MSI Press Blog

Excerpt: Why Saints Are Important by Deacon Van Saints give us a model for trying to live as Christ teaches. He wants us to be kind and loving and generous and forgiving and humble and brave, to care more about giving than receiving, to want to serve instead of being served. It isn’t easy, but Christ doesn’t expect us to be perfect; he simply wants us never to stop trying. All of the saints weren’t all those things all of the time, either. Like us, they weren’t perfect, but they had qualities that set them apart, that made them more willing—and more able—to come closer to his ideals. They all spent much of their lives serving others. Many of them gave their lives for their faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: these are the martyrs whose sacrifices move us to honor their memory. We don’t have to look very hard to find evidence of the historic and ongoing importance of saints. Think of some of our well-known cities: St. Louis, St. Paul, St. Augustine, San ...

For struggling writers (struggling to write, struggling to get published, struggling to sell books), this article, published last year after Joanna Charnas's second book came out is a gem. (link: https://sanfranciscobookreview.com/how-my-dream-came-true-but-then-i-lost-my-mind-the-psychodynamics-of-being-a-new-author/) sanfranciscobookreview.com/how-my-dream-c…

About the Book As Sula walks through her Mission home, she meets more than a dozen saints, In Saints I Know , she shares them with anyone who has an interest.  Saints I Know depicts the lives of 21 saints in both their imperfection and perfection--chosen based on the relationship to a Franciscan Mission, Old iMission San Juan Bautista and, told through the eyes of the Mission's cat. The sections of the book include saints related to the founding of the Mission (St. Francis, St. John the Baptist, and St. Juniper Serra), the Holy parents (Mary and Joseph), saints whose statues are behind the altar in the Mission, patron saints of animals, patron saints of children, and the favorite saints of the parish priest. In a final section, she gives some thought, as well, to future saints. Book Endorsement Pending Review of the Book This is a brand-new book so Sula is still waiting for reviews. Want to write one in exchange for a free copy of the book? Send a note to editor@msipress...

"I now know what going from 100 to nothing and working back up again slowly actually feels like. A rollercoaster? Yes, but taking it one day at a time with family support and some tips from someone who has always insisted on learning the hard way just might make your ride a bit smoother." Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, a progressive autoimmune disease, college teacher Dr. Emily Graves was told the disease would go into remission while she was pregnant. That was the good news; the bad news was, it wasn't true. In fact, she suffered kidney failure, and her son William was delivered by C-section when she was only 28 weeks pregnant. The better news is that she slowly recovered and now, with a typical toddler and a supportive spouse, she offers this guide for others. She makes practical suggestions: how a sick mother can rest, prepare meals, manage a healthy regimen for everyone in the family, make schedules, deal with taking multiple medications—while being a m...