Brandon Vogt's Blog, page 13

Book Giveaway (10 copies): “City of Saints”

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” – St. Augustine

Since I’ve built up a large collection of extra books and resources, every week I give some away absolutely free, no strings attached. Each giveaway lasts seven days with a new one beginning every Friday. You can enter any time during the week. Check out my past giveaways here.

Thanks to Image Books, today I’m giving away TEN copies of George Weigel’s new book, City of Saints. Learn more and enter below!

 

 
City of Saints: A Pilgrimage to John Paul II’s Kraków

by George Weigel

Image Books, 336 pages, paperback

In this beautifully illustrated spiritual travelogue, New York Times bestselling author George Weigel leads readers through the historic streets of Kraków, Poland, introducing one of the world’s great cities through the life of one of the most influential Catholic leaders of all time.

“To follow Karol Wojtyła through Kraków is to follow an itinerary of sanctity while learning the story of a city.” Weigel writes. “Thus, in what follows, the story of Karol Wojtyła, St. John Paul II, and the story of Kraków are interwoven in a chronological pilgrimage through the life of a saint that reveals, at the same time, the dramatic history and majestic culture of a city where a boy grew into a man, priest, a bishop—and an apostle to the world.”

With stunning photographs by Stephen Weigel and notes on the city’s remarkable fabric by Carrie Gress, City of Saints offers an in-depth look at a man and a city that made an indelible impression on the life and thought of the Catholic Church and the 21st century world.

 

 

I’m using Gleam to help with the giveaway, which is cool because it allows you multiple entries for posting on Facebook, sharing on Twitter, etc. Click below to enter:

(If you’re reading this through email or RSS and don’t see the giveaway widget, click here.)

By entering this giveaway you agree to occasionally receive email updates from me—no spam, just updates about free books, cool links, and exciting news.

 

 

The winner(s) will be randomly selected next Friday and the books will be sent out, free of charge, shortly thereafter.

In the future I’ll be giving away more books and resources, sometimes multiple items per giveaway! So subscribe via feed reader or email to ensure you never miss your chance to win.

(Since I’m covering the shipping costs, only residents within the continental United States are eligible to win.)

The post Book Giveaway (10 copies): “City of Saints” appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

[Video] Stunning Trailer for Bishop Barron’s New Film Series, “CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players”

Last week, the world went buzzing about the new “Star Wars” trailer.

This morning, Bishop Robert Barron released his own trailer which gives the Jedi a run for their money. CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players may not have J.J. Abrams’ special effects, but the new film series reveals the beauty and genius of Catholicism like never before.

Watch the trailer below and learn more about at PivotalPlayers.com:

 



 

The post [Video] Stunning Trailer for Bishop Barron’s New Film Series, “CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players” appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

John Paul II and the City of Saints: An Interview with George Weigel

Few people know St. John Paul II better than George Weigel. He wrote the definitive English-language biography on the saint, titled Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II, along with the best-selling sequel, The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II—The Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy

Today marks the release of Weigel’s newest book on John Paul II, titled City of Saints: A Pilgrimage to John Paul II’s Kraków (Image, 2015).

In this beautiful new book, Weigel explores how the stories of Karol Wojtyła, St. John Paul II, and the city of Kraków are interwoven, showing those connections through a chronological pilgrimage. Weigel brings us into the streets and colorful places of Kraków, Poland, unveiling its dramatic history and majestic culture where a boy grew into a man, a priest, a bishop—and eventually an apostle to the world.

Today I sit down with George to discuss St. John Paul II and his new book. Enjoy!

 

 

BRANDON VOGT: What made you decide to write City of Saints?

GEORGE WEIGEL: Kraków is one of the world’s great cities; but it’s not as well known as Prague, among the east central European cities, and I thought something should be done about that. More importantly, Kraków is also one of the pivot-points of modern history—the place where the twentieth century happened, in a unique way. Revisiting that drama through the life of Karol Wojtyła, who came from Krakow, became Pope John Paul II, and changed the course of modern history seemed a good idea.

