The central theme of the study is Christ as the sacrament of reconciliation of the human being with God. In light of this premise, the study is divided into two main parts. The first part concentrates on the human response to grace, thus personal justification. In this section different but related topics are studied: the human act and its limitations; the nature of sin in antithesis to the virtue of justice implanted in the human heart. The second part of the study takes care of the sacrament of reconciliation as understood in Catholic dogma. An historical survey of the sacrament brings into focus the teaching of the Fathers of the Church which was implemented by ecumenical and particular councils and codifications. The same historical survey prepares the reader for a better understanding of the canons on Penance. The canons of the Latin and of the astern Rite codes are presented with an explanation when necessary. Through the study of these canons it becomes clear that concern of the Church is to protect the sacredness and the dignity of the sacrament as well as the dignity of the penitent.

In 124 Prayers for Caregivers, an author with a solid background in grief counseling, offers an emphatic and encouraging presentation of prayerful responses to serving God in the role of caregiver. Each prayer session includes prayers, brief quotations from the Bible or other sources, several lines of reflection, and a closing petition. The book is enhanced by five illustrations. The prayers in Part I, During Light Times in Caregiving, are for the times when the caregiver feels privileged and blessed, needs direction, or becomes aware of the gifts and opportunities for growth that caregiving offers. In Part II, During Dark Times in Caregiving, the prayers are for times when the caregiver feels exhausted, put-upon, inadequate, and self-pitying; when anger, guilt, sadness, depression, and even despair threaten to overwhelm. Whether caring for a parent, a spouse, or a disabled child, caregivers need a source of strength and consolation. Those seeking growth in the experience of caregiving and caregivers in needing prayers that express their desire to give everything over to God will find strength and consolation in this book.

A thorough examination of the central sacrament of Christianity explained through the light of the Reformed tradition, which sees the act not only as a sign or symbol, but also as a proof of the presence of Christ.

A source of outstanding importance for the study of the early Irish church. This edition presents all martyrologies not previously printed, all descendants in some way of the 'Martyrology of Oengus'. Among the positive effects of the English Conquest of Ireland in the late twelfth century was the stimulus it gave to the writing of the records of the Irish saints. All four martyrologies edited in this volume arguably date to the period immediately after the Conquest, when the Irish Church, faced with accusations of backwardness and irregularity, was at pains to demonstrate its modernity and orthodoxy. This was achieved by drawing on such external sources as the Martyrology of Ado, 'wedding' it to such native sources as the Martyrology of aengus. Judging by the text of the Martyrology of Drummond, Armagh played a pivotal role in the liturgical 'revival' reflected by all four texts. Use of the annotated version of the Martyrology of aengus prepared at Armagh about 1170-74 can be detected in three of the four texts.

A new edition of Gregory Dix's masterpiece, still essenytial reading for students and scholars and in print constantly for fifty years.
Dom Gregory Dix's classic account of the development of the Eucharist rite continues to be the definitive and authoritative work on the subject. He presents his massive scholarhsip in lively and non technical language for all who wish to understand their worship in terms of the framework from which it has evolved.
He demonstrates the creative force of Christianity over the centuries through liturgy and the societies it has moulded. His great work has for nearly fifty years regularly been quoted for its devotional as well as its historical value, and has regularly attracted new readers.
In this book for the first time, critical studies in the learned periodicals of many countries have been carefully sifted and the results arranged to give a clear picture of the development of the Eucharistic rite.

Originally published in 2004. Inculturation - the creative and dynamic relationship between the Christian message and culture or cultures - is of interest to many churches throughout the world, particularly since the Second Vatican Council made it part of the Roman Catholic agenda. This book looks at the question of the inculturation of Christian worship, particularly in the Eucharist. Looking at the relationship of worship and culture requires insights from both theology and anthropology; Tovey develops the tools to interconnect perspectives into an interdisciplinary exploration of different models of inculturation. Inculturation of Christian Worship is both interdisciplinary and ecumenical in approach. Case studies are drawn from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, African Independent Churches, The Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. While there is a focus on Africa for particular examples, the issues are discussed in a world wide context.

This tried and test collection is a must for anyone leading intercessions in the Church of England. It provides prayers for every Sunday, Holy Day and Festival, Years A, B and C that can be easily adapted to local contexts. The prayers reflect the Bible readings of the day, creating a more integrated act of worship. This expanded edition also contains forms of intercession for numerous extra occasions: * Principal Feasts - e.g. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple, the Transfiguration * Other Holy Days - e.g. The Birth of John the Baptist, Holy Cross Day * Red Letter Saints' Days * Pastoral occasions in the context of a Eucharist - baptism, confirmation, marriage, funeral, healing service, Remembrance * Installation of a new incumbent A trusted liturgical resource for many years, regularly used in hundreds of parishes, this continues to be the essential handbook for Lectionary-based intercessions.

