Catholic
Showing 701–750 of 1906 results
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Moments To Remember
$14.95Add to cartThis book offers a faith perspective for reflection upon the experience of aging, drawing especially upon the wisdom of St. Ignatius of Loyola. It provides the reader with a context for understanding their spiritual journey and a variety of reflection questions aimed at deepening their gratitude and hope. The book uses poetry and quotations of well known people to affirm the reader s reflection process.
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Reclaiming Humility : Four Studies In The Monastic Tradition
$29.95Add to cartDoes humility have a place in contemporary life? Were Enlightenment thinkers wrong to reject humility as a “monkish virtue” (Hume) arising from a “slave morality” (Nietzsche)? Australian theologian Jane Foulcher recovers the counter-cultural reading of humility that marked early Christianity and examines its trajectory at key junctures in the development of Western monasticism. Humility emerges not as a moral virtue achieved by human effort but as a way opened by grace-as a divine “climate” (Christian de Cherge) that we are invited to inhabit. From fourth-century Egypt to twentieth-century Algeria, via Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Dr. Foulcher’s compelling analysis of theology and practice challenges the church to reclaim Christian humility as essential to its life and witness today.
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Listening Community : A Commentary On The Prologue And Chapter 1-3 Of Bened
$24.95Add to cartThis new book by Sister Aquinata Bockmann discusses the Prologue and chapters 1, 2, and 3 of the Rule of St. Benedict. In a lectio regulae she plumbs the depths of Benedict’s vision. Listen, the first word of the Prologue, is a keyword that describes the main stance of the individual monastic, the superior, and the entire community. Listening to the Scriptures and in them to Christ guides individuals and the community on how to “run on the way of God’s commandments” toward the goal of communal life in and with Christ. The first three chapters of the Rule concretize the principles of this communal spirituality of listening: the importance of a rule and a pastor for maintaining the community’s attentiveness to life; the superior’s responsibility to listen to individuals within the community; and the mutual listening between leader and community members, regardless of their age.
As in her earlier books Sister Aquinata proves to be a true guide into the spirit of Benedict’s Rule, which provides sound principles for listening in common in a community of life. -
Knowing The Natural Law
$34.95Add to cartRecent discussions of Thomas Aquinas’s treatment of natural law have focused upon the “self-evident” character of the first principles, but few attempts have been made to determine in what manner they are selfevident. On some accounts, a self-evident precept must have, at most, a tenuous connection with speculative reason, especially our knowledge of God, and it must be untainted by the stain of “deriving” an ought from an is. Yet Aquinas himself had a robust account of the good, rooted in human nature. He saw no fundamental difference between is-statements and ought-statements, both of which he considered to be descriptive. Knowing the Natural Law traces the thought of Aquinas from an understanding of human nature to a knowledge of the human good, from there to an account of ought-statements, and finally to choice, which issues in human actions. The much discussed article on the precepts of the natural law (I-II, 94, 2) provides the framework for a natural law rooted in human nature and in speculative knowledge. Practical knowledge is itself threefold: potentially practical knowledge, virtually practical knowledge, and fully practical knowledge. This distinction within practical knowledge, typically overlooked or underutilized, reveals the steps by which the mind moves from speculative knowledge all the way to fully practical knowledge. The most significant sections of Knowing the Natural Law examine the nature of ought-statements, the imperative force of moral precepts, the special character of per se nota propositions as found within the natural law, and the final movement from knowledge to action.
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Vices And Virtues
$16.99Add to cartBehind every virtue is a vice. Likewise, behind every vice is a virtue that, when developed and strengthened, can overcome the vice, writes Fr. Ortega, an authority in moral behavior. In Vices and Virtues, he reveals how to leverage faults and weaknesses to forge virtues. In this three-part how-to guide, readers will get to know themselves with honesty, learn to accept themselves and their faults in humility, and begin to improve their lives by cultivating virtues. It might seem like an impossible task, but you’ll have help and motivation from the highest source. Developing virtue can help you achieve balance in your life and holiness.
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Like The First Morning
$15.95Add to cartIn Like the First Morning, acclaimed author and teacher Michael J. Ortiz presents both a literary and a deeply personal approach to the Morning Offering, a popular form of daily prayer practiced by millions of Catholics worldwide. The book reveals the depth of this simple devotion, showing how a daily offering up of prayers, works, joys, and sufferings renews every aspect of life, and inspires the reader to live each day with greater intentionality and joy.
Like the First Morning reflects upon the Morning Offering, a popular and beloved Catholic devotion prayed at the start of each day to consecrate the day to Christ. Michael Ortiz, a religion and English teacher and author of Swan Town, draws from theologians, popes, poets, novelists, philosophers, mystics, and saints to help readers to become more fully aware of the beauty of God’s creation and be more open to his grace.
This unique book of Catholic spirituality consists of fourteen short, lyrical chapters, each centered on a key phrase of the prayer. The fresh approach to this ancient practice will appeal to those who seek inspiration to continue this form of daily prayer, as well as those who are unfamiliar with the devotion who want to deepen their prayer life.
