Going deep into the heart of the Word has never taken on more meaning than when discussing Pope Benedict XVI Apostolic Exhortation “Verbum Domini” (The Word of the Lord). Since the Holy Father is rather busy at this time, the next best person to discuss it with would be Dr. Scott Hahn. Though he too is extraordinarily active, Dr. Hahn took time to to break open this extraordinarily important and beautiful gift for us.

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Do what the doctor (Dr. Hahn, of course) has ordered, go to Vatican.va to read and download “Verbum Domini”

Be sure to visit The St. Paul Center of Biblical Theology to sign up for free online studies and to learn more “from the heart of the Church”.

“The Rite: The Making of a Modern Day Exorcist” is a fascinating exploration of the rite of exorcism from journalistic point of view. Following the training of a priest from California, Fr. Gary, in Rome, Matt Baglio chronicles his activities, as well as many aspects of the darker sides of the spiritual world.  In a very real way, Matt demystifies exorcism and shows us what it really entails and the true gift it is to the Church.  “The Rite” is now being made into a major motion picture starring Anthony Hopkins.

Check out Matt’s book

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Going deep into the heart of the Word has never taken on more meaning than when discussing Pope Benedict XVI Apostolic Exhortation “Verbum Domini” (The Word of the Lord).  Since the Holy Father is rather busy at this time, the next best person to discuss it with would be Dr. Scott Hahn.  Though he too is extraordinarily active, Dr. Hahn took time to  to break open this extraordinarily important and beautiful gift for us.

[powerpress]

Do what the doctor (Dr. Hahn, of course) has ordered, go to Vatican.va to read and download “Verbum Domini”

Be sure to visit The St. Paul Center of Biblical Theology to sign up for free online studies and to learn more “from the heart of the Church”.

Part 2 – A very special edition of “Inside the Pages” as we explore Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation, “Verbum Domini” (The Word of the Lord), with Dr. Matthew Bunson. A magnificent gift for the Church, Dr. Bunson breaks open in part 2 of our discussion the liturgy, homelitics and the significance of the document.  We encourage you to check out the document yourself by clicking on the links below.

We encourage you to visit the Vatican website so you can read, ponder, and download “Verbum Domini”

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God is love.  What does that mean?  What does it look like?  How do we love, especially when it’s a tremendous challenge? Allan F. Wright leads us into our Sacred Scripture to find the answers to these and so many more questions of the heart and mind. “The Bible’s Best Love Stories” is a wonderful book to reflect and ponder the gift of the Word of God and it’s lived out in the lives of our biblical ancestors.  They model for us how we can “love” as well!

 

Check out Allan’s book here

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Fun and entertaining well-written story…it’s what we hope for when we wish to sit down with a fiction book…here is one that will not disappoint thanks to author David Downing.

It is 1940, and American Tom McCord, a 23-year-old aspiring doctoral candidate, is in England researching the historical evidence for the legendary King Arthur. There he meets perky and intuitive Laura Hartman, a fellow American staying with her aunt in Oxford, and the two of them team up for an even more ambitious and dangerous quest.

Aided by the Inklings — that illustrious circle of scholars and writers made famous by its two most prolific members, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien — Tom and Laura begin to suspect that the fabled Spear of Destiny, the lance that pierced the side of Christ on the Cross, is hidden somewhere in England.

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A very special edition of “Inside the Pages” as we explore Pope Benedict’s Apostolic Exhortation, “Verbum Domini” (The Word of the Lord), with Dr. Matthew Bunson. A magnificent gift for the Church, Dr. Bunson breaks open in part 1 of our discussion the significance of the document and how it was comprised.  We encourage you to check out the document yourself by clicking on the links below.

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That our joy may be complete [2]
From “Dei Verbum” to the Synod on the Word of God [3]
The Synod of Bishops on the Word of God [4]
The Prologue of John’s Gospel as a guide [5]

PART ONE
VERBUM DEI

The God Who Speaks

God in dialogue [6]
The analogy of the word of God [7]
The cosmic dimension of the word [8]
The creation of man [9]
The realism of the word [10]
Christology of the word [11-13]
The eschatological dimension of the word of God [14]
The word of God and the Holy Spirit [15-16]
Tradition and Scripture [17-18]
Sacred Scripture, inspiration and truth [19]
God the Father, source and origin of the word [20-21]