BRANDON VOGT: What was the research/writing process like for this book?

GEORGE WEIGEL: Add it all up, and I’ve probably spent more than a year and a half in Kraków since 1991, so I knew a lot of the story, and what I didn’t know was ably filled in by Carrie Gress, who did the historical notes for the book. The writing was a pleasure: it’s always fun to tell the story of a place and a man you love, so that others may love them, too.

BRANDON VOGT: You’ve spent a significant amount of time in Kraków researching your books, teaching, and speaking at academic symposiums. Of all the locales mentioned in the book, do you have a favorite?

GEORGE WEIGEL: It’s hard to pick out one, although the Main Market Square is certainly a favorite – a crossroads of culture and conversation where an enormous mix of humanity…well, mixes. Wawel Cathedral is thick with history, and I never tire of going back there.

BRANDON VOGT: World Youth Day 2016 will take place in Kraków, the longtime home of its founder St. John Paul II. Can you talk a bit about the significance of this event particularly as it relates to your book?

GEORGE WEIGEL: I thought the participants of World Youth Day-2016 deserved a book that was something more than the usual guidebook: something that got you into the texture of the city through the rich texture of John Paul II’s remarkable life. That’s what I’ve tried to provide. The book also serves, in a way I hadn’t anticipated when I first thought of it, as a kind of introduction to my two-volume biography of John Paul II, Witness to Hope and The End and the Beginning.

BRANDON VOGT: How would you like to see this book used?

GEORGE WEIGEL: I hope it will introduce readers to the great story of a city and a man who refused to accept the tyranny of the possible, and by standing firm for truth helped bend the curve of history in a more human direction. There are lessons in that for all of us.

 

 

The post John Paul II and the City of Saints: An Interview with George Weigel appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

Learning from an Irrepressible Evangelist of His Culture

Today we continue our regular series called “Learning from the Saints.” Our guide is expert Bert Ghezzi, a dear friend of mine and the author of numerous books including Voices of the Saints, Saints at Heart, and Discover Christ: Developing a Personal Relationship with Jesus.

His more recent books are The Power of Daily Mass and The Heart of Catholicism. You can learn more about Bert and his work at BertGhezzi.com.

Today, Bert profiles St. Anthony Mary Claret, a Spanish archbishop and missionary who founded the Claretians.

 

 

By nature St. Anthony Mary Claret was an irrepressible evangelist Thoroughly modern in his outlook, he spread the gospel creatively by establishing institutions with wide-ranging impact—an international religious order, a museum, publishing ventures, libraries, professional associations, schools, and cultural centers.

Frustrated as a young priest in his effort to join a missionary order, in the 1840s Anthony plunged himself into the evangelization of Catalonia, his home province in Spain. He wove ancient Christian wisdom into fresh contemporary strategy and tactics for evangelization that he articulated in his Autobiography. In the following excerpt, for example, he explains why evangelists must temper their zeal with meekness:

“Jesus told his disciples, “Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt 11:29). Humility is like the root of the tree, and gentleness its fruit. We please God by humility and our neighbors by gentleness.

 

No virtue is so attractive as gentleness. If your throw little pieces of bread into a pond, the fish will come fearlessly up to your feet. But if you throw rocks, they will swim away and hide. Jesus Christ was gentleness itself, and because of this virtue he is called the Lamb. The prophets foretold that he would be persecuted and yet remain silent. But by his suffering and silence he redeemed us and taught us how we must act to save the souls he has entrusted to us.

 

Bad temper and anger—the lack of gentleness—often masquerades as zeal. I have studied the distinction between them, so as not to make a crucial mistake. The function of zeal is to abhor, flee, renounce, combat and overthrow everything that is contrary to God.

 

But zeal is an ardent and violent love that needs to be wisely controlled. Otherwise it might go beyond the limits of modesty and discretion. Moved by anger it fails to keep within the bounds of reason and pushes the heart to disorder.

