LEAD BY
Faith A PARISH MINISTRY RESOURCE
Q&A
WITH CHRISTOPHER WEST
ON THE THEOLOGY OF THE BODY CHRISTOPHER WEST | PAGE 1
What About a Blessing? MSGR. STEPHEN J. ROSSETTI | PAGE 2
NEW RESOURCE FOR HISPANIC CATHOLICS ON THE CHURCH HOSFFMAN OSPINO | PAGE 6
KEEPING KIDS
Engaged IN THEIR FAITH JARED DEES | PAGE 8
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RCIA RESOURCES NEW REVISED EDITION
This Is Our Faith
A Catholic Catechism for Adults
MICHAEL PENNOCK This Is Our Faith: A Catholic Catechism for Adults is a bestselling overview of the faith for those preparing entry into the Church, as well as for both newly initiated and lifelong Catholics who wish to understand Church teachings more clearly. This revised and updated edition strengthens one of the strongest endorsements of the book: that it communicates important Church teachings in an engaging and understandable manner. 384 pages, $16.95
The Seeker’s Catechism MICHAEL PENNOCK 160 pages, $7.95
The Heart of Catholicism BERT GHEZZI 192 pages, $14.95
Choosing to Be Catholic
WILLIAM J. O’MALLEY, S.J. 256 pages, $14.95
POPULAR BIBLE SERIES BY
JOHN BERGSMA
Bible Basics for Catholics
A New Picture of Salvation History
New Testament Basics for Catholics 320 pages, $16.95
224 pages, $15.95
Psalm Basics for Catholics
Seeing Salvation History in a New Way 160 pages, $15.95
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avemariapress.com Speaker, educator, and author of The History of the Church in 100 Objects
THEOLOGY OF THE BODY “Christopher West does it again!” —Rose Sweet
Catholic author, speaker, and retreat leader
NEW
Word Made Flesh
A Companion to the Sunday Readings (Cycle C)
CHRISTOPHER WEST One of the most influential movements in the Church today is centered on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB), of whose teachings Christopher West is the preeminent translator for a popular audience. In Word Made Flesh: A Companion to the Sunday Readings (Cycle C), West offers reflections on an entire cycle of Sunday Mass readings through the lens of TOB, providing a fresh way to process and act on the Good News by orienting our desires for union with God with our understanding of ourselves and our relationships with others. 128 pages, $11.95
WITH CHRISTOPHER WEST & Q A ON THEOLOGY OF THE BODY AVE MARIA PRESS: Why is Theology of the Body so important in today’s society? CHRISTOPHER WEST: “I don’t think I need to convince anyone that we are living in a time of profound crisis in the Church. We don’t understand what it means that God made us male and female. We live in a world that is compelling us by law to say that the body and the difference between man and woman are essentially meaningless. “But what I’ve learned from St. John Paul II’s theology is that if we don’t understand why God made us male and female and called the two to become one flesh, we don’t understand what Christianity itself is. That call is a great mystery that reveals Christ’s love for the Church. “For such a time as this in the Church we have TOB. If antidotes are not injected into our bloodstream, they do us no good. Word Made Flesh is meant to inject the antidote into our bloodstream so we can see all of scripture as this great love story. Our bodies reveal the eternal plan of God—to be one with us forever. This book is meant to give us glasses to read scripture precisely in that way.” AVE: What do you hope readers get out of this book? WEST: “The primary messages I want readers to hear are ‘God loves you and the Scripture is a personal letter to you.’ “In my reading of scripture, wearing these glasses that JP II gave me, I’ve come to experience a very personal message. I would say especially in the Gospel readings and in the letters of the New Testament, I have found a message that speaks to my heart, my needs, my yearning, and my desire. We all have this ache for love, union, and affirmation; to see and be seen; to know and be known. I have come to discover in scripture that indeed I am known. I want my readers to know that they are known, and the one who knows them is perfect Love. “When we go into Scripture reading it as this love story, the Sunday Mass readings take on a whole new life and connect with our hearts. I went to Mass my whole life but never really connected with what was going on. The Eucharist didn’t really come alive to me until I was wearing these glasses. You start to see things that you never saw. I hope through this book readers will have the same experience: scripture will open up and a whole new world comes alive.
Christopher West—the preeminent expert on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body— is the cofounder and president of the Theology of the Body Institute and founder and president of The Cor Project.
WHY BLESSINGS? BY MSGR. STEPHEN J. ROSSETTI Sanctifying Our Daily Lives
In history, blessings did not come down from the Church hierarchy, but rather rose up from the people of God as an expression of their fears and faith. Travel was dangerous, so the people asked the Church to bless their ships. Childbearing brought its own anxieties, so pregnant women wanted to be blessed. Growing crops was critical, so priests blessed farmers’ fields. Priests are still asked to bless homes, children, workplaces, animals, and just about anything else that people desire God’s grace to assist and sanctify.
What is a Blessing?
