Franciscan Prayer by
Masterfully written and intensely enlightening, Franciscan Prayer could very well be considered the essential handbook for all those seeking to pray and live the Franciscan way. With exquisite execution, Franciscan theologian Ilia Delio clearly outlines what it means to pray as a Franciscan. Through her experience as a discalced Carmelite nun and then her transformation into Franciscan scholar, Sister Delio brings to light the "contemplative,” "cosmic” and "evangelizing” aspects of Franciscan prayer. Everyone, says Delio, seems to know about Francis’ life, his miracles, his devotion to evangelization and his dedication to living a simple and humble life, yet few know about his prayer life, which seemed, over the centuries, to get lost in the paper shuffle between theologians, followers and historical biographers. It is through Clare of Assisi, Delio asserts, that we have insights into the Franciscan path of prayer. "[Clare] provides the 'road-map’ of prayer for evangelical life...she was able to do this because she lived under monastic rule while ardently desiring evangelical life.” Through Clare’s letters and actions, we find the rudiments of Franciscan prayer: "Gaze--Consider--Contemplate--Imitate.” Delio also uses the insights of Saint Bonaventure as well as Saint Francis to fully show the meaning and purpose of prayer in the Franciscan tradition.
Franciscan Message to the World by
This is no historical work for the learned: it is not a philosophical treatise for thinkers, nor a volume of poetry for men of letters, nor a prayer book for the pious minded. This book was written to satisfy the natural craving of the author's Franciscan spirit. Above all, the author tried to put the results of his investigations into plain language. Still more he aimed at being convincing. These pages are not overloaded with lengthy quotations, that would have made the volume too weighty and would have frightened away unsophisticated readers. Contents: St. Francis and the times he lived in; Franciscan spirituality throughout the centuries; St. Francis and our own times.
St. Francis of America by
How did a thirteenth-century Italian friar become one of the best-loved saints in America? Around the nation today, St. Francis of Assisi is embraced as the patron saint of animals, beneficently presiding over hundreds of Blessing of the Animals services on October 4, St. Francis's Catholic feast day. Not only Catholics, however, but Protestants and other Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and nonreligious Americans commonly name him as one of their favorite spiritual figures. Drawing on a dazzling array of art, music, drama, film, hymns, and prayers, Patricia Appelbaum explains what happened to make St. Francis so familiar and meaningful to so many Americans. Appelbaum traces popular depictions and interpretations of St. Francis from the time when non-Catholic Americans "discovered" him in the nineteenth century to the present. From poet to activist, 1960s hippie to twenty-first-century messenger to Islam, St. Francis has been envisioned in ways that might have surprised the saint himself. Exploring how each vision of St. Francis has been shaped by its own era, Appelbaum reveals how St. Francis has played a sometimes countercultural but always aspirational role in American culture. St. Francis's American story also displays the zest with which Americans borrow, lend, and share elements of their religious lives in everyday practice.
The Road to Assisi by
Examines the life of the beloved Catholic saint from his childhood, his transformation from a lover of poetry and fine living to a love for God, and his unintentional founding of a religious movement.
Salvation by
Inspired by the fresco cycles that depict the life of St. Francis of Assisi, acclaimed author Valerie Martin tells the life of Francesco di Pietro Bernardone in a series of vividly realized “panels” of moments both crucial and ordinary. Drawing from myriad sources and moving in reverse chronological order, she begins in the dark, final days, with a suffering Francesco on the verge of death, then shows us the unwashed and innocent revolutionary, unafraid to lecture a pope on Christ’s message. We see his mystical friendship with Chiara di Offreducci, a nobleman’s daughter who turns her back on the world to join him, and finally, the frivolous young Francesco on the deserted road where his encounter with a leper leads him to an ecstatic embrace of God. Salvation is at once an illuminating glimpse into the medieval world and an original and intimate portrait of the man whose legend has resonated through the centuries.
Finding Perfect Joy with St. Francis of Assisi by
Christians regard St. Francis of Assisi as the most joyful of saints, and Francis himself valued joy as an essential for holiness and Christian living. In this book of readings and reflections, the author presents thirty excerpts on joy from the writings of St. Francis and offers readers insightful and inspiring commentaries on the passages.
