Search results for ""Author Brendan Comerford""
Messenger Publications The Pilgrim's Story: The Life & Spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola
Born in 1491, Ignatius’s early ambition was to be a knight, in imitation of the heroes he read about in the popular romances of the day. Following his dramatic conversion, his plans changed radically, and he decided to renounce all his previous hopes and become a penniless beggar. Living a life of intense prayer and penance, he received extraordinary mystical graces, experiencing the reality of God, not only in the depths of his heart but also in the concrete world around him. Sought by many people for his wisdom, he became an outstanding spiritual guide and the author of one of the great introductions to Christian living, The Spiritual Exercises. As he moved into mid-life, he became a committed student in the University of Paris, where he gathered a small group of enthusiastic followers around him who shared his vision. That small group quickly attracted more recruits and, with papal approval, became the Society of Jesus, more commonly known as the Jesuits. Initially ambitious for his own glory and honour, Ignatius worked only for ‘the greater glory of God’, becoming the inspirational founder of one of the Church’s most influential religious orders.
£12.95
Messenger Publications The Great Dreamer: The Life and Mission of St. Francis Xavier
A short but fascinating biography of this most courageous and adventurous of saints. One of Ignatius of Loyola’s original companions, St Francis was central to the formation of the Society of Jesus. Quoting extensively from his letters, the author describes in detail the works he did throughout Europe in the 1530s. There are many stories and anecdotes which bring Xavier to life and we begin to feel we know him well as we learn about his personality, his interactions with the poor, priests, bishops and kings. On April 7th, 1541, Xavier’s thirty-fifth birthday, he set sail for India, arriving in Goa just over a year later. He spent about 8 years in both India and Indonesia, baptising thousands and working to set up churches and communities. In 1549 he arrived in Japan where he spent a couple of years, before travelling to China where he died in 1552 just six miles from the Chinese coast. This well researched account is readable and entertaining and give a lively picture of life as a missionary in the sixteenth century.
£12.06
Messenger Publications Disciples of Courage: Ten Christian Lives that Inspire
The book tells the story of the lives of ten very unique people from the recent past. Each chapter is self-contained, enabling the reader to begin anywhere he/she likes. The reader might choose to read the spiritual odyssey of any of the characters and ponder their journeys of joy, humour, searching, suffering, struggle and their living out the cost of Christian discipleship in very different ways. Each of the characters showed immense courage and daring in their pursuit of Christ. We witness Edith Stein’s struggle with her Jewish family when she decides to become a Roman Catholic and then a Carmelite nun. Both Edith Stein and Dietrich Bonhoeffer became victims of the Nazi regime in Germany and ultimately of the concentration camps. Popes John XXIII and Paul VI led the Church through Vatican II. Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, Pedro Arrupe and Teresa of Calcutta had a particular care for the poor. Thomas Merton and Roger of Taizé were devoted to inter-religious dialogue. These are only some aspects of their very rich lives of service. Each chapter will reveal much more.
£18.95