A blessing is a sacramental—much like holy water, a crucifix, a rosary, a statue, and the sign of the cross—meant for daily use and to consecrate the little moments of life. It is the belief that our loving God wants to be part of every moment of our lives. Blessings “always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water” (CCC 1668). After the Second Vatican Council, the rites for blessings were revised and the new English version of the Book of Blessings was published in 1989. These revised blessings also include a reading from scripture, intercessions, and responses. Compared to the older, pre–Vatican II blessings, these revised blessings are meant to be a fuller
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liturgical act incorporating the active participation of the faithful. There has been a concerted effort in the post–Vatican II liturgical reform to ensure that blessings do not lapse into superstition, but rather to stress that all blessings come from God. Sacramentals are effective because of the intercession of the Church—they are not a magic ritual—and they are used as an expression of people’s faith. Sacramentals assist the faithful in living out the foundational graces of the sacraments. In addition to sanctifying and being an offer of God’s goodness, some blessings are thought to protect people from evil. Holy water, crucifixes, relics of saints, and other sacramentals have traditionally been used to ward off any demonic influence and to secure God’s protection.
Who can give a blessing?
Blessings are traditionally given by bishops and priests. The post-Vatican II reform expanded the role to deacons and gave them wide authority to bless in the name of the Church. Another Vatican II reform included the laity as ministers in some blessings—such as those of travelers, students, catechumens, the sick, the elderly, parents before childbirth, and children. In the home, the laity may bless an advent wreath, a nativity scene, and a Christmas tree. The blessing of religious articles and rosaries still requires a cleric.
From the earliest times, the Church has recognized that parents have a special authority to bless their children. Parents should be educated and encouraged to do so. Pope Benedict XVI fondly remembered his parents giving him a blessing, especially when he went away on a trip. He wrote, “This blessing was like an escort that we knew would guide us on our way. . . this blessing, which is a perfect
expression of the common priesthood of the baptized, should come back in a much stronger way into our daily life.” God can and does bless us directly in many ways, but he often uses the human instrument of the Church ministers to convey his benefits. Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti, a priest of the Diocese of Syracuse, is an expert on priestly spirituality and wellness issues. He is the author of The Priestly Blessing.
The Priestly Blessing Rediscovering the Gift
STEPHEN J. ROSSETTI A bestselling author and leading expert on the Catholic priesthood, Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti forges a renewed theology of priestly blessing, encouraging his brother priests to embrace the habit of blessing people, objects, and events. In this provocative and inspirational book, he shows how the blessing is integral to the identity of priests and crucial to the spiritual wellbeing of all the faithful. 192 pages, $16.95
“A wonderful book that will give grace to many.” —Deacon Rick Bauer
Diocese of Colorado Springs
Also by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti
Letters to My Brothers
Why Priests Are Happy
Born of the Eucharist 192 pages, $16.95
192 pages, $16.95
A Study of the Psychological and Spiritual Health of Priests
Words of Hope and Challenge for Priests
A Spirituality for Priests
The Joy of Priesthood
224 pages, $17.95
256 pages, $18.95
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MORE THAN 100,000 COPIES SOLD!
Rebuilt
Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter
MICHAEL WHITE AND TOM CORCORAN Perhaps Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran’s portrait of their breaking-down parish sounds familiar? Boring weekend Masses with snoozeworthy preaching and painful music, lackluster buildings, dormant youth ministry programs, tepid stewardship, complaining parishioners, and—worst of all—waning membership. Rebuilt is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. The authors reveal how they gleaned wisdom from thriving megachurches and innovative business leaders, anchored their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, and brought their parish back to life. Their vision and strategies are presented here with a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear it. 320 pages, $17.95
ALSO AVAILABLE IN SPANISH La reconstrucción de una parroquia
Motivar al que está cerca, llegar al que está lejos, hacer que la Iglesia cuente 320 pages, $16.95
The Rebuilt Field Guide
Ten Steps for Getting Started
MICHAEL WHITE AND TOM CORCORAN This workbook offers practical steps that will help a parish team set change in motion. 96 pages, $9.95
Tools for Rebuilding
75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish Better MICHAEL WHITE AND TOM CORCORAN Candid, hands-on advice and foundational tactics that will rejuvenate any parish. 320 pages, $17.95
Rebuilding Your Message
Practical Tools to Strengthen Your Preaching and Teaching
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MICHAEL WHITE AND TOM CORCORAN Dozens of strategies to help Catholic parishes establish and sustain excellent communication. 224 pages, $15.95
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PARISH RESOURCES
Redeeming Administration
12 Spiritual Habits for Catholic Leaders in Parishes, Schools, Religious Communities, and Other Institutions
Redeeming Conflict
12 Habits for Christian Leaders ANN M. GARRIDO 288 pages, $15.95
ANN M. GARRIDO 224 pages, $14.95
“Garrido shows how to make even our most mundane work redemptive.” —Rev. Charles E. Bouchard, O.P.
Prior Provincial Dominican Province of St. Albert the Great
FREE downloadable small-group guides available at avemariapress.com
Collaboration
Uniting Our Gifts in Ministry
LOUGHLAN SOFIELD, S.T., AND CARROLL JULIANO, S.H.C.J. An invaluable resource to enliven the Church’s mission and to make the vision of collaborative ministry proclaimed by the Second Vatican Council a reality. 192 pages, $19.95
Principled Ministry
A Guidebook for Catholic Church Leaders
LOUGHLAN SOFIELD, S.T., AND CARROLL JULIANO, S.H.C.J. Real-world stories, compelling commentary, and follow-up exercises that reinforce and help the reader apply what has been learned. An ancillary workbook, available for free download, helps both the apprentice and well-seasoned Church leader. 192 pages, $16.95
A Concise Guide to Catholic Church Management THE VINCENTIAN CENTER FOR CHURCH AND SOCIETY 288 pages, $20.95
COMING SOON!