Pope Francis and the Virgin Mary by
A devotional keepsake that focuses on Pope Francis's love for the Virgin Mary. This beautifully illustrated book highlights one of the main aspects of Pope Francis's spirituality: his veneration of the Virgin Mary. A valuable source of inspiration, this book includes a collection of quotes from his speeches, prayers, and tweets that directly refer to his worship of the Holy Mary. Jorge Mario Bergoglio's faith has always been marked by his strong devotion to the Mother of God; his first public act as Pope paid tribute to her in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore. His admiration is reflected in his coat of arms that features a star (according to heraldic tradition, the star symbolizes the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ and of the Church), and reaches a peak in the devotion to "Mary Undoer of Knots," which is spreading worldwide. Pope Francis helps believers to see the Virgin Mary not just as a mother, but also a sister and friend who possesses countless virtues. Accompanied by photographs of the Pope in his daily life, the images offer a glimpse into many personal and public moments that reveal his Marian devotion, seen through visits to various shrines and celebrations dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
Pope Francis by
From Time Magazine's Person of the Year: POPE FRANCIS: His Life in His Own Words On March 13, 2013, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, longtime Archbishop of Buenos Aires, now Pope Francis, was elected to succeed Pope Benedict. He is the first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit pope, and the first to take the name Francis, after St. Francis Assisi, the 13th century monk known for his charity and kindness. Elected in one of the shortest conclaves in history, the former Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina reveals, in a series of extensive interviews conducted over the course of two years, the very image of a humble priest, inspired teacher, and wise and adroit cardinal. What emerges is a portrait of a man more interested in substance over style, a compassionate cleric and teacher who has shunned the spotlight. In spontaneous, intimate terms, Archbishop Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, covers topics as wide-ranging as his childhood, family life, and the importance of his first job to discovering his calling and his early days in the seminary. The former archbishop was a teacher of psychology and literature until John Paul II consecrated him as a cardinal. He befriended writers like Jorge Luis Borges and cites Homer, Cervantes, and German and Italian poets with ease and offers nuanced thoughts about teaching. Thoughtful, intelligent, and even witty, he names Babette’s Feast as his favorite movie and Marc Chagall as his favorite painter. A learned and introspective man, he does not avoid the uncomfortable subjects: the declining numbers of priests and nuns; celibacy; the sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Church; and his opinions about and experience with the military dictatorship of his own crisis-riddled country. It also discusses the incredible role he played in the last conclave, where he is said to have been tied with Ratzinger in the second of three votes, and asked that the votes for him be transferred to Ratzinger. Through his own words, we come to know a man whose actions and words reflect his deeply-rooted humility. The book concludes with the Pope’s own writings and reflections, full of wisdom and inspiration.
The Future of the Catholic Church with Pope Francis by
Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas, offers a challenge to his church. Can he bring about significant change? Should he? Garry Wills, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, argues provocatively that, in fact, the history of the church throughout is a history of change. Yet the immutability of the church as the oldest institution in Western civilization, one that commands the respect of all people of faith, often remains unquestioned, even fetishized. In this brilliant and incisive study, Wills describes the deep and serious changes that have taken place in the church or are in the process of occurring. These include the change from Latin, the growth and withering of the ecclesiastical monarchy, the abandonment of biblical literalism, the assertion and nonassertion of infallibility, and the erosion of church patriarchy. In such developments we see the living church adapting itself to the new historical circumstances. As Wills contends, it is only by examining the history of the church that we can understand Pope Francis's and the church's challenges. As history shows, any changes that meet these challenges will have impact only if the church, the people of God, supports them. In reading the church's history, Wills heralds the challenge that Pope Francis offers the church: its ability to change and to undertake new spiritual adventures, making it a poor church for the poor, a church of mercy for all sinners, after the example of Jesus. 'To be faithful, to be creative, we need to be able to change.' Pope Francis
The Francis Effect by
The Francis Effect explores how a church once known as a towering force for social justice became known for a narrow agenda most closely aligned with one political party, and then looks at the opportunities for change in the age of Francis. Pope Francis has become an unlikely global star whose image has graced the covers of Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Time, and even the nation s oldest magazine for gays and lesbians. The first Latin American pope, the first Jesuit, and the first to take the name of a beloved saint of the poor, Francis is shaking up a church that has been mired in scandal and demoralized by devastating headlines. His bracing critique of an out-of-touch hierarchy, pastoral style when it comes to divisive issues, and humble gestures rejecting the trappings of papal power have changed the conversation about the world s most powerful religious institution. But in the United States, Pope Francis finds a church that has been transformed over the past three decades by a vocal minority of culture warrior bishops, conservative intellectuals, and Christian evangelicals. The first half of the book analyzes the key trends that shaped the Catholic Church over the past century, while the second half looks at the words and actions of Pope Francis, and what they mean for real change."
From Batican II to Pope Francis by
Fity year after its conclusion, the Church is still grappling with the meaning and implications of the Second Vatican Council. Rather than rehearse Well-Warn debates over the council's interpretation, the contributors to this volume focus instead on where we go from her. What can we do now with the inspiration of the Council teachings in a starkly different world? How do we chart a future for the church? These questions are colored y the new atmosphere created by Pope Francis, who has resoundingly endorsed the Council's program for the Church and urged an openness to Follow where the spirit leads. Topics include the principle of Collegiality, the call to justice, the authority of conscience and religious liberty, interreligious dialogue, the role of women, the laity, and the future of ordained Ministry. Book jacket.