 

My God, give me a zeal that is discreet and prudent so that I may do everything strongly yet sweetly, gently yet strongly.”

Apostolic zeal impelled St. Anthony himself. Lifelong he preached ten thousand sermons and published two hundred books and pamphlets. In 1847 he founded the very successful Religious Library, a publishing venture that distributed five million books and four million leaflets in two decades. At the same time Anthony organized his priest collaborators as Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, now called Claretians.

Appointed Archbishop of Santiago, Cuba, in 1850, St. Anthony set about reforming a diocese that had been untended for fourteen years. His intensive efforts to revitalize the church on the island met considerable resistance. Once he was seriously wounded by a man whose mistress he had converted.

In 1857 he resigned his post and returned to Spain, where he served the rest of his life as chaplain to Queen Isabella II. His position at court restricted his impulse to evangelize, but he channeled his energy into founding a scientific laboratory, music and language schools, and a museum. He also worked with the Claretians, reorienting his community to continue his work in the contemporary world.

Revolution in Spain in 1868 drove the saint into exile with the queen. He died in Rome in 1870.

“O my God, I give you my word that I shall preach, write and circulate good books and pamphlets in abundance , so as to drown evil in a flood of good.”

— St. Anthony Mary Claret

 

 

(Image Credit: SaintsInRome.com)

 

 

Read more from Bert at his website www.BertGhezzi.com, or check out his many books on Amazon.

The post Learning from an Irrepressible Evangelist of His Culture appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

Book Giveaway: “The Apostasy That Wasn’t” (Catholic Answers)

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” – St. Augustine

Since I’ve built up a large collection of extra books and resources, every week I give some away absolutely free, no strings attached. Each giveaway lasts seven days with a new one beginning every Friday. You can enter any time during the week. Check out my past giveaways here.

Thanks to Catholic Answers, today I’m giving away TEN copies of Rod Bennett’s new book, The Apostasy That Wasn’t. Learn more and enter below!

 

 
The Apostasy That Wasn’t: The Extraordinary Story of the Unbreakable Early Church

by Rod Bennett

Catholic Answers, 323 pages, hardcover

With the touch of a master storyteller, Rod Bennett narrates the drama of the early Church s fight to preserve Christian orthodoxy intact even as powerful forces try to smash it to pieces. The theory goes like this: Just a few centuries after Christ s death, around the time the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, the true Faith suffered a catastrophic falling-away. The simple truths of the gospel became so obscured by worldliness and pagan idolatry kicking off the Dark Ages of Catholicism that Christianity required a complete reboot.

This idea of a Great Apostasy is one of the cornerstones of American Protestantism, along with Mormonism, the Jehovah s Witnesses, and even Islam. Countless millions today profess a faith built on the assumption that the early Church quickly became broken beyond repair, requiring some new prophet or reformer to restore the pure teaching of Jesus and the apostles. This theory is popular… but it s also fiction.

In The Apostasy that Wasn’t, Rod Bennett follows up his bestseller Four Witnesses with an account of the historical events that led him out of his own belief in apostasy theory and into the Catholic Church. With the touch of a master storyteller, he narrates the drama of the early Church s fight to preserve Christian orthodoxy intact even as powerful forces try to smash it to pieces. Amid imperial intrigue, military menace, and bitter theological debate, a hero arises in the form of a homely little monk named Athanasius, who stands against the world to prove that there could never be a Great Apostasy because Jesus promised his Church would never be broken.

 

 

 

I’m using Gleam to help with the giveaway, which is cool because it allows you multiple entries for posting on Facebook, sharing on Twitter, etc. Click below to enter:

(If you’re reading this through email or RSS and don’t see the giveaway widget, click here.)

By entering this giveaway you agree to occasionally receive email updates from me—no spam, just updates about free books, cool links, and exciting news.

 

 

The winner(s) will be randomly selected next Friday and the books will be sent out, free of charge, shortly thereafter.

