Search results for ""Liturgical Press""

Discover how unlikely friends can provide us with gifts beyond measure. Unwelcome guests are not generally greeted with gratitude but occasionally they become unexpected friends bearing gifts we never would have asked for. In Gifts from Friends We Never Wanted, Virginia Herbers introduces a sampling of these types of surprising guests in our livesfailure, disappointment, worryand the gifts they offer us when they come visiting. Following the same pattern as her first book, Gifts from Friends We've Yet to Meet, Herbers chooses a gospel character to accompany us as we engage these uninvited friends. Weaving together the stories of Jesus's contemporaries, his response to their foibles, and stories from her own experiences, Herbers invites us to join her on a journey of discovery, vulnerability, honestyand hospitality. She asks if we dare to befriend the least appealing truths of ourselves to surrender them to a God who can enlighten even the

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The Rule of St. Benedictforms the foundation for one of the oldest ongoing institutions in all of Western civilization. The Rule not only defines life for men and women in monasteries but has also become central to the spirituality of lay Christians across the globe.This gender-neutral translation is true to the original text but provides an alternative for individuals and groups who prefer such a version over the masculine language of the original as it was written for St. Benedict’s monks. It also offers some background into the context in which it was written, as well as reflections on its meaning for contemporary life, making it a resource for those encountering the Rule for the first time or those who have cherished it for years.See also version with the Rule in inclusive translation only (no commentary) by Judith Sutera, OSB

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Open the Bible with newcomers and experienced students alike. Both will find much to learn and explore in this helpful introductory study. Stephen Binz offers clear, practical explanations that will make the Bible more familiar, giving readers a sense of the Bible’s structure, a better understanding of its various themes and writing styles, and insight into how to interpret the Bible within the Catholic tradition. This study also provides direction in how to choose a Bible, how to navigate its contents, and how to get the most out of Bible study. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

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The Christian longing to share anguish, fear, gratitude, and awe has found expression in many forms of prayer, beginning in Scripture and the practices and words of Jesus. Over the centuries many fruitful approaches to prayer have taken hold, but often there is a certain unease about what is right or what is best. In this welcome and welcoming book, Fr. James Martin eases these concerns with thoughtful, practical encouragement about prayer in all of its forms. In All Seasons, For All Reasons is drawn from “Teach Us to Pray,” Fr. Martin’s very popular monthly column in Give Us This Day.

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Servant of God Nicholas Black Elk (1863—1950) is popularly celebrated for his fascinating spiritual life. How could one man, one deeply spiritual man, serve as both a traditional Oglala Lakota medicine man and a Roman Catholic catechist and mystic? How did these two spiritual and cultural identities enrich his prayer life? How did his commitment to God, understood through his Lakota and Catholic communities, shape his understanding of how to be in the world? To fully understand the depth of Black Elk’s life-long spiritual quest requires a deep appreciation of his life story. He witnessed devastation on the battlefields of Little Bighorn and the Massacre at Wounded Knee, but also extravagance while performing for Queen Victoria as a member of “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West Show. Widowed by his first wife, he remarried and raised eight children. Black Elk’s spiritual visions granted him wisdom and healing insight beginning in his childhood, but he grew progressively physically blind in his adult years. These stories, and countless more, offer insight into this extraordinary man whose cause for canonization is now underway at the Vatican.

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The Universal Monk is about the monk in all of us. In today's fast- paced and often fractured culture we all seek inner peace and unity. The Universal Monk is a powerful way for everyone of any state of life to find it. It is written from John Michael Talbot's experience in public international ministry and as founder and spiritual father of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, a new integrated monastic community of celibates, singles who can marry, and families who live in an integrated monastery or in their own homes. It walks us through a treatment of the current issues that face us? Such as the great recession, political polarization, and the sex abuse crises in the church? With real spiritual and lifestyle answers that come from a fully unified and integrated life in God. If you are tired of the same old, same old," this book is for you!

