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The Eucharist is no mere symbol. It is the key to life. More specifically, it is the key to your very identity.
When we look carefully at the Blessed Sacrament, under the signs of bread and wine, we discover that we were made not simply to receive God, to be nourished by his gifts, or to draw close to him. In fact, &ldquo;we were made to become Him.&rdquo; In Your Eucharistic Identity, Father Gregory Pine shows that Christ, through the Sacrament, divinizes us in our whole being.
But the Eucharist is not magic. We have to receive the gift of his Eucharistic presence, and preparing for such a great banquet requires time, work, and attention. To become like Christ, we must be ready to be given to others, in a free, radical gift of love.
Father Pine&rsquo;s sacramental guide to the fullness of life&mdash;at once thought-provoking and practical, ancient and new&mdash;offers Christians a simple, clear guide for their path.

Your Eucharistic Identity: A Sacramental Guide to the Fullness of Life

Discover

<DIV>This work features the most discussed topics of the life of the Church, treated with unique frankness and depth by the Church's spiritual and theological leader. In this collection of essays, theologian Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI, tackles three major issues in the Church today-the nature of the Church, the pursuit of Christian unity, and the relationship of Christianity to the secular/political power. The first part of the book explores Vatican II's teaching on the Church, what it means to call the Church "the People of God", the role of the Pope, and the Synod of Bishops. In part two, Ratzinger frankly assesses the ecumenical movement-its achievements, problems, and principles for authentic progress toward Christian unity. In the third part of the work, Ratzinger discusses both fundamental questions and particular issues concerning the Church, the state and human fulfillment in the Age to come. What does the Bible say about faith and politics? How should the Church work in pluralistics societies? What are the problems with Liberation Theology? How should we understand freedom in the Church and in society? Beneath a penetrating analysis on these important topics by this brilliant teacher and writer, both concise and also surprising, is revealed the passion of a great spiritual leader. The result is an exciting and stimulating work, which can be provoking, but never boring. </DIV>

Church, Ecumenism and Politics: New Endeavors in Ecclesiology

Opening credits

Dedication

Letter by Father Aloysius Schwartz

Acknowledgments

Prologue

1 The Littlest Commando Washington, D.C., Great Depression, 1930—1944

2 Seminary Traps St. Charles College and Maryknoll Formation, 1944—1952

3 Arrival and Departures Entrance into the Société des Auxiliaires des Missions, 1953—1957

4 The Problem A Crisis in Al’s Vocation, May—June 1957

5 Virgin of the Poor Banneux and Priestly Ordination, June 1957

6 “Now, Sinbunim , You Know What It Is Like to Be Poor” Arrival and Devastation in South Korea, 1957—1958

7 The Spilled Chalice Illness and the Dawn of Korean Relief, 1958—1962

8 Hard Road to a Miracle Objections from Rome and the Founding of the Sisters of Mary, 1962—1964

9 Explosion of Grace The Mission of the Sisters, 1964—1969

10 Storms Tensions with the Bishop, 1965—1970

11 The Loneliest Superhero Encounter with the Kingpin, 1966—1975

12 Surging and Falling Expansion to the Philippines and ALS, 1975—1989

13 Calvary Mexico, Death, and Joy, 1989—1992

Afterword, by Father Dan Leary

Prayer for the Beatification of Aloysius Schwartz

Closing credits

In 1957, at twenty\-seven years old, Father Aloysius Schwartz of Washington, D.C., asked to be sent to one of the saddest places in the world: South Korea in the wake of the Korean War. Just a few months into his priesthood, he stepped off the train in Seoul into a dystopian film. Squatters with blank stares picked through hills of garbage. Paper\-fleshed orphans lay on the streets like leftover war shrapnel. The scenes pierced him.&lt;\/p&gt;\nWithin just fifteen years, Father Schwartz had changed the course of Korean history, founding and reforming orphanages, hospitals, hospices, clinics, schools, and the Sisters of Mary, a Korean religious order dedicated to the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor. All the while, he himself\x26mdash;like the Sisters\x26mdash;lived the same hard poverty as the people he served and loved.&lt;\/p&gt;\nBiographer Kevin Wells tells the story of a different kind of American hero, an ordinary priest who stared down corruption, slander, persecution, and death for the sake of God\x27s poor. \x26#34;What Father Al managed to do is beyond the pale\x26#34;, said his longtime collaborator Monsignor James Golasinski. \x26#34;He was the boldest man I ever knew. He feared nothing.\x26#34;&lt;\/p&gt;\nKnown for his joy and his humor, even in the teeth of Lou Gehrig\x26rsquo;s disease, Schwartz was declared a Servant of God by Pope Francis in 2015. By the time of his death in 1992, his work with the Sisters of Mary had spread to the Philippines and Mexico; and since then, the Sisters have founded Boystowns and Girlstowns across Central and South America, as well as in Tanzania. Father Schwartz died calling out to his beloved Mary, the Virgin of the Poor, saying, \x26#34;All praise, honor, and glory for anything good accomplished in my life goes to her and to her alone.\x26#34;&lt;\/p&gt;\nIncludes 16 pages of photos.&lt;\/strong&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;

Priest and Beggar: The Heroic Life of Venerable Aloysius Schwartz

Fr. Fessio talks about gender and claims that there are three genders?! But listen closely . . . he’s not saying what you may think . . .