In the future I’ll be giving away more books and resources, sometimes multiple items per giveaway! So subscribe via feed reader or email to ensure you never miss your chance to win.

(Since I’m covering the shipping costs, only residents within the continental United States are eligible to win.)

The post Book Giveaway: “The Apostasy That Wasn’t” (Catholic Answers) appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

Pope Francis Book Giveaway!

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” – St. Augustine

Since I’ve built up a large collection of extra books and resources, every week I give some away absolutely free, no strings attached. Each giveaway lasts seven days with a new one beginning every Friday. You can enter any time during the week. Check out my past giveaways here.

Thanks to Our Sunday Visitor, today I’m giving away TEN copies of a new Pope Francis book, edited by Kevin Cotter, titled Pope Francis and the Joy of Family Life: Daily Reflections. Learn more and enter below!

 

 
Pope Francis and the Joy of Family Life: Daily Reflections

by Pope Francis, edited by Kevin Cotter

Our Sunday Visitor, 384 pages, paperback

“I would like to ask you all a question…. How are things when it comes to joy at home? Is there joy in your family?” – Pope Francis

The presence of God in the family brings joy, in good times and bad, because with God all things are possible.

Using brief meditations from Pope Francis followed by questions for reflection, Pope Francis and the Joy of Family Life offers insight into how you can create an oasis of joyful love within your own family. Spend a few minutes every day in prayer with Pope Francis, and help your family discover God’s plan in which every family member “feels that God is close and feels loved by him.”

 

 

 

I’m using Gleam to help with the giveaway, which is cool because it allows you multiple entries for posting on Facebook, sharing on Twitter, etc. Click below to enter:

(If you’re reading this through email or RSS and don’t see the giveaway widget, click here.)

By entering this giveaway you agree to occasionally receive email updates from me—no spam, just updates about free books, cool links, and exciting news.

 

 

The winner(s) will be randomly selected next Friday and the books will be sent out, free of charge, shortly thereafter.

In the future I’ll be giving away more books and resources, sometimes multiple items per giveaway! So subscribe via feed reader or email to ensure you never miss your chance to win.

(Since I’m covering the shipping costs, only residents within the continental United States are eligible to win.)

The post Pope Francis Book Giveaway! appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

Why You Should Read G.K. Chesterton’s “Lepanto” Today

Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, which was commissioned after the pivotal Battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571, a key turning point in the history of the world. Muslim forces were threatening to attack both Venice and Rome, which would likely have led to the collapse of Christian Europe. If the Islamic forces had won (and most people thought they would) our world today would likely be majority Muslim.

But Pope Pius V called all the faithful to pray the Rosary—including the fighters—and through the intercession of Our Lady, a miraculous turn of events swayed the battle in favor of the Christians.

The great G.K. Chesterton wrote a poem about these events, appropriately titled “Lepanto”, which I’ve enjoyed reading several times. I’ve devoured dozens of GKC books, including all of his novels, most of his short stories, and scores of his essays, and I think “Lepanto” is my favorite piece of GKC writing. Hilaire Belloc called “Lepanto” Chesterton’s greatest poem and the greatest poem of his generation, staggering praise from the usually reserved historian.

You can read the whole poem free online in 10-15 minutes—it’s relatively sort. But I highly recommend buying the short Lepanto paperback published by Ignatius Press. It features the whole poem along with helpful notes and commentary by Dale Ahlquist and several essays that provide background on the battle and the poem:

On this Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, read and remember this pivotal battle upon which the feast is based, and renew your trust in the intercession of Our Lady.

The post Why You Should Read G.K. Chesterton’s “Lepanto” Today appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

How We’re Sending Thousands of Books to Seminarians Halfway Across the World

A couple years ago, you helped me launch the Africa eBook Project. Our goal was to send a digital library of books to EVERY Catholic seminarian in Cameroon, Africa. The plan was to send them CDs packed with books such as the Bible, the complete Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae, Church documents and encyclicals, and books by saints (Newman, Therese, Ignatius, Chesterton) and modern spiritual masters (Pope Benedict XVI).

