It has always been understood that the central claim of Christianity-that Jesus born of Mary is the Son of God-is as much a declaration of the mystery of the human as it is the mystery of God; just as the claim that in virtue of this identity he is the Christ who restores, and more, transforms, the created order, intensifies the mystery of the human even further. When the age of revolution was followed by the age of science, and the effort to shape the environment by technology was joined by an injunction to shape societies and economies, and class conflicts became part of world conflicts, the question about the human emerged as a crisis in the meaning of being human. Yet the Catholic mind, preoccupied like every other with the crisis, has conducted its reflection within a tradition of Christian humanism, insisting on the mystery and the tragedy, and still the dignity, of the human. This collection of essays by thirteen Catholic scholars of philosophy, theology, and political thought investigates a range of topics from human sexuality and marriage to moral freedom and responsibility in a pluralistic society, while demonstrating that the Gospel, passed on in an ecclesial tradition, entered into through a sacramental tradition, remains the one radical source of confidence in the quest for human truth.

On a beautiful summer morning, Jake wakes up his little brother Zach bright and early. Today is a very special day, and Jake doesn't want to miss a single minute. Along with their parents, the boys have flown to visit their grandparents, Gramps and Nana, at their home on the lake. After a hearty breakfast of their favorite treat, blueberry pancakes, the kids are anxious to strike out, for today it will be just Gramps, Jake, and Zach off on a fishing adventure of their very own. First stop: the bait shop, where they select a carton of wriggly (and kind of gross) worms. Then its on to the lake, to a special spot Gramps picks out just for them. Not only do the boys catch their very first fish, they also spot a deer, loons, and even an eagle. All in all, it is a perfect day, made all the better by Gramps's promise that they will have many more together. Jake and Zach's Special Day is a heartwarming and fun-filled picture book about the importance of grandparents and how lasting memories are born of the simplest of adventures.