The charismatic renewal is a sign of the continuing relevance of the Holy Spirit for the baptized and gives life and direction to the Church in its mission in the world. Appearing soon after the close of Vatican II, the charismatic renewal has been one of a number of movements of the Spirit in the Church marked by a call to holiness and evangelization.

"Cal to Holiness" gathers the wisdom within the renewal, thirty years after its beginnings, to help guide its continued life. This document evolved out of several years of consultation with leaders, theologians, and bishops associated with the charismatic renewal from various national backgrounds. Theologians not associated with the charismatic renewal have also been consulted.

The document covers the vocation to holiness, the experience of the Spirit, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the charisms, forms of community life, and the call to evangelize. Chapters are The Spiritual Renewal Coming from the Council," "The Experience of the Holy Spirit and its Fruits," and "Gifted for Mission."

"Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes is President of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum." He was Vice-President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity from 1981-1996. For ten years he was, at the appointment of Pope John Paul II, the "Episcopal Advisor" to the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) in Rome. In this capacity he followed His Eminence Cardinal Leon-Joseph Suenens, the late Archbishop of Malines, Belgium.""

On December 25, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI published Deus caritas est ("God Is Love"), the first encyclical of his papacy. In Part I, Benedict XVI analyzes human and divine love in terms of eros and agape; presenting love as a fundamental force, Benedict argues that in the Christian, biblical understanding, love is a single reality with many dimensions. He declares to the world that "the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others" also carries cultural, political, and legal implications, arising from the fact that "love of God and love of neighbor" are "inseparable" and form a single commandment. Caritas, the "practice" of love of neighbor, is the theme of the second part of the encyclical. As Cardinal Cordes explains, "the encyclical represents the Magna carta of our work: to orient and to inspire the charitable work of the Catholic Church." In this volume, Cardinal Cordes offers his own studies and other reflections that investigate the meaning of Christian help, comment on the theological, spiritual, and canonical guidelines of Deus caritas est, and illustrate concrete ways to help the needy and, in doing so, experience the goodness of God.