Xavier Society for the Blind

Xavier Society for the Blind Providing free spiritual & inspirational books in braille, audio, & large print worldwide since 1900

We support this community of Faithful thanks to the generous support of our donors.

Life is full of twists and turns. Relationships falter, careers fizzle, health fades. We may be faced with choices we ne...
08/24/2026

Life is full of twists and turns. Relationships falter, careers fizzle, health fades. We may be faced with choices we never wanted to make or have situations pushed upon us we'd never expected. Yet, in all of it, God is at our side--even when he feels far away.

Drawing on her extensive research into women of the Old Testament, novelist Jill Eileen Smith turns her pen to the lessons in trusting God that we can learn today in "When Life Doesn't Match Your Dreams: Hope for Today from 12 Women of the Bible." This title is available in braille.

From women like
- Eve
- Noah's wife
- Sarai
- Hagar
- Lot's wife
- Rebekah
- Rachel
- and more

Readers will learn from what these ancient women did right--and even what they did wrong--when faced with dashed expectations and deferred dreams. And they'll come away with the confidence that ours is a faithful God who loves us and is forming us through our trials into the women he longs for us to be.

08/24/2026

Start your week off with a great Talking Book! Check out "The Practice of the Presence of God: The Best Rule of Holy Life" by Brother Lawrence. This title will play in the machines provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. It is also available in braille and BRF! Here's a bit more about it:

A humble kitchen worker in a Carmelite monastery, Brother Lawrence found the secret to living a holy life: awareness of God's presence, striving moment by moment through his eighty-plus years to keep God on his mind and in his heart at ALL times. A compilation of recorded conversations and letters written in the 17th century, this beautiful book is timely for today's readers, and is sure to encourage and help anyone seeking a spiritual life regardless of faith or creed.
Brother Lawrence was not an Abbott or confessor, or learned person of any administrative importance in his day, or even one of the ordained monks in the monastery. He became a lay brother in the Carmelite order when he was middle-aged. He served as a cook, but so holy a person was he, he had spiritual leaders and many persons, both religious and lay, from his community and from afar, seeking his spiritual advice and wishing to learn of his methods of prayer, study and meditation. This book records some of his correspondence with them.
This saintly man speaks to us over the centuries through this little book, offering simple suggestions to overcome the lassitude and distractions in seeking closeness to God. And Brother Lawrence was very close to God. He KNEW God.

He stresses that we are never too old to develop a deep and close relationship with God, that God is especially close and available to us when we are suffering or in danger, and that God is ALWAYS waiting for us with love, ready to offer help, forgiveness, and every grace when we seek him out. With gentle wisdom, encouragement and humble example, Brother Lawrence strips away all of the complication we associate with striving toward a spiritual life, and lays out a simple formula for living a life of love.

It's that time of year! Our youngest clients all over the world are heading back to school over the coming days and week...
08/24/2026

It's that time of year! Our youngest clients all over the world are heading back to school over the coming days and weeks. Check out young Sadie G . in Louisiana - we are blessed to provide her with the braille textbooks and other materials she needs to learn about and practice her faith in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. Best of luck this schoolyear, Sadie!

Saint Marianne Cope (1838–1918), known as Mother Marianne of Molokaʻi, was a German-born American Franciscan nun who ded...
08/21/2026

Saint Marianne Cope (1838–1918), known as Mother Marianne of Molokaʻi, was a German-born American Franciscan nun who dedicated 35 years of her life to caring for leprosy (Hansen's disease) patients in Hawaii. She established hospitals, schools, and homes, famously bringing cleanliness, dignity, and compassion to the isolated exile colony at Kalaupapa.

Interested in learning more about her? Check out "The Quiet Flame: Mother Marianne of Molokai" by Eva Betz. This title is available in braille and Talking Book!

08/21/2026

Close your weekend with a great Talking Book! Check out "Thérèse of Lisieux: Wisdom's Daughter" by Dr. Keith J. Egan. This title will play in the machines provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. Here's a bit more about it:

When Thérèse Martin died not yet 25 years old in the small town of Lisieux, no one could have predicted that the Catholic Church would honor her as a saint and Doctor of the Church. Having lived a modest, secluded life, Thérèse thought of herself merely as a “grain of sand” and called herself the Little Flower. Despite her obscurity during her lifetime, however, her posthumously published autobiography, The Story of a Soul, became a modern spiritual classic and continues to touch the hearts of the faithful worldwide.

Join Carmelite spirituality expert Dr. Keith Egan in exploring the life, works, and legacy of this inspiring saint. These lectures provide invaluable insight into her life and writings. Whether new to or familiar with St. Thérèse, you will be inspired to read her words afresh, discovering layers of meaning within seemingly simple statements.