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New Catholic Picture Bible (Revised)
$11.95Add to cartNow in a padded hardcover edition, here are Catholic stories taken from the Holy Bible, intended for the whole family and easy to understand. The first part treats the Old Testament-from Adam to Christ-and contains the most important and memorable events in God’s dealings with man during that time. The second part contains sixty stories from the New Testament that narrate beautifully the life, teachings, and work of Our Lord and Savior. These simply written stories, praised by leading Catholic educators for their style, will delight children time after time.
April 2015 – Updated and Digitally Re-mastered -
Things Unknown To Lily
$12.95Add to cartA Caritas Title
Charlotte was willing to accept whatever suffering came her way, just to be with the man she loves. But she could never have foreseen how difficult it was going to be to weather the louring tempests of her husband’s depression. Mystified by why her devotion is not enough to make John happy, she carries the burden of his sadness, unaware that it is a long-ago secret, kept from his aunt Lily, that prevents him from surrendering to the joy born of true love. Healing is about to come from an unlikely place, as it often does with anyone who has known Lily and grows to understand that something quite unexpected can change everything.
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Revelation (Reprinted)
$26.99Add to cartIn this addition to the well-received Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture (CCSS), seasoned New Testament scholar and popular speaker Peter Williamson interprets Revelation from within the living tradition of the Church for pastoral ministers, lay readers, and students alike. The seventeen-volume CCSS series, which will cover the entire New Testament, relates Scripture to Christian life today, is faithfully Catholic, and is supplemented by features designed to help readers understand the Bible more deeply and use it more effectively in teaching, preaching, evangelization, and other forms of ministry. Drawn from the best of contemporary scholarship, series volumes are keyed to the liturgical year and include an index of pastoral subjects.
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Reimagining The Ignatian Examen
$13.99Add to cartJesuit speaker and author Mark Thibodeaux, SJ, guides you through new and unique versions of the Examen, totally flexible and adaptable to your personal daily life. Reimagining the Ignatian Examen-the only book of its kind-will lead you through a fresh and stimulating reflection on your past day, your present state-of-being, and your spiritual desires and needs for tomorrow.
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Mans Guide To A Life Worth Living (Student/Study Guide)
$12.95Add to cartSt. Paul has earned the right to speak to men. He knows what it takes to live a life worthy of your calling. A mature man in everyday life is one who physically and spiritually provides for and protects his family. Do not leave this task to someone else. Learn how to be the man God is calling you to be through the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians. This Bible study on Ephesians will unlock what Paul says about the keys to a life worth living in: marriage, family, business, sexuality, money, friendships, and getting to heaven.
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2nd Greatest Story Ever Told
$16.95Add to cartIn The Second Greatest Story Ever Told bestselling author Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC, reveals St. John Paul II’s witness for our time. Building on the prophetic voices of Margaret Mary Alacoque, Thrse of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, and Faustina Kowalska, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told is more than a historical account of the Great Mercy Pope. This book expounds on the profound connection between Divine Mercy and Marian consecration. It serves as an inspiration for all those who desire to bear witness to the mercy of God, focused on Christ and formed by Mary. Now is the time of mercy. Now is the time to make John Paul’s story your own.
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At Play In Creation
$19.95Add to cartIn this series of deeply meditative retreat conferences, Christopher Pramuk leads the reader through a sustained meditation on Wisdom-Sophia, the feminine face of God’s presence alive in the world, who speaks and sings in the writings of Thomas Merton. With the sensitivity of a poet and the intellectual acuity of a seasoned teacher and Catholic theologian, Pramuk invites readers to taste and see for themselves the hidden presence of Christ and the dynamism of Love at play in creation; the biblical and mystical tradition from East to West calls this presence Sophia. Looking beyond Merton to seek out her presence in the silent and broken landscapes of our world today, Pramuk shows Sophia above all to be the bearer of hope in an age of unspeakable violence and planetary destruction.
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Spirit Soul Body
$24.95Add to cartA perennial problem for spiritual traditions of all sorts is dualism-either a positing of a false distance between the Divine and the created or a rejection of creation and the human body. Many contemporary spiritual seekers have sensed this problem and sought to remedy it through myriad solutions drawn from various spiritual traditions and secular wisdom, both Eastern and Western.
Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam, explores Christianity’s contribution to the discussion. He offers a revisioning and rearticulation of this teaching, based on the prophetic seminal work of Bede Griffiths, toward a practical and integral spirituality that reverences all aspects of our being human-spirit, soul, and body.
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Mother Teresa Of Calcutta
$17.95Add to cartMother Teresa’s life sounds like a legend. The Albanian girl who entered an Irish order to go to India as a missionary and became an “Angel of the Poor” for countless people. She was greatly revered by Christians as well as Muslims, Hindus and unbelievers, as she brought the message of Christian love for one’s neighbor from the slums of Calcutta to the whole world.
