Best Selling Books by Jacques Philippe

St. Thérèse of Lisieux sought a new way to Heaven: “a little way that is quite straight, quite short: a completely new little way.” Blessed with personal limitations that might have discouraged another, Thérèse believed God would not have given her a desire for holiness if He did not intend for her to achieve it. She learned to humbly accept herself as she was and trust completely in God’s love. First given as a retreat by renowned author Father Jacques Philippe, The Way of Trust and Love navigates excerpts of St. Thérèse’s writings phrase by phrase, extracting powerful, resonating insights. To Thérèse, the journey seemed “little” as she traveled it. A hundred and fifteen years after her death, the message of the young saint and Doctor of the Church has traveled around the world inspiring millions. With this newly translated study of her spirituality, many today will rediscover—or find for the first time—the relevance of “the little way,” in all seasons of life. Fr. Jacques Philippe is well-known for his books on prayer and spirituality. A member of the Community of the Beatitudes, he regularly preaches retreats in France and abroad. He also spends much of his time giving spiritual direction and working for the development of the Community in Asia and Oceania where he travels frequently. View Fr. Jacques Philippe''s website and App (www.frjacquesphilippe.com)

Interior Freedom leads one to discover that even in the most unfavorable outward circumstances we possess within ourselves a space of freedom that nobody can take away, because God is its source and guarantee. Without this discovery we will always be restricted in some way and will never taste true happiness. Author Jacques Philippe develops a simple but important theme: we gain possession of our interior freedom in exact proportion to our growth in faith, hope, and love. He explains that the dynamism between these three theological virtues is the heart of the spiritual life, and he underlines the key role of the virtue of hope in our inner growth. Written in a simple and inviting style, Interior Freedom seeks to liberate the heart and mind to live the true freedom to which God calls each one.

Recognizing the strong and gentle fatherhood which our Heavenly Father bestows on us lovingly and daily indefinitely changes the scope of our spiritual lives. Amidst the crisis of fatherhood in today''s society, it is imperative, more than ever, that all men—especially priests—be images of this unfalteringly generous fatherhood of God. What does true fatherhood consist of? How can true fatherhood help a person gain access to the freedom found through the knowledge of his or her identity as a child of God? While answering these questions, Fr. Jacques also presents the spiritual path which allows a priest to guard himself against possible shortcomings and ambiguities as he strives to live out his priestly fatherhood, the gift received by him in ordination. This book will not only be of interest to priests, but will also help all those who are called to exercise a certain paternity in the Church or in society: fathers of families, spiritual fathers, educators, and leaders.

Peace of heart is not only a blessing but also a necessary condition for the growth of our spiritual lives. How do we not only find peace but then keep it? Step by step, in a period of nine days, Fr. Jacques Philippe describes how to welcome this inner peace in all areas of our existence. He shows us how to rest in the deep resonance of God’s holy peace amidst the highs and lows, ease and struggles of everyday life. Allow your heart to be guided by Fr. Jacques toward a more peaceful existence that penetrates every area of your life and calls you to a deeper relationship with the Lord. This is the second of Fr. Jacques’ books in the “Nine Days To” series.

In a series of essays linked by his examination into key areas of spiritual growth, Fr. Jacques Philippe develops themes relating to prayer, freedom, the Holy Eucharist, and man’s constant struggle for contentment amid the stresses of everyday life. Through spiritual insights of amazing women of the Church—Etty Hillesum, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Teresa of Avila—Fr. Jacque’s essays examine topics such as: Why look for interior peace? Knowing God through Mary Touching God through prayer The theological virtues and the Eucharist

Life is always full of new and unexpected challenges, but each challenge is also an opportunity to draw closer to God. Fr. Jacques Philippe, a beloved author and renowned spiritual director, will show you how to maintain peace of heart through turbulent times and discern the choices that will be helpful for you and others. Written in a simple and inviting style, Trusting God in the Present is your spiritual direction manual to trusting God in the midst of difficult times. You’ll find that God is, indeed, with you, and he is inviting you to a new perspective, renewed hope, and a more abundant life.

Many people today are thirsty for God and feel a desire for an intense, personal prayer life that is deep and ongoing. But they encounter obstacles that prevent them from following the path seriously, and especially from persevering on it. Time for God was written with these desires and difficulties in mind. In Time for God, author Jacques Philippe mainly concentrates on mental prayer: prayer that consists of facing God in solitude and silence for a time in order to enter into intimate, loving communion with him. Practicing this kind of prayer regularly is considered by all spiritual masters to be an indispensable path that gives access to genuine Christian life—a path to knowing and loving God that empowers us to respond to his call to holiness addressed to each individual. Philippe draws on years of experience as a spiritual guide to illuminate the fundamental principles of mental prayer and describes some common mistakes and misconceptions that can lead it astray. With simplicity and clarity he explains the foundational principles for a healthy prayer life and gives advice for overcoming the various obstacles that arise when one sets off on the path of interior prayer.

