Liturgical Press

Why does God allow human suffering? For thousands of years, the profoundly moving story of Job has allowed people of faith to reflect on that question. Job is a righteous man, stripped of all he holds dear, who engages in a powerful dialogue with his friends on the nature and cause of suffering. Job’s friends struggle to justify Job’s suffering, determined to find fault with Job rather than God. Job counters their arguments and then turns his attention to God in a desperate plea for justice. When God’s answer comes from the whirlwind, it is not what we expect. Biblical scholar Kathleen O’Connor serves as an insightful guide in this exploration of innocent suffering, divine silence, and the human quest for understanding. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included.6 lessons.

A vision for realizing the promise of integral ecology and putting it into practice.  In his landmark encyclical on care for creation, Laudato Si’, Pope Francis popularized the idea of integral ecology by connecting contemporary ecological concerns and church teachings on creation addressed by Catholic Social Thought. In Learning the Language of Creation, Franciscan Sister Damien Marie Savino, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, frames integral ecology as a pilgrimage guided by a process of listening and learning the language of creation. In this book, she offers a new way of thinking about creation, human beings, and the relationship between them to realize the promise of integral ecology put into practice.

Translated here in its entirety for the first time, Alan of Lille’s Elucidatio in Cantica Canticorum provides a measure for the originality of his Mariology.   Fifty years after the death of Bernard of Clairvaux, Alan of Lille died in 1202 or 1203 among the Cistercians at Cîteaux. Celebrated in his own time as doctor universalis, Alan made pioneering contributions in a variety of genres. Best known today for his influential epic poems, the Anticlaudianus and the Complaint of Nature, Alan also composed a theological dictionary, a handbook for preachers, a defense of the catholic faith against the Cathars, and one of the first Marian commentaries on the Song of Songs. Translated here in its entirety for the first time, Alan’s Elucidatio in Cantica Canticorum illumines his other writings and provides a measure for the originality of his Mariology.

Deuteronomy, the final book of the Torah, is ostensibly addressed to males but it does not mean it lacks a concern for women. In this commentary on Deuteronomy, Johanna W. H. van Wijk-Bos provides serious feminist engagement with the complete text, paying specific attention to the effect it may have on women’s perspectives, and considers ways the text highlights female presence or absence. In this commentary, van Wijk-Bos encourages readers to question not only the patriarchal practices reflected in Deuteronomy, but also modern misogynist and androcentric assumptions that they may bring to the world of the text. Divided into eleven sections, Deuteronomy offers insight for our present time, as well as an opportunity to hear new voices, examine cultural and gender-biased interpretations, and draw other conclusions to open up new avenues of understanding God and ourselves.

Hebrews is "the greatest Christian sermon ever preached or written," according to New Testament scholar Daniel Harrington, SJ. This unique New Testament text presents Jesus as the great High Priest who simultaneously offers sacrifice to God and is himself the sacrifice. His compassion is rooted in his humanity, for he is like us in all things but sin. Harrington’s accessible commentary helps us read and reflect on this beautiful Scripture text, giving us a renewed appreciation for the saving work of Jesus. Commentary, study and reflection questions, prayers, and access to online lectures are included. 6 lessons.

This companion volume to Robert Ellsberg’s bestselling resource Blessed Among Us offers even more reflections on the inspiring, if also eclectic, “cloud of witnesses.” Since the early centuries, Christians have held up saintly people as models of living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While the Church o­fficially recognizes a relatively small number of saints, the actual roster is infinitely wider. Blessed Among Us explores this eclectic “Cloud of Witnesses”—lay and religious, single and married, canonized and not, and even non-Christians whose faith and wisdom may illuminate our path. Brought to life in the evocative storytelling of Robert Ellsberg, they inspire the moral imagination and give witness to the myriad ways of holiness. In two stories per day for over a full calendar year, Ellsberg sketches figures from biblical times to the present age and from all corners of the world—ordinary figures whose extraordinary lives point to the new age in the world to come. Blessed Among Us is drawn from Ellsberg’s acclaimed column of the same name in Give Us ­This Day, a monthly resource for daily prayer published by Liturgical Press.

In this volume, Deborah Appler and Terry Ann Smith offer a sustained investigation and feminist critique that move beyond traditional historical and theological interpretations of Ezra-Nehemiah. Their intersectional analysis engages themes of gender, power, economics, and social justice. Tensions between group inclusion and exclusion are evident in Ezra-Nehemiah, and the authors bring attention to the complexities associated with identity formation and boundary-making for a repatriated community. Their volume amplifies often overlooked voices in the text and offers insight into how issues of faith, marginalization, and communal solidarity complicate what it means to "come home." Their collaborative analysis of Ezra-Nehemiah demonstrates how ancient and modern communities grapple with community formation and identity amidst ever-evolving social and cultural challenges.

Blessed Weakness contains Dom André’s homilies on the Gospel passages for Year A of the church’s three-year liturgical cycle. These homilies reflect Dom André’s spiritual insights about the wisdom in the teachings of Christ. The title conveys a favorite theme of Dom André’s: God’s special love for humans in their weakness, manifested in Jesus’ leaving behind his glory to become one of us in weakness, living among and ministering to the poor. Contemplative reflection on these Gospel passages and on Dom André’s insights will provide a path for the reader and hearer to seek a deeper union with God.

A practical guide for initiation ministers on the appropriate ways to accompany Christians who are already baptized, and who now seek to enter into the Catholic Church.   The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults offers pathways for preparing both unbaptized catechumens entering into the Christian life and validly baptized Christians of other denominations who seek to enter into the Catholic Church. However, there is often confusion about the proper ways of accompanying those who are already baptized and celebrating the sacraments of initiation with them. In Full Communion with Us, Paul Turner provides an in-depth analysis of the pages of the OCIA that concern baptized candidates, with guidance that takes seriously both the liturgical rites and the Catholic Church’s ecumenical commitments. Those who are preparing the formation as well as the liturgical celebrations pertaining to baptized candidates will find this an invaluable resource.