Fr. Leo Maasburg was there as her close companion for many years, traveling with her throughout the world and was witness to countless miracles and incredible little-known occurrences. In this personal portrait of the beloved nun, he presents fifty amazing stories about her that most people have never heard, wonderful and delightful stories about miracles, small and great, that he was privileged to experience at Mother Teresa’s side. Stories of how, without a penny to her name, she started an orphanage in Spain, and at the same time saved a declining railroad company from ruin, and so many more.
They all tell of her limitless trust in God’s love, of the way the power of faith can move mountains, and of hope that can never die. These stories reveal a humorous, gifted, wise and arresting woman who has a message of real hope for our time. It’s the life story of one of the most important women of the 20th century as it’s never been told before.
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Imagining Abundance : Fundraising Philanthropy And A Spiritual Call To Serv
$19.95Add to cartFundraising is ministry-a transformative ministry that challenges all people to realize their own gifts and how they can be used for the benefit of the church. In Imagining Abundance, Kerry Robinson focuses on reasons why each of us are called to be stewards. We act because we’re excited about what it is that we do for the church and where we’re called by God to be, we want others to be just as excited about what that is, and we want people to be partners with us in that ministry.
In Imagining Abundance, Kerry Robinson offers an inspirational and practical guide to effective fundraising that is ideal for anyone invested in a faith community. Bishops, provincials, pastors, ministers, executive and development directors and trustees of faith-based organizations will benefit from this healthy approach to the activity of fundraising that situates successful development in the context of ministry and mission. -
Woman The Mystery Of Mary As Mediatrix In The Teaching Of Fulton J Sheen
$25.95Add to cartAs the Church approaches the apex of the most extraordinary Marian age in history, the Holy Spirit is unveiling the deepest secrets concerning His Bride, who revealed herself to St. Bernadette as The Immaculate Conception. The visions granted to St. Catherine Laboure in 1830, which led to the molding of the Miraculous Medal, and the teachings of St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe emphasized an inseparable relation between Mary as The Immaculate Conception and her special role as Mediatrix of all graces. How do we best understand the full import of this role and its relevance to a Church navigating through the most turbulent seas in her history? Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, called by many “a prophet for our times,” provides some of the most penetrating insights into this mystery, so that no matter what one’s prior understanding is of the Mother of God, they will never look at her the same way again. Enjoy fresh and invigorating insights into the mystery of the one chosen to bridge a fallen humanity with the Holy Trinity…the one whose unique place in the history of salvation is unveiled by the singular title…”The Woman.”
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Augustine And The Catechumenate (Revised)
$39.95Add to cartSt. Augustine (354-430), one of the most influential thinkers in the history of Christianity, was also a struggling North African pastor who had a flair for teaching and who meditated deeply on the mysteries of the human heart. This study examines a little-known side of his career: his work as a teacher of candidates for baptism. This reconstruction of Augustine’s catechumenate provides fresh perspectives on the day-to-day life of the early church and on the vibrancy and eloquence of Augustine the preacher and teacher.In this new edition, both the text and notes have been revised from top to bottom to better reflect the state of contemporary scholarship on Augustine, on liturgical studies, and on the catechumenate, both ancient and modern. This edition also includes new findings from some of the recently discovered sermons of Augustine and incorporates new perspectives from recent research on early Christian biblical interpretation, debates on the Trinity, the evolution of the liturgy, and much more.
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At The Heart Of The Liturgy
$34.95Add to cartFrom 1991 to 2012, Nathan D. Mitchell was the author of the “Amen Corner” that appeared at the end of each issue of Worship. Readers of Worship grew accustomed to Nathan’s columns as invitations to rethink the practice of Christian worship through a liturgical theology that was interdisciplinary, aesthetic, and attentive to history. With the soul of a poet, Nathan was always on the lookout for the turn of phrase, the image, stanza, or metaphor from other classic wordsmiths that could capture the liturgical insight he wanted to explore.For the first time, this volume assembles some of the most important of these columns around the themes of body, Word, Spirit, beauty, justice, and unity. In addition, Nathan’s former students offer substantive commentary through essays that invite the reader to consider how the themes raised by Nathan might develop in the coming years.This collection is a must-read both for those who admired Nathan’s contribution to liturgical studies and for a newer generation of scholars seeking to discern the frontiers of liturgical theology.Nathan D. Mitchell is an emeritus professor of liturgy in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. In 1998, Mitchell was presented with the Berakah Award from the North American Academy of Liturgy for his contribution to the field. His many publications include the following books: Cult and Controversy; Eucharist as a Sacrament of Initiation; Liturgy and the Social Sciences; Real Presence: The Work of Eucharist; and, more recently, Meeting Mystery and The Mystery of the Rosary: Marian Devotion and the Reinvention of Catholicism.