How do I find fulfillment in life? How do I obtain happiness? Despite a multitude of self-help books in recent years, these eternal questions have become increasingly urgent in today’s directionless world. Author Jacques Philippe provides some answers. In his new book, Called to Life, he explains that a complete and fulfilled life is much more assured when we stop trying to chart our own course, when we realize that we are essentially creatures called by God. He goes on to describe where and how these calls take place: the events of life, the Word of God in Scripture, and interior motions of the Holy Spirit. Learning to recognize and follow these calls is what leads to a happy and full life. Called to Life includes a special section on how to read Sacred Scripture prayerfully (Lectio Divina), making this a timely source of inspiration and guidance following up on the recommendations of Pope Benedict XVI and the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God.

"What the world most needs today is prayer. It is prayer that will give birth to all the renewals, healings, deep and fruitful transformations we all want for society today.... I am more and more convinced that everything comes from prayer and that, among the calls of the Spirit, this is the first and most urgent one we should respond to." Many have already benefited from Fr. Jacques’ best-selling book on prayer, Time for God. In Thirsting for Prayer, Fr. Jacques revisits some of the themes covered in that book and develops new insights that are both profound and practical. These reflections guide us with simplicity on the path to intimacy with God, helping us to develop an actual taste for personal prayer. This "school of prayer" opens us up to the encounter with God that transforms us from within. View Fr. Jacques Philippe''s website and App (www.frjacquesphilippe.com)

In the School of the Holy Spirit will help you get to know the Sanctifier of your soul. It will lead you to be more attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit in your life as you learn to love the third person of the Holy Trinity. Philippe explains the rewards of being attentive to the Holy Spirit and provides simple and concrete ways to grow in this inner sensitivity. In his clear and simple style, he illustrates his points with many examples from modern life. In the School of the Holy Spirit is a valuable aid in your own spiritual journey.

We live in a day and age characterized by an extraordinary amount of agitation and lack of peace. This tendency manifests itself in our spiritual as well as our secular life. In our search for God and holiness, in our service to our neighbor, a kind of restlessness and anxiety take the place of the confidence and peace which ought to be ours. What must we do to overcome the moments of fear and distress which assail us all too often in our lives? How can we learn to place all our confidence in God and abandon ourselves into his loving care? This is what is taught in this simple, yet profound little treatise on peace of heart. Taking concrete examples from our everyday life, the author invites us to respond in a Gospel fashion to the upsetting situations we must all confront. Since peace of heart is a pure gift of God, it is something we should seek, pursue and ask him for without cease. This book is here to help us in that pursuit.

La vida humana es una aventura maravillosa. A pesar de las dificultades y sufrimientos que encontramos muchas veces, nos ofrece siempre la posibilidad de crecer en humanidad, en paz interior; y de desarrollar toda nuestra capacidad de amor y de alegría. A través de los encuentros con otras personas, de los hechos felices o dolorosos, de los deseos que nacen en nuestro corazón, o de la lectura de la Sagrada Escritura, nuestro Padre Dios nos invita con amor a cambiar, a ensanchar los corazones; a desplegar toda nuestra capacidad de creer, de esperar y de amar. Este libro nos ayuda a percibir y acoger esas muchas llamadas del Señor, para que nuestra vida sea más fecunda y generosa.

El Espíritu Santo es el Consolador, la fuerza de lo alto que acude en auxilio de nuestra flaqueza. Puede orientar y guiar, gracias a los movimientos que imprime en cada alma. Aprender a reconocerlos y a recibirlos nos ayudará a progresar en la vida cristiana, y a responder a la llamada a la santidad que Dios nos dirige a todos. ¿Cómo dejar que el Espíritu Santo nos asista y nos guíe? ¿Cómo abrirnos lo más posible a su acción, que ilumina nuestra inteligencia y fortalece nuestro corazón? El propósito de este libro, accesible y concreto, es el de mostrarnos las condiciones prácticas que permiten esa docilidad a la acción del Espíritu Santo. Crítica: «Este libro quiere enseñarnos cómo facilitar las inspiraciones del Espíritu Santo en nosotros, cómo descubrirlas, cómo discernirlas, cómo seguirlas, cómo colaborar con la obra de la gracia en nosotros.» P. José Yanzón, San Pablo «La acción del Espíritu Santo no siempre es sensible y no siempre tenemos una luz clarísima. Tenemos que tantear. Pero lo más importante es practicar las actitudes y formas de vida que nos abren a la presencia del Espíritu; y entender qué puede cerrarnos: nuestra forma de ver las cosas, nuestro amor propio, nuestra confianza. Así se va dando esta apertura progresiva que permite que Dios se vaya manifestando. A veces de forma muy clara, y a veces de forma más oscura. Pero si buscamos de verdad, Él sabrá guiarnos.» Jacques Philippe, entrevista en Alfa & Omega