A useful and enriching resource for empowering organizers rooted in Catholic Social Thought to engage the church on all levels and mobilize Catholics and other people of faith to enact social change.  Empowering People through Encounter presents the Catholic Social Tradition as an embodied, practical, and inspiring way to connect faith and action. It highlights the dispositions, skills, and methods of faith-based community organizing through a combination of interviews with Catholic organizers in the field and case studies of campaigns from a variety of national contexts. Focusing on the relational praxis of organizing provides an opportunity for readers to encounter Catholic Social Thought as an integrated vision that gets lived on the ground by those closest to the pain of injustices rather than a set of abstract principles invoked by those at a distance. Students and practitioners of Catholic Social Thought in a variety of contexts—from the classroom and the pulpit to the one-to-one meeting and the public action—will appreciate the introduction to the concrete skills of community organizing to encounter the Catholic Social Tradition with particular emphasis on the social teachings and synodal vision of Pope Francis. For those who use this resource, within the context of a university classroom or parish, Empowering People through Encounter will nourish faith formation and vocation development by presenting community organizing as an expression of Catholic Social Thought and a way people of faith have been architects of Catholicism.

An up-to-date presentation of the Law of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law.   This book provides an up-to-date, comprehensive presentation of the Law of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life according to the 1983 Code of Canon Law. It also outlines the process of legal protection in canonical administrative matters. It is intended as an introduction for superiors and members of institutes and societies, as well as for vicars and officials in ecclesiastical administration. It will also serve as a useful resource for novitiate formation, and an initial overview for students engaged in academic study.

Practical guidance for helping parishes foster the full participation of persons with disabilities.  In Together as One Body, Ana B. Barraza focuses on different aspects of parish life and the inclusion of persons with disabilities, providing practical guidance for parishes to be not only fully accessible but also to foster the full participation of every person. Together as One Body outlines ways to promote transformation and spiritual growth for all, provides tips to improve the accessibility of the liturgy and the sacraments, and offers suggestions for new ways to encourage a community of love and belonging that is attentive to the gifts and needs of every parishioner. Drawing upon church documents, additional sources, and the rich pastoral experience of the author Together as One Body is an ideal resource for both parish planning and personal reflection on what it means to be One Body in Christ.

Susan Pitchford examines the ways in which followers of Christ have understood “poverty of spirit,” and the traditions that have formed around their attempts to follow Jesus on this radical path. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus said, “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” And we smile, nod, and think: “Lovely thought.” But if we’re paying attention, it’s a shocking, almost offensive thought. The grieving, the brokenhearted, the marginalized, the stigmatized—all blessed, all happy? In The Paradox of Poverty, Susan Pitchford examines the ways in which followers of Christ have understood “poverty of spirit,” and the traditions that have formed around their attempts to follow Jesus on this radical path. Over the centuries, those who have heard Jesus have learned the truth of his promise that we will find the greatest happiness, our deepest fulfillment—the kingdom of heaven, in fact, our blessedness and our belovedness—in the things that seem to impoverish our souls. TheParadox of Poverty looks at some of the wisdom traditions that have formed this understanding: the Scriptures, the desert mothers and fathers, the Franciscans, liberation theologians, the 12-Step movement, and more. At both individual and collective levels, these traditions help us understand that varied kinds of poverty can become a “blessing” by bringing us to know our belovedness in God.

The ongoing synodal process of the Catholic Church engages a new vision of being church within human history and society. At the European synod of bishops in 1999, Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini called for a new ecumenical council. Too wise to use this term explicitly, he said that he hoped for “an experience of universal confrontation between bishops at the dawning of the new century.” Unresolved questions demanded sound answers: a lack of ordained ministers, the role of women in the church, the participation of the laity, new challenges regarding sexuality and marriage, ecumenism, and more. Since then, even more questions have been raised regarding the sexual abuse crisis, the experience of widespread discouragement, and polarization within the church. In A Council by Another Name? world-renowned French theologian Christoph Theobald explains why synodality is a constitutive dimension of the church and urges readers, especially ecclesial leaders, to trust the synodal process and to engage in it in their rightful place. Based on conversion that is both personal and institutional, Theobald cites Pope Francis’s call for cooperation and creativity as an essential element for confronting the current difficulties effectively, approaching the future peacefully, and welcoming a new and decisive vision of the church within human history and society.This is a revised and expanded edition of the second French edition.    

In this second volume of the bestselling resource In All Seasons, For All Reasons, Fr. James Martin provides even more spiritual inspiration from this popular column in Give Us This Day. The Christian longing to share anguish, fear, gratitude, and awe has found expression in many forms of prayer, beginning in Scripture and the practices and words of Jesus. Over the centuries many fruitful approaches to prayer have taken hold, but often there is a certain unease about what is right or what is best. In this book, Fr. Martin eases these concerns with thoughtful, practical encouragement about prayer in all of its forms. Selected from his popular column "Teach Us to Pray” featured monthly in Give Us This Day, Fr. Martin offers practical guidance and invites us to spend time in the presence of God in any form it takes, as prayer is always transformative.  

Prepare for the celebration of Christ''s coming with this popular and inviting annual guide. During the especially busy Advent and Christmas seasons, this book offers brief, down-to-earth reflections that bring prayer and Scripture into everyday life in a thought-provoking and lasting way. Through Mary DeTurris Poust’s reflections on lectionary readings from the weekday and Sunday Masses, readers will grow in their understanding of the word of God. This book will help busy people enrich their prayer life during the seasons of Advent and Christmas.