Books/Literature
After a bloody 20th century for Christians, the 21st remains onerous for those who face minority status in many places. In fact, an estimated 200 million Christians worldwide – that is, one out of every ten – suffer some form of persecution for their faith. For many, there is a price to pay for being a follower of Christ.
In Christians in Danger, author Marc Fromager offers a personal account of his experience in twenty countries where the future of Christians is anything but certain. He explains the historical and political situation of these Christians and describes the day-to-day tensions they face. With neither anger nor complacency, he leads us to a greater awareness of their sufferings and reminds us that we are still living in “the time of the martyrs”. But his message is not one of doom-and-gloom pessimism. Yes, Christians are in danger in many countries around the world, and yes, there are reasons for hope. This book takes a look at both.
In this book, Fromager walks alongside many well-known “underground” Christians in countries like Saudi Arabia, where the Catholic population is fifteen times larger than it was thirty years ago, but where everything is absolutely forbidden: no churches, no Bibles, no rosaries, no crucifixes. Everything is done in secret. He also takes you to places like the Philippines and France, where Christianity is well established, but where the situation is steadily eroding. These accounts will make you grateful for your own freedoms and will inspire you to pray for and support those brothers and sisters in the Faith who cannot rely on such freedoms.
Catholics--both religious and the laity--made significant contributions to science, the arts, and the betterment of human life during the Enlightenment, the period between the Reformations and the modern world.
Scholar Dominic A. Aquila writes that it is not uncommon for historical accounts of the time to conclude that the Church stood in the way of the scientific revolution and that faith and reason could not coexist. In The Church and the Age of Enlightenment (1648-1848), Aquila outlines Catholic contributions in mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, the arts, and politics, and highlights key figures of the era including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, St. Vincent de Paul, Queen Christina of Sweden, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
Aquila begins by looking back at the work of important figures such as Copernicus, Francis Bacon, and Galileo, all of whom died before the 1648. Aquila bookends the Enlightenment era by wars due to dynastic rivalries and social change--beginning with Europe's Thirty Years War, which prompted a rethinking of religious and political practices, and ending with the Napoleonic Wars.
Aquila also highlights key works of visual arts and music from the period, including Giovanni Bellini's Frari Triptych, the world-renowned Oberammergau Passion Play, and George Fredric Handel's Messiah.
In this book, you will learn:
Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.
Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (first place, best new religious book series).
Suspense, politics, sin, death, sex, and redemption: Not the plot of the latest crime novel, but elements of the true history of the Catholic Church.
Larger-than-life figures such as Athanasius of Alexandria, Augustine, and Constantine played an important part in the history of the Christianity. In The Church and the Roman Empire (AD 301-490): Constantine, Councils, and the Fall of Rome, popular Catholic author Mike Aquilina gives readers a vivid and engaging account of how Christianity developed and expanded as the Roman Empire declined.
Aquilina explores the dramatic backstory of the Council of Nicaea and why Christian unity and belief are still expressed by the Nicene Creed. He also sets the record straight about commonly held misconceptions about the Catholic Church.
In this book, you will learn:
Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.
In A Church in Crisis: Pathways Forward, Martin offers a detailed look at the growing hostility to the Catholic Church and its teaching. With copious evidence, Martin uncovers the forces working to undermine the Body of Christ and offers hope to those looking for clarity.
A Church in Crisis covers:
-polarization in the Church caused by ambiguous teachings
-initiatives that accommodate the culture without calling for conversion
-Vatican-sponsored partnerships with organizations that actively contradict the teaching of the Catholic Church
-and the recycling of theological errors long settled by V
The Church's Best-Kept Secret is a short primer which lays out the basics of Catholic social teaching in a way accessible to the ordinary Catholic as well as to any other person of good will attempting to grasp this often profoundly misunderstood area of Church doctrine and practice.
The social teaching of the Catholic Church shows how universal the faith really is, touching all people regardless of age, social status, or ethnicity. By introducing us to this social teaching Mark Shea has invited all Catholics to deepen their faith in practical ways, and to put aside individualism and tribalism and open their hearts to everyone just because they are fellow human beings.
-Bishop Thomas Dowd, auxiliary of Montreal
The Church's Best-Kept Secret is Mark Shea at his best: winsome, very accessible, thought-provoking, and seriously and holistically Catholic. Read this book, discuss it with friends and fellow parishioners, and then set out together with a journey of discipleship that reveals the goodness and love of God in ways that 21st century skeptics can hear.