99: A Jesuit Speaks About Gender

<DIV>This book is the fruit of Fr. Dubay's many years of study and experience in spiritual direction and in it he synthesizes the teachings on prayer of the two great doctors of the Church on prayer--St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila--and the teaching of Sacred Scripture. But the teaching that Fr. Dubay synthesized is not collected from Teresa and John for contemplatives alone. It is meant for every Christian and is based on the Gospel imperative of personal prayer and the call to holiness. All the major elements of these great teachers are ordered, commented on and put in the context of their scriptural foundations. Here is an outstanding book on prayer and the spiritual life written by one of the best spiritual directors and retreat masters of our time, and based on the writings of the Church's two greatest mystical doctors. </DIV>

Fire Within: Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and the Gospel on Prayer

<DIV>Fr. Paul Scalia reveals a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, these insights place the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God.Among the topics explored are deepening one's knowledge of Jesus, partaking of the life of grace through the sacraments, and cultivating the art of prayer as a continuous conversation with God.Each section is introduced by a moving essay by a highly regarded Catholic. Fr. Paul Check, Jim Towey, Scott Hahn, Mary Ellen Bork, Gloria Purvis, Raymond Arroyo, Lizz Lovett, Helen Alvaré, and Dan Mattson offer their personal accounts of being Catholic, which are followed by Fr. Scalia's illuminations. Archbishop Charles Chaput contributes a thought- provoking foreword, which begins the reader's exploration of the many important aspects of the Catholic faith presented in this book.</DIV>

That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion

<DIV>Based on a series of popular sermons preached on Good Friday to overflowing crowds at the famous Saint Agnes Church in New York City, these meditations by Father George Rutler on the Seven last Words of Christ from the Cross are uniquely presented in parallel with the traditional seven wonders of the ancient world.Admist the tumultuous changes and crises of these modern times, Father Rutler shows how the climatic words of Christ remain the great answer to the questions of the social order. The future of culture hangs on the Man hanging on the Cross.</DIV>

The Seven Wonders of the World: Meditations on the Last Words of Christ

Introductory Message

Chapter 1꞉ Protestant and Evangelical꞉ Understanding Ourselves

Chapter 2꞉ Spirit and Flesh꞉ Sundered Forever or Reunited?

Chapter 3꞉ Christian Worship꞉ Act or Experience?

Chapter 4꞉ Prayer꞉ Random or Disciplined?

Chapter 5꞉ Hail, Blessed Virgin Mary꞉ What Did the Angel Mean?

Chapter 6꞉ Ritual and Ceremony꞉ A Dead Hand or the Liberty of the Spirit?

Chapter 7꞉ Table and Altar꞉ Supper and Sacrament

Chapter 8꞉ The Eucharistic Liturgy꞉ Diagram and Drama

Chapter 9꞉ The Liturgical Year꞉ Redeeming the Time

Chapter 10꞉ Envoi

Postscript

For Further Reading

<DIV>In this deeply moving narrative, Thomas Howard describes his pilgrimage from Evangelicalism (which he loves and reveres as the religion of his youth) to liturgical Christianity. He soon afterward became a Roman Catholic. He describes Evangelicalism with great sympathy and then examines more formal, liturgical worship with the freshness of someone discovering for the first time what his soul had always hungered for. This is a book of apologetics without polemics. Non-Catholics will gain an appreciation of the formal and liturgical side of Catholicism. Catholics will see with fresh eyes the beauty of their tradition. Worship, prayer, the Blessed Virgin, the Mass, and the liturgical year are taken one after the other, and what may have seemed routine and repetitive suddenly comes to life under the enchanting wand of Howard's beautiful prose. Howard unfolds for us just what occurs in the vision and imagination of a Christian who, nurtured in the earnestness of Protestant Evangelicalism, finds himself yearning for &#34;whatever-it-is&#34; that has been there in the Church for 2000 years. It traces Howard's soul-searching and shows why he believes the practices of the liturgical Church are an invaluable aid for any Christian's spiritual life. Reminiscent of the style and scope of Newman, Lewis and Knox, this book is destined to be a classic. &#34;The question, What is the Church? becomes, finally, intractable; and one finds oneself unable to offer any very telling reasons why the phrase 'one, holy, catholic, and apostolic', is to be understood in any other than the way in which it was understood for 1500 years.&#34; -- Thomas Howard </DIV>

