{"product_id":"a-boy-sized-cross-9781594175640","title":"A Boy-Sized Cross","description":"\u003cp\u003e In a time when being Catholic in Japan could cost you everything, ten-year-old Louis Ibaraki has more questions than answers. Orphaned, proud, and struggling to trust, Louis is thrown into a world of strange Latin prayers, secret Masses, and quiet heroism. Then he meets Maxium Tayeka--a swordsmith's son with a steady heart and a quiet strength--and everything begins to change. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e As the two grow in faith and friendship, so does the danger around them. When Japan's rulers turn against the Church, Louis and Maximus must decide what they believe--and how far they are willing to go to stand for it. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Based on the true story of St. Louis Ibaraki, the youngest of the Twenty-Six Martyrs of Nagasaki, A Boy-Sized Cross is a gripping historical novel of courage, sacrifice, and the surprising power of childlike faith. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This is not just a story about dying for Christ. It's a story about living for him--even when the world tells you not to. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaul Fox has been captivated by Japanese language and culture since high school. A visit to the Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument in Nagasaki in the 1990s played a pivotal role in his eventual conversion to the Catholic faith, and served as the inspiration for this book. He lives in western Pennsylvania with his wife. A semi-retired family physician, he spends his free time with his family and pursues his lifelong interest in language study., \u003cbr\u003e, \u003cbr\u003e\r\n9781594175312|Stephen Gabriel was born in Quincy, Massachusetts. The son of a merchant sea captain and a homemaker, his family moved to Florida and then to the Panama Canal Zone. He is a graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and the University of Illinois and holds a Ph.D. in agricultural economics. His career spans federal government service and chief economist of a small government agency. His books include topics on finance and on fatherhood, including To Be a Father, Speaking to the Heart, The Indispensable Dad, and Hope for Your Grandchildren. Gabriel lives in Falls Church, Virginia, with his wife, Peggy. They have eight children and thirty-seven grandchildren.\r\n9781594175428|Fr. Nathan Cromly is the founder of the St. John Institute and the podcast Dare Great Things for Christ. He is a speaker, writer, and educator whose retreats, workshops, and seminars have touched the lives of thousands of people nationwide. Originally from Toledo, Ohio, he is currently living out his priestly ministry in Denver, Colorado.\r\n9781594175060|Alexandre Havard is the founder of the Virtuous Leadership System. He was born and raised in Paris and is a graduate of one of France's leading law schools (Paris Descartes University). He worked as a lawyer in Europe for many years before discovering his mission to ignite hearts for greatness and raise up a new generation of Virtuous Leaders. His books on leadership, character, and virtue have been translated into many languages worldwide.\r\n9781594175299|Angela Fortunato is the fourth of five children. While finishing high school and entering college, Angela encountered God in a personal way through prayer and Mass, which led her to apostolic celibacy in the midst of the world, specifically as a numerary member of Opus Dei. Angela holds a bachelor's in biology, master's in bioethics, and master's in public health, in addition to certifications in aging and teaching science. She has worked in bioethics and healthcare research and as a science teacher. She is currently the Assistant Head of School of Willows Academy in the northern suburbs of Chicago.\r\n9781594175466|Born in Bordeaux, France, in 1965, Fr. Thomas Joachim presently lives in Geneva, Switzerland, where he serves as parish priest at St. Francis de Sales Church. He holds a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Paris (Sorbonne) and has published two other books of spirituality.\r\n9781594175565|Joan Watson is a Catholic speaker and author who loves to make Scripture, theology, liturgy, and history accessible and applicable. She currently works as Pilgrim Formation Manager for Verso Ministries, a Catholic company who aims to facilitate encounters with Jesus Christ through pilgrimage. Propelled by Luke 12:48, Joan has worked the Church and various religious apostolates for twenty years. She is passionate about helping others encounter Christ and enter into friendship with Him through the daily circumstances of life.