This collection of poems honors the Sabbath, a sacred time of rest decreed by God. The Sabbath is a legacy from my parents, and theirs was a bequest from their ancestors. I pass on my inheritance to friends and family of now and those yet to be. The verses reach deep into the depths of ourselves and awaken reverent feelings we stockpile during the week. Not only do these variations on a theme delve into the deep crevices of our souls, but they uplift, dignify, enhance, and ennoble us. The...
We shouldn't be too surprised if Jesus, the Son of David, was also a song writer. The Lord's Prayer is a psalm, and reading the prayer as a psalm opens up its meaning. To read the Lord's Prayer as a psalm, you have to be able to read a psalm as a psalm. So this book is first of all an adventure in reading the Bible's poetry–the psalms, of course, but also much of the prophets' testimony. The Old Testament's poetry is rich in themes important to the Lord's...
The book looks into the liturgy of the Mar Thoma Church. The Mar Thoma Church claims to be eastern and reformed. An enquiry is made into the liturgy of the passion week and the Eucharist to look into the theology of Atonement (work of Christ) and the nature of the Holy Spirit respectively. The measuring rod to determine the Eastern and the Reformed nature is the Eastern Fathers such as Gregory Nazianzen, Athanasius, St. Basil, etc., and the Reformer John Calvin. The theology of atonement (work...
What if suffering were not arbitrary? Not meaningless, nor a sign of punishment or defeat, but a fundamental element of healing, growth, and triumph? What if suffering were positive? This book is a study and meditation on the nature, origin, and reality of suffering. Contemplating the suffering of Christ and other biblical figures, J. Bryson Arthur investigates a theology of suffering that testifies to its necessity within the plan of God. Bryson reminds us that the nature of suffering is to...
He was called «the greatest of all mystical theologians» by spiritual teacher Thomas Merton. And when St. John of the Cross was proclaimed to be a Doctor of the Church, Pope Pius XI praised his work as «a guide and handbook for the man of faith who proposes to embrace a life of perfection.» The writings of the pious Carmelite priest, as well as those of St. Teresa of Avila, are regarded as the peak of Spanish mysticism. This remarkable guide to the spiritual life stands as his most popular work....
John Henry Newman (1801-1890) was a prominent figure in the religious history of England during the 19th century becoming nationally recognized by the mid-1830s. Originally an evangelistic Oxford scholar and clergyman in the Church of England, he was a leader in the Oxford Movement. This inspiring grouping of Anglicans wished to return the Church of England to the many Catholic beliefs and forms of worship. Newman left the Anglican Church and converted to Roman Catholicism, eventually acquiring...
The land of Israel is intimately linked to the adventures of the prophets, men like Elijah, Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the list goes on and on. How about prophets who were women? Does anyone remember that two gates of the Jerusalem Temple bore the name of Huldah, one of these women? Probably not, which is not all that astonishing given that history was written by men . . . Some women have, however, found places in history: Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah, Rachel and Leah, to name a few. Other...
Tain Gregory was present in his third grade classroom on the morning of December 14, 2012, the date of the Sandy Hook shootings. As part of the healing process for the community after the tragedy Tain was asked «What's the most important thing in the world to you?» His mother expected an answer about a video game or Pokemon trading card. Tain thought for a moment then answered with one word. «God.» Until that moment, Tain's mother had no idea how close to the surface...
Saint Paul declares, «Live by the Spirit» (Gal 5:6). This means our way of living ought to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Through a series of theoretical reflections, questions, and directed activities, this activity book will help you understand the relationship between spirituality and ethics, provide you some theoretical tools and practices for doing ethics and living spiritually, and encourage you to clarify your own manner of approaching ethical questions, founding moral values, and...
Trouble in the Diocese is a petulant, funny book of poetry. Its contrary protagonist/antagonist, the Apprentice, embraces life in both the large and the absurdly small. At the same time, he emphatically rejects the easy rigidity of doily-headed orthodox Catholics as well as the impulse in the Catholic literary Pixar world that seeks to serve two masters. Jesus and his Church are lifted up here, but so is the cross. Discipleship necessarily involves dis-ease, purgation, and if we as readers have...