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Suspended Middle : Henri De Lubac And The Renewed Split In Modern Catholic
$28.99Add to cartHas been called “the most exciting book ever written on de Lubac”
French Jesuit Henri de Lubac (1896-1991) was arguably the most revolutionary theologian of the twentieth century. He proposed that Western theology since the early modern period had lost sight of the key to integrating faith and reason – namely, the truth that all human beings are naturally oriented toward the supernatural.
Originally published in 2005, John Milbank’s Suspended Middle defends de Lubac’s provocative thesis and rebuts its many critics. In this second edition Milbank has expanded and clarified his argument throughout to take greater account of new critiques of de Lubac. The future of the Christian faith is at stake, says Milbank, as he urges his readers to recover and reinvigorate de Lubac’s biblical-theological-philosophical vision.
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What Do I Say
$12.99Add to cartTalking with those who are dying can be difficult even in the best of circumstances. There is a need for guiding family members of the terminally ill, as well as friends, caregivers, and even those more experienced in talking with the dying-clergy, pastoral ministers, hospice workers, and medical personnel-in understanding the best ways this can be done. What Do I Say? provides that guidance. It comes from the heart of author Margrit Anna Banta who, in her work as a pastoral minister with the dying and terminally ill, noted the lack of an accessible resource for family and friends caring for a loved one that can help them in their conversations with the dying person.
What Do I Say? covers both practical matters and spiritual and emotional topics, always mindful of the fact that many people in their final days are not able to talk about or express what they are going through. It touches on areas that should be addressed before someone dies, such as a will, DNR orders, funeral planning, and other topics, and gives suggestions for what to do if someone is non-communicative or unconscious. The last chapter includes prayers to say when family and friends visit with their loved one.
This is not a comprehensive end-of-life planning or medical guide, but a brief overview of how to communicate with someone who is dying. Above all, the book stresses that conveying a sense of loving presence and a willingness to listen are usually what is most needed.
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Living In The House Of God
$19.95Add to cart“How should we live in this house of God? We know that the way a building is shaped also helps in determining the way those within it live and relate. We are indeed formed by what we form. Qualities such as integrity, hospitality, humanity and beauty in a place will enable its dwellers to live lives in which such qualities are evident. The way we understand who we are and how we live will be reflected in our places and vice versa. Our places become bearers of meaning and memory.” -From Chapter 1
In Living in the House of God, Margaret Malone draws on her study of and research on the Rule of Saint Benedict to show the ways in which this ancient rule can illuminate modern life. The broad gamut of topics this book examines-from Benedictine life as sacrament to Augustine’s influence on Benedict to obedience and the art of listening, among others-is itself a witness to the generous flexibility of the Rule, as Benedict proposes a way of life that truly corresponds to the deepest needs of the whole of human nature. -
No Turning Back
$29.95Add to cartJesus’ prayer on behalf of his of followers is “that all may be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us” (John 17:21). No Turning Back illustrates significant developments in ecumenism during the thirty-plus years of ecumenical theologian Margaret O’Gara’s own engagement in ecumenical dialogue.
This collection of selected papers from the final fifteen years of O’Gara’s work before her untimely death in 2012 aims
*to illustrate the broad lines of ecumenism for general readers
*to share concrete details of recent ecumenical developments with specialist readers
*to encourage both groups of readers in their commitment to the pursuit of full communion among the Christian churchesAn invaluable resource for academic and ecclesial specialists in ecumenism, teachers and students of theology and religious studies, Christian ministers, and all educated Christian adults who take seriously Jesus’ prayer “that all may be one.”
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Sorting Out Catholicism
$19.95Add to cartFocolare, Community of Sant’Egidio, Neocatechumenal Way, Legionaries of Christ, Communion and Liberation, Opus Dei. These are but a few of the most recognizable names in the broader context of the so-called ecclesial movements. Their history goes back to the period following the First Vatican Council, crosses Vatican II, and develops throughout the twentieth century. It is a history that prepares the movements’ rise in the last three decades, from John Paul II to Francis. These movements are a complex phenomenon that shapes the Church now more than before, and they play a key role for the future of Catholicism as a global community, in transition from a Europe-centered tradition to a world Church.
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Sing Of Mary
$29.95Add to cartThis study analyzes Marian congregational song in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States from 1854 to 2010, focusing not only on the texts and music, but also on the contexts out of which these songs came. Marian devotion before 1854 is explored as well as pertinent developments in the Roman Catholic Church-particularly Vatican II-and other cultural developments. Through the quantitative and qualitative analysis of these songs, this work develops a broader understanding of how Marian congregational song developed, persisted, and changed as a mediator of Marian devotion.
The survey of 120 hymnals offers a fascinating perspective on how Marian congregational song changed before and after Vatican II. These songs were so meaningful to generations of Roman Catholics and then they seem to disappear after Vatican II. This work seeks to answer the question of why?
Appealing to both lay people and academics, readers are given a clear and full understanding of Marian congregational song. Also included is a chapter that explores how Marian congregational song can be meaningful to a wide range of Christians through the Magnificat.