Are you curious about biblical Christian meditation? Through stories, practical advice, and helpful prompts, Rick Hamlin guides Christians to center their minds and hearts on God as they seek to hear the still small voice above all the noise and chaos in the world. Rick Hamlin has been unpacking the power of prayer in Finding God on the A Train and Ten Prayers You Can't Live Without and the special Guideposts book, Prayer Works. In this new book, you will discover how meditation has deep Christian roots that go back for millennia, how it can be used to live more authentically and let go of anxiety, how to love more generously and find God's will in your life, and how to grow in compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance. The steps are simple, and at the end of each chapter Hamlin offers specific exercises to enhance your practice. "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take his cross daily and follow me," Jesus said to his followers. Meditative prayer offers a rich resource to do just that. Silence speaks volumes and becomes a tool for all Jesus followers.

A brief life of this 12th-century German Benedictine nun, the only female Saint titled "The Great." Her method of prayer, some sample prayers, and some of her revelations. (5-1.50 ea.; 10-1.25 ea.; 25-1.00 ea.; 50-.80 ea.; 100-.60 ea.).

Though it may not be immediately obvious why articles on topics from such distantly removed areas of western Europe - the Iberian peninsula and southern Italy - should appear in the same volume (the fourth collection by Roger Reynolds), the materials covered illustrate that they are indeed closely related, both in their differences and their similarities. Both peninsulas had their own indigenous liturgies and music (Old Spanish and Beneventan), distinctive written scripts (Visigothic and Beneventan), and legal and theological traditions, and repeatedly these worked their influence on other areas of western Europe. Although there were frequent attempts by the papacy and secular rulers from the 9th to the 13th century to suppress these distinctive traditions in both areas, elements of these nonetheless survived well into the 16th century and beyond. Despite the differences in these traditions, the articles in this volume also demonstrate through manuscript evidence the continued exchange of the distinctive customs between the Iberian peninsula and southern Italian cultures from the very early Middle Ages through the 12th century.

“A welcome remedy for the increasing number of lay Christians who have rediscovered the daily offices. Tickle puts each day’s prayers, psalms, readings, and refrains–everything you need–in one place. The rhythm that Tickle’s book establishes gives one a stronger sense of participating in an ancient, worldwide but very personal liturgy.”
–Nora Gallagher, beliefnet.com, and author of Things Seen and Unseen: A Year Lived in Faith

The third and final volume in a trilogy of prayer manuals compiled by Publishers Weekly religion editor Phyllis Tickle as a contemporary Book of Hours to guide Christians gently yet authoritatively through the daily offices.

The Divine Hours is the first major literary and liturgical reworking of the sixth-century Benedictine Rule of fixed-hour prayer. This beautifully conceived and thoroughly modern three-volume guide will appeal to the theological novice as well as to the ecclesiastical sophisticate. Making primary use of the Book of Common Prayer and the writings of the Church Fathers, The Divine Hours is also a companion to the New Jerusalem Bible, from which it draws its Scripture readings. The trilogy blends prayer and praise in a way that, while extraordinarily fresh, respects and builds upon the ancient wisdom of Christianity.

The third and final book in the set, Prayers for Springtime, provides prayers, psalms, and readings for this season associated with rebirth. Compact, with deluxe endpapers, it is perfect for those seeking greater spiritual depth. As a contemporary Book of Hours, The Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime heralds a renewal of the tradition of disciplined daily prayer, and gives those already using the first two volumes the completion they are seeking. With this volume, the series culminates with three prayer manuals encompassing the liturgical and calendar year with the offices for every day.


From the Hardcover edition.

Contains more than thirty of the most popular novenas carefully arranged for private prayer in accord with the Liturgical year on feasts of Jesus, Mary, and the Saints. Illustrated.

The source readings in Hymnology are primary documents illustrating the philosophy and practice of congregational singing during various historical periods of the Christian church. They are drawn from a wide variety of sources including letters, diaries, periodicals, hymnal and tunebook prefaces, theological treatises, certain controversial books and pamphlets, and deliberations of church councils. The material ranges in date from the beginning of the second century to the 1960s. All the major streams of Christian song are covered, including early Greek and Latin hymnody, pre-Reformation vernacular hymnody, the Lutheran chorale, Reformed psalmody, and English and American hymnody from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. The book is suitable for use as a text or supplementary text for courses in hymnology, a professional reference work for ministers and church musicians, and a book for laymen interested in the history of church music.

In Tides and Seasons, David Adam draws from the rich store of Celtic Spirituality insights which speak to our own world today. The prayers he has written for this book echo the rhythms of creation which find their parallels in our spiritual lives. The movement of the tides - incoming, full flood, ebb tide, low tide - are linked to the cycle of the year, the seasons of life and the highs and lows of our own experience. Many strong currents are at work in our lives. Yet in the ebb and flow, nothing is lost, only changed. The sea of God's love is not diminished. Even in times of despair, we are made aware that there are other shores, eternal reaches, and that after the lowest ebb, the tide will flow again.