Our Response To The God Who Speaks

Called to the covenant with God [22]
God hears us and responds to our questions [23]
In dialogue with God through his words [24]
The word of God and faith [25]
Sin as a refusal to hear the word of God [26]
Mary, “Mother of God’s Word” and “Mother of Faith” [27-28]

The Interpretation Of Sacred Scripture In The Church

The Church as the primary setting for biblical hermeneutics [29-30]
“The soul of sacred theology” [31]
The development of biblical studies and the Church’s magisterium [32-33]
The Council’s biblical hermeneutic: a directive to be appropriated [34]
The danger of dualism and a secularized hermeneutic [35]
Faith and reason in the approach to Scripture [36]
Literal sense and spiritual sense [37]
The need to transcend the “letter” [38]
The Bible’s intrinsic unity [39]
The relationship between the Old and the New Testaments [40-41]
The “dark” passages of the Bible [42]
Christians, Jews and the sacred Scriptures [43]
The fundamentalist interpretation of sacred Scripture [44]
Dialogue between pastors, theologians and exegetes [45]
The Bible and ecumenism [46]
Consequences for the study of theology [47]
The saints and the interpretation of Scripture [48-49]

PART TWO
VERBUM IN ECCLESIA

The Word Of God And The Church

The Church receives the word [50]
Christ’s constant presence in the life of the Church [51]

The Liturgy, Privileged Setting For The Word Of God

The word of God in the sacred liturgy [52]
Sacred Scripture and the sacraments [53]
The word of God and the Eucharist [54-55]
The sacramentality of the word [56]
Sacred Scripture and the Lectionary [57]
Proclamation of the word and the ministry of Reader [58]
The importance of the homily [59]
The fittingness of a Directory on Homiletics [60]
The word of God, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick [61]
The word of God and the Liturgy of the Hours [62]
The word of God and the Book of Blessings [63]
Suggestions and practical proposals for promoting fuller participation in the liturgy [64]

a) Celebrations of the word of God [65]
b) The word and silence [66]
c) The solemn proclamation of the word of God [67]
d) The word of God in Christian Churches [68]
e) The exclusive use of biblical texts in the liturgy [69]
f) Biblically-inspired liturgical song [70]
g) Particular concern for the visually and hearing impaired [71]

The Word Of God In The Life Of The Church

Encountering the word of God in sacred Scripture [72]
Letting the Bible inspire pastoral activity [73]
The biblical dimension of catechesis [74]
The biblical formation of Christians [75]
Sacred Scripture in large ecclesial gatherings [76]
The word of God and vocations [77]

a) Ordained ministers and the word of God [78-81]
b) The word of God and candidates for Holy Orders [82]
c) The word of God and the consecrated life [83]
d) The word of God and the lay faithful [84]
e) The word of God, marriage and the family [85]

The prayerful reading of sacred Scripture and “lectio divina” [86-87]
The word of God and Marian prayer [88]
The word of God and the Holy Land [89]

PART THREE
VERBUM MUNDO

The Church’s Mission: To Proclaim The Word Of God To The World

The Word from the Father and to the Father [90]
Proclaiming to the world the “Logos” of hope [91]
The word of God is the source of the Church’s mission [92]
The word and the Kingdom of God [93]
All the baptized are responsible for this proclamation [94]
The necessity of the “missio ad gentes” [95]
Proclamation and the new evangelization [96]
The word of God and Christian witness [97-98]

The Word Of God And Commitment In The World

Serving Jesus in “the least of his brethren” (Mt 25:40) [99]
The word of God and commitment to justice in society [100-101]
The proclamation of God’s word, reconciliation and peace between peoples [102]
The word of God and practical charity [103]
The proclamation of the word of God and young people [104]
The proclamation of the word of God and migrants [105]
The proclamation of the word of God and the suffering [106]
The proclamation of the word of God and the poor [107]
The proclamation of the word of God and the protection of creation [108]

The Word Of God And Culture

The value of culture for the life of humanity [109]
The Bible, a great code for cultures [110]
Knowledge of the Bible in schools and universities [111]
Sacred Scripture in the variety of artistic expressions [112]
The word of God and the means of social communication [113]
The Bible and inculturation [114]
Translating the Bible and making it more widely available [115]
God’s word transcends cultural limits [116]

The Word Of God And Interreligious Dialogue

The value of interreligious dialogue [117]
Dialogue between Christians and Muslims [118]
Dialogue with other religions [119]
Dialogue and religious freedom [120]

Conclusion

God’s definitive word [121]
New evangelization and a new hearing [122]
The word and joy [123]
“Mater Verbi et Mater laetitiae” [124]

 

 

I can not imagine a better way of traveling through the year in prayer then with Our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. It’s always a joy to talk with Karen Edmisten, especially talking about Our Lady.  “Through the Year with Mary: 365 reflections” is a wonderful book that provides beautiful and compelling nuggets for our prayer that will lead us to directly to Christ, Our Lady’s precious child and our Savior.