A Concise Guide to Catholic Social Teaching 3rd Edition
KEVIN E. MCKENNA 224 pages, $17.95
AVAILABLE JANUARY 2019
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QUALITY RESOURCES FOR THE FORMATION OF HISPANIC PASTORAL LEADERS
BY HOSFFMAN OSPINO, PHD
A major accomplishment of the Catholic community in the United States is the development of amazing structures and resources to support the formation of pastoral leaders at all levels in seminaries, houses of formation, colleges and universities, pastoral institutes, online programs, and catechetical formation initiatives. Based on my experience visiting Catholic communities in various parts of the world, the Catholic Church in the United States seems to have the largest body of highly educated and well-qualified pastoral leaders globally. This reflects, in many ways, the social and cultural context within which we build faith communities in our country, the importance given to education and professional training, and the access to countless resources for formation. However, we need to understand that this body of well-qualified Catholic leaders involved in pastoral ministry—from those who are ordained to the regular volunteer in parish communities—did not develop overnight. It took decades to get where we are. We also need to know that most of these well-formed pastoral leaders are white. In the last half a century, US Catholicism has undergone major social, demographic, and cultural transformations. More than 60 percent of all Catholics under eighteen are Hispanic. Hispanics will become more than half of all Catholics in the country in less than two decades. (The fastest growing Catholic group in the United States is Asians.) Without a doubt, to be a US Catholic in the twenty-first century means being part of an experience defined by cultural diversity, with a strong Hispanic influence.
Now we need to form the pastoral leaders who will be leading the evangelization efforts in the rest of the century. We want them to be as well qualified as our current leaders. That means that we need to invest in their formation at all levels. For Hispanic Catholics, their pastoral formation goes hand-in-hand with their educational attainment. The number of Hispanic adults in the United States who has a college degree is rather small (about 18 percent of all adults) compared to white, Euro-American Catholic adults (more than 50 percent). Since nearly two-thirds of Hispanics are Catholic, this means that the Catholic Church institutionally needs to get involved in helping Hispanics become better educated. If Hispanic Catholics finish high school and attain college degrees, the pool of potential well-qualified pastoral leaders dramatically increases. There will be more chances of larger numbers of Hispanics entering seminaries to discern a vocation to the priesthood and larger numbers of Hispanics will enter formation programs to discern vocations to religious life, lay ecclesial ministry, the permanent diaconate, and other forms of professional pastoral service in the Church and in the larger society. It will take decades of commitment and investment to make all this happen. At the same time, we need Hispanics who currently self-identify as Catholic to remain so. This means that we must accompany these Catholic women and men through their faith formation, creating welcoming spaces for them to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ, and providing them with resources that support their identity as Christian disciples.
Hosffman Ospino, PhD, is an associate professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. He is the author of El Credo: Un encuentro con la fe de la Iglesia and La Iglesia: pueblo de Dios llamado a la comunión. Both books are published by Ave Maria Press as part of the Recursos para el ministerio hispano series.
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Pueblo de Dios llamado NEW a la comunión
HOSFFMAN OSPINO A popular Spanish hymn proclaims, “I am the Church, you are the Church, we are the Church.” With this as a keynote, Hosffman Ospino draws on the deep conviction among Hispanic Catholics that they are called to be the Church—locally, nationally, and globally—and provides a basic introduction to the nature and mission of the Church. Part of the Ave Maria Press Recursos para el ministerio hispano series, La Iglesia is perfect for lay ministers, catechists, people in the RCIA, and leaders of small faith communities as a helpful resource to deepen their experience of being a Christian in community and to make important connections between the mystery of Jesus Christ and that of his Church. 128 pages, $6.95
HISPANIC MINISTRY
La Iglesia
ONLY AVAILABLE IN SPANISH.
El Credo
Un encuentro con la fe de la Iglesia
HOSFFMAN OSPINO El Credo is an invitation to journey into the beauty, truth, and depth of the Catholic faith presented in the Creed through the experience of being a Hispanic Catholic in the United States. It is a valuable and much-needed resource in the formation of Hispanic lay ministers. 128 pages, $6.95 ONLY AVAILABLE IN SPANISH.
COMING SOON!
Ministerio hispano
Renovación carismática católica
Una introducción
TIMOTHY MATOVINA 96 pages, $5.95
ANDRES ARANGO 96 pages, $6.95
Only available in Spanish.
El vía crucis para todos
CLARENCE ENZLER 32 pages, $1.50
AVAILABLE FEBRUARY 2019 Only available in Spanish.
Has redimido al mundo
ANDREW GAWRYCH, C.S.C., AND KEVIN GROVE, C.S.C. 32 pages, $2.50
(800) 282-1865
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effective CATECHESIS balances EDUCATION and EMOTION
(HERE’S HOW) by Jared Dees
Religious education and catechesis is no easy task.