-Sherry Weddell, author, Forming Intentional Disciples
In The Church's Best-Kept Secret, Mark Shea provides a faithful and spirited overview of Catholic social teaching grounded in Scripture, Vatican II, and papal writings since Leo XIII. He clearly explains the key principles of Catholic social teaching--human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity--and he shows that some Catholics, while rightfully opposing abortion and euthanasia, mistakenly reduce Catholic teachings on capital punishment and the environment to mere "prudential judgments" that can be ignored or opposed.
-Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D. Professor of Systematic Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan
In a style that will engage a broad range of people, Shea's faithfulness to the tradition (and rejection of the tired political idolatry on both the right and the left) is precisely what we need at this moment of realignment and creative destruction. Read this book if you want to know where and how the Church should speak to the signs of our times.
-Charles Camosy, Associate Professor of Theological Ethics at Fordham University and author of Resisting Throwaway Culture
Mark Shea's succinct primer brings us into the heart of the Church's thinking on society and the economy -- needed now as never before.
-Austen Ivereigh, author of Wounded Shepherd: Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church
In The Church's Best-Kept Secret, Mark Shea has written an accessible and essential primer for anyone interested in learning about Catholic teaching on human dignity and the common good rooted in the Gospel and Sacred Tradition.
-Mike Lewis, Managing Editor, Where Peter Is
A book like this has been needed for a long time. Short but comprehensive, well-written with good examples. I hope this becomes a resource at the parish level.
-John Medaille, author of Toward a Truly Free Market: A Distributist Perspective and The Vocation of Business: Social Justice in the Marketplace
Mark Shea has a gift for making official Catholic teaching accessible in a manner that displays not only its truth but also its beauty. In The Church's Best-Kept Secret, he shows that Catholic social doctrine challenges us to go beyond "liberal" and "conservative" distinctions. I recommend this book for all who seek to understand the fundamental principles behind that doctrine and apply it to their everyday lives, including their spiritual lives.
-Dawn Eden Goldstein, S.Th.D., theologian and author of My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints
In an increasingly polarized Church and world, we are accustomed to apologias and manifestos, jeremiads and rants. The word "catechesis" means to echo or resound and this resonance must be pastoral, in the voice of the Good Shepherd. Mark Shea captures this catechetical tone and pastoral spirit, eschewing polemics and hyperbole. His book echoes Catholic Social Teaching from our mother and teacher, the Church. It is a resounding success.
-Samuel D. Rocha, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia
Another of the popular historical novels by the distinguished de Wohl, telling the dramatic story of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, who played such a major role in the Christianization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century. De Wohl weaves an intricate tapestry of love, violence and piety to recount with historical accuracy the story of St. Benedict and the tempestuous era in which he lived.
Since there are no contemporary biographies of this major saint of history and the Church, de Wohl's inspired account is of significant importance on the subject of saint's lives for today's spiritual seekers. Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, not unlike our world today, Benedict's story has a strong message for modern Christians who seek, as he did, to turn away from the wickedness of the world to find Christ in prayer, study and solitude.
Another of the popular historical novels by the distinguished de Wohl, telling the dramatic story of St. Benedict, the father of Western monasticism, who played such a major role in the Christianization and civilization of post-Roman Europe in the sixth century. De Wohl weaves an intricate tapestry of love, violence and piety to recount with historical accuracy the story of St. Benedict and the tempestuous era in which he lived.
Since there are no contemporary biographies of this major saint of history and the Church, de Wohl's inspired account is of significant importance on the subject of saint's lives for today's spiritual seekers. Having lived in an era of great immorality and vice, not unlike our world today, Benedict's story has a strong message for modern Christians who seek, as he did, to turn away from the wickedness of the world to find Christ in prayer, study and solitude.
Born at the turn of the 20th Century, Josemaría Escrivá spent his life as malleable clay in the Potter's hands. He took on a very visible leadership role as a priest and founder of Opus Dei, with a substantial collection of writings and recorded talks "revealing the personality, tone of voice, mannerisms, and spirit of the man." In this book, Fr. John Henry Hanson explores this role of leader and coach that our saint lived while on earth and continues to live today. Never one to mince words or refrain from action, Josemaría coaches us in work and rest, in times of struggle and ease, through confusion and certainty. Josemaría is for all of us – men and women of today, living and working in the midst of the world. He is for us all a coach, a father, and an excellent teacher of the elevated, virtuous, and courageous life.