\r\n9781594175350|Fr. Colum Power is a native of Cork, Ireland, and a Servant Priest of the Home of the Mother. He is the author of Honey from the Lion's Carcass, A Touch of the Gardener's Hand, and James Joyce's Catholic Categories. Currently living in Ecuador and serving the parish of Our Lady of Loreto in Guayaquil, he devotes much of his time to apostolic activities for the youth.\r\n9781594175503|Georges Chevrot (1879- 1958) was born and died in Paris. He was ordained a Catholic diocesan priest and worked with ordinary Christians in the city for most of his life. He lived through two World Wars including the Axis occupation during World War II. George Chevrot wrote more than 20 books in French, of which five are in print from Scepter: The Well of Life, Simon Peter, The Beatitudes, The Easter Victory, and The Prodigal Son.\r\n9781889334165|Rev. Fr. Dom Benedict Baur, OSB (born December 9, 1877 as Karl Borromä us Baur, + November 10, 1963 in Beuron) was a German Benedictine professor and theology professor. He was the 5th Archabbot of the Archabbey of Beuron.Baur joined the Benedictine monastery in Beuron in 1897, professed there on October 5, 1898 and was ordained a priest on September 20, 1903. In 1904 he was promoted to Dr. theol. PhD. From 1905 to 1913 he taught dogmatics and canon law at the Theological College in Beuron. From 1907 to 1910 he was also prefect of the clergy there. From 1931 to 1938 he was professor of dogmatics at the Roman religious college, the Pontifical Athenaeum Sant' Anselmo as well as in Salzburg and Einsiedeln.In 1938 he was appointed subprior in Beuron and by Pope Pius XI appointed abbot in 1938. From January 18, 1938 to 1955 he was the fifth Archabbot of Beuron. The abbot's benediction took place on February 24, 1938 by Archbishop Conrad Grö ber.Baur did great services to the Archabbey of Beuron and the Beuron Congregation. He was particularly committed to liturgy and manuscript research, and was the founder of the Vetus Latina Institute. Benedikt Baur was seen as an opponent of the Nazi regime.He has published numerous works and writings on spiritual subjects that have appeared in several languages.\r\n9781889334059|Rev. Francis Ferná ndez-Carvajal is a well known author of the set of books, In Conversation with God. More than 1.5 million copies have been sold. He was born in Granada in 1938. He obtained his graduate in History from the University of Navarre, and also holds a doctorate in Canon Law from the Angelicum in Rome. Since his ordination in 1964, much of his pastoral ministry has been with university students. For more than ten years he has been Editor of he monthly magazine PALABRA. Among his published works are an Anthology of texts (with more than 6000 quotations from spiritual writers throughout the ages), Overcoming Lukewarmness, and Children of God.\r\n9781889334646|Father Michael Giesler is a priest, professor, and retreat director for one of the retreat centers of Opus Dei. He has published two academic works for his masters and graduate studies. Since then he has published four fiction and four non-fiction works.\r\n9781889334721|St. Josemarí a Escrivá was born in Barbastro, Spain on January 9th 1902. He was ordained to the priesthood at the age of 23 and at the age of 26, by divine inspiration founded Opus Dei. Through his apostolic endeavors, a path within the Church was being broadened and deepened. He promoted among people of all social classes, the search for holiness and the practice of evangelization, through the sanctification of ordinary work, in the midst of the world and without changing one's state in life. On June 26th 1975, St. Josemarí a died unexpectedly in Rome in the room where he worked.Among his published works, are the following books of spirituality: The Way, Holy Rosary, Christ is passing by, Friends of God, The way of the Cross, Furrow, The Forge, and In Love with the Church.St. John Paul the Great had this to say about St. Josemarí a: St. Josemarí a was chosen by the Lord to announce the universal call to holiness and to point out that daily life and ordinary activities are a path to holiness. One could say that he was the saint of ordinary life.\"\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Scepter Publishers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51705122652434,"sku":"9781594175640","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_a019e334-ec6b-4213-95ca-7597e69b90c3.jpg?v=1762341708","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/a-boy-sized-cross-9781594175640","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}