The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross - Hardcover

Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1586179160 ISBN 13: 9781586179168

Publisher: Ignatius Press, 2015

Synopsis

Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is a Catholic author, a radio and television host, and an inspirational speaker known and admired from coast to coast. Yet with all of her public exposure, she has revealed very little about her personal history, that is, until now. When she discovered that sharing her struggles gives encouragement to others, she was persuaded to write this story of her life.

Growing up in a Polish-American Catholic family, Donna-Marie was blessed with hard-working parents who provided a stable home for their eight children. At times her childhood was golden and carefree, but other times it was tarnished by pain that she felt was best left unspoken as she sought God for help and strength.

After she left home after high school, her path took some harrowing turns. A Vietnam veteran fiancé snapped and held her against her will. She suffered pregnancy loss, serious illness, divorce, and single motherhood. Perhaps her greatest trial was an epic custody battle in which she needed to defend both her reputation as a mother and the safety of her five children.

Yet through all the dark valleys, Donna-Marie kept the fire of her faith burning. Helping her to see the beauty of the crosses in her life, and to rely on the presence and the providence of God, were saintly souls who became her friends and mentors. One of these was Blessed Mother Teresa, who was her confidant and spiritual mother for ten years.

About this title

About the Author:

Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle is a wife, mother, grandmother, blogger, EWTN television host, and popular international speaker who thoroughly enjoys her vocation of motherhood and grand-motherhood. Though passionate about inspiring and encouraging others, she never planned to be an author, TV Host or international speaker. It prayerfully unfolded in her life with God's grace. She has taught Faith Formation for thirty years and is an award winning and best-selling journalist and author of more than thirty books with more than a quarter million books sold (some translated into various languages). Donna-Marie knew Saint Teresa of Calcutta for ten years and became a Lay Missionary of Charity founding a branch of the lay Order. Mother Teresa wrote the Foreword for one of Donna-Marie's books, endorsed others, and encouraged Donna-Marie to continue to write. Through her writings and talks, Donna-Marie endeavors to pass on the blessings. 


Donna-Marie has created three television series for EWTN: "Everyday Blessings for Catholic Moms," "Catholic Mom's Cafe," and "Feeding Your Family's Soul" which she hosts. Donna-Marie has received Apostolic Blessings from Saint John Paul II who has blessed her books. Donna-Marie maintains blogs and writes on a variety of subjects in national and international media: including: L'Osservatore Romano, Magnificat magazine, the National Catholic Register, Our Sunday Visitor Newsweekly, Catholic World Report, Catholic Mom, Integrated Catholic Life and more. In addition to her own TV shows, she has appeared on international media including: Fox News, EWTN News Nightly, Zenit News, Vatican Insider, Rome Reports, Vatican Radio, and is a frequent guest on EWTN's Bookmark, Women of Grace, EWTN LIVE, and Sunday Night Prime, as well as on national radio and television. Her memoir is entitled The Kiss of Jesus in which she shares her crooked path and God's great mercy.  Learn more about Donna-Marie at her website: donnacooperoboyle.com.

Review:

"The stories that make us who we are usually remain hidden from the watching world. Until now, that has been true of Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle who, for years, I've known as a writer of rare luminous simplicity and maternal sensitivity whose spirituality bears the mark of her encounters with Mother Teresa. I was unprepared for the shocking assaults, penetrating injuries, wounds of betrayal, shame of poverty and neglect that alternately enraged and grieved me as I read her memoir. This is no mere conversion story."--Al Kresta, President CEO Ave Maria Communications Host Kresta in the Afternoon

"In this amazing true story of faith Donna-Marie shares painful details of her past struggles as well as a very honest discussion concerning life's many challenges.  This is not so her readers will feel sorry for her but instead to show all of us that even in the most challenging of circumstances God is with us.  He turns the greatest tragedies into triumphs and in Donna-Marie's case the Lord turned her misery into a powerful ministry."--Teresa Tomeo, Motivational Speaker, Best Selling Author, Syndicated Catholic TalkShow Host

"A true account of struggle, abuse, and redemption. In The Kiss of Jesus, Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle tells an extraordinary true story about how Jesus saved her life. This book will surely inspire hope in others. Highly recommended."--Immaculee Ilibagiza, Author, Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

"This book knocked my socks off! I would have never expected that such a sweet, joyful and soft-spoken woman had lived such a perilous, abusive and violent life. Yet she never lost her joy or her hope. God was always with her, just as He is with each of us.  Donna-Marie's story shows us that if we trust Jesus, that we can find joy in suffering and that like our Lord, we sometimes have to endure the sufferings of Good Friday before we reach the joy and glory of Easter."--Gail Buckley, Founder & President, Catholic Scripture Study International

"Donna-Marie knows the Cross as she has suffered physical and mental pain, abuse, near starvation, evictions, the machinations of an unjust court and the near loss of her children. But she also knew and was inspired by people such as Blessed Mother Teresa and Fr. John Hardon. Her faith was so indescribably deep that, not only is she transformed by her suffering, she transforms others. Which is what will happen to you when you read The Kiss of Jesus."--Joan Lewis, EWTN Rome bureau chief

About this edition

• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1586179160
• ISBN 13: 9781586179168
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192