Religious Books

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.

This reference book is a compact commentary on the entire Bible that readers can use to familiarize themselves with the methods and paths followed by biblical scholars. It features current theories on dating, historical reconstruction, and archaeological information. Contemporary perspectives and topical articles of an introductory nature include Hermeneutics, Canonicity, Old Testament themes, and coverage of biblical theology. Additional commentary includes articles on Jesus, the early Church, Gnosticism, and the subapostolic church. Especially for seminarians and clergy who require a commentary on the Scriptures both during their formal study of theology and for preaching in their ministry. Also, for those interested in religion and theology on all levels and feel the need for an adequate background in the Bible.

Heartwarming stories that recall Christmases past:

- O.Henry's all-American tale, "The Gift of the Magi," originally published in 1906.

- Leo Tolstoy's Russian folktale, "Where Love Is, There God Is Also" from 1887.

- And Charles Dickens' little-known classics "The Seven Poor Travellers" and "What Christmas Is As We Grow Older," from 1854 and 1851.

"One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty-seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas.... She had been saving every penny she could for months, with this result. Twenty dollars a week doesn't go far. Expenses had been greater than she had calculated. They always are. Only $1.87 to buy a present for Jim. Her Jim." - from the beginning of "The Gift of the Magi"

If you have always been troubled by the image of God as a punitive judge, this book will show you why this view is so mistaken. Psalm 34:8's "O taste and see how good the Lord is" contains in miniature the whole process of coming to and growing in faith. It gives us insight into God and into how we experience God. We come to know this good and gracious God by means of the body: seeing (a metaphor for understanding) and tasting (shorthand for what the body knows). In fact, it is precisely engrafted hunger that turns us God-ward--only to find God waiting on the road for our return and ready to host a feast for us.

"If you think you might be hungry for God, but haven't experienced God directly, or if you are a believer who still feels malnourished, I hope this little book might be for you a kind of manna.Taste. See." --from the Introduction