Thérèse's “Little Way” provides us with a powerful model of simplicity and commitment to God. Thérèse of Lisieux: Wisdom’s Daughter explores the wisdom that the youngest Doctor of the Church shares with anyone who seeks to lead a more deeply spiritual, committed life. Thérèse’s wisdom was a gift of God - a gift that is now available for you to cherish.

Looking for a good book in braille? What about THE good book. That's right - we have the "New American Bible (Revised Ed...
08/21/2026

Looking for a good book in braille? What about THE good book. That's right - we have the "New American Bible (Revised Edition)" available in braille. Clients can request the Old or the New Testament, or both (totals 25 volumes). Get in touch today to request your copy. You can always save the shelf space and download the BRF to your braille display!

Just a friendly reminder to all those living with low vision, we provide the New American Bible in large print (size 22 ...
08/20/2026

Just a friendly reminder to all those living with low vision, we provide the New American Bible in large print (size 22 font, sans-serif). We are also delighted to provide the Mass Propers in large print every month - these are essentially the Missalettes for Mass and include the readings, prayers, and responses to the Mass on Sundays and special Feast days. Just like our braille subscription, the Mass Propers in large print are mailed out monthly. As has been the case for 125 years, all of our materials are provided free-of-charge!

If you are living with low vision or know anyone interested in our free large print Bible and/or Mass Propers, call us at 212-473-7800 or toll-free at 800-637-9193. You can also email [email protected]

Thanks for your help getting the word out!

08/20/2026

Looking for a great throwback Talking Book? We've got just what you need. Check out "St. Rose of Lima: The Flower of the New World" by Florence Mary Capes. This title will play on the machines provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled . Here's a bit more about it:

This book tells the story of St. Rose of Lima, a Peruvian woman who became the first saint canonized in the Americas. The book explores her life, from her early childhood to her death at the age of 31. It covers her devotion to God, her asceticism, and her many miracles. The book also provides a historical and cultural context for St. Rose's life, describing the social and religious conditions of Peru during the 16th century. The author portrays St. Rose as a model of piety and devotion, and the book is meant to inspire readers to follow in her footsteps.

Monsignor Hilary C. Franco wrote an engaging memoir and a story only a son can tell, a son not only of the Catholic Chur...
08/20/2026

Monsignor Hilary C. Franco wrote an engaging memoir and a story only a son can tell, a son not only of the Catholic Church, but also of Italian immigrants. We have it in braille! Check out: "Six Popes: A Son of the Church Remembers."

Here is a bit more about this book: From Belmont, his Bronx neighborhood, Franco rose to work with the highest and most influential figures of the Roman Catholic Church.

As a young man he attended Rome’s premier seminary, soon after becoming the special assistant to Archbishop Fulton Sheen. As a priest he would travel the world, and he recounts a harrowing experience in the Deep South in the early 1960s, his work at the Vatican Councils that redefined the Church, and his time posted at the Church’s diplomatic missions in Washington, D.C., and the United Nations. This most formidable churchman reveals his tales of intellectual, pastoral, and diplomatic service to the Catholic Church, enlivened by recollections of the fascinating people he came to know from U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state, to religious leaders like Padre Pio and Saint Mother Teresa.

The title of his current role, Advisor at the Permanent Observer Mission of Holy See to the United Nations, gives little hint of the drama of the times he recollects.
Stories of this book’s six pontiffs that Franco served under — John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis — offer landmarks along Franco’s trek through the corridors of spiritual power in New York, Washington, D.C., and Rome.

"Six Popes: A Son of the Church Remembers" is written from a unique eyewitness vantage on many of the events and movements that shaped our world and the Catholic Church. There is really no other book like it.

Dementia has been a topic of conversation of the last several months and many families deal with the disease in some sha...
08/19/2026

Dementia has been a topic of conversation of the last several months and many families deal with the disease in some shape or form. We have a great braille book dealing with this subject. Check out "On Vanishing: Mortality, Dementia, and What It Means to Disappear" by Lynn Casteel Harper.

Here's a bit more about this title published by Catapult : Weaving together personal stories with theology, history, philosophy, literature, and science, Harper confronts our elemental fears of disappearance and death, drawing on her own experiences with people with dementia both in the American healthcare system and within her own family. In the course of unpacking her own stories and encounters of leading a prayer group on a dementia unit; of meeting individuals dismissed as “already gone” and finding them still possessed of complex, vital inner lives; of witnessing her grandfather’s final years with Alzheimer’s and discovering her own heightened genetic risk of succumbing to the disease Harper engages in an exploration of dementia that is unlike anything written before on the subject. On Vanishing reveals cognitive change as it truly is, an essential aspect of what it means to be mortal.

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