Religious education and catechesis is no easy task. It is difficult to achieve the necessary balance between academic learning about the Catholic faith and the motivation to love and live the Catholic faith. A religious educator can easily fall into the trap of favoring education over emotion or emotion over education. One must appeal to both the head and the heart in order to be successful in keeping kids engaged in their faith. How can we achieve that balance in catechesis? One way is to turn to the process of lectio divina (sacred reading). Lectio divina is a prayer experience that Catholics have used for centuries to read the Bible. The experience is more than a way to read a book; it is an opportunity to encounter Christ in the Word of God. It is an experience unlike that of reading any other book because the reading is done in and with the presence of Christ. Imagine if we applied those same steps of encountering God in Scripture to the way we learn and experience anything we believe as Catholics. This is the approach you will find in Christ in the Classroom and here is how it might look in a catechetical setting:
Step 1: Learn
The first step of lectio divina is to read and understand what the Bible says that everyone should understand. Applied to catechesis more broadly, the first step is to help students learn what the Church teaches about a certain topic. Do this by helping students make connections between what they already know and the new concepts they are learning.
Step 2: Meditate
Help students make the connection between what they are learning and what they have lived. Help them make personal connections between Church teachings and their memories and personal experiences. How does the lesson relate to what they are going through in their lives right now? Catechesis is not about introducing abstract concepts. Students must come to know how God wants to touch their lives in everything they learn.
Steps 3 & 4: Pray & Contemplate Give the students the chance to respond to God in prayer to personally connect with Christ. What can they ask him for? What can they thank or praise him for? Who do they feel compelled to pray for? Or, instead of responding with words of prayer, give students the chance to spend quiet, contemplative time with God: to sit and pray in silence or listen to reflective, prayerful music.
Final Step: Action
Having learned something new about the Catholic faith and encountered Christ through meditation, prayer, and contemplation, the students must go out and make connections with others. How can they live what they have learned? Think of this step as ungraded, even unassigned homework. Christ in the Classroom: Lesson Planning for the Heart and Mind includes dozens of activity ideas and strategies to carry out each one of these steps in class. Religious educators will be able to apply the methodology and activities to keep kids engaged in class and entering more deeply into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jared Dees is the creator of the popular website The Religion Teacher, which provides practical resources and effective teaching strategies to religious educators.
Christ in the Classroom
Lesson Planning for the Heart and Mind
FOR THE CATECHIST
NEW JARED DEES In Christ in the Classroom, Jared Dees applies the five steps of lectio divina—reading/learning, meditation, prayer, contemplation, and action—to the ministry of catechesis. He offers teachers and catechists a practical framework for preparing lessons that broaden the focus of teaching from mostly intellectual learning to also encountering Christ in prayer, reflection, and action. Using this method, students and catechists come to know intimately the person of Christ at the same time that they are learning the tenets and traditions of the Church. 192 pages, $12.95
“As a director of religious education for the last forty-five years, I am absolutely convinced that Jared Dees is spot on with this approach.” —Peggy Pigors
Coordinator of Adult Faith Formation at St. Clare Parish Santa Clarita, California
31 Days to Becoming a Better Religious Educator JARED DEES 192 pages, $10.95
NEW
To Heal, Proclaim, and Teach The Essential Guide to Ministry in Today’s Catholic Church JARED DEES 320 pages, $16.95
Called to Pray
Daily Prayers for Catholic Schools
JUSTIN MCCLAIN This collection of short prayers is arranged by schoolyear-related themes and can be read by a teacher or student. It is filled with fresh, timely, and meaningful prayers that fit well into any classroom schedule. 160 pages, $15.95
“A powerful and enriching spiritual resource.” —Heather Gossart
Senior consultant and director of mentoring/coaching National Catholic Educational Association
(800) 282-1865
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gIFT Listening THE
OF
BY KATIE PREJEAN MCGRADY
“What do we do about the young people?” It was a simple question, from a goodhearted priest, who legitimately didn’t understand what we needed to do when it comes to serving the young Church. He’d called me into his office, curious about what more we could offer the teens of the parish, how we could make middle school events appealing to eleven-year-old kids, and how to encourage young adults and parents to volunteer their time to help the youth of our parish actually fall in love with Jesus. I’m glad that well-meaning, kind, hardworking, holy priest asked me that question nearly eight years ago when I began my first parish youth ministry job. I’m more excited by the fact that he listened to my answer, gave me a budget so I could do things to serve the young church at the parish, and offered his unwavering support when I presented new ideas, offered new strategies, and worked to engage the youth and young adults of our parish. His attitude of openness, support, and encouragement and even his occasional offering of his own ideas was precisely what we needed to create a culture of active and engaging youth and young adult ministry. By asking the question and listening to the answers coming from experts and young people alike, the Church is signaling, loud and clear, that young people are not a problem to be solved. Youth do not merely “take up space” in the pews (if they’re even there) and they don’t need to be shuffled quickly through sacramental prep programs that are woefully uninspiring and unengaging. Young people are a priority for the Church, and not just because they’re the parishioners of tomorrow. Young people are important because their spiritual life, encounter with Jesus, participation in the life of the Church, communication with the Lord, and service to the body of Christ is valuable, beautiful, and necessary.