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Open the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible and feel at home with the Word of God. Through accessibly written information and engaging visuals that highlight and clarify significant areas of Scripture, readers will easily gain an understanding of these ancient texts that can be carried into today's world. Using the authorized translation in the New American Bible Revised Edition, this lasting volume is ideal for both personal use and group Bible study. The valuable information in the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible is offered in small notes and inserts that accompany the Bible texts as well as in expanded essays, articles, and graphics. Key symbols help readers quickly identify the type of information they need, such as explanations, definitions, dates, character and author profiles, archaeological insights, personal prayer starters, and insights connecting Scripture and its use in today's church. Colorful maps, timelines, photographs, and charts further enhance the study experience. Longer articles are dedicated to explaining study Bible fundamentals, the Catholic Church's use of the Bible, and the people and places of the biblical world. General Editor: Catherine Upchurch serves as the director of Little Rock Scripture Study. Her work in adult faith formation involves writing, editing, lecturing, leading retreats and days of reflection. She is the editor of A Year of Sundays and an associate editor of The Bible Today, a journal of biblical spirituality.Old Testament Editor: Irene Nowell, OSB, is a Benedictine of Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas. She is an adjunct professor at St. John's University School of Theology, has published two books and numerous articles, and is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association. She is also a member of the Committee on Illuminations and Texts for The Saint John's Bible. New Testament Editor: Ronald D. Witherup, SS, is Superior General of the Sulpicians and lives in Paris, France. He holds a doctorate in biblical studies and is the author of numerous books and articles on Scripture. His current interest is in the letters of Saint Paul and the Acts of the Apostles.

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While admitting particular parameters and priorities for Roman Catholic preachers, this volume was intentionally envisioned as a handbook for "catholic" preaching in the broadest and most universal sense of that term. Cosponsored by the Catholic Academy of Liturgy, the Catholic Association of Teachers of Homiletics, and the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, it covers the role of the Scriptures in preaching, the challenges of preaching in a digital age, sermonizing in an interfaith context, and the need for a liberative and prophetic word that cuts across denominations and even faith traditions. Intended to aid those who teach or direct the preaching arts, the design and writing style of this book are particularly calibrated to graduate students in ministerial studies. Every article is a self-contained overview of a particular historical period, genre of preaching, homiletic theory, or contemporary issue. This more encyclopedic approach—devoid of footnotes, yet supported by pertinent bibliography and an extensive index—provides a sufficiently rich yet thoroughly accessible gateway to major facets of the preaching arts at this stage of the twenty-first century.General Editor: Edward FoleyAssociate Editors: Catherine Vincie, Richard N. FragomeniContributors: Herbert Anderson, John F. Baldovin, Alden Lee Bass, Dianne Bergant, Stephen Bevans, Robert Bireley, John Carr, Anthony Collamati, Michael E. Connors, Guerric DeBona, Frank DeSiano, William T. Ditewig, Con Foley, Edward Foley, Richard N. Fragomeni, Ann M. Garrido, Gregory Heille, Lucy Lind Hogan, Patrick R. Lagges, David J. Lose, Barbara K. Lundblad, Ricky Manalo, Robert F. Morneau, Carolyn Muessig, vanThanh Nguyen, Mary Margaret Pazdan, Patricia Parachini, Jorge Presmanes, Craig Alan Satterlee, Catherine Vincie, Richard Vosko, James A. Wallace, Margaret Moers Wenig, Alex Zenthoefer

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Since the early centuries, Christians have held up the saints as models of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While the church officially recognizes a relatively small number of saints, the actual roster is infinitely wider. Blessed Among Us explores this eclectic “cloud of witnesses”—lay and religious, single and married, canonized and not, and even non-Christians whose faith and wisdom may illuminate our path. Brought to life in the evocative storytelling of Robert Ellsberg, they inspire the moral imagination and give witness to the myriad ways of holiness. In two stories per day for a full calendar year, Ellsberg sketches figures from biblical times to the present age and from all corners of this world—ordinary figures whose extraordinary lives point to the new age in the world to come. Blessed Among Us is drawn from Ellsberg’s acclaimed column of the same name in Give Us This Day, a monthly resource for daily prayer published by Liturgical Press.