Evangelical Is Not Enough: Worship of God in Liturgy and Sacrament

00 Opening credits

01 1  Sup Sorrow

02 2  Wilderings

03 3  Haven

04 4  The Frampled Household

05 5  Sybbrit

06 6  Promise

07 7  Wedlock

08 8  The Groaning-Time

09 9  Path in the Dark

10 10  The Far-Faring

11 Epilogue

12 Closing credits

<div>
"When I swung over that windowsill, everything changed for me. We are meant to go in and out of doors in civilized style, but my mother bade me climb into woodsy wildness and a darkness flushed with crimson light and torches &hellip;"&nbsp;
Clambering into the branches of a tree, a young woman flees flaming arrows and massacre. She will need to struggle for survival: to scour the wilderness for shelter, to strive and seek for a new family and a setting where she can belong. Her unmarked way is costly and hard.
For Charis, the world outside the window of home is a maze of hazards. And even if she survives the wilds, it is no simple matter to discover and nest among her own kind&mdash;the godly, those called Puritans by others. She may be tugged by her desires for companionship, may even stumble into an intense love for a man, and may be made to try the strength of female heroism in ways no longer familiar to women in our century.&nbsp;
Streams of darkness run through the seventeenth-century villages of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Occult fears have a way of creeping into the mind. What young woman can be safe from the dangers of wilderness when its shadowy thickets spring up so easily in the soil of human hearts?&nbsp;Much will oppose Charis' longings for renewal and peace; she must pursue and discover the hero's path to a larger, more vivid life.&nbsp;&nbsp;
</div>

Charis in the World of Wonders: A Novel Set in Puritan New England

<DIV>Don Juan of Austria, one of history's most triumphant and inspiring heroes, is reborn in this opulent novel by Louis de Wohl. Because of the circumstances of his birth, this last son of Emperor Charles the Fifth spent his childhood in a Spanish peasant's hut. Acknowledged by King Philip as his half-brother, the attractive youth quickly became a central figure in a Court where intrigues and romances abounded. Don Juan's intelligence, kindness and devout attachment to the Church enabled him to live unscathed in an environment of luxury, violence and treachery. De Wohl paints in brilliant color the vivid scenes and characters at the Court of King Philip, Juan's campaign against rebel Moriscos in Andalusia, and the amazing climactic victory at Lepanto where he saved the Christian world from Islamic dominance. Here is a novel of high adventure which brings to life the turbulence of the sixteenth century with its conflicts of wickedness and piety, its sins of pride and conquest, its seething heresies and its great faith. </DIV>

The Last Crusader: A Novel about Don Juan of Austria

Fall is here and the kids are back in school, which makes this week’s episode particularly timely. Host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Mark Brumley, president of Ignatius Press, about the changing landscape of religious education, the explosion of Catholic resources now available to parents wishing to form their kids in the Faith, and the new <a href='https://www.wordoflifeseries.org/'>Word of Life</a> catechetical series, co-published by Ignatius Press and the Augustine Institute.
Brumley describes the approach adopted by Word of Life for “evangelizing catechesis,” which seeks to not only convey content about the doctrines and practices of the Catholic Faith, but also evangelize students, teachers, and parents as well. It is important to catechize the catechists, Brumley stresses, so they can in turn form the next generation in the Faith. Word of Life was designed to do just that, he says, with engaging print materials, as well as high-quality video and digital enrichment materials.
Related reading:
<a href='https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/08/24/word-of-life-curriculum-draws-praise-from-catechists/'>“Word of Life curriculum draws praise from catechists”</a> by Kathy Schiffer | Catholic World Report
<a href='https://aleteia.org/2023/01/27/word-of-life-the-future-of-catholic-religious-education-is-here/'>“Word of Life: The future of Catholic religious education is here”</a> by Joanne McPortland | Aleteia

Back to school with Mark Brumley and Word of Life

<DIV>Saint Benedict's fifth-century guide to humility offers the antidote to the epidemic of stress and depression overwhelming modern young adults. But the language of The Rule by Saint Benedict is medieval, and its most passionate advocates are cloistered monks and nuns. How then does this ancient wisdom translate into advice for ordinary people? With candor, humor, and a unique approach to classical art, Father Augustine, a high school teacher and coach, breaks down Saint Benedict's method into twelve pithy steps for finding inner peace in a way that can be applied to anyone's life. Drawing upon his own life experiences, both before and after becoming a Benedictine monk, the author explains every step, illustrating each chapter with color reproductions of sacred art that he has embellished with comic flourishes. The winsome combination is sure to keep readers from taking themselves too seriously—which is already a first step on the path to humility.</DIV>