I was fortunate enough to be one of the young people who offered answers and was listened to at the Pre-Synod gathering in March 2018. Sent by the USCCB, I set out for Rome to represent the youth and young adults of the United States, hoping to offer honest thoughts and helpful insights, and to speak to the crisis the Church faces today: we are losing young people because they are not experiencing an authentic, life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ. I arrived ready to talk, share, write, and represent, but quickly learned that I, who was being listened to, was being called to listen to others. Therein lies the beauty of this entire Synod on Young People. Bishops are gathering to discuss how to minister to youth and young adults, having first spent a lot of time listening to the needs, concerns, hopes, fears, and ideas of youth and young adults. And those of us who were listened to by them also had the remarkable chance to listen to one another. What do we do about young people? We engage with them in dialogue and listen to them and then they will listen to us. When I was a high school theology teacher, I had a sticky-note taped to my desk. It read “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” It’s an old Dr. Seuss quote, and something I had to remind myself of every single day. We, the Roman Catholic Church, have the fullness of Truth, the grace of the Sacraments, and the beautiful universality of our Faith. We are the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. If we are going to invite young people into this faith (and keep them here), then we must show them we care, we are listening, we are present and available to them, we love them, and we want them here. Katie Prejean McGrady is a Catholic speaker and the author of Room 24 and Follow. She shares the gospel with a unique blend of humor and storytelling that weaves in theological truths to engage audiences of all ages and sizes.
Follow
Your Lifelong Adventure with Jesus
KATIE PREJEAN MCGRADY In Follow, Prejean McGrady uses engaging, sometimes awkward, and frequently funny stories from her own life to explain four simple and practical ways to get to know Jesus and have a lifechanging friendship with him. 160 pages, $13.95
“This book is moving, challenging, and inspiring.” —Mark Hart
Executive Vice President Life Teen
Room 24
Adventures of a New Evangelist
KATIE PREJEAN MCGRADY From her first year of teaching, Prejean McGrady shares humorous and hopeful interactions she had with her students that helped her learn that teaching them about Jesus and his Church is not as important as knowing them, loving them, and inviting them to know and love Jesus as a personal friend and savior. 160 pages, $13.95
COMING SOON!
Lent: One Day at a Time for Catholic Teens KATIE PREJEAN MCGRADY AND TOMMY MCGRADY 64 pages, $2.50 AVAILABLE JANUARY 2019
What Matters Most
Empowering Young Catholics for Life’s Big Decisions
LEONARD J. DELORENZO DeLorenzo urges youth ministers, teachers, and parents to help young people redefine success in light of their call to discipleship—completely saying yes to God. He presents ways to remedy spiritual deficits in young people created by cultural realities such as the fast pace of tech-driven lives and the looming pressure to succeed with worldly accomplishments. 224 pages, $16.95
Witness
Learning to Tell the Stories of Grace That Illumine Our Lives LEONARD J. DELORENZO Beginning with the apostles themselves, Christians have practiced the art of telling their stories to bring others to faith. Leonard J. DeLorenzo, theology professor and director of Notre Dame Vision—a program designed to help youth and young adults find their true vocation—presents seven guiding principles to help you share your faith in a genuine way and teach others to do so as well. 160 pages, $16.95 11
New Life
Changes Everything!
BY KEVIN COTTER “I’m pregnant again!” My wife said these three words right after I put the kids to bed last March, and with them, everything in our life began to change. Questions about this change began to emerge very quickly. Where will the baby sleep? How will the baby affect our budget? Will the baby be a boy or girl? What will the other kids think? What will the baby’s personality be like? How will our schedule change? New life changes everything. It changes the way we think, act, speak, plan, and dream. Have you ever experienced this type of life change before? Maybe you’ve had a baby like me or a move across the country or a new job. It’s amazing how these transitions can change us so much, from very significant aspects to incredibly small details. The same is true for new spiritual life. In his apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis calls on our parishes to change everything for the sake of new life. He states, “I dream of a ‘missionary option,’ that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation” (no. 27). Hearing the Pope’s missionary option is exciting, but also overwhelming. We can easily get tied up in all of the details—budgets, volunteers, permissions, conversations, and planning—to bring this vision to life. Before that, we might wonder where we would even start to make something like this happen. Pope Francis can guide us there, too: “Here we find the source and inspiration of all our efforts at evangelization. For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others?” (no. 9). In order to see new spiritual life in our parishes, we must
first be open to seeing new spiritual life in ourselves. During my eleven years as a missionary with FOCUS (the Fellowship of Catholic University Students) we emphasized that our staff should spend an hour in prayer each day. We also encouraged all of our student volunteers to spend at least twenty to thirty minutes praying each day as well. We knew that if they were going to be effective at evangelization they would need to experience God’s mercy and love in a real way each and every day. Now, as executive director of content and programming for The Amazing Parish, my team and I encourage pastors and their leadership teams to encounter God each day in prayer; not only on their own, but to share their spiritual lives with one another. In doing so, a culture of encounter and sharing takes place at the parish that can then be passed on to others. At first this sharing could be done informally and then later on it could develop into an intentional initiative to help others encounter and share the faith through a Bible study or a small-group program like the Alpha Course. As a parish begins to see new life in itself and share it with others, it can begin to view everything in light of this new reality. If we wanted the people in our pews to encounter God more deeply, how would we preach or sing music differently? If we wanted to reach men and women who come to our Churches infrequently, how would we welcome them when they do come to Mass? If we want to reach the peripheries, what would our parish and the people in our parish have to do in order to invite them? New life changes everything. The same is true for our parishes. Begin with yourself and see what God can do. Kevin Cotter is executive director of The Amazing Parish and also served as senior director of curriculum at FOCUS.