"La experiencia os demostrará que la paz, que infundirá en vosotros la caridad, el amor a Dios y al prójimo, es el camino recto hacia la vida eterna." Vivimos una época de confusión e inquietud. Esta tendencia se manifiesta incluso en nuestra vida espiritual: nuestra búsqueda de Dios, de la santidad y del servicio al prójimo es agitada y convulsa, en lugar de ser confiada y pacífica. Pero ¿qué hacer para superar los momentos de angustia y de temor, conservando la confianza y el abandono? Es lo que nos enseña este breve tratado sobre la paz interior. A través de situaciones concretas de la vida cotidiana, el autor nos invita a reaccionar según el Evangelio. Si la paz interior es un exclusivo don de Dios, es preciso buscarla y perseguirla sin cesar. Este libro nos ayudará en esa tarea.

Hoje em dia, fala-se muito da paz. Mas será que sabemos em que consiste a verdadeira paz, como encontrá-la e como mantê-la face às inúmeras e contraditórias solicitações de que so-mos alvo e no meio das inquietações e sofrimentos que são «o pão nosso de cada dia» de tantos dos nossos contemporâneos? É verdade que o nosso mundo tem aspetos fascinantes. Mas é inegável que cria em nós um desassossego e uma agitação que, frequentemente, nos dispersam, nos angustiam e deprimem. O stress é um dos grandes males dos nossos dias, que nos impede de alcançar a liberdade de espírito e a autêntica felicidade a que aspiramos. Este livro, agora com uma nova edição, ensina-nos a obter a paz no quotidiano concreto da nossa vida, nas circunstâncias e com as pessoas que parecem desviar-nos dela, a atravessar os momentos de perturbação e receio sem perder a confiança, o ânimo e a capacidade de entrega aos outros que fazem de nós pessoas mais felizes e realizadas.

"Considero esencial que cada cristiano descubra que, incluso en las circunstancias externas más adversas, dispone en su interior de un espacio de libertad que nadie puede arrebatarle, porque Dios es su fuente y su garantía. (...) Sin este descubrimiento, nos pasaremos la vida agobiados y no llegaremos a gozar nunca de la auténtica felicidad." La afirmación fundamental del autor es sencilla, pero de gran alcance: el hombre conquista su libertad interior en la medida en que la fe, la esperanza y el amor se fortalecen en él. Nos da a conocer cómo el dinamismo de las "virtudes teologales" es el núcleo de la vida espiritual. Escrita en el estilo sencillo y concreto que caracteriza a Jacques Philippe, ésta es una valiosa obra que ayudará a "todos los que desean hacerse disponibles a esas maravillosas renovaciones espirituales que el Espíritu Santo desea obrar en nuestros corazones, y acceder así a la gloriosa libertad de los hijos de Dios".

Estar en paz es parte esencial de la vocación cristiana, más aún en nuestros días, marcados por tantos miedos, y tanta agitación y ansiedad. Todos experimentamos la urgencia de recibir la paz de Dios, y es ese el gran regalo que podemos transmitir a los demás. Pero, ¿cómo encontrarla? ¿Cómo recuperarla cuando la hemos perdido? Mediante la oración confiada, la humildad y el perdón, la aceptación de uno mismo, y el deseo de vivir en el instante presente. Jacques Philippe es sacerdote francés de la Comunidad de las Bienaventuranzas, y autor de numerosos libros de espiritualidad.

Todos los maestros de vida espiritual consi-deran que "hacer oración" es el medio indispensable para crecer en la vida cristiana, para conocer y amar a Dios, y para responder a la llamada de santidad que Él dirige a cada uno. Hoy en día, muchas personas tienen sed de vida espiritual, sed de Dios, y quieren hacer oración, pero no saben muy bien cómo empezar, o una vez iniciada la práctica de la oración, la abandonan en cuanto tienen dificultades. Pero la perseverancia en la oración -según el testimonio unánime de los santos- es la puerta estrecha que nos abre el Reino de los Cielos, y la fuente de la auténtica felicidad. Convencido de esta verdad, el autor ofrece en este breve y jugoso libro, sugerencias y consejos sencillos que orientan a toda persona deseosa de hacer oración, ayudan a perseverar y aportan respuesta a las dudas que puedan surgir. Para ello se apoya en las experiencias de grandes contemplativos de la Iglesia, como Juan de la Cruz, Teresa de Jesús o Teresa de Lisieux.