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Sacraments And Justice
$16.95Add to cartSacraments and Justice offers a fresh approach to the seven sacraments in the Roman Catholic tradition. The authors assembled here, each of them highly regarded sacramental and liturgical theologians, synthesize the best creative thinking in the theology of sacraments, their symbols, their link with justice-God’s order for the world here and now-and their power to permeate another reality so intensely that something new happens.
Educated Catholics, or Catholics looking for a first-rate education on the sacraments, as well as parish teams, study groups, and Catholic educators, will cheer this volume as solid and incisive, while at the same time accessible and engaging. Each contributor is an academic who writes with a human touch about the gracious promise embedded in sacraments. They include:
*John Baldovin, SJ, on baptism
*Edward Hahnenberg on confirmation
*Michael Driscoll on Eucharist
*Doris Donnelly on penance
*Thomas Scirghi, SJ, on holy orders
*Natalie Weaver on marriage
*Paul Turner on anointing of the sick -
Inspiration And Truth Of Sacred Scripture
$24.95Add to cartIn his 2009 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI pointed out that “theological reflection has always considered inspiration and truth as two key concepts for an ecclesial hermeneutic of the sacred Scriptures” and that there is today the need “for a fuller and more adequate study of these realities, in order to better respond to the need of interpreting the sacred texts in accordance with their nature.”
The Inspiration and Truth of Sacred Scripture: The Word That Comes from God and Speaks of God for the Salvation of the World is the contribution of the Pontifical Biblical Commission toward a more adequate understanding of the concepts of inspiration and truth that respects both the nature of the Bible and its significance for the life of the Church.
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Discovering The Human Person
$27.99Add to cartA longtime friend and student of the late Pope John Paul II, Stanislaw Grygiel in this book reflects on the pope’s life and thought, giving new insight into his character and his vision of beauty as the path that leads us to God.More than simply biographical information about John Paul II — who was Bishop Karol Wojtyla before he became pope — or a dry academic analysis of his teaching, Discovering the Human Person derives from Grygiel’s extensive firsthand interaction with Wojtyla. Grygiel reflects on the importance of communion as the ground of John Paul II’s life, particularly in response to the communist environment that surrounded him in Poland. He also addresses the pope’s call for a new evangelization, his understanding of marriage and family, and the relationship of those to a genuine, healthy understanding of nation and state.
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Lets Begin With A Prayer
$14.99Add to cartLet’s Begin with a Prayer provides a variety of prayers for all types of religious gatherings. From board meetings to book clubs, large assemblies to small groups, this brand new book of original prayers will become your best resource for bringing groups together in prayer to the Spirit for help furthering their mission. Each prayer starts with a Scripture quote and includes a short meditation. Prayer topics include:
– Collaboration
– Team-building
– Diversity
– Feast days and saint celebrations
– Holidays (New Year’s, Thanksgiving, Labor Day, July 4
)- Liturgical seasons
– Virtues
– Gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit
– Healing, grief -
Advent And Christmas Wisdom From Saint Therese Of Lisieux
$13.99Add to cartEven though she is a Doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux is more well-known for being the “little flower” of Jesus. Through her “little way,” she has inspired many Catholics to love God simply, devoutly, and with great love. St. Therese believed that no act of faith is too small for God. Loving God in this way wasn’t always easy for St. Therese, but even through her suffering and death at age twenty-four she tried to love God with all her heart.
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Spiritual Genius Of Thomas Merton
$21.99Add to cartThomas Merton was a man of contradictions: assertive yet elusive, committed to the stability of the monastic life but a wanderer at heart, a man who came to symbolize in a unique way his country and century. Still today, perhaps more than ever, he fascinates us with his spiritual genius and brilliant insights into the heart and soul of humankind. Merton’s life was a search on many levels and, as such, it offers readers guidance on their own spiritual quests.
“The Spiritual Genius of Thomas Merton” is a blend of literary and theological appreciation that is critical in the best sense and always relevant. Through an analysis of Merton’s major journal and poetic writings, Padovano gives us an original and fresh look at Merton’s reconciliation between his inner nature and the life he chose to live. Merton reached out to an astonishing variety of people, indelibly affecting the character of his times, an effect that is present even today.
First published in 1982 as “The Human Journey: Thomas Merton, Symbol of a Century,” Padovano’s book has been critically acclaimed as “a wonderful glimpse of Merton” and “a skillful blend of literary analysis and biography.” Now updated for a new generation of readers, this new edition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Merton (January 31, 2015). -
Humble Confidence : Spiritual And Pastoral Guidance From Karl Rahner
$19.95Add to cartThe influential German Jesuit theologian, Karl Rahner (1904-84), famously claimed that the more scientific theology is the more spiritually and pastorally relevant it will be. This book attempts to demonstrate the truth of this claim by drawing together resources scattered throughout Rahner’s voluminous writings in order to make his wisdom more available for people seeking a deeper spirituality and a more effective pastoral ministry. The book also provides summaries of Rahner’s main ideas on anthropology, God, Christ, and the Church, with an emphasis on their practical significance. Finally, it serves as a response to those critics who claim that Rahner is passe by emphasizing the power of his theology to illumine contemporary issues with the light of the Gospel.
