Life Everlasting: Catholic Devotions and Mysteries for the Everyday Seeker

by Gary Jansen

Overview

The time-honored practices in this inspiring book will guide you in unlocking the power of Catholic devotions— prayers, meditations, and even very simple, small actions you can take right now that will bring you closer to God and also offer reassurance that we are never, ever alone.  The mystical practices of mindfulness and heartfulness presented can help anyone find so­lace, healing, and direction during difficult times.
 
In Life Everlasting readers will discover that lost causes can be won by meditating with St. Jude; healings can occur by praying with the Virgin Mary; and the Holy Spirit can assist us in making important decisions. The Catholic art of devotion can help us experience miracles in all aspects of our daily lives including our health, finances, and relationships. By praying and taking our attention off our own problems for just a few minutes a day, we can take the first steps toward abandoning fear and living a life of forgiveness, abundance, and perpetual gratitude. In other words, we can experience a little heaven on earth, a little life everlasting.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399162220
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/13/2018
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	745,155
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Gary Jansen is the director of Image Books and an executive editor at Penguin Random House where he has edited and published books by New York Times bestselling authors Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Deepak Chopra, Michael Singer, Robert Barron, Scott Hahn, Gabrielle Bernstein and Greg Kincaid. He is the author of the bestselling memoir Holy Ghosts: Or, How a (Not So) Good Catholic Boy Became a Believer in Things That Go Bump in the Night; The 15-Minute Prayer Solution; and Station to Station. Paulo Coelho, The New York Times bestselling author of The Alchemist, has called Jansen's work "Wonderful;" while legendary Newsweek Religion Editor Kenneth L. Woodward has called him, "A fine writer." A frequent lecturer, Jansen has been featured on NPR, The Huffington Post, CNN, Coast to Coast AM, A&E, the Sundance Channel, and has appeared numerous times on the Travel Channel's Mysteries at the Museum. His website is www.garyjansen.com.

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CHAPTER 1
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Life Everlasting"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Gary Jansen.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Part I The Awakening

Chapter 1 How Big Is Your God? 3

Chapter 2 No Need to Go It Alone 22

Chapter 3 The Intelligent Heart 26

Part II The Path

Chapter 4 Step 1: Be Childlike 39

Chapter 5 Step 2: Focus Your Mind and Heart 46

Chapter 6 Step 3: Make the Sign 53

Chapter 7 Step 4: Say the Lord's Prayer 57

Chapter 8 Step 5: Ask, Seek, Knock 63

Chapter 9 Step 6: Cultivate Silence 72

Chapter 10 Step 7: Give Your Life Away 82

Part III The Devotions

Chapter 11 Saints: Our Spiritual Lifesavers 89

Chapter 12 Angels: Our Constant Guardians 122

Chapter 13 Mary: Our Holy Mother 134

Chapter 14 Jesus: Our Beloved 175

Chapter 15 Reality 217

Chapter 16 St. Cecelia: A Vision and a Sort of Homecoming 223

Appendix I Spiritual 911 229

Appendix II Calendar of Saints 251

Permissions 291

Acknowledgments 293

About the Author 295

Editorial Reviews

01/08/2018
Jansen (Station to Station), director of Image Books, calls readers to prayer in this well-argued book. He posits that human beings are plagued by a deep anxiety caused by terrorism, political divisions, and economic uncertainty, and advocates for prayer as a simple alleviation for suffering. He begins his argument by explaining why prayer is vital for health, then lays out seven steps for the prayer journey (among the steps, he implores readers to be childlike, focus the mind, “make the sign” of the Lord, and cultivate silence) finally presenting traditional devotions and insights on how to develop a prayer practice. Jansen is a devotion practitioner, not just an observer, so his insights on the devotions he includes to the angels, saints, Mary, and Jesus are all imbued with an authentic piety. “We should not approach prayer as if it’s an intellectual exercise,” he declares. “Prayer should come from the heart.” Accordingly, the devotions he collects in the last part call out to the heart, inviting readers to accept God’s grace and mercy: “All devotions... should ultimately lead us to Christ, who then leads us to the Father.” Christians who would like to know more about classic devotions will welcome Jansen’s commentary and selections. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Life Everlasting

"The definitive guide for millions of people of all faiths who are intrigued by Catholic devotions." –Publishers Weekly

If ever a book was written just when we needed it most, it's this one. Jansen has created a stunning guidebook for readers to awaken the profound power of faith, prayer, and the presence of God in their lives. Life Everlasting is a grace-inspired accomplishment." –Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Sacred Contracts

"A gifted and thoughtful storyteller, Gary Jansen offers smart and practical advice on how to cultivate a rich spiritual life." –James Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage

"This is a how-to book about prayer and devotions, and a history book that includes anecdotes and examples from the lives of the most interesting holy men and women from the Christian tradition. Jansen writes like a scholar, an entertainer, and a believer. The reader is simultaneously edified, helped, and fascinated." –Diana Pasulka, Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of North Carolina Wilmington and author of Heaven Can Wait 

“Jansen (Station to Station), director of Image Books, calls readers to prayer in this well-argued book…Christians who would like to know more about classic devotions will welcome Jansen’s commentary and selections.” – Publishers Weekly

"A worthy guide to Catholic piety." –Library Journal


Praise for Gary Jansen

"Wonderful." –Paulo Coelho, international bestselling author of The Alchemist

"A fine writer." –Kenneth L. Woodward, Former Religion Editor of Newsweek and award-winning author of Getting Religion

"Gary Jansen helps us take our faith from a dry intellectual exercise to a powerful personal encounter." –Jennifer Fulwiler, radio host and author of Something Other Than God

"With compassion, wisdom, humility, and practical simplicity, Gary Jansen shows that by making a small space in your life each day for prayer and contemplation, your entire life will become filled with the presence of God." –Michael Singer, New York Times bestselling author of The Untethered Soul and The Surrender Experiment


 

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Jansen, director of Image Books at Penguin Random House and author of Station to Station: An Ignatian Journey Through the Stations of the Cross, has provided what he calls a "spiritual first aid kit." This spiritual bandage is first and foremost Roman Catholic; personal and devotional rather than dogmatic or institutional. Jansen's effort is to fill the void of "holy yearning" with a practical piety that aims to focus personal spiritual discipline: praying to stains, making the sign of the cross a preparatory rite, and centering the role of items such as novenas and miraculous medals. A 20-page appendix of devotions is titled "Spiritual 911"; a set of petitions to be prayed during spiritual crises, when words do not immediately present themselves. Helpfully, the book can be read sequentially or according to an individual's spiritual needs without harm to its overall thrust. However, while Jansen asserts that the prayerful piety he offers holds power for all faith traditions, it seems unlikely that non-Catholics will find comfort in some of the more mystical and miraculous elements here. VERDICT A worthy guide to Catholic piety.—Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

Library Journal

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