Catechesis

What do you really know about Vatican City?

The Vatican, comprising the Apostolic Palace, St. Peter's Basilica, and various other buildings, serves as the headquarters of the Catholic Church. It has done so for nearly two millennium ever since the first Pope, St. Peter, made it his home.

Thousands of Catholics flock to the Vatican and its iconic basilica each year. But what do you really know about this great basilica and the city that houses it?

Here, Father Jeffrey Kirby takes you on a whirlwind tour of this little country (yes, Vatican City is its own country, Fact # 2) and uncovers the secrets and surprising facts about the city, and its famous church.

Discover what language degree you need to work a Vatican ATM, what archi tectural feature of St. Peter's is a map of the universe, and even what the pope's license plate number is. Along the way, you'll find the deep theological meaning woven into the design and architectural features of St. Peter's Basilica and Vatican.

Whether you've already been to Rome or are still planning your first trip, 101 Surprising Facts About the Vatican will transport you to Basilica and City at the heart of the Catholic Church and enable you to appreciate them like never before.

This powerhouse book has been a best-seller for years now!

Pope John Paul II referred to the Holy Eucharist as "the greatest treasure of the Church," and yet even many devoted Catholics have a very limited understanding of this powerful sacrament. This book will change all that! You will walk away with a completely new awareness that the Eucharist is not just about receiving Communion; it's about transforming your daily life.

Deeply based on the Scriptures, the writings of the Saints, and the teachings of our two most recent popes, this profound and remarkably readable book will introduce you to some of the "hidden" truths of the Eucharist - truths that have always been embraced by theologians, saints, and mystics, but have rarely been passed on to the average person in a meaningful way. In 7 Secrets of the Eucharist, these truths are finally made accessible to all, as author Vinny Flynn shows how each reception of Holy Communion can be a life-changing experience.

No matter how much or how little you already know about the Eucharist, the "secrets" revealed here will bring you to a new, personal "Emmaus" experience, again and again. Perfect for personal devotion, catechesis, study groups, book clubs, and theological studies, this book will rekindle the "Eucharistic amazement" called for by Pope John Paul II.

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Absorbing and compelling reading from beginning to end, AA -1025 Memoirs of the Communist Infiltration Into the Church is a must read for every Catholic today and for all who would understand just what has happened to the Catholic Church since the 1960's.

In the 1960's, a French nurse, Marie Carre, attended an auto-crash victim who was brought into her hospital in a city she purposely does not name. The man lingered there near death for a few hours and then died. He had no identification on him, but he had a briefcase in which there was a set of quasi-autobiographical notes. She kept these notes and read them, and because of their extraordinary content, decided to publish them.

The result is this little book, AA-1025 Memoirs of the Communist Infiltration Into the Church, a strange and fascinating account of a Communist who purposely entered the Catholic priesthood along with many others, with the intent to subvert and destroy the Church from within. His strange yet fascinating and illuminating set of biographical notes, tells of his commission to enter the priesthood, his experiences in the seminary, and the means and methods he used and promoted to help effect from within the auto-dissolution of the Catholic Church.

No one will read this book without a profound assent that something just like what is describer here must surely have happened on a wide scale in order to have disrupted the life of the Catholic Church so dramatically.

One can spend hours searching for answers about the Catholic Faith and how to share it with others. There are a multitude of books that explain the various areas of Church teaching, but never -- before now -- a definitive desktop volume on more than 260 Catholic topics, from A to Z, featuring key definitions, teachings, practices, people, and resources for further reading.

This fascinating, one-stop guidebook delivers the intellectual tradition of the Church while providing practical Catholic applications, spiritual wisdom, and guidance on a broad range of topics, from the basics of the Faith to more current issues, such as transgenderism and yoga.

These pages put timely and timeless information at your fingertips, whether you're seeking information about a specific teaching, wondering about the Church's stance on a social topic, or looking for inspiration to evangelize someone to the Faith.

You will discover:

Catholic rules to live by from Scripture, Tradition, and the Catechism

Answers to common questions about what Catholics really believe

Refreshers on Catholic doctrine from the sacraments to moral theology

Ways to defend important Catholic teachings in daily life

Traditional prayers and important lists to remember

This is an ideal resource for Catholic school students, catechists, RCIA catechumens, and anyone seeking to understand and discuss Catholicism intelligently. It will be a frequently used, lifelong resource that will draw you in for longer reads than you expect.

Pope Francis' words to those seeking to give a firm profession of faith--which has always been the particular effect Catholic tradition has ascribed to confirmation--ring true for all of us. In Anointed, Jayme Stuart Wolfe has compiled the Holy Father's words about wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord as special gifts for those continuing the commitment of their baptism into confirmation and beyond, as well as appropriate Scripture readings and prayers.