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Origins Of Christmas (Revised)
$21.95Add to cartWhen was Christmas first celebrated? How did December 25 become the date for the feast? How did the Bible’s “magi from the East” become three kings named Melchior, Caspar, and Balthasar who rode camels from three different continents to worship the newborn Christ? How did the Feast of the Nativity generate an entire liturgical season from Advent to Candlemas? Why did medieval and Renaissance artists portray Joseph as an old man? When did the first Christmas music appear? And who was the real Saint Nicholas?These and many other questions are answered in The Origins of Christmas. The story of the origins of Christmas is not well known, but it is a fascinating tale. It begins when the first Christians had little interest in Christ’s Nativity, and it finishes when Christmas had become an integral part of Christian life and Western culture.The Origins of Christmas covers a variety of topics in a concise and accessible style, and is suitable for group discussions.
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Remaining In The Truth Of Christ
$12.95Add to cartIn this volume five cardinals of the Church, and four other scholars, respond to the call issued by Walter Cardinal Kasper for the Church to harmonize “fidelity and mercy in its pastoral practice with civilly remarried, divorced people”. The contributors are Walter Cardinal Brandmuller; Raymond Cardinal Burke; Carlo Cardinal Caffarra; Velasio Cardinal De Paolis, C.S.; Robert Dodaro, O.S.A.; Paul Mankowski, S.J.; Gerhard Cardinal Muller; John M. Rist; and Archbishop Cyril Vasil’, S.J.
Cardinal Kasper appeals to early Church practice in order to support his view. The contributors bring their wealth of knowledge and expertise to bear upon this question, concluding that the Bible and the Church Fathers do not support the kind of “toleration” of civil marriages following divorce advocated by Cardinal Kasper. They also examine the Eastern Orthodox practice ofoikonomia (understood as “mercy” implying “toleration”) in cases of remarriage after divorce and in the context of the vexed question of Eucharistic Communion. The book traces the long history of Catholic resistance to this practice, revealing the serious theological and pastoral difficulties it poses in past and current Orthodox Church practice.
As the authors demonstrate, traditional Catholic doctrine, based on the teaching of Jesus himself, and current pastoral practice are not at odds with genuine mercy and compassion. The authentic “gospel of mercy” is available through a closer examination of the Church’s teachings.
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Spiritual Meaning Of The Liturgy
$29.95Add to cart“I am increasingly convinced that the decisive question that demands an answer from us is not so much how believers experience the liturgy, but whether believers live from the liturgy they celebrate.” With these few words Goffredo Boselli captures the essence of this present work.
Believers can celebrate the liturgy throughout their lifetimes without ever really drawing their lives from it. And this is true of all believers-laity, clergy, or monastics. More than a century after the start of the liturgical movement and half a century after the start of the postconciliar liturgical reform, we must ask the difficult question of whether the liturgy has or has not become the source of the spiritual life of believers. For only by living from the liturgy can they receive the nourishment necessary to maintain a life of faith in today’s world.
In The Spiritual Meaning of the Liturgy, Goffredo Boselli-one of Europe’s foremost liturgical theologians-offers an accessible and important guide for both scholars and interested laypeople to understand the meaning that permeates the liturgy and its implications for daily living. Readers will find here a resource to help understand the liturgy more fully, interiorize it more effectively, and live it more authentically.
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When The Church Was Young
$22.99Add to cartIf the word trinity isn’t in Scripture, why is it such an important part of our faith?
And if the Bible can be interpreted in many ways, how do we know what to make of it? And who decided what should be in the Bible anyway?
The Church Fathers provide the answers. These brilliant, embattled, and sometimes eccentric men defined the biblical canon, hammered out the Creed, and gave us our understanding of sacraments and salvation. It is they who preserved for us the rich legacy of the early Church.
D’Ambrosio dusts off the dry theology and brings you the exciting stories and great heroes such as Ambrose, Augustine, Basil, Athanasius, Chrysostom, and Jerome. This page-turner will inspire and challenge you with the lives and insights of these seminal teachers from when the Church was young.
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Life Abounding : A Reading Of Johns Gospel
$39.95Add to cartThe Fourth Gospel addresses the thirst for life that lies at the depth of every human heart. The life in question is not just physical life but the “more abundant life” (John 10:10) that is nothing less than a share in the “eternal life” of the divine communion of love. Brendan Byrne’s insightful reading of John in Life Abounding will help readers move from mere existence to a conscious sense of sharing the divine eternal life-and the joy that goes with it.