Humility Rules: Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem

A father—the head of the household, as Saint Paul says—has a crucial role and responsibility in his family, not only materially, but spiritually. This is no outdated biblical cliché, but a biological, sociological, and metaphysical reality that we too often fail to recognize. The example of a father can leave an indelible imprint on the character of his children.
In Because of Our Fathers, twenty-three Catholics—including Patrick Madrid, Abby Johnson, Bishop Joseph Strickland, Father Paul Scalia, Jesse Romero, Anthony Esolen, Father Rocky, Christopher Check, and Father Gerald Murray—give portraits of their own fathers as conduits and models of Christian love. Ranging from the heroic to the ordinary, these powerful testimonies will inspire men to consider more deeply the amazing privilege that God has given them to become, despite their imperfection, a living image of our Father in Heaven.
The introduction and conclusion by editor Tyler Rowley serve as a wake-up call. Illustrating the Church’s teaching on fatherhood with current research on the family, he makes clear the urgent need for men who take seriously the God-given, grace-filled task of raising children.
https://www.ignatius.com/Because-of-Our-Fathers-P3642.aspx

Author Interview with Tyler Rowley on his book ”Because of Our Fathers”

<DIV>The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Reformation, and the Renaissance popes conjure in the imagination a corrupt Roman Catholic clergy hungry for wealth and power. In this insightful, well researched work, the Vatican's chief historian, Fr. Walter Brandmuller, takes a thoughtful and understanding look at these and other important chapters in Church history. Without denying, or flinching at, the human capacity for folly, failure, and evil, Brandmuller moves beyond the caricatures and legends that often substitute for real history to reveal a Church, both human and divine, fulfilling its mission in every time and place. His goal is not to whitewash any of these past events or issues, but rather to illuminate them, and bring to them a more in-depth, comprehensive historical understanding on the basis of their causes, circumstances and effects. "Now let us take into consideration Church history from the theological viewpoint, highlighting another important aspect. Its essential duty, in fact, turns out to be the complex mission to investigate and clarify that process of reception and transmission, of paralépsis and of parÀdosis, through which was substantiated, in the course of the ages, the Church's raison d'être. Indeed, it is beyond a doubt that the Church can draw inspiration for her choices by drawing on her centuries-old treasury of experience and memory." -Pope Benedict VXI, Address to the members of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, March 7, 2008. </DIV>

Light and Shadows: Defending Church History Amid Faith, Facts and Legends

<DIV>Why would an all-loving God allow suffering? Are not suffering and love opposed to one another? Does suffering have any meaning or benefit? Is there any objective evidence for God, for a soul that will survive bodily death, for the resurrection of Jesus? Who is God anyway – benevolent and loving, or angry and retributive?Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., gives a comprehensive response to these questions and many others, explaining the contemporary evidence for God, the soul, and the resurrection. He discusses how God uses suffering to lead us to compassion for others and eternal life. He also shows how the Holy Spirit guides us through times of suffering toward our salvation, explaining the signs and the interior movements that reveal the Spirit's actions.Fr. Spitzer not only addresses the perplexing questions associated with suffering but teaches us how to suffer well. He points out some of the most common mistakes people make when trying to interpret God's motives for allowing or alleviating suffering. He demonstrates why suffering – in combination with love – is one of the most powerful motivating agents for personal, cultural, and societal development.</DIV>

