James Cardinal Gibbons was Archbishop of Baltimore when he asked Mother Loyola to write this story of the Life of our Lord. As a revered author himself, and considering the number of such stories available even then, we can only imagine the admiration he must have held for Mother Loyola's rare talent for narrative. She does not disappoint in this story, for as always, she brings to life the most vivid images of our Lord, such that the children who read it will feel almost as if they were following the dusty paths our Saviour trod.
Now enhanced with an abundance of contemporary engravings and lithographs, this newly typeset edition is an invaluable means of impressing upon the minds of young children the reality of our God become Man.

"The Physical Phenomena" of Mysticism by Herbert Thurston is the result of the author's tireless study of a wide range of psychic phenomena, including, levitation, stigmata, telekinesis, luminous phenomena, inedia (living without food), and more. The book delves into the phenomena attributed to the likes of, the Catholic stigmatic, Therese Neumann, St. Francis of Assisi, and includes the fascinating story of Mollie Fancher, who it was alleged, following a life threatening accident, could see without her eyes, took little or no food for 14 years, traveled out of body, and demonstrated clairvoyant abilities. Thurston was a Catholic priest, a member of the Jesuit order, and a historian. He wrote extensively on Catholic mysticism and psychic phenomena. He was a member of the Society for Psychical Research, and was widely read on the subject. Given that he was a practicing Catholic, it is unlikely that he attended seances, and therefore his opinion on spirit communication, clairvoyance, and mediumship in general, may not come from personal experience. That said; he comes across as an honest skeptic (rather than a debunker) with some empathy for his subjects. Explaining his position he says, The role of Devil's Advocate is a thankless one and does not make for popularity, Indeed, I may confess that, when writing somewhat in the character of a doubting Thomas, I have felt at times, in spite of good intentions, that I was even playing a mean and an unworthy part. Why, I have asked myself, should a skeptical line of argument be put forward which may possibly trouble the simple faith of many good people much nearer and dearer to God than I can ever hope to be? And yet in these days of widespread education, universal questioning and free discussion, a premature and ill-grounded credulity cannot in the long run be of advantage to the Church. The Christian has to be able to justify his beliefs, and adequate equipment for an encounter with rationalists or agnostics requires some previous study both of the position, which it is intended to take up and of the form of attack to which that position may be exposed. "The Physical Phenomena of Mysticism" is essential reading for those interested in Catholic mysticism, and physical and psychic phenomena often attributed to miracles.

The unassuming title "Home for Good" and the original motivation Mother Loyola had in writing this book-that is, to help young ladies who were finishing boarding school to make the right choices in life-both utterly belie the groundbreaking significance of its content. While Mother Loyola's King of the Golden City is charming and entertaining; while her catechesis books are both informative and inspiring; and while her devotional works are unparalleled in their ability to reach the hearts of their readers, Home for Good is a rock on which an unshakable faith can be built amidst the storms and calms of everyday life.
Having spent most of her adult life in educating young ladies, Mother Loyola was intimately familiar with the character of youth as well as the challenges young people face when confronted with the temptations of worldliness. Though this book was written with her young charges in mind, it is no less relevant to young men, who endure the same enticements-and in our own culture, perhaps even greater ones. It is a clarion call to young Catholics to hold fast to their faith and morals in a world that seeks to destroy that faith at every opportunity. Readers of all ages, both male and female, have equally to gain by reading from this book regularly.

In Hail Full of Grace, Mother Loyola brings her full talent for storytelling to bear on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary. Like a tourguide to the Holy Land, she brings the reader along on a journey through the lives of our Lord and of his Blessed Mother. We experience, through her vivid illustration, the breathless anticipation, the drudgery and hardship, the depths of sorrow and despair, and the heights of joy unimaginable. No detail escapes her notice as she travels on, until her readers feel less that they have meditated upon the mysteries of the Rosary, and rather more that they have experienced them firsthand.

Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone!