The Sacred Heart Library is a great resource if you enjoy reading books to deepen your relationship with God.
The library has books on topics like Apologetics, Saints, Catholic Social Justice, Parenting, Bible Commentaries and much more. There are books from historical holy people like: St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Therese of Lisieux, Thomas Merton and Fulton Sheen. Or contemporary authors like Allen Hunt, Matthew Kelley, Mike Aquilina and Patrick Madrid. Additionally, there are religious books for teens and children.
CONQUERING CORONAVIRUS:
How Faith can put your Fears to Rest
By Teresa Tomeo
Celebrated author Teresa Tomeo offers a healing balm for sould who have been shaken by the frightening evils thrust upon us by this coronavirus. With scores of stories and practical weapons you can use to conquer this faceless enemy.
BAD SHEPHERDS:
The Dark Years in Which the Faithful Thrived While Bishops Did the Devil’s Work
By Rod Bennett
Current crises in the Church have left many of the faithful confused and demoralized. In this short book, convert Rod Bennett shows us how the Church founded by the Good Shepherd has—from the beginning—had to cope with some very poor, if not outright dissolute, leadership. But through it all, the charism of our good Lord has kept his Church, the barque of Peter, afloat. Bennett wants to encourage faithful Catholics by showcasing the bad shepherds from five eras, during which God raised up spectacular saints and used the courageous witness of ordinary faithful to shine brightly in this world. Very readable.
COUNTERFEIT CHRISTS:
Finding the Real Jesus Among the Imposters
By Trent Horn
“Who do you say that I am?” Jesus asked his followers. These days many groups want to appropriate Jesus’ support for their causes by tweaking his identity to suit their needs. One of the most common ones is the “Non-Judgmental/ Buddy Jesus”. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the grim judge of some fundamentalist faiths. Some reject his divinity, and say he was merely an inspired teacher, on the order of Confucius. In the last century, the image of Jesus as guarantor of prosperity was popular among some Protestants, and a sort of divine socialist among those whose frustration with the world led them to embrace liberation theology. But who is the REAL LORD? In this book, Trent Horn examines 18 versions of Jesus and debunks them using Scripture, the teaching tradition of the Church and plain logic. Easy to read, very understandable. A good aid for preparing us to defend the true Jesus to the World.
WHAT THE SAINTS NEVER SAID: Pious Misquotes and the Subtle Heresies They Teach You
by Trent Horn
Did you know that St. Francis never said “Preach the gospel always, if necessary use words.” Apparently, he set such a high value on preaching well that his brothers had to be vetted before they were allowed to preach publicly!
Mother Teresa also never said what is commonly referred to as the Anyway Poem,” People are illogical, unreasonable and self-centered, love them anyway…”And no one on the Star Trek series actually said “Beam me up, Scotty!”
Who knew!!
Popular culture is full of various misquotes, so why does it matter? Because in the case of saints, many of these quotes contradict the Faith that the saints embrace, and can cause us to lose our bearings. Follow Trent Horn as he examines some of the most common misquotes and explains why they are wrong. He also suggests better quotes to remember in their place.
A Catholic Woman’s Guide to Happiness
by Rose Sweet
Reflecting on a family trip she took to Disney World, the Happiest Place on Earth, in a station wagon crowded with siblings, Sweet writes:
….If we keep our minds and hearts on our eternal destination, even though life is pushing and poking us—this rough ride will be worth it----it can even be joyous!
Follow Rose Sweet as she gives advice for finding joy in the dailiness of our lives. Brief, practical, uplifting—in other words—SWEET!
DEFYING GRAVITY: HOW CHOOSING JOY LIFTED MY FAMILY FROM DEATH TO LIFE
by Joe Sikorra
Today, our culture defines certain lives as lacking sufficient “quality” to be worth pursuing, and encourages that they be terminated. Meet the Sikorra family, who courageously decided to defy this solution. The Sikorra children, Ben and John, were diagnosed with a rare neurological syndrome called Batten disease. It is progressive and fatal. In this deeply personal reflection, their father Joe recounts how his family wrestled with the weight of coping daily with their son’s ailments. With faltering steps, they chose to focus on the goodness and joy their children could still experience, rather than what they could not. The Sikorra’s strength came from their relationship with God and his Church, as lived out by friends and family. And they chose to insert as much humor as possible into the journey. Join them!
~by Anita Halterman, parishioner
Little Sins Mean a Lot
By Elizabeth Scalia
Have you ever begun to prepare for confession and thought “What should I confess? After all, I haven’t robbed a bank, murdered anyone or worshipped a golden idol.” And yet you sense a general spiritual unease—a sense of failing, if you could just put your finger on it? In a world that doubts the existence of sin, Elizabeth Scalia is a light in the darkness. Without descending into scrupulosity, she illuminates (often with humorous examples from her own life) sinful habits that hold us back from being the best versions of ourselves, and affect those around us. She even gives some useful ways to change these pesky behaviors. As Matthew Kelly says, our lives change when our habits change. Definitely a good read!
CHECK OUT: Found something you like? Please take it home with you. In the library, you will find a check out clipboard. Fill out the information on the clipboard and take the resource home. Recommended check out time is 30 days. Then bring it back for the next person to enjoy.
RETURNS: Always put returns on the return shelf so our librarian can make sure they get back to their correct home. Keeping the library organized makes it most useful for all to enjoy.
DONATIONS: We are always looking for additional resources for our library!!! Our biggest need is current Catholic publications as well as resources in Spanish! Donations can be dropped off in the library on the specially marked donations shelf. Our librarian will review them, then add them to the database and give them a shelf number so they can be found easily by all.