The Vatican Prophecies by
Apocalyptic prophecies and miraculous apparitions are headline-grabbing events that often put the Catholic Church's concept of 'rational faith' at odds with the passion of its more zealous followers. To some, these claims teeter on the edge of absurdity. Others see them as evidence of a private connection with God. For the Vatican, the issue is much more nuanced as each supposed miraculous event could have serious theological and political consequences. In response, the Vatican has developed a highly secretive and complex evaluation system to judge the authenticity of supernatural phenomena. Former journalist John Thavis uses his thirty years' experience covering the Vatican to shed light on this little-known process, revealing deep internal debates on the power of religious relics, private revelations, exorcisms, and more. Enlightening and accessible to Catholics and non-Catholics alike, the book illustrates the Church's struggle to balance the tension between traditional beliefs and contemporary skepticism. 'The process by which these supernatural events are authenticated is expertly told by John Thavis, one of the world's leading Vaticanologists. In fact, that a book on so secretive and complex a topic is so deeply researched, beautifully written, and artfully told is something of a small miracle itself.' James Martin, S.J., author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage
Democracy, Culture, Catholicism by
Compiling scholarly essays from a unique three-year Democracy, Culture and Catholicism International Research Project, Democracy, Culture, Catholicism richly articulates the diverse and dynamic interplay of democracy, culture, and Catholicism in the contemporary world. The twenty-five essays from four extremely diverse cultures--those of Indonesia, Lithuania, Peru, and the United States--explore the relationship between democracy and Catholicism from several perspectives, including historical and cultural analysis, political theory and conflict resolution, social movements and Catholic social thought.
The Other Catholics - Remaking America`s Largest Religion by
Independent Catholics are not formally connected to the pope in Rome. They practice apostolic succession, seven sacraments, and devotion to the saints. But without a pope, they can change quickly and experiment freely. Some affirm communion for the divorced, women's ordination, clerical marriage, and same-sex marriage. From their early-modern origins in the Netherlands to their contemporary proliferation in the United States, these "other Catholics" represent an unusually liberal, mobile, and creative version of America's largest religion. In The Other Catholics, Julie Byrne shares the remarkable history and current activity of independent Catholics, who number at least two hundred communities and a million members across the United States. She focuses on the Church of Antioch, one of the first Catholic groups to ordain women in modern times. Through archival documents and interviews, Byrne tells the story of the unforgettable leaders and surprising influence of these understudied churches, which, when included in Catholic history, change the narrative arc and total shape of modern Catholicism. While Pope Francis fights to soften Roman doctrines with a pastoral touch and his fellow Roman bishops push back with equal passion, the independent Catholics continue to leap ahead of Roman reform, keeping key Catholic traditions but adding a progressive difference.
Young Catholic America by
Best Review at the Catholic Press Association Convention Studies of young American Catholics over the last three decades suggest a growing crisis in the Catholic Church: compared to their elders, young Catholics are looking to the Church less as they form their identities, and fewer of them can even explain what it means to be Catholic and why that matters. Young Catholic America, the latest book based on the groundbreaking National Study of Youth and Religion, explores a crucial stage in the life of Catholics. Drawing on in-depth surveys and interviews of Catholics and ex-Catholics ages 18 to 23--a demographic commonly known as early "emerging adulthood"--leading sociologist Christian Smith and his colleagues offer a wealth of insight into the wide variety of religious practices and beliefs among young Catholics today, the early influences and life-altering events that lead them to embrace the Church or abandon it, and how being Catholic affects them as they become full-fledged adults. Beyond its rich collection of statistical data, the book includes vivid case studies of individuals spanning a full decade, as well as insight into the twentieth-century events that helped to shape the Church and its members in America. An innovative contribution to what we know about religion in the United States and the evolving Catholic Church, Young Catholic America is the definitive source for anyone seeking to understand what it means to be young and Catholic in America today.
The Catholic Church by
Roman Catholicism stands at a crossroads, a classic ''best of times, worst of times'' moment. On the one hand, the Catholic Church remains by far the largest branch of the worldwide Christian family, and is growing. Yet the Church has also been rocked by a series of scandals related to thesexual abuse of minors by clergy, and, even more devastating, a pattern of cover-up of that abuse by the church's authorities. The decade-long crisis has taken a massive financial toll, but the blow to both the internal morale and the external moral standing of the Catholic Church has been evensteeper. The overall picture is of a Church with enormous residual strength and exciting future prospects, but also one facing steep internal and external challenges. The question of ''whither Catholicism'' is of vital public relevance, for believers and non-believers alike. In this book, John L. Allen, Jr.,will offer an authoritative and accessible primer on the Church today.