A longtime friend and student of the late Pope John Paul II, Stanislaw Grygiel in this book reflects on the life and thought of this extraordinary pope, giving new insight into his character and his vision of beauty as the path that leads us to God. More than simply biographical information about John Paul II -- who was Bishop Karol Wojtyla before he became pope -- or a dry academic analysis of his teaching, Discovering the Human Person derives from Grygiel's extensive firsthand interaction with Wojtyla. Grygiel reflects on the importance of Christian personalism, or communion, as the ground of John Paul II's life, particularly in response to the communist environment that surrounded him in Poland. Grygiel also addresses the pope's call for a new evangelization, his understanding of marriage and family, and the relationship of those to a genuine, healthy understanding of nation and state.

An internationally respected Roman Catholic leader on the mystery-sacrament of marriageMarriage and the family are at the forefront of the burning questions being debated by civil society and the church today. Cultural changes in our increasingly secularized society have dire consequences in the family sphere, requiring a Christian response that is faithful to the Church's tradition, says Marc Cardinal Ouellet.In Mystery and Sacrament of Love Ouellet clearly expounds a theology of marriage and the Catholic Church's understanding of the sacrament celebrated between spouses and God. Developed with influences from Pope Francis, the theological intuitions of Vatican II, the contributions of Saint John Paul II (the "pope of the family"), and the innovative thought of Hans Urs von Balthasar, Ouellet's study lays the foundations for a faithful resurgence of well-being for families in our contemporary day and age.