«Supplica lo Spirito Santo di mettere in te il desiderio di amare Dio e chiedigli anche di non lasciarti mai riposare in questa ricerca! Allora sarai beato!». L’autore spiega che cosa significhi accogliere e mettere in pratica le ispirazioni dello Spirito Santo.

Ante la actual crisis de la paternidad, hay más necesidad que nunca de personas que sean imagen de la fuerte y dulce paternidad de Dios. ¿En qué consiste esa verdadera paternidad? ¿Cómo puede alguien llegar a ser imagen de Dios y alcanzar, para sí y para otros, la verdadera libertad de los hijos de Dios? Al tratar de responder a estas preguntas, el libro también quiere indicar el camino espiritual que permite a un sacerdote protegerse de posibles fallos y ambigüedades en esta delicada tarea, con el fin de desplegar el don recibido en la ordenación. Este libro no sólo será de interés para los sacerdotes, sino que también ayudará a todos aquellos (padres, educadores, líderes...) que están llamados a ejercer una cierta paternidad en la Iglesia o en la sociedad.

Selección Doce Uvas ofrece doce pequeños grandes libros cada año. Nace de las numerosas sugerencias de decenas de intelectuales que han propuesto títulos de lectura indispensable. Elogio de la pereza es el discurso de ingreso de Leclercq en la Academia Libre de Bélgica, en 1936, donde establece varias pautas para alcanzar la felicidad y la sabiduría. En El instante presente (parte de La libertad interior) Philippe defiende la libertad del hoy, donde el hombre puede siempre volver a empezar de cero, sin que el pasado lo impida o el futuro atormente.

"El hombre en busca del sentido de la vida debe saber que la esperanza nunca muere. Si la caridad es en sí misma la mayor de las virtudes, en la práctica la esperanza es la más importante. Mientras hay esperanza el amor se desarrolla, si la esperanza se extingue, el amor se enfría. La esperanza tiene necesidad de la fe, de la que es auténtica expresión. Dios no nos da según nuestras calidades o nuestros méritos, sino según nuestra esperanza. Esta verdad es liberadora: aun suponienda que todos nuestros recursos humanos y espirituales entren en bancarrota, siempre nos quedará la invencible esperanza."--Publisher''s description.

«Se tu conoscessi il dono di Dio...» è qunato Gesù dice alla donna samaritana secondo il Vangelo di Giovanni (4,10). «Imparare a ricevere» è semplice da capire, ma difficile da vivere. Come lasciarsi amare da Dio? Come lasciarsi condurre dallo Spirito Santo anche nelle paure e nelle situazioni di fragilità? Come adottare un atteggiamento interiore di accoglienza nei diversi momenti della vita cristiana, fatta di preghiera e sacramenti, decisioni da prendere e bisogno di libertà, esperienze di debolezza e di povertà? Essere cristiani consiste non in una lista di cose da fare, ma nell''accogliere, per mezzo della fede, la misericordia infinita di Dio. Troppo spesso abbiamo sete mentre siamo proprio accanto alla fonte e, appesantiti dalle insoddisfazioni, dalle fatiche o dalle delusioni, ci dimentichiamo di avere a portata di mano tesori incalcolabili che possono fare la nostra gioia. Jacques Philippe, noto per la sua semplicità e la sua profondità, in questo libro, ci invita a scoprirli.

A vida humana é uma maravilhosa aventura. Apesar das dificuldades e dos sofrimentos que nela se encontram inevitavelmente, oferece de modo permanente a possibilidade de crescermos em maturidade, amor e liberdade. Para alcançarmos esta experiência, mais do que tentar dominar tudo na nossa vida, é preciso que nos tornemos disponíveis às chamadas que Deus nos dirige ao longo da existência e nos deixemos conduzir por elas. Por meio dos acontecimentos felizes ou difíceis, dos desejos que nascem no nosso coração, do eco que suscita em nós a Sagrada Escritura, Deus nunca cessa, de um modo discreto, misterioso, mas real, de nos convidar a sair das nossas reclusões, a escolher a vida, a desenvolver todas as nossas capacidades de crer, esperar e amar, para nos tornarmos assim plenamente homens ou mulheres. Estas páginas propõem-se ajudar-nos a escutar e acolher essas múltiplas chamadas, para darmos à nossa existência a intensidade e a fecundidade a que todos aspiramos.