Pastoral Books

Marriage and the family are in crisis. In October 2015,
a Synod of Bishops will meet in the Vatican to discuss this
important subject. In preparation for the event, eleven
Cardinals from around the world have written powerful
essays on some of the problems to be discussed: the challenge
of providing adequate marriage preparation in a secularized
world; the need for evangelization and conversion; the relationship
between charity and truth; the situation of divorced
and civilly remarried Catholics; and the demands of authentic
pastoral care.
The authors understand that doctrine and pastoral ministry
are not opposed to one another. They carefully steer a wise
and merciful course that engages genuine concerns, while
avoiding false compassion, which compromises both truth and
authentic love.
This book serves as both a concise introduction to the forthcoming
Synod and a helpful guide to applying Christ's teaching
to the pastoral care of families. Long after the Synod, these
essays will remain valuable for anyone wanting to understand
and to proclaim the Gospel of the Family.

These pages aim to help Catholic priests and those who love priests to ponder properly the grace that these consecrated men have received and its implications for their lives. Romanus Cessario, O.P.

The Grace to Be a Priest represents the fruit of one Dominican's service as a priest of Jesus Christ. For more than thirty-five years, Romanus Cessario has taught and advised candidates for the priesthood. In this text, Father Cessario explains how the vocation to the priesthood comes to a man as both gift and mystery. God chooses priests to serve as both instruments of his will and spiritual fathers for his people. They fulfill this divine mission in various ways. Priests become chaste lovers, faithful friends, obedient sons, and shining lights in God's holy Church. Priests administer the seven Sacraments even as they follow the Christ who came to serve not to be served. Again, priests teach the truth with love even as they pray God for the salvation of all people. Drawing on the riches of the Dominican tradition as well as the general principles of Catholic theology, Father Cessario richly illuminates the nature of the priesthood with insights that will instruct priests, seminarians, and laypeople alike.

Romanus Cessario, O.P., serves as a professor of theology at St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Massachusetts. He is a fellow of the Pontifical Academy of Saint Thomas Aquinas and the author of some hundred articles and many books, including Thomas and the Thomists: The Achievement of Thomas Aquinas and His Interpreters; Theology and Sanctity; Introduction to Moral Theology; and The Virtues, or The Examined Life.

Sincere, encouraging, and downright practical, Father McBride's How to Make Homilies Better, Briefer, and Bolder makes it easy to connect with your parishioners every Sunday and help them apply their faith to real life. Blending simple-to-follow instructions, proven strategies, and the occasional rule, this guidebook encapsulates 50 years of sermon mastery from one of the most notable preachers of our time. Develop the skills to: Create compelling twelve-minute Sunday homiliesDeliver memorable speeches that resonate in parishioners' hearts and mindsTransform lifeless homilies into irresistible calls to action

Comprehensive yet compact, How to Make Homilies Better, Briefer, and Bolder includes practical steps for overcoming public-speaking fears and time-saving tips for finding relevant stories that warrant sharing. Includes special tips for weddings, funerals, and Masses for children.

Great homilies are a key to thriving parishes. Whether you're a veteran pastor, new priest, or permanent deacon, this invaluable resource will make the most of your weekly preparation!

Experience the depth and beauty of an ancient prayer practice as it is celebrated in a modern monastic community

At the Church of the Transfiguration on Cape Cod, the Liturgy of the Hours is observed each day by the Community of Jesus, an ecumenical Christian community in the Benedictine monastic tradition. The Liturgy of the Hours is the heartbeat of everyday life, the pulse that sustains and nurtures the community. In this little book, all the richness of these ancient prayers is presented in a modified version for Christians everywhere. The Little Book of Hours provides four weeks of services, with three services for every day, and many additional collects and services. Learn how you can "pray the hours" in the midst of your busy life today.

"Prayer is first and foremost about relationship, our relationship with God and our relationship with one another in the Body of Christ. These relationships fill our lives with meaning and purpose. Prayer, then, is not so much an exercise of piety as it is an exchange of love."

--from The Little Book of Hours

To learn more about the Community of Jesus visit www.communityofjesus.org.

A bestselling author and leading expert on the Catholic priesthood, Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti forges a renewed theology of priestly blessing, encouraging his brother priests to embrace the habit of blessing people, objects, and events. In this provocative and inspirational book he shows how the blessing is integral to the identity of priests and crucial to the spiritual wellbeing of all the faithful.

Msgr. Stephen Rossetti fears that many priests shy away from blessing people and objects because of a lack of awareness of the rich tradition of Church blessings and a deficit in training for this important pastoral practice. In The Priestly Blessing, Rossetti urges priests to boldly and frequently embrace this ancient practice because of their unique calling.

Rossetti traces the history of blessing in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. He also explores the various types of blessing, such as praise of God, the invocation of special benefit from God, and being consecrated to God.

The Priestly Blessing also helps priests reflect on what saints and mystics have taught about blessing as a vital activity of the Church, and outlines connections between Catholic sacramental theology, the practice of priestly blessing, and the Catholic understanding of creation that helps make sense of priests blessing objects and animals.

This study edition contains the officially approved texts and rubrics for the following: Institutions of Readers and Acolytes; Ordination of Deacons, Priests, and Bishops; Rite of Religious Profession; Blessing of Persons: Abbot, Abbess; Consecrating to a life of Virginity; Rite of Commissioning Special Ministers of Holy Communion; Dedication of a Church and Altar. Appendices include: Reception of the Bishop in the Cathedral Church, Blessing of Pontifical Insignia, the Rite of the Blessing of Oils, the Rite of Consecrating the Chrism, Crowning of the Image of the Blessed Virgin.