The Light Shines On in the Darkness: Transforming Suffering through Faith

A Brief Explanatory Note 

The Holy Spirit and This Catholic Moment 

The Next Pope and the New Evangelization 

The Next Pope and the Office of Peter

The Next Pope and the Fullness of Catholic Faith 

The Next Pope, the Crisis of the Human Person, and Christian Humanism 

The Next Pope and the Bishops

The Next Pope and the Church's Priests 

The Next Pope and the Lay Apostolate 

The Next Pope and the Reform of the Vatican 

The Next Pope, Ecumenism, and Interreligious Dialogue 

The Next Pope and World Affairs 

Centered on Christ and the Gospel 

<DIV>The Catholic Church is on the verge of a transition of great consequence.As Catholic theologian, historian, and papal biographer George Weigel notes, the next pope will probably have been a teenager or a very young man during the Second Vatican Council (1962&ndash;1965); he may even have been a child during those years. Thus the next pope will not have been shaped by the experience of the Council and the immediate debates over its meaning and reception like Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis. The next pope, Weigel writes, &#34;will be a transitional figure in a different way than his immediate predecessors. So it seems appropriate to ponder now what the Church has learned during the pontificates of these three conciliar popes&mdash;and to suggest what the next pope might take from that learning.&#34;Drawing on his personal discussions with John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, as well as his decades of experience with Catholics from every continent, George Weigel examines the major challenges confronting the Catholic Church and its 1.3 billion believers in the twenty-first century: challenges the next pontificate must address as the Church enters new, uncharted territory. To what is the Holy Spirit calling this Church-in-transition? What are the qualities needed in the man who will lead the Church from the Chair of Saint Peter?Taking lessons from the pontificates of John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis, George Weigel proposes&#160; what the Catholic leaders of the future, especially the next pope, must do to remain faithful to the Holy Spirit's summons to renewed evangelical witness, intensified missionary fervor, and Christ-centered reform in the wake of grave institutional failures, mission confusion, counter-witness, and the secularist challenge to biblical faith.</DIV>

The Next Pope: The Office of Peter and a Church in Mission

<DIV>Very often in the history of Christianity, "reformers", by whatever name, have aspired to return to "the early Church". The Church of their own day, for whatever reason, fails to live up to what they think Christianity should be: in their view there has been a falling away from the beautiful ideals of the early Church.Kenneth Whitehead shows in this book how the early Church has, in fact, not disappeared, but rather has survived and persisted, and is with us still. "Reformers" are not so much the ones needed by this Church as are those who aspire to be saints-to follow Christ seriously and always to fulfill God's holy will by employing the means of sanctification which Christ continues to provide in the Church.Whitehead shows how the visible body which today bears the name "the Catholic Church" is the same Church which Christ established to carry on and perpetuate in the world his Words and his Works-and his own divine Life-and to bring salvation and sanctification to all mankind. Despite superficial differences in certain appearances, the worldwide Catholic Church today remains the same Church that was originally founded by Jesus Christ on Peter and the other apostles back in the first century in the ancient Near East. The early Church, in other words, was always!-nothing else but-the Catholic Church.</DIV>

One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic: The Early Church Was the Catholic Church

In a time of world upheaval, God raised up an extraordinary priest in Fr. Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF (1905&ndash;1981). So completely did he sacrifice his will in the service of God and neighbor that blessings were showered upon him in abundance&mdash;and upon those whose lives he touched. His sanctity was confirmed by miracles and countless conversions. But suffering also became his constant companion, and he meekly endured many dark nights.
This new documentary film tells the story of the famous &ldquo;Fatima priest&rdquo; and traces his fascinating life journey from his Basque home in Northern Spain to the United States, Mexico, Portugal, and back to the USA. It interviews many people who worked closely with him and others whose lives he deeply impacted. Filmed on location in many beautiful places, the film illustrates the character, mission, and spirituality of a truly remarkable priest who changed the lives of so many, especially through his deep love for&mdash;and his efforts to spread devotion to&mdash;the Holy Eucharist and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The Angel of Biscay: The Life & Message of Fr. Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF

We take many things for granted, and in this episode, Father Fessio reflects on neologisms or new words as a way of appreciating language and those who have shaped it in the past.

84: Are You Thankful for Neologisms?

Introduction

Chapter 1꞉ The First Real Miracle

Chapter 2꞉ Life and Death

Chapter 3꞉ The Circle of Life

Chapter 4꞉ A House, a School, and Parking

Chapter 5꞉ What Do You Mean You Can't See It?

Chapter 6꞉ Fear

Chapter 7꞉ Meet the Enemy, but Not Alone

Chapter 8꞉ Life Becomes Tougher

Chapter 9꞉ Choosing Life

Chapter 10꞉ Healing and Suffering

Chapter 11꞉ If You Could Wish for Anything

Chapter 12꞉ Boys' Night, a Birthday, and a Boat

Chapter 13꞉ A Seed is Buried

Chapter 14꞉ Going into the Deep

Chapter 15꞉ Letting Go

Chapter 16꞉ To Share the Cross

Chapter 17꞉ When Light Fades

Chapter 18꞉ Angels among Us

Chapter 19꞉ Time to Take Another Chance

Chapter 20꞉ Love Made Perfect

Chapter 21꞉ Don't Know How This Will Work, Part 1

Chapter 22꞉ Don't Know How This Will Work, Part 2

Chapter 23꞉ Risk, Purpose, and Meaning

Chapter 24꞉ Remember, Life Is But a Whisper

Chapter 25꞉ Pay Attention

Chapter 26꞉ Pay Attention - Again! 