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Who is Jesus? This is the fundamental question for christology. The earliest Christians used various titles, most of them drawn from the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures, to express their faith in Jesus. They called him prophet, teacher, Messiah, Son of David, Son of Man, Lord, Son of God, Word of God, and occasionally even God. In Who Is Jesus? Thomas Rausch, S.J., focuses on the New Testament's rich variety of christologies.Who Is Jesus? covers the three quests for the historical Jesus, the methods for retrieving the historical Jesus, the Jewish background, the Jesus movement, his preaching and ministry, death and resurrection, the various New Testament christologies, and the development of christological doctrine from the New Testament period to the Council of Chalcedon.Chapters are "The Three Quests for the Historical Jesus," "Methodological Considerations," "The Jewish Background," "Jesus and His Movement," " The Preaching and Ministry of Jesus," "The Death of Jesus," "God Raised Him from the Dead," "New Testament Christologies," "From the New Testament to Chalcedon," "Sin and Salvation," and "A Contemporary Approach to Soteriology."Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, PhD, is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. A specialist in ecclesiology, ecumenism, and the theology of the priesthood, he has published eight books including the award-winning Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium, The College Student's Introduction to Theology, and Reconciling Faith and Reason: Apologists, Evangelists, and Theologians in a Divided Church, published by Liturgical Press.

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The Gospel of Matthew carries important lessons on the formation of community and of Jesus as authoritative Teacher--lessons that helped the early Matthean population relate to both the Jewish and Christian communities of which they were composed. The Gospel According to Matthew provides Gospel text (New American Bible translation) along with Barbara E. Reid's commentary, to aid in the interpretation and use of this Gospel today. As Reid demonstrates, this Gospel continues to bring Vision and hope to Christians throughout the ages.Reid stresses the importance of the Gospel of Matthew as the first book in the New Testament, possibly the first written Gospel, and the one most often used in the early church. Providing both the text and commentary, Reid addresses important questions such as the author's identity and sources, setting and Gospel translation.Sections are The Origins of Jesus (1:1-4:11)," "The Beginnings of the Galilean Ministry (4:12-10:42)," "The Sermon on the Mount (5:1-7:28)," "Varying Responses to Jesus(11:1-16:12)," "Jesus and His Disciples on the Way to Jerusalem (16:14- 20:34)," "Jerusalem; Jesus' Final Days of Teaching in the Temple (21:1-28:15)," "Finale: Back to Galilee; Commission to the Whole World; Jesus' Abiding Presence (28:16-20)." Also includes discussion questions.Barbara E. Reid, OP, PhD, is professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is the author of Parables for Preachers, Choosing the Better Part?, and co-editor of the Collegeville Pastoral Dictionary of Biblical Theology, published by Liturgical Press. She has also published various journal articles on New Testament topics. Also available with Little Rock Scripture Study Set: The Gospel According to Matthew "

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Living LiturgyTM Sunday Missal combines essential liturgical content with the finest presentation on the market today. This annual, single-issue Sunday Mass pew resource is compatible with any hymnal program and affordably priced for parishes. Includes art by Ruberval Monteiro da Silva. Gospel reflection for each Sunday Readings and congregational dialogue in large, 13-point, bold type Two-color text in sense lines High-quality cover and paper Includes the Rite of the Liturgy of the Word and the Rite for Distributing Holy Communion Outside Mass Musical psalm settings from The Collegeville Psalter by Paul Inwood

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As the longest Psalm in the Bible, Psalm 119 comprises 176 verses. Its message sings the praise of Israel’s Law and describes how the faithful should respond to the gift of God’s self-revelation. In The Longest Psalm, Michael Casey offers a meditative reading of each verse of the psalm, intended to be read one at a time, to facilitate a personal prayer and reflection. Psalm 119 brings together elements found throughout the Psalter and the reflections focus on universal themes as well as specific questions of daily life, such as our experience of yearning, service, affliction, and stumbling. Each verse stands alone, intended to be read slowly, like the litanies familiar to Catholic devotion. Perfect for a brief meditation before beginning the day, Casey invites us to spend time wandering with the psalmist to allow God’s Word to play a significant role in our lives. Through this careful reflection on the longest psalm, readers will discover the text is not merely a psalm to be sung but also a path to be followed.

