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Deborah Maccann Lift up your hearts! “May the God who bestows great gifts on us continue to bless us and nourish us in the days ahead. May our work always reflect God’s mercy. May our lives always reflect God’s glory. May our hearts always reflect God’s love. Bless us, as we gather, as we share, and as we work for your kingdom.” “so many meetings, so little time to prepare for them – especially the prayer dimension!’’ How many times have you had this thought? As a pastoral associate, Deborah Mc Cann Knows firsthand how important that prayer dimension is. “I have seen how prayer can make or break the focus and effectiveness of a meeting. For that reason, it’s important to tailor prayers to the needs of your group and to the purpose of the gathering.” The 50 blessings and service in Lift Up Your Hearts! Include opening and closing prayers, a Scripture reading, time for reflection on the Word, and intercessions. There are blessings for committees, catechumens, planning teams, eucharistic ..

In this lovely book, George Montague invites us to welcome the Holy Spirit into our hearts in fresh, new ways. Both an eminent bible scholar and a humble pastor, Fr. Montague meditates here on the gift of the Holy Spirit in Scripture. He employs popularly presented biblical interpretation, warmly described personal experience, and the inspiring testimony of others to show us how God s gift of the Spirit is meant to powerfully transform our lives. Twenty-six short, readable chapters on biblical images, gifts, and works of the Spirit. A beautifully crafted prayer at the end of each chapter. Relevant for all, no matter where they are in their spiritual journey. Fr. George T. Montague, SM, is a Marianist priest known internationally for his numerous books on Scripture and spirituality. He is former president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and editor of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly. A popular speaker, he has been involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since 1970, ..

Beth Mahoney has put together a very comforting booklet of rosary services to be used by pastoral ministers, was my class-mate and friend.....

This book, the author wrote in 1931, is an attempt to judge contemporary ideas in the field of morals, religion, science, evolution, sociology, psychology and humanism in the light of the philosophical daylight called 'common sense.' If at times it criticizes certain views on the grounds of their unreasonableness, it does so to prepare for a view which seems more reasonable. If at other times it shows that what is wrong with a certain philosophical outlook is an emphasis on a part against the whole, it does so in order to suggest a view that is more catholic in the sense of being the whole truth. There is little sympathy in these pages for those who believe that everything modern is good, or that everything modern is bad. The remarkable -- if unsettling -- discovery is that seventy-five years later, Bishop Sheen's challenge to tired old errors still finds some of them huffing and puffing under entirely new garb...

Published in association with Caritas (the Catholic Church's agency for social justice) this book draws together a distinguished panel of academics and practitioners involved in the area of social justice in the UK.Combining theory and practice, the book explores issues facing the church and its role in today's society and the relationship between Theology, Social Justice and Social Spirituality. The book looks at how the church identifies its social priorities today, allocates its resource, shapes, facilitates and governs its practices, relates to and seeks to influence civil and secular society. In today's climate, the emerging relationship between religion and society is a matter of intense public interest and the book will also address the role of the church/faith in public life. The book also raises questions related to the nature of social ethics and social spirituality today. Particular problems and challenges pose pertinent questions both in relation to the church and society, ..

In Catholic Ethics in Today's World, Drs. Jozef Zalot and Rev. Benedict Guevin, OSB, address what they describe as "a sense of confusion" expressed by many about what the Catholic Church really teaches on a range of ethical topics, as well as why it teaches what it does. In an accessible and engaging presentation, the authors demonstrate how the Catholic Church approaches many of the social, sexual, and medical challenges that face today's world communities, and they discuss the moral principles the Church provides for the formation of our consciences with respect to these challenges. In the text, the authors fully recognize the breadth of dialogue among moral theologians regarding the teachings of the Church and that there is disagreement among faithful Catholics about issues facing the world today. Upholding the value of critical dialogue among different parties, in this text Zalot and Guevin wish to "offer a baseline from which people can understand what the Cathol..

What saint's life was written by Mark Twain? What well-known statue has 70 changes of clothes? Which cathedral was the world's talles building in 1880? Who famously died a Papist in 1610? The compiler Leo Madigan, has written on aspects of the Fatima apparitions as well as adventure books with a Catholic flavour for older children. Before settling in Portugal he was a seaman on British ships. Later he took a degree from London University and went on to teach in Turkish and English schools...

Home Tonight follows the path of Henri Nouwen’s spiritual homecoming. More than three years prior to writing his great classic, The return of the Prodigal Son, Nouwen suffered a personal breakdown followed by a time of healing solitude when he encountered Rembrandt’s famous painting.  Within his solitude he reflected on and identified with the parable’s characters and experienced profound and inspiring life lessons. This captivating book was created from never-before-published materials that formed the basis of the small workshop inspired by Nouwen’s intimate encounter with Rembrandt’s painting. Readers are led to welcome their unique Belovedness through practices of “spiritual listening,” journaling, and communing with God, thus connecting personally with the unique, unconditional love of the One who created them. Home Tonight is practical guide for the inner journey home...

The contemplation of the "mystics" is not reserved to those who live in convents, monasteries and hermitages. It is for everyone everywhere, in the midst of the turmoil of daily life. In this work, he shows us how -- without a lot of methods and techniques -- we can enter into this deeper form of prayer and thus "pray always."..

This book aims to trace the development of doctrine concerning the commandments of God in two Covenants. This development begins with the Ten Commandments as found in Exodus and Deuteronomy, and continues through the Old Testament prophets, and then throught the Gospels and other writings of the New Testament. The development is traced separately for each commandment...

Maybe you have a close friend or relative who's Catholic and you'd like to know what makes them tick. It may be a church affair, a wedding, a funeral, a baptism, a celebration of the Mass that has you wondering. If you were ever curious about who converts to Catholicism and why, you will find much information to ponder here...

In a time when the very idea of the Christian family is being lost, the role of the father has been devalued to the point of seeming optional. This booklet looks at this most delicate but formative of relationships, exploring it historically, and in the scriptures, but also giving present-day examples and practical advise on how a father can lead his children and his family to fulfilment,happiness and faith...

Grace Community Prayer Forgiveness The spiritual journey is far more complex than being either hot or cold, passionate or dull, full of the Spirit or weighted down with the barnacles of tradition. Spirituality knows both the joy of ecstasy, and the pain of the dark night of the soul. From Reflection 7 A Thoughtful and Passionate Faith “While we may wish for an ever-present spiritual clarity and for an unquestioning certainty of faith, we are often called to walk a more difficult road. On this road it is often more a matter of being held in God’s hand than of holding God’s hand. Light has its shadows and grace has its pains. Joy is not without sorrow, and despair has the fragile veins of hope. This meditational reader seeks to reflect something of this kind of textured picture of the Christian journey, and hence these are the whispers from the edge of eternity.’’ Charles Ringma From the Introduction ..

HOW TO BECOME THE MAN GOD WANTS YOU TO BE Young men deserve straight answers to tough questions about women, dating, sexuality, and authentic masculinity, including… -What do girls want? -How far is too far? -What’s wrong with just thinking about it? -What if its just a swimsuit magazine? -If she’s willing to do it, why is it wrong? -What about safe sex? -Shouldn’t I be free to do whatever I want? -How do I stay pure? Pure Manhood answers these questions and more, while offering practical strategies to help young men to grow in the virtue of chastity...

A 7-day Guidebook for the Life in The Spirit Seminars. ..

No matter what the circumstances, death shakes us to the core. It seems so wrong-and it is! We long for comfort, but we don't know where to look. Can god really help when we overwhelmed with grief?..