Chapter 27꞉ A Tragic Loss

Chapter 28꞉ Crowning Glory

Chapter 29꞉ Ben Tackles High School

Chapter 30꞉ On a Mission from God

Chapter 31꞉ Big Changes

Chapter 32꞉ Warrior Angel

Chapter 33꞉ Ben and Mary, Again

Chapter 34꞉ Alison and Lily

Chapter 35꞉ Ben Gets a Job

Chapter 36꞉ Defying Gravity

Chapter 37꞉ Nearing the End, but Not Really

Chapter 38꞉ Lori

Chapter 39꞉ A Knock at the Door

Chapter 40꞉ Focused on the Prize

This moving story shows how a family found joy after their hopes and dreams were shattered by the rare, fatal neurological illness of their two sons. Told by the family's father, a popular Catholic radio host and marriage counselor, it recounts the way he and his wife received the courage and the support they needed to give their children abundant, fulfilling lives in spite of their gradual decline.What initially seemed to be a tragedy for Joe Sikorra’s family became a story of human triumph, an outcome made possible by the compassion and mercy of God. Their example can help those facing unexpected losses and challenges to believe that by placing their trust in Providence they too can overcome hardships with the most powerful force on earth—God's love.

Defying Gravity: How Choosing Joy Lifted My Family from Death to Life

<DIV>An exhilarating conversion story of a devout Baptist who relates how he overcame his hostility to the Catholic Church by a combination of serious Bible study and vast research of the writings of the early Church Fathers. In addition to a moving account of their conversion that caused Ray and his wife to "cross the Tiber" to Rome, he offers an in-depth treatment of Baptism and the Eucharist in Scripture and the ancient Church. Thoroughly documented with hundreds of footnotes, this contains perhaps the most complete compilation of biblical and patristic quotations and commentary available on Baptism and the Eucharist, as well as a detailed analysis of Sola Scriptura and Tradition. "This is really three books in one that offers not only a compelling conversion story, but documented facts that are likely to cinch many other conversions." - Karl Keating"A very moving and astute story. I am enormously impressed with Ray's candor, courage and theological literacy." - Thomas Howard Stephen K. Ray was raised in a devout and loving Baptist family. His father was a deacon and Bible teacher, and Stephen was very involved in the Baptist Church as a teacher of Biblical studies. After an in-depth study of the writings of the Church Fathers, both Steve and his wife Janet converted to the Catholic Church. He is the host of the popular, award-winning film series on salvation history, The Footprints of God. Steve is also the author of the best-selling books Upon This Rock, and St. John's Gospel.</DIV>

Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church

<DIV>Few figures have impacted the rising generation of Catholics more than Peter Kreeft, the widely respected philosophy professor and prolific bestselling author of over 80 books. Through his writings and lectures, Kreeft has shaped the minds and hearts of thousands of young apologists, evangelists, teachers, parents, and scholars. This collection of eighteen essays, mainly by millennial Catholic leaders and converts to the Catholic faith, celebrates Kreeft&rsquo;s significant legacy and impact, his most important books, and the many ways he has imparted to others those two seminal gifts: wisdom and wonder.Among the eighteen contributors to this book are Brandon Vogt, Trent Horn, Tyler Blanski, Dr. Douglas Beaumont, JonMarc Grodi, Jackie Angel, Matthew Warner, Rachel Bulman, Fr. Blake Britton, and others.</DIV>

Wisdom and Wonder: How Peter Kreeft Shaped the Next Generation of Catholics

<DIV>In this introduction to the life and thought of Dorothy Day, one of the most important lay Catholics of the twentieth century, Terrence Wright presents her radical response to God's mercy. After a period of darkness and sin, which included an abortion and a suicide attempt, Day had a profound awakening to God's unlimited love and mercy through the birth of her daughter.After her conversion, Day answered the calling to bring God's mercy to others. With Peter Maurin, she founded the Catholic Worker Movement in 1933. Dedicated to both the spiritual and the corporal works of mercy, they established Houses of Hospitality, Catholic Worker Farms, and the Catholic Worker newspaper.Drawing heavily from Day's own writings, this book reveals her love for Scripture, the sacraments, and the magisterial teaching of the Church. The author explores her philosophy and spirituality, including her devotion to Saints Francis, Benedict, and Th&eacute;r&egrave;se. He also shows how her understanding of the Mystical Body of Christ led to some of her more controversial positions such as pacifism.Since her death in 1980, Day continues to serve as a model of Christian love and commitment. She recognized Christ in the less fortunate and understood that to be a servant of these least among us is to be a servant of God.</DIV>

