Gifts From The Foot Of The Cross

Gifts from the foot of the Cross By: Gary Robert Villani This volume came to fruition at the request of attendees from many of the Sunday school classes the author has led over the past twenty years. The majority of spiritual messages contained in this book came directly from the support material prepared for these sessions, which ultimately led to class members stating, “You’ve got to put that on paper!” Gifts from the foot of the Cross is not a devotional. The underlying theme of the book is simple and direct—it is designed to reach the everyday Christian and let them know they are not alone in facing the stumbles, slips, trips, and falls they may be experiencing in their daily spiritual walk. Additionally, there are numerous suggestions on how to successfully avoid these pitfalls, and each entry is backed by Biblical passages. It is Gary’s sincere hope that the reader will immediately identify with the material in these stories and subsequently find spiritual support and direction to get back on the spiritual wellness trail.

This study builds upon recent scholarship exploring the significance of the Old Testament covenant metaphor in the Johannine writings. By examining the Gospel of John as a whole through a narrative lens and focusing on several key dialogues, the author sheds light on the dialogical nature of the revelatory process and the central role of covenant for the Fourth Evangelist. Also incorporating recent scholarship that suggests the evangelist understood himself to be writing Scripture based upon fulfillment language present in summary statements across the Gospel, and demonstrating a relationship between the Fourth Gospel and ancient drama that renders speech as action, this work attempts to construct a new paradigm for reading John against the background of the Old Testament covenant metaphor. The claim is twofold: the Johannine story of Jesus Christ is a carefully crafted literary treatise theologically underpinned by discourse on covenant and Scripture, and the Fourth Evangelist provides catechesis to a believing community on the nature of its faith in the God of Israel's ongoing covenant with the created order. By grasping the theological fabric of the evangelist, the richness of the dialogue and imagery of his Gospel is allowed to have its full voice in terms of covenant fulfillment and the ongoing commitment of God to a believing people.

Women of Faith speakers share insight, advice, laughter, and maybe even a few tears in this daily devotional. Voices from fiction, recognizable names from Christian conferences, and well-known Christian writers also are included. Daily Gifts of Grace is a daily devotional designed specifically for women, with a beautiful hardbound case and a magnetic closure. Readers will be pleased to open it for a devotion that will help them face the day or for an inspirational devotion to close the day. Contributors include Joni Eareckson Tada, Lisa Whelchel, Jenna Lucado, Sheila Walsh, Kim Cash Tate, Patsy Clairmont, Natalie Grant, Lisa Harper, and others.

Few books in theology have faced the twentieth century with all its horrors and yet revoiced the redemptive Christian antidote as convincingly as Joseph Ratzinger's 1968 masterpiece, Introduction to Christianity. In Gift to Church and World, John Cavadini and Donald Wallenfang present papers from the conference held at the University of Notre Dame to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of this classic book's publication and, through it, Ratzinger's lasting influence on the world of Christian theology. Bishops, priests, and lay men and women set their hands to 'the trowel of tribute,' honoring the legacy of Joseph Ratzinger and the pivotal role he has played in the recent history of the Catholic Church. Covering Ratzinger's work on fundamental theology, philosophical theology, dogmatic theology, spiritual theology, and pedagogy, the essays gathered here shed new light on Ratzinger's theological genius. Throughout, the authors return to his compelling expression of the divine call to reawaken to our true identity as beloved children of God. Altogether, readers will deepen their appreciation and understanding of the theological contributions of Joseph Ratzinger, and his continued relevance to mission and evangelisation today.

Entrenched in the teachings of the Church and enriched by the Bible is an untapped wealth of truth and what Pope Pius XI in his encyclical Casti Connubii calls “supernatural powers” concerning sacramental marriage that awaits those willing to undergo the journey. In this book, The “Supernatural Powers” in the Marriage Sacrament, those who seek will indeed find that through a systematic and tenable development of marriage, its mystery is not only illustrated and unveiled, but perpetuated in the supernatural gifts that Christ has embedded in this vocational Sacrament. Throughout these pages, as the marital union unfolds through the lens of Christ across the Old and New Testaments, Christian spouses will be moved by the depth of their own calling and inspired with renewed vigor to pick up the torch and to live out that life - a life which has been ordained by God in holiness as a truly unique and efficacious revelation of the redeeming power of Christ. In Part I of The “Supernatural Powers” in the Marriage Sacrament, the first seven chapters are specifically designed to led deacons, catechists, and lay Catholics - especially husbands and wives - to learn through a gradual yet intensively biblical and theological journey towards the unveiling of the unique redeeming gift to spouses - that which is seen, established and empowered through Christ at the Cross. Here one finds the specific dynamics of that Sacramental gift unpacked, and the sound spiritual evidence laid out for why there is such an absence of this marital fruit in our modern era. In Part II, Poulin then unpacks in greater detail how marriage and the gender of husband and wife serve as a revelation about man, salvation, and the Blessed Trinity; and just how the religious life falls within that plan without contradiction or constraint. Lastly in Part III, Jeff Poulin puts under the microscope through the lens of the Church the powerful words of St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:14 and defends the charge that the simplest Catholic explanation - that which is often dismissed - merits a serious second look!

During his lifetime on earth Jesus was not regarded as a priest. How then is he the pioneer and author of the Christian priesthood? What is the difference between the common priesthood and the ministerial priesthood? Why is the priesthood the highest vocation? Can the Church exist without the priesthood? Why is there scarcity of priestly vocations in some parts of the world today? Why do Catholic priests not marry? These questions and many others are answered in The Amazing Gift of the Priesthood which grew out of the several retreats given by Rev. Kieran C. Okoro to various groups of priests, deacons, seminarians and lay Christians. Very inspirational, The Amazing Gift of the Priesthood is a spiritual classic for the clergy, religious and lay Christians, which keeps the reader engaged throughout.

DIV"Satan is an enemy to be respected and understood," write Glen and Marge Williams. But Spring the Trap will do more than help you understand him. It will give you the tools to defeat him.Spring the Trap is written in a simple, conversational style. Glen a/div