Come, Holy Spirit reveals a spirituality intimately connected to the daily life of Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC, affectionately known as "Fr. Ted"--prominent priest, civil rights activist, public servant, and former president of the University of Notre Dame. In this first collection of his spiritual writings, Hesburgh is revealed to be a person of action with an even more dynamic spiritual life.
Hesburgh wholeheartedly embraced his role as pastor to the Notre Dame community and counted the day of his Ordination to the priesthood as the happiest in his life. Reflecting on his legacy, Hesburgh said that if he could have only one word on his tombstone, it would be "priest." His homilies, lectures, prayers, and invocations display his characteristic wisdom and warmth and offer unique encouragement to contemporary readers pondering essential questions in their lives of faith, prayer, family, and peace.
Come, Holy Spirit sheds light on an underexplored facet of Hesburgh's identity: While his life story has been widely told, few of his biographers explore in much detail how he nurtured his vocation through a commitment to prayer and daily celebration of the Mass. No collections of Hesburgh's writings are currently in print, and no books of his spiritual writings were ever published during his lifetime.
This book is a perfect gift for any fan of Hesburgh or the University of Notre Dame.
The novel follows Robin and Margaret, a young couple in love who forgo their affection when Margaret realizes Robin is called to the priesthood. Both play a critical role in caring physically and spiritually for their fellow Catholics during this time of terror.
Discover their heroism, love, and sacrifice, and be inspired to live it out in our own frightful times in Come Rack, Come Rope.
Solid Christian comfort for those facing illness or death and wisdom to guide all who care for them.
Here is a storehouse of Christian wisdom for people facing the most vulnerable and desperate times of their lives: the onset of serious illness or the approach of death. These pages are also essential reading for Christian caregivers and for wise souls who want to prepare now for illness or death, either of which can come any day, even to those of us in perfect health.
With refreshing clarity and fidelity to Scripture, the author, Msgr. David Greenstock, will show you how to let Jesus Himself give you strength. You'll learn how to make better use of the sacraments to gain spiritual sustenance; you'll even discover how to transform your sufferings into occasions for communion with God. Best of all, you'll learn how to resist the temptations that especially afflict sick people, and how best to pray, when you're sick, to the God who assures you He will wipe away all your tears.
Through the lives of the apostles and saints, Father Andrew shows the presence of the Comforter in every step of our spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit is always there, bestowing or withholding consolations to as to cultivate our faith and love for God. By his wisdom, he leads us through the three stages of spiritual development, from the beginning to the perfection of our holiness: the purgative stage, the illuminative stage, and the unitive stage. The reflection questions that follow each chapter encourage us to examine the state of our spiritual lives and challenge us to increase our efforts in pursuit of the source of true Christian joy, the Cross.
Guided by Father Andrew's kindly and experienced teaching, discover how the Holy Spirit's consolation draws us more deeply into a relationship with God and leads us through the three stages of spiritual development. Discern the difference between spiritual and earthly joy. Be inspired by the lives of the apostles as Father Andrew leads the reader, step by step, through the "dark night" along their path to sanctity. Learn how the Holy Spirit can make pain easy to bear and suffering a joy to endure.
Only by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit will we uncover the paradox of the Cross, where suffering produces joy and death gives way to life. Yet, with his help, we can embrace any suffering and surmount any obstacle that comes between us and Christ. Father Andrew's insightful commentary on the Holy Spirit's role in our spiritual lives compels us to a deeper appreciation and love for him.
This work analyzes how the three key elements of a democratic society--freedom, equality, and fraternity--have been misconstrued by intellectuals and policy makers who do not respect the limitations of the human condition. Their lack of common sense has resulted in social and cultural problems rather than solutions to them. By contrast, the social teachings of the Catholic Church mesh nicely with the demands of human nature, and as such they offer the right remedy to our cultural crisis.
Freedom defined as radical individualism has eclipsed the understanding that real rights are tethered to responsibilities. Equality defined as radical egalitarianism yields little in the way of equality and much in the way of state-sponsored social discord. And fraternity without the foundation of familial bonds and religious communities leaves people isolated and disoriented.
Catholic teaching offers much wisdom to remedy our insufficient understanding of the elements needed for a free and flourishing society. Its common sense is greatly needed to help modern Americans rediscover the true meaning of their highest ideals.
See also Living Liturgy for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion 2025 and more resources for Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery outside Mass.
Find strength and healing in the arms of the cross
Fr. Cessario masterfully weaves Saint Catherine’s sublime thoughts and words into an easy-to-read meditation on Christ’s Passion.