The liturgical psalter is one of the most important medieval Christian books and the most frequently and richly illuminated of medieval liturgical manuscripts. In its simplest form the psalter included 150 psalms, preceded by a calendar and followed by the canticles for the daily offices, the litany of saints and collects. This basic structure was very stable throughout the Middle Ages and is found in an overwhelming majority of psalters from different countries. In spite of the similarity of core content, psalters were very variable in their size, decoration, choice of supplementary texts and style of presentation, reflecting the interests and requirements of a wide range of lay and religious patrons. Latin Liturgical Psalters in the Bodleian Library contains descriptions of 111 psalters from Britain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain, ranging in date from the ninth to the sixteenth century. Each entry includes a description of contents, decoration, physical makeup and provenance, together with a bibliography. The entries are supplemented by comparative tables and indices to assist the study of illumination, manuscript presentation and the liturgical use of the psalms. Full colour images of pages from each of the manuscripts are also included, some of which are reproduced here for the first time. This catalogue brings together important information on a stunning selection of manuscripts held in the Bodleian Library, providing an invaluable resource for scholars.

This book includes four hitherto unpublished papers together with a substantial introductory historiographical and bibliographical overview. Many of the studies concern the liturgical views of figures like Lanfranc, St Hugh of Lincoln, and William of Malmesbury (an edition of William's Abbreviatio Amalarii is included) and the ways Thomas Becket and the Venerable Bede were viewed liturgically. Others reveal the achievement of an 11th-century Canterbury scribe, lay out a hagiographical puzzle as to the saints venerated on the 19th January, ask why calendars come to be attached to psalters, demonstrate that monks at Canterbury Cathedral were still reading Old English homilies in the 1180s, and present a fascinating, previously misunderstood, psalter owned by bishop Ralph Baldock, c.1300. Two final papers deal with 'Sarum' services in late medieval parish churches and with the devotional practice called St Gregory's Trental.

A comprehensive collection of classic Marian prayers compiled by esteemed Catholic prayer-book author William G. Storey

The Gospel of John records the well-known miracle of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana. Before the miraculous event takes place, Mary tells the servants at the wedding, "Do whatever he tells you." Here, as in nearly all the scriptural accounts involving Mary, she directs the attention to Jesus. So, too, the best of the Marian prayers direct us to Christ.
In "A Book of Marian Prayer"s by William G. Storey, readers will discover a vast collection of Christ-centered Marian prayers. These prayers are taken from the great tradition of Catholic devotional prayer, including A Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Twenty Mysteries of the Rosary, and Novenas to Mary. Also included in the book is a special prayer to Mary written by Pope John Paul II. The prayers span a period of nearly 19 centuries, taking us from the Marian prayers of the early Church to today's popular Marian prayers.
The most comprehensive collection of classic Marian prayers available today, "A Book of Marian Prayers" will appeal to all Catholics who feel a sense of devotion to Mary. At the same time, these content-rich prayers serve to remind Catholics that Mary does not point us to herself, but rather points us to her Son, Jesus.

With the twelve-volume series Feasting on the Word, Westminster John Knox Press offers one of the most extensive and well-respected resources for preaching on the market today. When complete, the twelve volumes will cover all of the Sundays in the three-year lectionary cycle, along with moveable occasions.The page layout is truly unique. For each lectionary text, preachers will find brief essaysA--one each on the exegetical, theological, pastoral, and homiletical challenges of the text. Each volume will also contain an index of biblical passages so that nonlectionary preachers may make use of its contents. The printed volumes for Ordinary Time include the complementary stream during Year A, the complementary stream during the first half of Year B, the semicontinuous stream during the second half of Year B, and the semicontinuous stream during Year C. Beginning with the season after Pentecost in Year C, the alternate lections for Ordinary Time not in the print volumes will be available online at feastingontheword.net.

The pain and the surprise of disease deeply affects us. It affects our capacity to think and pray. Our relationship with God is affected, sometimes for better, sometimes apparently for worse. We feel new emotions. Disease is truly all encompassing. It is not always easy to know which part of us being most affected.' FROM THE AUTHORS' INTRODUCTION Jointly written by the director and a former chaplain of Burrswood, the renowned centre for the Christian healing ministry, Prayers for Healing is offered as a support for all who are affected by disease, in themselves or in a loved one. Prayers and readings for morning and evening for thirty-one days reflect on a wide range of the bewildering emotions that are experienced at such a time and aim to bring comfort, hope and strength. Every individual's experience of disease is unique, yet the hopes and fears that are the common language or suffering are explored with understanding and compassion.The authors - a priest and a doctor -have accompanied many in their journey through this unfamiliar and often frightening landscape and here is a prayerful distillation of the experience and wisdom they have gained in ministering to those who seek God's healing.

Specifically designed for congregational use, this contains 255 songs for straightforward arrangements, either four-part harmony or with piano accompaniment.

Since publication of the first edition in 1918, "A History of the Christian Church" by Williston Walker has enjoyed outstanding success and recognition as a classic in the field. Written by an eminent theologian, it combines in its narrative a rare blend of clarity, unity, and balance. In light of significant advances in scholarship in recent years, extensive revisions have been made to this fourth edition. Three scholars from Union Theological Seminary in New York have incorporated new historical discoveries and provided fresh interpretations of various periods in church history from the first century to the twentieth. The result is a thoroughly updated history which preserves the tenor and structure of Walker's original, unparalleled text.