We needed to raise $4,000 to send 2,000 CDs.

We raised over $18,000.

Not only did we cover all the seminarians in Cameroon, we branched out to seminaries in Uganda (800 CDs), Ghana (600), Nigeria (600), South Africa (180), and Tanzania (97), with more coming soon!

This morning, I received an email from the men at St. Paul’s Catholic Seminary in Accra, Ghana, thrilled to receive several boxes of CDs. They’re so excited. These resources, they said, will shape their priestly ministry for years to come.

To all those who chipped in a few bucks toward this project, thank YOU for making this happen!

Learn more about the Africa eBook Project here: http://AfricaEbooks.com

The post How We’re Sending Thousands of Books to Seminarians Halfway Across the World appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

Book Giveaway (10 copies): “Restored: True Stories of Love and Trust After Porn”

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.” – St. Augustine

Since I’ve built up a large collection of extra books and resources, every week I give some away absolutely free, no strings attached. Each giveaway lasts seven days with a new one beginning every Friday. You can enter any time during the week. Check out my past giveaways here.

Thanks to Catholic Answers, today I’m giving away TEN copies of Matt and Cameron Fradd’s new book, Restored: True Stories of Love and Trust After Porn. Learn more and enter below!

 

 
Restored: True Stories of Love and Trust After Porn

by Matt and Cameron Fradd

Catholic Answers, 208 pages, paperback

Pornography is a cancer of the spirit that not only darkens the minds and souls of those who use it—it corrodes their relationships. It destroys trust, deadens intimacy, and erects barriers of shame, anger, and betrayal between husbands and wives, between parents and children.

But this cancer can be cured. Love and trust can be built again.

In Restored you’ll read ten honest, hard-hitting accounts of real women and couples whose lives were shattered by porn’s destructive effects. But because God’s grace is stronger, they were able to find healing and hope, trust renewed, and intimacy restored.

 

 

 

I’m using Gleam to help with the giveaway, which is cool because it allows you multiple entries for posting on Facebook, sharing on Twitter, etc. Click below to enter:

=

(If you’re reading this through email or RSS and don’t see the giveaway widget, click here.)

By entering this giveaway you agree to occasionally receive email updates from me—no spam, just updates about free books, cool links, and exciting news.

 

 

The winner(s) will be randomly selected next Friday and the books will be sent out, free of charge, shortly thereafter.

In the future I’ll be giving away more books and resources, sometimes multiple items per giveaway! So subscribe via feed reader or email to ensure you never miss your chance to win.

(Since I’m covering the shipping costs, only residents within the continental United States are eligible to win.)

The post Book Giveaway (10 copies): “Restored: True Stories of Love and Trust After Porn” appeared first on Brandon Vogt.

[VIDEO] Restored After Porn: Interview with Matt and Cameron Fradd

Today I’m happy to sit down with my good friends Matt and Cameron Fradd to discuss their new book, Restored: True Stories of Love and Trust After Porn. The book includes ten honest, hard-hitting accounts of real women and couples whose lives were shattered by porn’s destructive effects. But because God’s grace is stronger, they were able to find healing, hope, and renewed intimacy.

For a limited time, you can get the book for as low as $2 per copy at RestoredBook.com.

Make sure you also visit ThePornEffect.com, a website for teens and young adults, and IntegrityRestored.com, which is for families, spouses, and priests.

Topics include:

1:47 – Why do Matt and Cameron focus on pornography?
5:49 – How does porn addiction affect wives? How does she suffer?
7:13 – What advice would you give couples struggling with pornography?
10:40 – What are the best resources to help husbands/wives overcome pornography?
12:58 – Why are you offering Restored for just $2 per copy?

The post [VIDEO] Restored After Porn: Interview with Matt and Cameron Fradd appeared first on Brandon Vogt.