Dorothy Day: An Introduction to Her Life and Thought

Join us as Fr. Donald Haggerty sits down with Andrew Petiprin to discuss the dark forces that seek to undermine and destroy the Church. In Fr. Haggerty’s new book, The Hour of Testing, he not only locates our era in its historical context, but he also discusses how we should spiritually live in our own time. His relevant insights and depth of thought are manifest in the concentrated reflections offered both in this book and in his podcast.
In this episode, Fr. Haggerty and Andrew discuss the rise of doctrinal ambiguity, the cultural indifference to God, and the Second Coming. As we approach a new era in the Church, Fr. Haggerty’s practical reflections will help any Catholic navigate the coming years in the Church’s history.
Get your copy of The Hour of Testing: <a href='https://ignatius.com/the-hour-of-testing-htp/'>https://ignatius.com/the-hour-of-testing-htp/</a>
 
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Fr. Donald Haggerty: Are Dark Days Ahead for the Church?

<DIV>As soon as he was elected to the Papacy, Benedict XVI immediately challenged the relativism of our times that rejects God, that sees nothing as definitive, and that, according to the Pope, sets as the ultimate yardstick the individual's own ego and desires alone. The Pope offers instead an opposing standard: Christ, the Son of God, the true man. The Pope's words are rousing and demand an examination of conscience. His words are meant for all.With strong words, Benedict XVI invites us to place God at the center of our lives. Thus, this book is a selection of key words from the teachings of the Holy Father since he began his Pontificate, presented in alphabetical order. Each key word leads to an inspiring and insightful meditation from the Pope on various important spiritual themes and topics. Benedict XVI invites us in these words to become daily actors in the real revolution that comes from God and is called Love. This volume is a handy little primer on the thought of the beloved Pontiff in which the reader can pick out any key word or topic from the alphabetical order of meditations throughout the book to meditate and focus on.</DIV>

An Invitation to Faith: An A to Z Primer on the Thought of Pope Benedict XVI

<DIV>In this series of retreat meditations preached to Pope John Paul II and the papal household during a Lenten retreat, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn uses the Catechism of the Catholic Church (of which he was the general editor) and Sacred Scripture to lead us to a deeper union with Christ by helping us to understand and love the Church, His bride. To love the Church, which the Catechism calls "a living communion with Jesus Christ", we must see her with the eyes of Jesus, who "loved the Church and gave Himself up for her."As he draws us into a deeper understanding of the Church, who she is and where the deepest wellsprings of her being lie are the theme of his meditations. He also illustrates many points by using the thoughts of the new doctor of the Church, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. She found her vocation to be "love in the heart of the Church" and can offer us a renewed and vital vision of the Church."It is an awesome task to preach a retreat in the presence of the Pope. Cardinal Schönborn does it successfully by presenting the methods of St. Ignatius Loyola's famous retreat in a fresh way using the new Catechism, the Bible, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux." - Fr. Ken Baker, S.J., Editor, Homiletic and Pastoral ReviewCardinal Christoph Schönborn is the Archbishop of Vienna, Austria. He was the general editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and is the author of God's Human Face and Living the Catechism of the Catholic Church. </DIV>

Loving the Church: Retreat to John Paul II and the Papal Household

Fr. Fessio comments on a simple yet profound reading from St. Gregory of Nyssa presented in the Divine Office.

112: The Wisdom of St. Gregory of Nyssa

Fr. Fessio is beginning a series on the Mass, and today he explains the difference between “old” vs the “new” Mass and which he will follow going forward in this series.
Get your copy of The Mass of Vatican II: https://ignatius.com/mass-of-vatican-ii-mv2p/?searchid=3424209&amp;search_query=the+mass+of+vatican+II

130. Explaining the Mass of Vatican II

Fr. Fessio examines Mary’s longest discourse, the Magnificat, to explain what kind of mercy God offers to those who fear Him.

77: His Mercy is on Those Who Fear Him

The Ignatius Press Study Bible was twenty-five years in the making, and now that you have a copy. But how are you supposed to use it? Today, Curtis Mitch, co-editor of the Ignatius Press study Bible, joins Andrew Petiprin to break down the practical ways that people can use this Bible in daily life. Curtis highlights some of the unique features of this study Bible that will help readers understand not just a given passage of the Bible, but the overall divine narrative present throughout Sacred Scripture. Curtis also provides several practical tips and starting points for those who may feel overwhelmed when opening this study Bible for the first time. Finally, he explains how the resources in this Bible can be used in a group study and throughout the Liturgical Year so Catholics everywhere can gain a greater understanding of God Himself—the author of Sacred Scripture.
If you are interested in getting more out of you new Ignatius Press Study Bible, this episode is for you!
 