Called
Becoming an Everyday Disciple in a Post-Christian World—A Five-Week Guide
NEW
KEVIN COTTER In this five-week guide to becoming a daily disciple of Jesus in a post-Christian culture Kevin Cotter presents thirty-five brief and engaging meditations that provide Catholics with the conviction and tools for sharing Jesus with others. Called is an accessible guide to evangelization for the average Catholic. 192 pages, $13.95
“Rich insights to aid your efforts in becoming an everyday disciple.” —Curtis Martin
Founder and CEO of FOCUS
Off the Hook
God, Love, Dating, and Marriage in a Hookup World
NEW TIMOTHY P. O’MALLEY Timothy O’Malley explains how the ethics of hooking up shape relationships between men and women and examines the considerable harm to individuals and society that results. By exploring the sacrament of marriage in its biblical, theological, and liturgical dimensions, he offers Catholic young adults and those charged with their formation and pastoral care a wealth of insight into God’s plan for love. 160 pages, $15.95
“A treasure trove for all affected by the hookup culture and those who minister to them.” —Most Rev. Joseph E. Kurtz Archbishop of Louisville
Breakthrough
A Journey from Desperation to Hope
FR. ROB GALEA In Breakthrough, Galea shares his journey from scared teenager to passionate priest and invites readers to learn more about the Catholic faith so they, too, can find hope in Christ. 224 pages, $15.95
“Contemporary culture compels approaches to evangelization that are new in ardor, method, and expression. Fr. Rob Galea’s efforts to reach young people with the saving power of the Gospel exemplify all three.” —Bishop Robert Barron
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles
Go Bravely
Becoming the Woman You Were Created to Be
EMILY WILSON HUSSEM Emily Wilson Hussem offers readers warm and friendly encouragement as she shares her experiences with other young women as their youth minister as well as her own struggles with insecurity, relationships, loving and forgiving herself, and living her faith. 160 pages, $13.95
“Emily Wilson offers practical— and joyful—strategies for living as a Christian woman in today’s culture.” —Jason Evert
Author, speaker, and founder of The Chastity Project
SIMPLE AND EFFECTIVE: A fre sh APPROACH TO MARRIAGE PREPARATION BY DEACON STEPHEN BOWLING When I became the director of the Family Ministries Office for the archdiocese of Louisville in August 2015, my archbishop, Joseph Kurtz, tasked me immediately with exploring deeper options for our marriage preparation programs. Specifically, we wanted something that would be parish-based, simple to administer, and robust in content, while at the same time being faithful to the Church’s teachings. A tall order to say the least . . . and then something miraculous happened . . . I found Joined by Grace. As you might imagine, in my position I receive free evaluation copies for just about every new marriage preparation program that is published. Many of them are good or even excellent; however, none of them can match the “teams of witnesses” approach that is at the core of Joined by Grace’s video component. By having this great video team at our service, along with the powerful witness given by authors John and Teri Bosio in the printed materials, mentor couples who journey with couples seeking marriage through this program have a significant advantage over all other programs available today. Since rolling out the program in my archdiocese in October 2017, I have trained more than 100 folks in how to best use this program in many of our parishes, with more and more calling to implement the program all the time. We have offered the five-hour training session ten times, usually at the parishes themselves, but sometimes in a central location. The trainings are heavily promoted among the Presbyterate, Diaconate, and at the parishes themselves and they are offered either as
one Saturday morning session or as two weeknight sessions offered a week apart. The archdiocese wants to make it easy for every parish to participate, and as I run all the trainings personally, I have an ongoing connection with the couples working in the program and I can offer support and further enrichment directly to them over time. It really is a nicely sustainable program, which was perhaps our most important goal from the start. The responses I receive from all the couples I train, as well as from the parish personnel who are involved with the program, are all very much the same: this is exactly what was needed to relate to engaged couples today in this new technological age and to keep them connected to the Church. Joined by Grace and the insights it brings are fresh, relatable, and filled with joy, even when discussing the hard subjects. Joined by Grace ultimately is the most effective marriage preparation program available today because it allows engaged couples to explore the future before them with the help and personal guidance of companion couples who live their faith unabashedly. This witness, together with the great content provided via a synthesis of different learning styles, makes Joined by Grace, to use Archbishop Kurtz’s words, “the Cadillac of marriage preparation programs.” Deacon Stephen Bowling is director of the Office of Family Ministries for the Archdiocese of Louisville, as well as permanent deacon assigned to St. Gabriel the Archangel parish in Louisville, KY. He also serves as spiritual advisor for his local Conference of the St. Vincent DePaul Society.
MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROGRAM Joined by Grace was developed with one goal in mind: to help engaged couples build strong, life-giving, and lasting unions by inspiring them to welcome God into their marriages more completely. Offering couples the tools they need for life after their wedding day, Joined by Grace shows how the seven sacraments can help build marriages that are rooted in Christ by teaching couples to accept and be fully present to one another, give themselves completely, and serve and forgive each other. Joined by Grace provides parish leaders, mentor couples, and engaged couples the most comprehensive, innovative, and up-to-date marriage preparation program for Catholic parishes today.
The Starter Pack: $124.95 $75.00 1 Program Manual, 2 Mentor Guides, 2 Couple’s Books, 1 DVD
Mentor Pack: $99.95 $50.00 2 Mentor Guides, 1 DVD
Couple’s Pack: $24.95 2 Couple’s books
Program Manual: $29.95 The DVD features marriage experts, pastoral leaders, and married couples who share stories and insights about living the sacraments through good times and bad.
An online library includes free resources to support marriage ministry coordinators, mentors, and engaged couples at JoinedbyGrace.com.
CELEBRATING MATRIMONY Together for Life: Revised with The Order of Celebrating Matrimony Celebrating and Living the Sacrament
JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN WITH PETER A. JARRET, C.S.C. Together for Life has been the most trusted source for wedding planning in the Catholic Church for more than forty-five years. This new edition of Together for Life contains the new texts of the most recent translation of The Order of Celebrating Matrimony. It includes all the tools engaged couples use when meeting with a priest, deacon, or lay parish minister to plan their weddings and prepare for living the sacrament of Marriage. 134 pages, $4.95
Juntos para toda la vida JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN WITH PETER A. JARRET, C.S.C. 128 pages, $5.99
OFFICIAL LITURGICAL BOOK The Order of Celebrating Matrimony The Order of Celebrating Matrimony Complete Ritual Card Edition (Includes Binder), $74.95 The Order of Celebrating Matrimony Ritual Cards Edition, $55.95 Ceremonial Binder, $19.00
A Perfect Gift for the Newly Married!
Joined by Grace: A Catholic Prayer Book for Engaged and Newly Married Couples JOHN BOSIO AND TERI BOSIO 160 pages, $9.95
Three Secrets to Holiness in Marriage
101 Tips for a Happier Marriage
DAN DEMATTE AND AMBER DEMATTE 224 pages, $16.95
JENNIFER ROBACK MORSE AND BETSY KEREKES 144 pages, $12.95
A 33‐Day Self‐Guided Retreat for Catholic Couples
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Simple Ways for Couples to Grow Closer to God and to Each Other
SACRAMENTS BAPTISM Together at Baptism
Preparing, Celebrating, and Living the Sacrament
ROBERT HAMMA This parish favorite is the perfect tool for parent formation and for preparing the baptismal liturgy. Downloadable tools help parish leaders train parents to connect the sacrament with everyday life and better understand their role as their child’s first catechists. 128 pages, $4.95
Ideal Uses for Together at Baptism: • Sacramental preparation • Liturgical planning • Communal celebrations of baptism
CONFIRMATION Send Out Your Spirit
MICHAEL AMODEI Send Out Your Spirit leads teens through the major tenets of their faith—the Trinity, Jesus, scripture, Church, sacraments, morality, and more— specifically structured for the context of preparing for confirmation. This program is rooted in the idea that high school-aged candidates want the necessary information on the Catholic faith in hand as they commit personally to the promises of faith originally made for them at baptism and reaffirmed in confirmation.
Leader’s Manual, $22.95 Sponsor’s Handbook, $3.95 Candidate’s Handbook, $11.95
THE RITE OF COMMITTAL
NEW
Funeral Mass and Rite of Committal Complete Set
Rite Cards and Binder, $84.95 Rite Cards, $65.95 Binder, $19.00
Through Death to Life Preparing to Celebrate the Funeral Mass JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN 128 pages, $4.95
De la muerte a la vida
JOSEPH M. CHAMPLIN 128 pages, $5.99
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APOLOGETICS First Place Winner of a 2018 Catholic Press Association Award
Why I Am Catholic (and You Should Be Too)
BRANDON VOGT Brandon Vogt, a bestselling author and the content director for Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, shares his passionate search for truth, a journey that culminated in the realization that Catholicism was right about a lot of things, maybe even everything. His persuasive case for the faith reveals a vision of Catholicism that has answers our world desperately needs and reminds those already in the Church what they love about it. 192 pages, $20.00 (Hardcover) FREE downloadable study guide available in December at avemariapress.com
“In a time of crisis, when so many young people have abandoned the Church, Why I Am Catholic boldly affirms the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Catholic faith.” —Bishop Robert Barron
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles
God Is Not Nice
Rejecting Pop Culture Theology and Discovering the God Worth Living For
ULRICH L. LEHNER Theology professor Ulrich L. Lehner reintroduces Christians to the true God—not the polite, easygoing, divine therapist who doesn’t ask much of us, but the Almighty God who is unpredictable, awe-inspiring, and demands our entire lives. Lehner shows that God is more strange and beautiful than we imagine, and wants to know and transform us in the most intimate way. 160 pages, $16.95
