Fr. Jacques Philippe – författare

The Gospel of St. Matthew Shares with us astonishing words of Jesus: a promise of everlasting happiness, far removed from the usual recipes for gratification.

Blessed are the poor in spirit! Blessed are those who mourn!  Happy are the meek!...

Fr. Jacques shares with us a profound clarity to the full scope of meaning behind Christ’ s eight beatitudes, and in turn, outlines for us a way in which we can live them in our daily lives. We learn how each beatitude gives insight into how we can situate ourselves in an honest and fulfilling relationship with God, with oneself, and with others, and how to confront head-on the difficult realities of life.

It's not always possible to control external events. There are so many things that are outside our control: the past, what others think of us, chronic health issues, other peoples' actions, the weather, unforeseen events. This list goes on and on.

It is possible, though, to gain more control over our  interior life.In his book Interior Freedom,  Fr. Jacques Phillipe shows us that we possess, each of us, inside of us a space of freedom that no-one can take away. Despite the most unfavorable outward circumstances, we can claim our freedom because God is its source and its guarantee. Without this, we will always be in search for something else to fulfill us, and we will never understand true happiness.Fr. Philippe lays out a simple but important theme in Interior Freedom: "We gain possession of our interior freedom in proportion to our growth in faith, hope, and love." He explains that the dynamism between these three theological virtues is the heart of our spiritual life, and he underscores the key role of the virtue of hope in our spiritual 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 of us.  Get the most out of this book with our Interior Freedom Study Guide.

In the prayer lives of many Christians there is one person of the Trinity that often goes overlooked - The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is no less involved in our lives than the Father and the Son, yet many are unaware of this. Jesus said about the Holy Spirit, "If I go, I will send you another Comforter." But are we aware of the Holy Spirit in our lives?  In the School of the Holy Spirit, by retreat master Jacques Philippe, will lead you to be more attentive to the movements of the Holy Spirit in your life as you learn to value the third person of the Trinity as the Sanctifier of your soul. 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. The book can be  a valuable aid in your own spiritual journey.

St. Thé rè se 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, Thé rè se 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. Thé rè se’ s writings phrase by phrase, extracting powerful, resonating insights. To Thé rè se, 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.

"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. This book of reflections will 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.

In Real Mercy, Father Jacques Philippe turns his focus on mercy in this book that developed from talks given on the first three days of the Year of Mercy beginning Dec. 8, 2015.

On that feast day of the Immaculate Conception, he explored how Mary, the Mother of Jesus, is an exemplar of mercy to the Church and the entire world. In a discreet but vital way she dispenses graces and favors with the compassion of a mother. His second essay on forgiveness in families hits home with everyone. No one has escaped the ill feeling and bitterness caused by strife and misunderstanding within the family, and yet the same family is intended to be the path for both earthly and eternal happiness. The author brings to light vivid examples of how lack of forgiveness causes severe damage while forgiveness heals and restores broken relationships. Finally, he uses the writings of St. Therese of Lisieux to show how trust in God’ s mercy leads to extraordinary supernatural effects in one’ s life and in the lives of those one touches.

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, Thé rè se of Lisieux, and Teresa of Avila— Fr. Jacque’ s essays examine topics such as:

Prayer changes our lives. Through fruitful prayer, God freely graces us with the gifts of joy, peace, courage, and determination.

We can often find, however, that,  despite our good intentions, prayer doesn’ t come easily. We often have obstacles in our path— distractions from the outside or our own internal weaknesses— that keep us from praying or being faithful to our Christian commitment to Love.

Allow your heart to be guided gently by Fr. Jacques Philippe's Nine Days to Rediscover the Joy of Prayer toward a joyous prayer life that feeds your soul and revitalizes your relationship with the Lord.

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.

Nine Days to Welcome Peace is the second of Fr. Jacques’ books in the “ Nine Days To” series.

Faith, simply put, places us in real contact with God. Faith is our strength as Christians because it teaches us to rely on Him in all things. Often lived most fervently when experiencing spiritual desolation, faith bears the fruit of peace, hope, and love. This book will cover different ways to strengthen your faith and bring you spiritually closer to God. Take nine days with Fr. Jacques to meditate. Take nine days with Fr. Jacques to meditate on your faith and learn how to deepen and strengthen it, so that through both times of ease and times of burden, your faith can keep you focused on God, as he faithfully keeps his focus on you.

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.

Priestly Fatherhood: Treasure in Earthen Vessels 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.