These insightful reflections invite us to embrace the challenges we encounter during our journey and, with Saint Catherine, to consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us (Rom 8:18).
A perfect meditation for Lent
A thoughtful gift to help comfort loved ones, family, and friends.
“What do we learn from this description of the suffering Christ? What does Catherine teach us about the transformation that brings the world stillness on Good Friday from noon until three o’clock?
“The answer is simple: We discover that because of his enormous love, Christ’s sufferings and death cause the transformation of all that exists, the transformation we call Christian salvation….
“The transformation that Catherine announces is one that creates in those persons who remain united with Christ a new ground for love, a new sort of loving…. The transformation affects both our persons and our actions.”
Catholics' hunger for the faith continues to grow. Pope Benedict XVI gives the Church the "food" that is seeks in the 598 questions and answers in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This 200-page volume offers a quick synopsis of the essential contents of the faith as promulgated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Like the Catechism, the Compendium has a four-part structure and includes a section on common prayers and Catholic doctrinal formulas. With the question-and-answer format, catechetical leaders-parents, pastors, teachers, principals, and catechists-have a unique opportunity to dialogue with the faithful, and reinvigorate the Church's ongoing mission of evangelization and catechesis. Individuals can come "to know the unfathomable riches of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ" by reading, using, and memorizing parts of the Compendium.
An essential tool for youth and young adults, the Compendium is the perfect companion to a youth or young adult's Bible, spiritual reading, or textbook. Catechetical leaders in high schools, colleges, and parishes will appreciate its versatility as a reference book, discussion starter, or core resource for RCIA programs.
Fourteen images taken from masterpieces of Christian art set a tone for each part or section. "The sacred images, with their beauty, are also a proclamation of the Gospel and express the splendor of the Catholic truth," explained Pope Benedict XVI.
The Compendium was prepared by a commission presided by the then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. Following the request for greater appreciation of the Catechism, and in order to meet a widespread need that emerged during the 2002 International Catechetical Congress, in 2003 the Holy Father established a special commission, presided by the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that he charged with preparing a Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, containing a more concise and dialogic version of the same contents of Catholic faith and morals.
This 200-page volume offers a clear synopsis of the essential contents of the faith as promulgated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 598 questions and answers. Like the 1992 Catechism, the Compendium has a four-part structure and includes a section on common prayers and Catholic doctrinal formulas. Because of the question-and-answer format, catechetical leaders-parents, pastors, teachers, principals, and catechists-have a unique opportunity to dialogue with the faithful and to reinvigorate the Church's ongoing mission of evangelization and catechesis. Individuals can come "to know the unfathomable riches of the salvific mystery of Jesus Christ" by reading, using, and memorizing parts of the Compendium of the Catechism. An essential tool for youth and young adults, the Compendium is the perfect companion to a youth's or young adult's Bible, spiritual reading, or textbook. Catechetical leaders in high schools, colleges, and parishes will appreciate its versatility-as a reference book, discussion starter, or core resource for RCIA programs.
A soul desiring to give itself in love to God faces great challenges that require understanding and some encouraging advice. Written in a style of short and effective meditations on prayer and contemplative spirituality, the concise reflections in this book address the heart of a soul's interior response to God. God's desire to draw souls to a deeper gift of themselves is inseparable from his desire to draw them into a deeper encounter with the sacred mystery of his presence.
Offering an abundance of insights into the value of silence, deep faith, trust and interior surrender to God, Father Haggerty also illumines the link between contemplation and love for poverty and the poor, and makes a strong appeal to the importance of prayer as the primary answer to the crisis of faith that afflicts so many people today.
The longing of souls for a deeper contemplative encounter with God is indeed a sign of the times. When it is nurtured properly and begins to burn as a passion of the soul, the love for prayer becomes a lifelong quest.
The Confessions of Saint Augustine is considered one of the greatest Christian classics of all time. It is an extended poetic, passionate, intimate prayer that Augustine wrote as an autobiography sometime after his conversion, to confess his sins and proclaim God's goodness. Just as his first hearers were captivated by his powerful conversion story, so also have many millions been over the following sixteen centuries. His experience of God speaks to us across time with little need of transpositions.
This acclaimed new translation by Sister Maria Boulding, O.S.B., masterfully captures his experience, and is written in an elegant and flowing style. Her beautiful contemporary translation of the ancient Confessions makes the classic work more accessible to modern readers. Her translation combines the linguistic accuracy demanded by 4th-century Latin with the poetic power aimed at by Augustine, not as discernable in previous translations.