Particles of Faith
A Catholic Guide to Navigating Science
STACY A. TRASANCOS How can Catholics explain what the Church teaches about the relationship between science and faith? Scientist, writer, and scholar Stacy Trasancos gives us ways we can talk about how science and our Catholic faith work together to reveal the truth of Christ through the beauty of his creation. 192 pages, $15.95
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JOYCE RUPP Boundless Compassion Creating a Way of Life
The definitive Christian guide to compassion, Boundless Compassion is the culmination of Joyce Rupp’s research and work as codirector of the Servite Center of Compassionate Presence. Through this six-week personal transformation process for developing and deepening compassion, Rupp nudges, encourages, and inspires the reader to grow in the kind of love that motivated Jesus’ life and mission for his disciples. 224 pages, $18.95
Prayers of Boundless Compassion Forty original prayers, blessings, and meditations that will inspire anyone to change the world. 128 pages, $12.95
NEW
Anchors for the Soul
Daily Wisdom for Inspiration and Guidance
For more than thirty years, Joyce Rupp has been writing bestselling spiritual books that have accompanied readers through the seasons of life and helped them glimpse the Divine. In Anchors for the Soul, prayers, poems, blessings, and meditations from Rupp’s many works are brought together to offer daily wisdom that will guide you and keep you anchored to God throughout the year. 400 pages, $17.95
“Inspiring, inviting, uplifting, and enlightening.” —Macrina Wiederkehr
Author of Seven Sacred Pauses
The Cup of Our Life
192 pages, $16.95
Fly While You Still Have Wings
224 pages, $16.95
My Soul Feels Lean
176 pages, $16.95
Praying Our Goodbyes
192 pages, $16.95
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Sacred Reading
The 2019 Guide to Daily Prayer
POPE’S WORLDWIDE PRAYER NETWORK Sacred Reading: The 2019 Guide to Daily Prayer provides a prayerful and intimate exploration of the daily gospel readings, illuminating each passage through a simple, six-step process that draws you into a personal encounter with Christ. Unlike other prayer books using the traditional spiritual devotion of lectio divina, this guide includes the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions, allowing you to participate in the global life of the Church while strengthening your own faith. 416 pages, $16.95
“Clear and concise and yet filled with wisdom and promise.” —Marge Fenelon
Author of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots
ADVENT Sacred Reading for Advent and Christmas 2018–2019 POPE’S WORLDWIDE PRAYER NETWORK 96 pages, $1.95
The Living Gospel
Daily Devotions for Advent 2018 GREG KANDRA 64 pages, $1.95
LENT Sacred Reading for Lent 2019
POPE’S WORLDWIDE PRAYER NETWORK 128 pages, $2.00
Lenten Healing
40 Days to Set You Free from Sin
KEN KNIEPMANN Lenten Healing offers a twist to traditional Lenten fasting: instead of giving up chocolate, give up your sin. This daily Lenten devotional offers a unique approach to fasting, helping you reexamine the psychological and spiritual roots of sin in your life while sharing reflections and prayer exercises for overcoming sinful habits and acquiring virtuous ones. 192 pages, $13.95
“Inspiring, deep, and healing.” —Sr. Miriam James Heidland, S.O.L.T.
Catholic speaker and author of Loved As I Am
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The Living Gospel
Daily Devotions for Lent 2019 CHARLES PAOLINO 96 pages, $2.25
PRAYER, DEVOTION, AND SPIRITUAL PRACTICE Lift Up Your Heart
A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales
JOHN BURNS Introduction to the Devout Life by Doctor of the Church St. Francis de Sales takes on new life in Lift Up Your Heart, where Rev. John Burns has interpreted ten meditations for the modern reader and distilled them into a ten-day mini-retreat that can easily be completed in the midst of a busy life. 192 pages, $13.95
“A must-read and a real gift!” —Sarah Swafford
Author of Emotional Virtue
A Heart Like Mary’s
31 Daily Meditations to Help You Live and Love as She Does EDWARD LOONEY In A Heart Like Mary’s, author and Marian theologian Rev. Edward Looney guides us through thirty-one daily meditations on the unique characteristics of Mary’s heart. 160 pages, $13.95
“Prayerful, engaging, and practical.” —Rev. James Kubicki, S.J.
Author of A Heart On Fire and A Year of Daily Offerings
Praying the Angelus
Find Joy, Peace, and Purpose in Everyday Life
In Praying the Angelus, popular author and speaker Jared Dees reinvigorates the devotion, shares intimately from his own experience of it, shows us how to get started, and enriches the practice with original meditations to reflect on the words of both the Angelus and the Regina Caeli. 160 pages, $13.95
“A necessary read.” —Timothy O’Malley
Director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy
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800.282.5681
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Use promo code found to the right of your mailing address when ordering. Not combinable with other coupons or offers, including any other promo code. Discount cannot be applied to the purchase of Together for Life, Joined by Grace program components, parish products, or textbooks (find all exceptions at avemariapress.com/exclusions). Offer not available for wholesale purchases. Previous purchases and the purchase of gift cards are excluded.
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