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In this commentary on the revised English translation of The Order of Penance, Paul Turner explains in detail how the sacrament of renewal has itself undergone renewal since the first edition approved shortly after the Second Vatican Council. Turner highlights important elements within the revised translation including: the history behind the revised order of service and the words of absolution; an explanation of how and why the ceremony was revised after the Council; changes for communal reconciliation services; and the first translation of proposed examinations of conscience to prepare a community for reconciliation. This commentary invites all Catholics to consider the sacrament anew by preparing a spiritual path upon which the faithful may walk in search of forgiveness and experience a profound encounter with the mercy of God.

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While we may know the Bible stories of Israel's military leaders, kings, and prophets, we are often less familiar with the stories of the women who helped to establish a monarchy, defend Israel's interests, and reflect God's image in unique ways. In Women in the Old Testament, Part Two, a continuation of the classic commentary by Irene Nowell, OSB, in conversation with the contemporary voice of Jaime Waters, you will explore stories of women of the Bible such as Judith and Esther, whose complexities and gifts broke stereotypes and continue to reveal God to us. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 4 lessons.

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Why do the Spiritual Exercises not change us as deeply as we hope? This is the haunting question that was raised at the recent general congregation of the Jesuits about Ignatius's Spiritual Exercises and the question the contributors to this book explore and attempt to answer in the context of ongoing racial injustice in the United States. All of us who love and are engaged in Ignatian spirituality must also ask ourselves this same question. Contributors explore this question by examining how color-blindness racism determines our interpretation of the Spiritual Exercises in the United States. Animated by the grace of Ignatius''s conversion experience thesespiritual directors, theologians, and leaders in Jesuit ministries offer insightfulscholarly and creative pastoral engagement of the Spiritual Exercisesfor the ongoing journey ofconversion from racism and white supremacy in the United States. Contributors Include: - Maka Black El

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Sisters care about creation, minister to those in need, and keep hope amid adversitytheir witness and reflections can help us to do the same. In Wisdom from the Global Sisterhood, Catholic sisters from across the world share their insights about prayer, grace, grief and healing, ministries, and a variety of topics. From the thousands of columns published since it began in April 2014, Global Sisters Report's editors share some of the publication's most insightful columns to celebrate the enduring life and ministry of these remarkable women of faith. Wisdom from the Global Sisterhood amplifies the voices of these sisters as well as their often hidden and unrecognized ministries in the most distant parts of the world. It offers a sampling of lessons and messages intended to deepen our prayer lives and help us to grow in grace. Reflection questions included throughout may be used for personal contemplation or in small group discussions.

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In the gospel of Saint Matthew, Jesus is “Emmanuel,” God-with-us, or, as Jesus himself puts it, he is “I-Desire,” “Coming-I-Will-Heal,” and “I-Am-with-You-Always.” The brief commentaries collected here, initially presented by Cistercian abbot Mark A. Scott in a series of chapter talks to his monastic community, will welcome the reader into an intimate encounter with the love of Jesus, as the evangelist Matthew presents him in chapters four through nine of his gospel. These reflections also weave insights from the Rule of Benedict along with reflections on monastic life offering to all ecclesial communities and individual Christians rich nourishment for their loving Jesus in return.

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Caesarius was a monk at the Cistercian monastery of Heisterbach in Germany, where he served as Master of novices. For their instruction and edification, he composed his lengthy Dialogue on Miracles in twelve sections between 1219 and 1223. The many surviving manuscripts of this and other works by Caesarius attest to his stature in the history of Cistercian letters. This volume contains sections one through six of Caesarius of Heisterbach’s Dialogue on Miracles, the first complete translation into English of an influential representation of exempla literature from the Middle Ages. Caesarius’s stories provide a splendid index to monastic life, religious practices, and daily life in a tumultuous time.

