Catholicism in the Western world has moved from a situation where Mary and Marian devotion were simply taken for granted to a new situation where it now demands real effort to turn to Our Lady in any meaningful way. The Rosary used to play a big part in the lives of many Catholics. Now, they are more likely to carry iPods instead of Rosary beads, and to sport a tattoo instead of wearing the Miraculous Medal. The trouble is not simply that we have stopped thinking about Mary in the way our ancestors did, but that we no longer feel about her in the same way they did either. How can we learn to see Mary in a new way? The author explores the insights of other faiths – Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Islam, and Judaism; and also the insights of the `other’ within the Catholic tradition – the Eastern-rite Catholics who, despite their full communion with Rome, have a distinct approach to Mary based on their unique liturgical and spiritual tradition. Perhaps the novelty of their viewpoints on Mary can bring us to the joy of surprise about her once again. If we can learn to wonder anew about this woman from Nazareth, maybe we’ll be brought to enjoy the even greater wonder of her son, Jesus.

Wisdom at the Crossroads is an introduction to the life and thought of the gifted Jesuit priest, theologian, author and educator, Michael Paul Gallagher SJ (1939-2015). It follows his journey from the simplicity of an Irish rural childhood to the more complex world he soon encountered. That changing world prompted him to think deeply about the question of faith in our times, the effects of a shifting culture on our perceptions, and the challenge of unbelief and atheism as it manifests itself today. The book illuminates Michael Paul’s rare gift – both in personal conversation and in the written word – of helping people to move from a detached consideration of faith to an awareness of what was deepest in their own hearts, for it was from that hidden layer of wonder that he believed the journey of faith could unfold. Being attuned to the depths in his own heart, he was able to identify the liberating wavelength in the lives of others and in the culture of our time, awakening many people to a vision that healed them into hope.

The Lord's Prayer is a simple prayer that goes back to Jesus. But even though it has been around for a long time, we no longer know how to pray it as it should be prayed. We grow up saying this prayer in a hurried way, we continue to recite it in a rush, and we risk dying without ever waking up to its richness. This book slows things down, in order to help us recognize something of the richness of this great prayer. There is a real need to reflect and meditate on each phrase of the Our Father, to 'chew' on the words as a cow would chew on the cud, to find the marrow of meaning, and so discover true nourishment. It is like digging for hidden treasure. Each chapter approaches a particular phrase of the Our Father from multiple perspectives, in order to facilitate a deepening level of engagement with its richness. By going through the Lord's Prayer phrase by phrase, it is possible to taste something of the unique flavour of each line. Every chapter includes moving stories which throw a new spotlight on the marvellous riches concealed in this familiar prayer. Each chapter also includes short prayers based on the Lord's Prayer, prayers that get us in touch with the depth and breadth of this foundational prayer. Once we translate the spiritual wisdom of the Lord's Prayer into the personal language of our experience, we shall be led to a unique encounter with the God who yearns for us more than we could ever yearn for him.

It’s amazing to think that the first smile Jesus ever gave was in response to Mary’s smile. It must have been an extraordinary moment: her son was smiling at her, and it was God smiling at her too. This book looks at Mary, this extraordinary woman who is “the cause of our joy” because she brought us the greatest joy of all: Jesus. She was full of joy because she was full of gratitude, gladly acknowledging the fullness of grace that God had given her. Her deep joy overflowed when she visited her cousin Elizabeth: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my Saviour”. But this Magnificat song wasn’t just a once-off song of praise: the reason it came to Mary’s lips so easily was because it was her usual way of praying. She constantly thanked God for the gifts he had given her. Whatever the circumstances, Mary had the deep inner conviction that “all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” as Julian of Norwich was later to express it. Many of us seek joy outside of ourselves, in food and drink, or in riches and reputations. But Mary found an inner joy that came from encountering God, a joy that was immeasurably greater than any material joy. And by giving Mary a place in our hearts, we can find true joy in God as well.

Western culture is moving so fast that it is hard to stop long enough to look compassionately at ourselves and where we are going. This book is an attempt to do just that, and to initiate a two-way conversation between the Gospel and culture.