Get Your Copy of the Ignatius Press Study Bible: <a href='https://ignatius.com/ignatius-catholic-study-bible-2h/?searchid=2264659&amp;search_query=study+bible'>https://ignatius.com/ignatius-catholic-study-bible-2h/?searchid=2264659&amp;search_query=study+bible</a>
 
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Curtis Mitch: How to Use the Ignatius Press Study Bible

Preface

1. Three Hundred Forty-Seven Dollars

2. Medication Abortion

3. Severed Feet and a Seared Conscience

4. Daddy’s Little Girl

5. A Special Place in Hell

6. Streamlining Murder

7. Frequent Flyers

8. Sorority Girl

9. Little Brown Bag

10. A Touch of Grey

11. Any Reason Is a Good Reason

12. Fetuses - Wanted, Dead or Alive

13. All in a Day’s Work

14. Perks

15. One in 729,000

16. Teddy Bear

17. Want It More

Epilogue

<DIV>This book narrates the harrowing and life-changing experiences of former abortion clinic workers, including those of the author, who once directed abortion services at a large Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas. These individuals, whose names have been changed to protect their identities, left their jobs in the abortion industry after experiencing a change of heart. They have come forward with their stories, not for fame or notoriety, but to shed light on the reality of abortion. They want their stories to change the lives of others for the better.These stories are difficult to read, because an abortion is an act of violence, harming not only the obvious victim&mdash;the unborn child-- but also the mother, the father, the doctor, and everyone else involved. But these stories also offer hope, for they show that anyone, no matter what part the person has played in an abortion, can start anew, can make amends for past mistakes. They demonstrate that the first step on that journey is telling the truth, as these courageous individuals do in these pages."Those of us that have worked in the abortion industry all live with a constant burden. We can't let our burden slide off of our shoulders; it is what keeps us on fire. It reminds us of why we fight so hard. We have seen death and evil in a way that most haven't&mdash;and we participated. But we are forgiven. He who has been forgiven much, loves much. And we love a lot. I am eagerly awaiting the day when we can call all abortionists and clinic workers former and repentant abortion providers." &mdash; Abby Johnson, author</DIV>

The Walls Are Talking: Former Abortion Clinic Workers Tell Their Stories

Introduction 

1. The Traditions of Men 

2. A Commonsense Look at Jesus of Nazareth 

3. Famous Last Words 

4. Blind Alleys

5. The Dog That Didn't Bark 

6. The Lens in My Eye 

7. The Tradition of God 

8. Circles and Lines 

9. Dying and Rising 

Afterword 

In this newly updated, expanded version of his popular work of apologetics, Shea presents a lively and entertaining look at his conversion to Catholicism from Evangelicalism and his discovery of Christian tradition. As an Evangelical, Shea accepted the principle of "sola scriptura" (Scripture alone) as the basis of faith. Now as a Catholic convert, he skillfully explains how and why Sacred Tradition occupies a central role in Divine Revelation. Tracing his own journey of intellectual and spiritual awakening, Shea begins by looking for a rejoinder to those modern-day false prophets who would claim that Scripture itself is not to be trusted, and ends with his conviction that tradition, as explained by the Catholic Church, is the only sure guarantee of the truth of the revelation of Jesus Christ.

By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition

“Lead, kindly light.” These words of St. John Henry Newman have long resonated with Christians who strive always to place their trust in Christ. The saint’s words are perhaps particularly dear to those whose Christian journey has taken them through the Anglican Communion and into the Catholic Church, as Newman’s did.
One such pilgrim is Fr. Dwight Longenecker, whose path from Protestant fundamentalism, through the Church of England, and finally to the Catholic priesthood is chronicled in the new book, <a href='https://ignatius.com/there-and-back-again-tbap/?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=There+and+Back+Again&amp;utm_id=There+and+Back+Again'>“There and Back Again,”</a> now available from Ignatius Press.
In this episode, our host Andrew Petiprin speaks with Fr. Longenecker about the twists and turns of his spiritual journey, which took him around the world and back again in pursuit of God’s will and eternal Truth.
Related reading:
<a href='https://ignatius.com/there-and-back-again-tbap/?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=post&amp;utm_campaign=There+and+Back+Again&amp;utm_id=There+and+Back+Again'>There and Back Again: A Somewhat Religious Odyssey</a> by Fr. Dwight Longenecker
Fr. Longenecker’s blog, <a href='https://dwightlongenecker.com/blog/'>“Standing on My Head”</a>
<a href='https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2023/08/25/a-hobbits-journey-home-part-two-crossing-the-atlantic-and-the-tiber/'>“A Hobbit’s Journey Home, Parts One and Two”</a> by Joseph Pearce

The somewhat religious odyssey of Fr. Dwight Longenecker