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New Collegeville Bible Commentary The Gospel According to Mark Volume 2 The absence of stories of Jesus' birth and infancy, a minimum of Jesus' parables and a resurrection scene without sight or sound of the risen Jesus have tempted readers to shortchange Mark's Gospel. Thanks to the insightful analysis and inspiring reflections of Marie Noonan Sabin, anyone studying this premier Gospel with her guidance will recognize the genius of the original author. Sabin asserts that Mark's Gospel is not an eyewitness account or a work of biography or history. She writes, What Mark gives us is far richer. He interprets Jesus in the light of the Hebrew Bible, showing Jesus to be not only a teacher of Wisdom but Wisdom itself, calling his followers to an unconventional wisdom, a way of living (and a way of dying) that he himself exemplifies." The cover of this commentary from The Saint John's Bible highlights Sabin's thesis that the transfiguration of Jesus is pivotal to the Gospel: "The scene [9:2-8]overshadows both parts of the Gospel, emphasizing God's creative, transforming, transfiguring power to restore life." Sabin gives special attention to Mark's key words and phrases (e.g., "release," "rise up" or "be raised," "straightway," and "ecstasy") and his pattern of twos and threes. Especially helpful are the summaries at the end of each chapter. Here is a commentary that will restore Mark's prime place among the other two Synoptic Gospels. Marie Noonan Sabin, Ph.D., has taught the Gospel of Mark at Bangor Theological Seminary; an earlier book on Mark, Reopening the Word, was published by Oxford University Press in 2002.

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An exemplary summary of the state of Catholic theology and what appears to be its future.This historical treatment of Catholic theology looks not to the content of that theology but rather to the form in which that content is contained and how it is expressed. Faithful to Catholic teaching yet critical, discerning yet impartial, Nichols offers this introduction to dogmatic theology, with the firm belief that dogmatics are the center of theology, and that any theological discipline which cuts itself off from these heartlands does so at its own peril. For it is in dogmatics that theology is in touch with the heart of revelation, and only by virtue of the quality of its contact with that revelation is thinking Christian at all.Though comprehensive and far-reaching, this work is not beyond the understanding of people just commencing a study of theology. It makes an excellent text for study groups.

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The Deacon’s Ministry of the Liturgy offers a concise and accessible introduction to the liturgical aspects of the ministry of the diaconate. The book covers not only the practical side of liturgical ministry—what the deacon does in various liturgical celebrations—but also roots of that ministry in Scripture and tradition, as well as reflecting on the role of the liturgy in the spiritual life of the deacon. The Deacon’s Ministry series explores the three fundamental diaconal ministries identified in the teaching of Vatican II: those of the liturgy, of the word, and of charity to the people of God (Lumen Gentium 29). This series, written by three highly regarded permanent deacons, offers a rich combination of theology, spirituality, and practical and effective guidance. Deacons and those in diaconal formation, their families, the bishops and priests they work with, and the people they serve will welcome it.

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When is a letter not a letter? When it is the Letter to the Hebrews. Daniel J. Harrington describes this text as the greatest Christian sermon ever preached or written" and its author as "the patron saint of preachers." The basic theological point of the sermon is that Christ is both the perfect sacrifice for sins and the priest who offers himself as a sacrifice.The anonymous author of this work addresses Jewish Christians who had embraced Christianity with enthusiasm but were becoming discouraged and falling away in the face of suffering. The biblical text and Harrington's uncomplicated commentary are ideal components for individual and group study. Reading and reflection will produce a renewed appreciation of the saving work of Jesus.Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, PhD, is professor of New Testament at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and editor of the Sacra Pagina series, published by Liturgical Press."

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For fifteen centuries Benedictine monasticism has been governed by a Rule that is at once strong enough to instill order and yet flexible enough to be as relevant as ever.The pocket-sized, English-only text is now also available in a beautiful hardcover edition that offers improved readability making it perfect for meditative reflection and study. Ideal for gift-giving.

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