The discerning and perceptive essays gathered together in this volume make evident that a comprehensive understanding of Pauline thought must include the following aspects of his entire and comprehensive matrix: -an examination of the Pauline letters in their specific and contingent as well as their broader and coherent contexts; -a careful and precise analysis of all relevant Jewish literature, including the Dead Sea Scrolls; -the incorporation of all relevant archaeological, historical, and literary evidence for the reconstruction of the political, cultural, and religious matrix of the Greco-Roman cities to which Paul's letters are addressed. The issues treated in this volume are of enormous relevance for a better understanding of Paul's Jewish Matrix and his very "Jewishness."

The United States, still healing from WWII, found itself with all its military branches involved in a new war called the Korean War. It was labeled by the Pentagon as a "police action." Most of the fighting men and women were veterans of WWII, however, a call to arms ignited a new generation of men and women to volunteer for the military. This story reflects the emotion and decision of a young high school senior and his friends who find themselves deciding should they enlist or continue on with their educations. The young boy decides to enlist in the air force, but not until he has had his last summer vacation on the Jersey shore, where he spent all his vacations with his family. He honestly believes this may be his last summer. He recruits his best friend and convinces him they need to go down to the shore and find summer jobs on the boardwalks or resort hotels. On a weekend in May, they con another friend, one with a car, to take them to Point Pleasant, where they would begin their search. They find an opportunity at an old hotel in Bay Head, where they lie about their age and convince the hotel owner they can perform the duties of his two required bellhops for the coming season. They are hired and become the season's new bellhops for the Grenville Hotel. It's the summer of 1951. Join Tim and Bobby for the most exciting summer of their lives, full of adventure, romance, and even heartbreak. In these few short weeks of summer, they find themselves in a variety of adult situations they had never dreamed of, like the hotel owner who created and maintained a harem of married women who came each year for more than fun in the sun offers to share his fantasies. The boys also get caught up in a murder investigation of one of the guests, and they witness the affairs of married couples who come annually to exchange their partners. One very attractive and wealthy lady who had her own private suite each summer attempts to seduce and adopt Tim and take him home to West Palm Beach. Tim sadly falls in love with a young lady already spoken for, while Bobby faces his first encounter with a young girl looking for love. The summer comes to an end and has changed the lives of these two young boys who became young men during the summer of 1951.

The United States, still healing from WWII, found itself with all its military branches involved in a new war called the Korean War. It was labeled by the Pentagon as a "police action." Most of the fighting men and women were veterans of WWII, however, a call to arms ignited a new generation of men and women to volunteer for the military. This story reflects the emotion and decision of a young high school senior and his friends who find themselves deciding should they enlist or continue on with their educations. The young boy decides to enlist in the air force, but not until he has had his last summer vacation on the Jersey shore, where he spent all his vacations with his family. He honestly believes this may be his last summer. He recruits his best friend and convinces him they need to go down to the shore and find summer jobs on the boardwalks or resort hotels. On a weekend in May, they con another friend, one with a car, to take them to Point Pleasant, where they would begin their search. They find an opportunity at an old hotel in Bay Head, where they lie about their age and convince the hotel owner they can perform the duties of his two required bellhops for the coming season. They are hired and become the season's new bellhops for the Grenville Hotel. It's the summer of 1951. Join Tim and Bobby for the most exciting summer of their lives, full of adventure, romance, and even heartbreak. In these few short weeks of summer, they find themselves in a variety of adult situations they had never dreamed of, like the hotel owner who created and maintained a harem of married women who came each year for more than fun in the sun offers to share his fantasies. The boys also get caught up in a murder investigation of one of the guests, and they witness the affairs of married couples who come annually to exchange their partners. One very attractive and wealthy lady who had her own private suite each summer attempts to seduce and adopt Tim and take him home to West Palm Beach. Tim sadly falls in love with a young lady already spoken for, while Bobby faces his first encounter with a young girl looking for love. The summer comes to an end and has changed the lives of these two young boys who became young men during the summer of 1951.

The discerning and perceptive essays gathered together in this volume make evident that a comprehensive understanding of Pauline thought must include the following aspects of his entire and comprehensive matrix.