This book presents the chief insights concerning the mystery of atonement in the works of four theological guides: John Paul II, Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Norbert Hoffmann.

The author argues for the central importance and perennial value of a theology of atonement, even as she explains the modern aversion to it. The book's central aim is to deepen our understanding of the biblical claim that God shows himself to be love precisely by sending his Son as atonement. "In this is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins" (1 Jn 4:10).

The book develops a compelling vision of atonement as a process that originates from and is engendered by God's own power to love. This vision not only takes account of the gravity of sin and its consequences, but also provides a clear illumination of the wholly gratuitous, radically forgiving, passionate and powerful nature of God's redeeming love for mankind. Distinct from the majority of theological accounts of atonement, which focus almost exclusively on the role of Christ, this book highlights the role of God the Father in the atoning mission of the Son.

Questions about the Catholic faith? Basic Catechism has answers! Structured around the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church--creed, sacraments, morality, and prayer--this guide presents the fundamentals of the Catholic faith in a handy Q&A format. This 8th edition of a perennial best-seller is updated to reflect the revised Roman Missal and expanded to incorporate Church teaching on challenges facing the faithful Catholic in today's society.

Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award: Sacraments. (First Place).

How can Christians grow spiritually in the midst of our sinfulness? How can we transform our lives in a way that allows us to share in the resurrection of Jesus?

God has already given us the perfect solution--the sacraments.

Whether it is the wound of past hurts, the strain in our relationships, or the stress of daily life, we all need to be comforted and made whole by Christ. In this follow-up to his bestselling Be Healed, Bob Schuchts explains how the sacraments can fuel your emotional and spiritual healing and bring you closer to God.

Based on more than thirty-five years of experience as a therapist and decades spent in parish ministry, Schuchts demonstrates how each of the seven sacraments can be a life-changing encounter with Christ, communicated through the power of the Holy Spirit. He pairs each healing sacrament with one of the seven deadly wounds that emanated from original sin in the Garden of Eden. We perpetuate and deepen those wounds each time we sin, but the sacraments are God's remedy for sin. They give us a way to restore us to wholeness in Christ.

In Be Transformed, You'll discover how each sacrament can help you heal from wounds that can impede your relationships and sense of self-worth. With Schuchts's help, you'll learn how:

Baptism makes us beloved children of God, healing our wounds of rejection

Holy Communion heals our wounds of abandonment by inviting us to share in Jesus' abiding presence

Confirmation overcomes our powerlessness through the power of the Holy Spirit

Holy Orders heals wounds of confusion and disorder by re-establishing God's authority in our lives

In marriage, God's faithful love heals wounds of fear and mistrust

Reconciliation restores purity and releases us from shame

Anointing of the Sick provides enduring hope to overcome our hopelessness

Be Transformed offers all of the tools you need for a fresh understanding of the sacraments, including reflection questions, scripture meditations, prayers, and inspiring stories. You'll come away hungry for the sacraments in a way you never knew possible.

The Catholic Faith begins and ends with Jesus Christ, culminating in the Eucharist as its Source and Summit. "Behold, it is I," Jesus says, and the faithful believe. Examining these words of Jesus, Fr. George Elliott and Dr. Stacy Trasancos provide some of the most convincing proofs for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist from Scripture, Tradition, and the scientific investigation of Eucharistic miracles. In three sections, they walk readers through:

A holistic and contextual reading of the Bible which points to the words of Christ at the Last Supper: "This is my body," and "This is my blood,"

How the Church Fathers handed on the teachings of the Apostles to the early Church in the centuries following Christ's earthly ministry,

How the data from the investigation of Eucharistic miracles begs the ultimate question of the certainty of faith. Do we need Eucharistic miracles to prove that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist? Should our certainty of faith be contingent upon Eucharistic miracles?

The reader may be joyfully surprised at where the journey of this book will lead you, from the burning faith of the saints all the way back to Christ in the Gospels. It plainly sets forth the reality that the Eucharist is the Body of Christ. Just as in Biblical times, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is not a ghost and not a myth, but flesh and bone, hands and feet. "Behold," He said, "It is I."