One day, philosopher Peter Kreeft reads an open letter published by a friend, Nat Whilk. He's Catholic, but he sees the Church as unsteady, outdated, obsessive. As a challenge to the "True Believers", Nat pens a twenty-point manifesto for "cafeteria Catholics", who pass up certain Church teachings and scoop up others like a diner in a buffet line."I find in [Catholicism] both much to accept and even love and also much to refuse and even despise", he asserts. "If you insist on tying God to the Church, you will make me an atheist."
Kreeft has an answer for Nat--one that spans over a hundred pages. The result is this book: a sharp, friendly, and funny debate between two honest thinkers trying to understand the Christian life. Nat "is the'cafeteria Catholic', "writes Kreeft,"and I am the 'eat all the food Mommy puts on your plate' Catholic." Taking on Nat's manifesto point by point, the Boston College philosopher builds his case for a full-package Catholicism, addressing the themes of authority, love, freedom, conscience, sex, abortion, social justice, science, and more. "Our hopes differ", he points out to his friend."Your hope is in man; mine is in God."
If, like Nat Whilk, you find yourself wondering why the Church asks for so much commitment, Confessions of a Cafeteria Catholic could be the book for you. This debate serves as a fun and accessible introduction to some of the knottiest aspects of Catholic doctrine. Readers of Peter Kreeft's apologetic works and his Socrates Meets dialogues will enjoy the latest venture by one of the most celebrated contemporary Catholic writers.
The first autobiography ever written, and one of the most profound testaments of faith, ever.
"This book is the masterpiece from which all other Christian memoirs flow. Augustine's astonishing story remains as fresh as it did when he wrote it in the late fourth century. The Confessions still speaks with a clear, vivid and altogether distinctive voice to believers and seekers searching for the One who will give rest to their restless hearts." --James Martin, SJ, author of My Life with the Saints
Confessions of St. Augustine 978-0-89942-169-8
Confessions of St. Augustine is--after the Bible and The Imitation of Christ--the most widely translated and highly esteemed book in Christian history. Translated by Rev. J.M. Lelen, Ph.D., this edition is published in a prayer book format, offering a participatory reading and prayer experience based on St. Augustine's confessions of his youthful errors. With a burgundy Dura-Lux cover, this classic book will make a meaningful personal resource or gift.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) is one of the most influential Christian theologians and philosophers. His writings have profoundly shaped Christian doctrine, Western philosophy, and the intellectual tradition of the Church. His works address deep questions on God, grace, free will, and the nature of good and evil, making them essential to theological study.
One of his most famous works, Confessions, is both a spiritual autobiography and a philosophical reflection on sin, grace, and conversion. In it, Augustine explores his journey from a life of worldly desires to his acceptance of Christian faith, showing the transformative power of God's mercy. His honesty and introspection make Confessions a timeless work that resonates with believers seeking a deeper relationship with God.
The Saint Joseph Confirmation Book from Catholic Book Publishing is an ideal companion for Confirmation candidates, providing the Confirmation rite, prayers, instructions, and inspiring readings from the Gospel. This comprehensive book, with an elegantly embossed red hard cover, makes a perfect resource and gift for those preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation. This book has been updated in accord with the Roman Missal.
For in Christianity's 2,000-year history, cruel persecutions and sudden, uncontrollable plagues like COVID-19 have time and again struck mankind, challenging Christians to rise up spiritually against evils that cannot immediately be conquered materially.
Now our turn has come . . . along with the help we need to succeed. Here celebrated Catholic author and media host Teresa Tomeo has drawn forth from Scripture, the lives of the saints, and contemporary sources a healing balm for souls "" believers and unbelievers alike "" who have been shaken by the frightening evils thrust upon us by this coronavirus.
The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary is often overlooked and underutilized. Now is the time to respond to Our Lady's call to pray this chaplet fervently.
In these pages, you will discover how your own pierced heart can become a portal of grace that opens and transforms you into all that God wants you to be, allowing you to share in the mercy and love of Christ's Sacred Heart by uniting your sufferings to His.
Equipped with an enriched understanding of redemptive suffering, Dr. Joseph Hollcraft and Ruth Berghorst guide you in the practice of mental prayer with St. Alphonsus Liguori on the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary in response to Our Lady's request -- echoed in every contemporary Marian apparition -- to abide close to her heart and pray for the salvation of souls.
Key to obtaining the triumph of the sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Our Lady is calling upon the saints who are uniquely disposed to help us in the twenty-first century.