The reading of the Fourth Gospel offered here remains conscious of the difficulties John presents on several fronts for contemporary readers. Byrne explains the text in a way that is critical yet sensitive to the gospel’s distinctive character and the untapped treasures it may yet contain for theology and spirituality today. This volume represents the completion of Byrne’s highly successful series of books on the four gospels, which have proven to be rich resources for preachers, teachers, and all who desire a more profound understanding of the life of Jesus as it is presented in the gospels.
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From Fear To Faith
$16.99Add to cartWhat if I fail this test? What if I lose my job? What if I’m not good enough to go to heaven? For anyone who has ever felt weighed down with worry, Gary Zimak lights the path to freedom.
Even though the Bible tells us to “be not afraid” but it’s next to impossible to follow that advice when faced with the big – and small – “what-ifs” of life. Chronic worrier Gary Zimak is no stranger to fear and anxiety, and in From Fear to Faith he shares his process for overcoming common and wearying fears and embracing the calm strength of faith through his 5-P method. As Gary says writes, by doing what we can and letting God take it from there, we can start feeling less anxious and more at more at peace today!
Through biblical examples, prayers, and personal stories, Gary Zimak will help you start the journey from fear to faith as soon as you’re ready. From what to pack to who needs to join you on the ride Gary ensures you’re prepared for whatever anxiety-inducing situations meet you on your journey.
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Cloud Of Unknowing
$19.99Add to cartThe Cloud of Unknowing is a fourteenth-century work of Christian mysticism that explores contemplative prayer and serves as a spiritual guide to those looking to explore these aspects of their faith. The text’s unknown author has provided insight into the mystical life that has served as an inspiration to many, including the modern Centering Prayer Movement. The Cloud directs the reader to know God better not through knowledge but through a contemplation driven by love and devoid of wordly thoughts and desires.In this modern translation Fr. Dennis Billy brings The Cloud into language easily accessible to the modern Christian and includes background information and his own reflections to assist the reader in contemplation. In a world where we have all the knowledge we could want at our fingertips, it is hard to sit back and contemplate on faith and love alone, but it is only through silence and love-driven contemplation that we can truly know God. The Cloud serves as a guide to lead us there.
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35 Doctors Of The Church (Revised)
$34.95Add to cartThe 35 Doctors of the Church presents the most comprehensive and fascinating collection available anywhere on the lives and labors of the saints who have been declared the Church’s Doctors. From St. Athanasius (c. 297-373) to St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 1897), you ll find the amazing stories of 35 extraordinary men and women who are honored both for their holiness and for the eminence of their teachings about the Faith. Their work and witness are truly timeless; their lives and wisdom show us how to be holy in our own lives, how to confront the challenges of today, and how to proclaim the Gospel to a modern world hungering for Jesus Christ.
Originally published as The 33 Doctors of the Church by Father Christopher Rengers, O.F.M. Cap., The 35 Doctors of the Church has been updated by Dr. Matthew E. Bunson, K.H.S., to include two new chapters about recently proclaimed Doctors, St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen. The revised edition also includes a new Introduction with a detailed explanation of how the Church proclaims Doctors and their meaning for today.
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Pope Francis And The Joy Of The Gospel
$11.95Add to cartThe call of Christ to each of us is as heart-stopping as the moment captured by Caravaggio in his painting, The Call of St. Matthew. Jesus points, he invites-and Matthew the tax-collector must make a decision. “The Lord does not disappoint those who take that risk” and choose him, Pope Francis tells us in his Apostolic Exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel.
Dr. Edward Sri, theologian, author, and speaker, unpacks The Joy of the Gospel, making it accessible and actionable. In these brief reflections Sri explores those things that hold us back, how we can open ourselves to God’s love, and the difference this can make to our joyful proclamation of the Gospel.
Pope Francis and the Joy of the Gospel reminds us that when life weighs us down, “the Lord is already there, waiting for us with open arms.”Great for use by individuals or groups, each chapter concludes with questions for reflection or discussion, moving readers further into a renewed personal relationship with Christ.
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1st Communion Liturgies
$12.95Add to cartWhy do parish First Communion Masses so often neglect good liturgical principles? Should these celebrations resemble something analogous to a recital? Or, should they be celebrations worthy of the praise and glory of God?
First Communion Liturgies explores the purpose and practice of First Communion in our time, uncovers the pitfalls associated with it, and offers a guide for preparing celebrations that will enrich the lives of children and families, bringing them into a deeper relationship with God and the church.
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After Emmaus : Biblical Models For The New Evangelization
$19.95Add to cartThe New Evangelization calls Christians to return to the New Testament to understand its essential content but also to discover different ways of proclaiming the Good News. By exploring the witness and different missionary approaches of Jesus and the apostles Marcel Dumais, OMI, offers foundational models to apply to the context and circumstances of our own times. After Emmaus considers the Bible from the point of view of models of evangelization and faith. These biblical approaches include the direct proclamation proposed in the Acts of the Apostles, the enculturated discourses of St. Paul, the humanism of Jesus’ beatitudes, and the accompaniment of the risen Christ by the disciples of Emmaus.
