Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk (1863—1950) is popularly celebrated for his fascinating spiritual life. How could one man, one deeply spiritual man, serve as both a traditional Oglala Lakota medicine man and a Roman Catholic catechist and mystic? How did these two spiritual and cultural identities enrich his prayer life? How did his commitment to God, understood through his Lakota and Catholic communities, shape his understanding of how to be in the world?

To fully understand the depth of Black Elk’s life-long spiritual quest requires a deep appreciation of his life story. He witnessed devastation on the battlefields of Little Bighorn and the Massacre at Wounded Knee, but also extravagance while performing for Queen Victoria as a member of “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Show. Widowed by his first wife, he remarried and raised eight children. Black Elk’s spiritual visions granted him wisdom and healing insight beginning in his childhood, but he grew progressively physically blind in his adult years. These stories, and countless more, offer insight into this extraordinary man whose cause for canonization is now underway at the Vatican.

An essential work of Christian mysticism

Interior Castle is the latest title in the Essential Wisdom Library, a series of books that seeks to bring spiritual wisdom—both modern and ancient—to today’s readers. This new edition of the pivotal spiritual classic is a must read for seekers and believers alike.

St. Teresa of Avila was one of the greatest Christian mystics, and dedicated her life to understanding how the soul can ascend to union with God. Interior Castle is her master work and a powerful guide for all seeking to explore prayer as an act of mystical, divine union.

Interior Castle was inspired by a vision wherein St. Theresa saw a crystalline castle with God at the heart. The book is framed around the seven mansions that made up this castle, each one a stage of the journey of faith, ending with ultimate communion with God. St. Teresa’s writings have inspired and guided generations of readers as they seek to develop a deeper understanding of divinity through mystical experience with God.

As a spiritual pilgrim for more than half a century, Jon Sweeney has practiced with teachers of many religious traditions. He's gone looking for wisdom, beauty, and truth wherever it can be found. But recently he's found himself learning closer to home--from the teacher-cats he lives with.

What he discovered is that our greatest spiritual teachers are at our feet. Literally. They are the cats we love and treasure. Nearly 60 million cats live in US households today. These feline teachers have much to offer us about living in the present, loving unconditionally, approaching life with a sense of playfulness, and trusting others, all the while being independent spirits.

Jon Sweeney, beloved scholar and author of The Pope's Cat and numerous books about Saint Francis, offers a beautifully illustrated, playful, gentle, informed meditation on the many spiritual truths and practices our feline companions provide if we but pause and pay attention.

Most people living in the last quarter of the twentieth century knew Mother Teresa by name and appearance. They could also identify her as the saint of the gutters of Calcutta. Two years after her death, she was still recognized as “the most admired person of the century.” So, what is there still to say about her? Quite a bit, as it turns out. The story of both her public and private lives remains little known, and we continue to grapple with the extraordinary things she did, as well as the way that she interpreted the vocation of any would-be follower of Jesus. 

This biography shows Mother Teresa as the first great saint of television. We came to know her on the screen, and, as such, we felt we knew her in a way that we could not have known the saints before her. Presented in three parts, this biography looks at the preparation, the call, and the legacy of the extraordinary woman whom Pope Francis named Saint Teresa of Calcutta in 2016.

The Religion of Man (1931) is a compilation of lectures by Rabindranath Tagore, edited by Tagore and drawn largely from his Hibbert Lectures given at Oxford University in May 1930. A Brahmo playwright and poet of global renown, Tagore deals with the universal themes of God, divine experience, illumination, and spirituality. A brief conversation between him and Albert Einstein, "Note on the Nature of Reality", is included as an appendix.

all backgrounds inspiring, encouraging, and challenging entry-points to the essential issues of a Christian life. Each book in the series should appeal to readers who desire to walk the Way of Saint Francis with relevance to his life, writings, and legacy.

Saint Francis and the Way of Lent offers a four-week format designed for both individual and group use. Each week, or chapter, focuses on a Lenten theme:

Week 1: Lent as a Balanced Way of Life
Week 2: The Lost Art of Compunction
Week 3: Spending Time Alone
Week 4: Imitating Christ

Short introductions are written by the editor and designed to preface selections from the primary texts, and these are followed by questions for discussion or reflection. There are six readings for each week, followed by prayers of intention and spiritual practice suggestions to deepen your Lenten journey as you follow Christ in the Way of Saint Francis.

"Before Margaret met the Pope, she lived on the streets of Rome. She was a small cat in one of the busiest, most crowded, cities in all Europe. Rome is the capital of Italy. Rome surrounds Vatican City, the world’s tiniest country, and home to the Pope, the Curia, and the Swiss Guard." So begins this fifth adventure in the lives of Margaret and the Pope.

A prequel, this episode tells of the conclave that elected the Pope who would one day meet Margaret on the Via della Conciliazone. It turns out, Margaret was somehow there, watching, in the Sistine Chapel as the votes were cast.

Children and adults alike will delight in this behind-the-scenes story about love and the Church, learning not only about what popes do, but this time, how popes are chosen.

Turn from fear and find peace with one of the most recognized figures in Christian history.

Saint Francis of Assisi understood that the surest way for a person to turn from fear and find grace was to embrace a life filled with ordinary miracles. And for twenty-first century living, we can learn from the teachings of this beloved sainttofind a path where our faith is made tangible again and where we embrace listening and gentleness in the face of fear and uncertainty.

From author and Saint Francis scholar Jon M. Sweeney comes Feed the Wolf, exploring fifteen spiritual practices from the essential wisdom of Saint Francis. Each lesson begins with an invitation to ""embrace the wolf""--to consider another viewpoint, to befriend our fears, and to discover something new--and illustrates the ordinary miracles of Saint Francis's life, such as touch what is frightening; refuse power; have nothing to lose; spend time in the woods; pray with the moon; turn toward what's simple; and more. The nature of these ordinary miracles is that they can be repeated become spiritual practices that lead us toward peace.

Allow the insights from the world's most popular saint to move into your heart, feet, mouth, and hands, and discover a peaceful path forward to navigate today's precarious times.

An introduction to the spiritual legacy of Thomas Merton

Thomas Merton was a Trappist monk and one of the most influential spiritual figures of the 20th century. His writing on contemplation, monastic life, mysticism, poetry, and social issues have influenced generations and his legacy of interfaith understanding and social justice endures to this day. Thomas Merton: An Introduction to His Life, Teachings, and Practices offers an exploration of Merton as a monk, as a writer, and as a human being. Author Jon M. Sweeney delves into Merton’s life and ideas with an appreciation for his work and a deep understanding of the spiritual depth that it contains.

Thomas Merton offers a unique view of the popular and sometimes controversial monk, braiding together his thoughts and practices with the reality of his life to create a full portrait of a pivotal figure. The Merton revealed in its pages is a source of inspiration and insight for those wrestling with questions of faith and spirituality.

At its core, the book is about the search for wholeness—a search Merton undertook himself throughout his lifetime and one readers can also embark on as they draw inspiration and guidance from his life.