Christ, the celebration of the sacraments is fundamental to all Christians. Now, you can discover the sacraments anew in this captivating course. Join Fordham University professor Fr. Thomas Scirghi, S.J. in this illuminating series on the sacraments.

As summarized in Vatican II, the Eucharist is "the source and summit of the Christian life" (Lumen Gentium, 11). In this concise course, you will explore the history, practice, and importance of the Eucharist. You are sure to find new insights in these lectures.

It's the small things that you do that create habits which can change the course of your life. Ideas in personal development are of limited value unless you act on them. This audiobook is about taking six key personal growth areas and experimenting with them in your life. The experiments are written in such a way to make them actionable, so that you can put them to the test and observe the results yourself. The information contained here is designed to be short and easily digestible.

As Christians, we are all called to be pilgrims, navigating the way to God. For many this pilgrimage is figurative, a spiritual journey that deepens our awareness. Some, however, choose to undertake physical journeys to the lands most sacred to our tradition. Now, you can join Thomas Merton in learning about one such fascinating journey and the spiritual significance pilgrimage has for all of us.

Oliver Brixby believed, without a doubt, he was having an allergic reaction to new medication: sensitivity to the sun, loss of appetite, pale skin. It turned out worse than he could ever imagine -- he was now a vampire. Oliver's quiet, bookish existence takes a flip when introduced to the vibrant social scene of a New York City Vampire. His adjustment will not be easy, since he's squeamish at the sight of blood.

Admiral Kurt Brubacher spins the logs, reports, and history of the Orion Federation into a spellbinding action saga that starts nearly three years after the end of Righteous Reign. The opening volleys in a new war had just been fired. Back then, thousands of warships had suddenly occupied positions along more than 100 light years of the Federation's border. George Bryant had dubbed this enigmatic enemy "The Inscrutables".

Kurt Brubacher relates a rich history of the giant Empire he serves and the story of its greatest hero. In his own right, Kurt has reached a pinnacle. As Inspector General, he commands an investigative and intelligence force equal to no other in the realm, giving him possession of the information and confidences that comprise the tale. after years of peace, security, and happiness throughout the Empire, there is suddenly rebellion. Kurt becomes a strategic pawn and discovers who is actually behind the revolution.

A gripping collection of weird and fantastical stories of supernatural and unbelievable happenings. "Pomegranate Seed" by Edith Wharton; "The Tiger" by Hugh Walpole; "When I Was Dead" by Vincent O'Sullivan; "The Fire" by Charles John Cutcliffe Hyne; "Satan's Circus" by Eleanor Smith; "The Coffin Merchant" by Richard Middleton; and more tall stories....

In the winter of 1936, Franklin Roosevelt remarked in a fireside chat, "I do not look upon these United States as a finished product. We are still in the making." Certainly apt in the midst of the Great Depression, the idea of a nation in the making still resonates today as we measure the achievements and shortcomings of our democracy. Over the 20th century, Americans have worked, organized, marched, and fought to make the nation's ideals a reality for all.

Born to Be Strange is an anthology of short stories, poetry and essays by Portland, Oregon author, Thomas J Turner. This material ranges from a grieving widow considering suicide to a carload of hit-men on a road trip. An outlaw street racer and his friends roar around in a 1957 Chevy, while a green kid attempts to survive Army boot camp. Also, a man grapples with the impending death of his mother, and wonders why he doesn't feel badly enough about it.

On March 13, 2013, the world waited in hushed anticipation for the announcement of the new successor of Peter and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. For weeks the news had been filled with discussions and speculation of leading papabili. Now, finally, the new pope would be revealed. But when Jorge Mario Bergoglio appeared, the world was momentarily stunned. Who was this humble cardinal from Argentina who emerged onto the loggia, choosing the name Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi?

A night of drunken confusion at 19 resulted in Patrick Connelly fathering a child. Determined to be there for his son, Patrick walked away from a sport he loved and forever hid his sexuality. After Patrick's brutal divorce and a vicious hate crime, his son, Jay, has become obsessed with graffiti. Patrick moves Jay to Seattle. Within two weeks, Jay is arrested again. Thinking things can't get any worse, he's confronted by the sexiest man he's ever seen - his son's new probation officer, Ken Atkins.

Bata: shoemaker to the world is the story of the man, his family and their business. Eloquently told and rich in anecdotes, it traces the road from the Bata family's humble beginnings in a Moravian village to Tom's undisputed claim to the title of shoemaker to the world. His entrepreneurial upbringing, his fight for control of the family enterprise, his unique partnership with his wife and the way he went about implementing his business philosophy add up to one of the great success stories of the twentieth century.

In the gold rush era of Virginia City, Montana, crime was afoot and justice shaky. Lawlessness ran amok in the form of gamblers, saloonkeepers, miners, dance hall girls, and road agents - outlaws who ambushed travelers on the road for a chance to steal precious gold. Of all the road agents, Henry Plummer was their king and elected sheriff. Plummer’s notorious road-agent band terrorized the highways until a group of ordinary citizens resolved to take the responsibility of social governance into their hands.

A grisly collection of despicable crimes told by some of the world's best writers.

An Irish grandfather's memoir of his childhood in the Connemara region of Ireland from 1936 and beyond to his life as an immigrant coming to America in 1958. His story of the women he loved and lost, the adventures of trying to make it in New York with little formal education and struggling to achieve the American dream. Passionately told with humor, a no-holds-barred story spanning over 70 years, authored for his children and grandchildren, will be greatly enjoyed by everyone.

Congress is the first branch of government in the American system, write Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, but now it is a broken branch, damaged by partisan bickering and internal rancor. The Broken Branch offers both a brilliant diagnosis of the cause of Congressional decline and a much-needed blueprint for change, from two experts who understand politics and revere our institutions, but believe that Congress has become deeply dysfunctional.

Professor Thomas J. Finan conducts an enthralling series of lectures on a subject that is an enduring part of the popular imagination: the castle. Professor Finan examines the castle from a variety of contemporary perspectives, including those of history, archaeology, geography, and landscape studies. The course also covers the morphology of medieval fortifications and castles and considers the social and landscape natures of castles, as well as the role of the castle in Europe.

Perhaps no other Union commander's reputation has been the subject of as much controversy as George B. McClellan's. Thomas J. Rowland presents a framework in which early Civil War command can be viewed without direct comparison to that of the final two years. Such comparisons, in his opinion, are both unfair and contextually inaccurate. Only by understanding how very different was the context and nature of the war facing McClellan, as opposed to Grant and Sherman, can one discard the traditional "good general-bad general" approach to command performance. I

Adopted by the U.S. Navy for issue to all new sailors, A Sailor’s History of the U.S. Navy brings to life the events that have shaped and inspired the navy of today while highlighting the roles of all sailors—from seaman to admiral. Rather than focus entirely upon such naval icons as Stephen Decatur and Chester Nimitz, as most histories do, author Thomas J. Cutler, a retired lieutenant commander and former petty officer second class, brings to the forefront the contributions of enlisted people.