Dumais teaches us to regard the biblical texts as lessons in evangelization by introducing us to the rich diversity of paths to God. These biblical models for the New Evangelization will inspire all those who wish to share their faith today.
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How Human Is God
$19.95Add to cartWalter Cardinal Kasper has written, “It is time, it is the right time, to speak of God.” This book invites readers to use their God-given ability to work through important questions that many people have about God today: Why is God so angry in the Bible? Is the biblical God male or female (or what)? Who is Satan? Why do people suffer?
By exploring the Bible’s answers to these and other biblical questions, people can come to understand better their living and loving God.
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New Testament 1 And 2
$36.95Add to cartWorks included: Agreement Among the Evangelists (translated by Kim Paffenroth); Questions on the Gospels (translated by Roland Teske, SJ); Seventeen Questions on Matthew (translated by Roland Teske, SJ); and Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (translated by Michael Campbell, OSA). The present translation of The Lord’s Sermon on the Mount was made from the Latin text published in Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana X/2, 82 285; it is preceded by a detailed introduction by Salvino Caruana (in Italian) on pp. 7 69. Almut Mutzenbecher’s critical text of the treatise in Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina 35 was consulted in establishing the text for the Italian series. Mutzenbecher’s introduction (in German), although earlier,is a valuable complement to Caruana’s. There are several extant English translations, most notably William Findlay, Our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, revised and edited by Philip Schaff in A Select Library of the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series 6 (New York 1903; repr. 1979) 1 63; John J. Jepson, St. Augustine, The Lord’s Sermon on the Mount (Westminster, Md. 1948) = Ancient Christian Writers 5; Denis J. Kavanagh, Commentary on the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, with Seventeen Related Sermons (New York 1951) = Fathers of the Church 11, 17 199. The present translation of Agreement among the Evangelists was made from the Latin Text published in Nuova Biblioteca Agostiniana X/1 with an occasional look at S.D.F. Salmond’s English translation, The Harmony of the Gospels, edited by Philip Schaff, in A Select Library of Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers of the Christian Church, First Series 6 (New York 1903, repr. 1979) 77 236. The present translation of Questions on the Gospels was made from the Latin text found in the critical edition by Almut Mutzenbecher in CCSL 44/B, with some attention to the text and translation found in NBA 10/2. Aside from two nineteenth-century French translations in two separate editions, each entitled Oeuvres completes de Saint Augustin (Bar-le-Duc 1864 1873; Paris 1869 1878), and the Italian translation in NBA 10/2, there do not seem to be any translations into modern languages. The present translation of Seventeen Questions on Matthew was made from the Latin text found in the critical edition by Mutzenbecher. The text in NBA was followed in preserving the PL numbering of the questions, while noting the numbering in CCSL. Also included are the concluding paragraphs in the last question that are omitted
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Sounding The Seasons
$27.49Add to cartPoetry has always been a central element of Christian spirituality and is increasingly used in worship, in pastoral services and guided meditation. In Sounding the Seasons, Cambridge poet, priest and singer-songwriter Malcolm Guite transforms seventy lectionary readings into lucid, inspiring poems, for use in regular worship, seasonal services, meditative reading or on retreat. Already widely recognised, Malcolm’s writing has been acclaimed by Rowan Williams and Luci Shaw, two leading contemporary religious poets. Seven Advent poems from this collection will appear in the next edition of Penguin’s (US) Best Spiritual Writing edited by Philip Zaleski, alongside the work of writers such as Seamus Heaney and Annie Dillard. A section of practical help and advice for using poetry creatively and effectively in worship is also included.
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Eucharist As Meaning
$34.95Add to cartThis study moves beyond postmodern trends in Catholic eucharistic theology by exploring the works of Bernard Lonergan and Louis-Marie Chauvet: “Having learned from both Chauvet’s critique of metaphysics and Lonergan’s development of a critical metaphysics, we hope to offer a fruitful understanding of traditional eucharistic doctrines that is able to respond to some contemporary problems and shed some light on the great mystery that stands at the center of Christian worship” (from the introduction).
Postmodern theologians have been critical of using metaphysics to interpret the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, liturgical sacrifice, and sacramental causality, preferring instead a symbolic approach. Lonergan’s critical metaphysics, however, offers an account of knowing and being that resists attempts to pit metaphysics against the symbolic and moves sacramental theology into the real world of meaning. The result is a theology of the Eucharist grounded in tradition that speaks to today’s believers.
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Sexuality And Morality
$9.99Add to cartThis candid question-and-answer book tackles the tough, yet common, issues, challenges, questions, and complaints of sexuality, morality, and Christian living in the 21st century. As the author notes, “many of the questions we will address below would never have been asked, let alone answered, in a Catholic book prior to the 1960s!” In his simple, easy-to-follow style, Fr. Bouchard covers every topic-from divorce, abortion, homosexuality, celibacy, and Church teaching, to how to live in the modern world without compromising your morals or faith.