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This book features one quote per day accompanied by a brief question or reflection designed to fuel prayer. Major Marian feasts will offer entries specific to the feast day, while other quotes will be more universally about Mary’s faith, life, example, and intercession. Quotes are from a wide variety of sources, including popes, the saints, spiritual writings, literature, and the Blessed Mother’s own words from approved apparitions. – from the Servant Book website

You can find Karen’s book here

Be sure to visit Karen’s fantastic blog site “Karen Edmisten”

No stranger to Discerning Hearts, Deacon James Keating once again takes us all into the depths of our interiority with “A Deacon’s Retreat”. Yes, written primarily for deacons of the Church, as usual, this work is a wonderful spiritual work that can touch us all.  Deacon Keating uses the setting of our great prayer, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to lead us on a retreat to encounter Christ.  We can reflect on this “retreat” every time we participate in the Eucharist.  Deacon Keating truly is one of best contemporary spiritual leaders of our present age.

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Check out Deacon Keating’s book here

Also don’t miss Deacon Keating’s Discerning Hearts page

This is the book for anyone desires to cherish the beautiful gift of “spiritual friendship”. Mary DuTurris Poust exhorts us all to recognize this gift of friendship given to us by God, and shows us how to nuture the special bond that helps us, ultimately, to grow in a deeper relationship with Him.  “Walking Together: Discovering the Tradition of Spiritual Friendship”, with the help of biblical images and the lives of the saints, helps us with the connections we have made with others,  those persons we trust with the matter of our souls.

Visit Mary DuTurris Poust’s website

Check out Mary’s book

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The Book of All Saints  is one my favorites. Adrienne von Speyr (1902 – 1967) was a Swiss medical doctor, convert to Catholicism, a mystic, wife and author of over 60 books on spirituality and theology. She collaborated closely with Hans Urs Von Balthasar, her confessor for 27 years, and they co-founded the Community of Saint John. Her numerous writings, published by Ignatius Press, are being recognized by leading theologians as a major contribution to the mystical and spiritual writings of the Church.

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The Book of All Saints page

Miracles: Healing for a Broken World by Fr. Stefan Starzynski is a heartfelt book where miracles abound beccause  of the transforming love of God. I really loved my interview with Fr. Starzynski.  He spoke of the beautiful movement of the Holy Spirit so active in the of Church today, all the while remaining firmly anchored in the great heart of Christ and His Church and Sacraments.

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You can find Fr. Staryznski’s book here

Fr. Staryznski’s website

Fr. George Rutler once again offers a beautiful work that is food for the thinking mind and pondering heart. A collection of stories about people, some famous some not, who’s lives “witness” to the power of  the Holy Spirit to mold us into the image of Christ (in some cases, unexpected ways).  Fr. Rutler is always fun to read; he uses the English language as his palette of beautiful colors in which he paints a fascinating and compelling picture of  “the dead people he knew when they were alive”.   Don’t miss this one.

Fr. Rutler’s book can be found here

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“A Year with the Church Fathers: Patristic Wisdom for Daily Living” by Mike Aquilina is outstanding. St. Benedict Press has produced a beatiful book worthy of the content within it’s pages.  But better still is the wisdom passed down through the ages which is contextualized and offered to us by acknowledged Patristic expert, Mike Aquilina.  The perfect gift for a friend, family member, or even yourself.  A gift from the fathers of the Church waiting to be unwrapped!

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You can purchase a copy here

“Supremacy and Survival:  How Catholics Endured the English Reformation” is an outstanding introduction to the persecution of Catholics began in 16th century England. Lasting over 250 years, the effects can still be felt in some ways even in today’s world.  But through the witness of great saints such as St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher to Blessed John Henry Newman, Catholics in England, as well as throughout the rest of the world, have been encouraged and inspired to continue standing for the truths found in the Catholic Church, which ultimately reflect the great Truth, who is Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Stephanie Mann does a beautiful job of presenting this period and many of those heroic lives in her work.

To learn more visit Stephanie Mann’s website

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