PEOPLE of GOD

John XXIII

The Medicine of Mercy

Massimo Faggioli

978-0-8146-4951-0 168 pp., $12.95 e eBook

Joseph Bernardin

Seeking Common Ground

Steven P. Millies

978-0-8146-4806-3 152 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Luis Antonio Tagle

Leading by Listening

Cindy Wooden

978-0-8146-3717-3 104 pp.,$12.95 e eBook

Rights: World except Canada, France, Italy, and the Philippines

Martin Sheen

Pilgrim on the Way

Rose Pacatte, FSP

978-0-8146-3712-8 152 pp., $12.95 e eBook

Rights: World, except Canada

Mary Lou Williams

Music for the Soul

Deanna Witkowski

978-0-8146-6401-8 168 pp., $16.95 e eBook

Mychal Judge

Take Me Where You Want

Me to Go

Francis DeBernardo

978-0-8146-4420-1 176 pp., $19.95 e eBook

Nicholas Black Elk

Medicine Man, Catechist, Saint

Jon M. Sweeney

978-0-8146-4416-4 144 pp., $19.95 e eBook

Oscar Romero

Love Must Win Out

Kevin Clarke

978-0-8146-3757-9 164 pp., $19.95 e eBook

Rights: World, except Canada

Paul Farmer

Servant to the Poor

Jennie Weiss Block

978-0-8146-4574-1 200 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Paul VI

Pilgrim Pope

Michael Collins

978-0-8146-4669-4 148 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Rosemary Nyirumbe

Sewing Hope in Uganda

María Ruiz Scaperlanda

978-0-8146-4463-8 168 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Rutilio Grande

A Table for All

Rhina Guidos

978-0-8146-4564-2 132 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Shahbaz Bhatti

Martyr of the Suffering Church

John L. Allen Jr.

978-0-8146-4623-6 136 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Teresa of Calcutta

Dark Night, Active Love

Jon M. Sweeney

978-0-8146-6615-9 184 pp., $19.95 e eBook

Thea Bowman

Faithful and Free

Maurice J. Nutt, CSsR

978-0-8146-4608-3 152 pp., $19.95 e eBook

Theodore Hesburgh, CSC

Bridge Builder

Edward P. Hahnenberg

978-0-8146-6458-2 200 pp., $16.95 e eBook

Thomas Merton

Faithful Visionary

Michael W. Higgins

978-0-8146-3706-7 136 pp., $14.95 e eBook

Transform Now Plowshares

Megan Rice, Gregory BoertjeObed, and Michael Walli

Carole Sargent

978-0-8146-3722-7 248 pp., $19.95 e eBook

Dear friends of Liturgical Press,

Grace and peace to you! It’s an exciting time here at Little Rock Scripture Study as we prepare to celebrate “50 years of Catholic Bible Study” in 2024.

Little Rock Scripture Study began in 1974 in the hearts (and garage!) of Fred and Tammy Woell of Little Rock, Arkansas—in partnership with Jerome Kodell, OSB, and other lay men and women who dreamed of providing reliable Catholic Bible study in their diocese. In partnership with the Diocese of Little Rock, and soon thereafter with Liturgical Press, LRSS has grown into an international Bible study program with a reputation for informative and transformative Catholic Bible Study.

Now fully in-house at Liturgical Press, Little Rock Scripture Study continues to grow, offering you trusted, award-winning studies on relevant biblical topics.

Does your parish offer a Bible study program? Are you interested in expanding your current offerings for adults in your parish? We hope you’ll take a look at what we have to offer. And you’ll find even more options at littlerockscripture.org.

I’m just a phone call or an email away. It would be my pleasure to help you choose a Bible study that’s just right for your parish community.

Amy Ekeh Director, Little Rock Scripture Study

aekeh001@litpress.org 320-363-2081

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WOMEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PART ONE suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation. PART

WOMEN OLD TESTAMENT IN THE COMING 2024!

978-0-8146-6834-4 Paperback, 96 pp., 7 x 10 $17.95 (1-4 copies)

$13.95 net (5-14 copies) e eBook also available

$10.95 net (15 or more copies).

978-0-8146-6835-1 DVD video lectures, $40.00 net the time of

2. How would you describe the contrast between the past glory of Israel and its situation at b) How do you understand the central message of the baptism of Jesus?

3. a) Why might Jesus’ baptism be a source of confusion?

The First Joyful Mystery: The Annunciation

Luke 1:26-38 26In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, the27toavirginbetrothedtoamannamedJoseph,of house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28Andcomingtoher,hesaid,“Hail,favoredone!TheLordiswithyou.”

4. a) The commentary explains that Jesus’ “signs” in the Gospel of John are “not simply miracles.” What makes these wondrous acts “signs”?

29Butshewasgreatly oftroubledatwhatwassaidandponderedwhatsort greetingthismightbe.

30Thentheangelsaidto her,“Donotbeafraid,Mary,foryouhavefound favor with God. 31Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name himJesus.

32HewillbegreatandwillbecalledSon theoftheMostHigh,andtheLordGodwillgivehim throne of David his father, 33and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdomtherewillbenoend.”

34ButMarysaidtothe angel,“Howcanthisbe,sinceIhavenorelations withaman?” 35Andtheangelsaidtoherinreply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.theThereforethechildtobebornwillbecalledholy, Son of God. 36And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age,andthisisthesixthmonthforherwhowascalled barren; 37fornothingwillbeimpossibleforGod.” 38Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.”Thentheangeldepartedfromher.

Hidden in Luke’s straightforward reporting of the angel Gabriel’s dutiful delivery of his special message to Mary is the stark contrastbetweenthemessengerandtherecipient. Gabriel is not simply sent by God, but he is sent from God. This is the Gabriel who revealed himself to Zechariah in announcing the birth of John the Baptist. Gabriel’s home in the universe is the immediate presence of God (Luke village of Israel—a foreign-occupied land that has lost status as a nation in its own right. With utter simplicity and brevity Luke leads us to this most unassuming stage for amessageproclaimingthemostimportantevent since the creation of the universe.

Nazareth played no known role in the history of Israel and is never mentioned in the Old Testament. The continuing insignificance of this village in Jesus’ time may be seen in Nathanael’s dismissive comment in John 1:46: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Mary elevates her status beyond erstime.Thousandsofyearslater,faithfulbelievaround the world will prayerfully repeat Gabriel’s greeting, sometimes in joy, at others in sorrow, praying also for enlightenment or hoping for a share in glory: “Hail, Mary, full