It's almost undeniable that God is working miracles of healing in evangelization today. For theologians, pastors, and evangelists some questions arise: What is the relationship between physical healing and the message of salvation? Should the church really expect God to do healings in evangelization today? Father Thelen answers these questions by examining the relationship between the preaching of the gospel and physical healing in the New Testament. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not simply a message of fact; it is a message of power that is often expressed through the working of deeds that serve as signs of the reality preached: salvation. As signs of the kingdom, healings that accompany the preaching of the gospel play an indispensable role in bringing people to faith throughout the New Testament. The result of this biblical study is a clarion call for the church to renew its faith in God's desire and power to confirm his word through healing. As healing becomes more accepted and frequent in evangelization, a Catholic biblical and theological approach to healing as it relates to evangelization--an approach that can be different from its Protestant counterpart--is necessary. This modest book fits this need. ""As the church in the West once again faces the prospect of being a 'little flock' surrounded by an increasingly hostile post-Christian culture, it is not surprising that some of the main features of the life of the early church should reappear that until recently didn't seem either relevant or realistic. Texts of the Scripture and main aspects of Jesus' ministry that were consigned to another age are beginning to be seen as extremely relevant once again. Thelen has done the church a great service by establishing the solid scriptural and theological foundations for the place of 'signs and wonders' in the mission of the church today."" --Ralph Martin, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Archdiocese of Detroit ""The New Evangelization will not succeed without a revival of the healing ministry within the Catholic Church. Miraculous healing, as it was for Jesus, is indispensable in proclaiming the Gospel for it bears witness to the Gospel's saving power. Fr. Thelen's small book clearly and lucidly demonstrates the importance of healing in the ministry of Jesus and in the life of the Apostolic Church, and in so doing establishes the importance of the healing ministry in our own day. Fr. Thelen's book provides clergy and laity alike the needed theological foundation and the indispensable pastoral inspiration for them to proclaim boldly Jesus' Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God the Father."" --Thomas Weinandy, Capuchin College, Washington DC ""In a world enchanted with self-made religion, how should the church evangelize? As they did in the early church: by signs to confirm the word. After reviewing the abundant New Testament evidence regarding the strong relationship between preaching and healing, Thelen explores the audience to which the Word is addressed today. Since those touched by growing atheism and the cult of self are more open to tangible events like testimonies of healing than mere proclaimed truths, Thelen challenges preachers and evangelists to pray for signs, especially healings, when they proclaim the Word. Such an approach is not only deeply rooted in Scripture, but is also good advice."" --George Montague, St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas ""The New Evangelization will not succeed without a revival of the healing ministry within the Catholic Church. Miraculous healing, as it was for Jesus, is indispensable in proclaiming the gospel for it bears witness to the gospel's saving power. Thelen's small book clearly and lucidly demonstrates the importance of healing in the ministry of Jesus and in the life of the Apostolic Church, and in so doing establishes the importance of the healing ministry in our own day. Thelen's book provides clergy and laity alike the needed theological f

How many times have you attended Mass and desired that it more fully touched your heart? You find that everyday worries and to-do lists distract from its prayers, the readings vanish from memory, and even the consecration and Communion pass by in a moment. Too often, the Mass feels like a missed opportunity for grace.

To help you fully tap into the abundance of grace offered at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Fr. Timothy Gallagher resurrects here the teachings of Venerable Bruno Lanteri. A holy priest seeking to root himself in prayer during the turbulence of war and persecution in northern Italy, Venerable Bruno developed a biblical way of praying the Mass that transforms it into a true prayer of the heart.

Fr. Gallagher discovered this method of praying the Mass forty-five years ago, and it has been a blessing for him ever since. He now shares this method with you. Through a selection of biblical figures, he invites you live each part of the Mass with these figure's sentiments and hearts. In these pages he shows you how to:

Humbly seek forgiveness like the tax collector

Give glory to God like the angels

Listen to God's Word with the hunger of a disciple

Profess the Faith with the courage of the martyrs

Receive communion with the heart of a lover

Go forth from the Mass with the zeal of an Apostle

To fruitfully pray the Mass from the heart is a gift of grace. The biblical way of praying the Mass method is a means to dispose your soul to receive this grace. Combined with spiritual exercises and reflections - and full-color images of sacred art - you'll find this book to be a great gift to not only grow in prayer during Mass, but in your spiritual life.

Are you BORED? Not likely, given the endless opportunities today to see, share, post, watch, and like. So are you bored? No way!

(Except maybe at Mass.)

We want the Mass to entertain, make us laugh, give us foot tapping music and sound-bite theology, and get it done in under an hour. Yet every Sunday many of us tune out.

Author Tim O'Malley, in a series of reflections on every part of the Mass, challenges us to turn the idea of boredom on its head, calling boredom--the "good" boredom that opens us to the quiet interior space where we can encounter God--a "sweet gift."

It is there that full participation in the Mass becomes possible--the potential to be transfixed by a ritual, to contemplate the readings, to savor the Eucharist. To be fruitfully "bored again."

Become a Bored Again Catholic and rediscover the power of the Mass to change your life - and the entire world.

Audiobook Availableon christianaudio.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Timothy P. O'Malley, Ph.D. is director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy in the McGrath Institute for Church Life. He teaches in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He researches in the areas of liturgy, catechesis, and Christian spirituality. He is the author of Liturgy and the New Evangelization: Practicing the Art of Self-Giving Love (Liturgical Press, 2014). He and his wife Kara live in South Bend and have one son.