These include:
- St. Dymphna for mental health
- St. Joseph for family life
- St. Josephine Bakhita for human-trafficking victims
- Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati for youth
- Bl. Bartolo Longo for protection from the occult
- St. Maria Goretti for purity
- St. Hildegard of Bingen for pastoral care
Praying the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary is akin to entering Mary's classroom to comprehend what is often deemed incomprehensible. An important book in this classroom would be about Our Lady's Seven Sorrows and how to overcome temptations and trials as she did. Among the many sufferings she endured, these particular sorrows flowed from Satan's efforts to undermine her crucial role in our redemption. This book aims to acquaint Catholics with these vital sorrows -- and the advantages Our Lady has linked to this devotion.
An ideal Christmas, birthday or shower present!
A Continual Feast continues online! to follow the blog.
A cookbook full of wonderful recipes and ideas drawn from throughout the Christian tradition, with suggestions about when, and why, these dishes might be served. It contains more than 275 recipes with which to celebrate all the holidays throughout the Christian year, as well as the many shared rituals that strengthen family bonds and enrich the significance of the day to day events of our lives. How these rituals, rites and feasts came about, how they are celebrated around the world, and how you can bring them into your home are described every step of the way. Includes wonderful illustrations.
A Continual Feast brings new meaning to "breaking bread together." A book to cook from and learn from, it includes: menus for holidays and every day recipes for all occasions from church picnics and Sunday suppers to birthdays, namedays, confirmations, and baptisms; wonderful cooking projects for children; recipes for Christmas giving; thoughtful suggestions on taking food to others; customs associated with many great Christian holidays from Advent through Pentecost as well as various saints days around the world; traditional meanings associated with particular foods; tips on fasting and abstinence; recipes that incorporate leftovers; quotations from the Bible and various theological and gastronomic sources; many recipes of varied ethnic origins; a wealth of Christian history and thought.
Contemporary spiritual writer Fr. Donald Haggerty offers penetrating observations of the phenomenon of Christian conversion. Arranged as a collection of concise, meditative reflections, this book discusses the essential elements of a soul's return to God, including the repercussions of sin, the proper understanding of mercy, and the importance of a more radical response to God's will.
Fr. Haggerty also explores the fruits of conversion that make the difference between a mediocre relationship with God and a truly holy life. He identifies these special graces as love for the poor, simplicity of lifestyle, and devotion to the Eucharist.
The author's treatment of a "second conversion" is a unique and thought- provoking contribution to his subject. The ever renewed invitation to embrace a deeper passion for God is the thematic undercurrent of this inspiring work.
1968 witnessed perhaps the greatest revolution in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. It was led by Fr. Charles Curran, professor of Theology at the Catholic University of America in Washington, with more than 500 theologians who signed a "Statement of Dissent" that declared Catholics were not bound in conscience to follow the Church's teaching in the encyclical of Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae, that said artificial contraception is morally wrong because it is destructive of the good of Christian marriage.
The battle at Catholic University centered on the major question in Catholic higher education during the turbulent years after the Second Vatican Council, "What is the meaning of academic freedom at a Catholic university?" Curran and the dissenting theologians maintained they needed to be free to teach without constraint by any outside authority, including the bishops. The bishops maintained that the American tradition of religious freedom guaranteed the right of religiously-affiliated schools to require their professors to teach in accord with the authority of their church.
This book uses never-before published material from the personal papers of the key players at CUA to tell the inside story of the dramatic events that unfolded there. Beginning with the 1967 faculty-led strike in support of Curran, this book reveals the content of the internal discussions between the key bishops on the CUA Board of Trustees.
This work attempts to disprove both the standard "liberal" and "conservative" interpretation of the events of 1968, suggesting that the culture of dissent was a direct fruit of the excessive legalism and authoritarianism which marked the Church in the years preceding Vatican II. Because the polarization in 1968 has continued to define the experience of many American Catholics and has had an ongoing effect on Catholic education, this work should be extremely interesting to those who want to understand the past so as to move forward with a greater awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of Catholic education in the United States.
Courageous Women: A Study on the Heroines of Biblical History is another volume in Stacy Mitch's popular Courageous series of Bible studies for women.
An example is worth a thousand words. Using the stories of Sarah, Esther, Judith, the Blessed Mother, and other heroines of Scripture, Stacy Mitch helps her readers see how they can follow these examples in their daily lives. Divided into nine sections, this book is ideal for individual or group study.