Renew The Face Of The Earth

Over 12,000 copies of this book have sold since publication in 2004. Containing completely new material, this user-friendly sequel to the bestselling Intercessions Handbook is for individuals and groups involved in the vital task of leading prayers in public worship. Easy to adapt to particular situations and with a wealth of creative suggestions for enlivening the prayers, The Second Intercessions Handbook covers: mainstream public worship festivals and special events, informal worship and worship for small groups, intercessions with children and young people, and personal intercession.

"Homilies for Weekdays: Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials" is a requested and welcome addition to the first two volumes of weekday homilies by Father Don Talafous, OSB. Here, he offers creative homily suggestions for solemnities, feasts, and obligatory memorials that fall on weekdays. Readers will deeply appreciate the faithful representation of the Scripture readings and their practical applications for Christian living. "Don Talafous, OSB, PhD, serves as alumni chaplain for Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He is author of "Homilies for Weekdays: Year I "and"Homilies for Weekdays: Year II."

The Psalms have long served a vital role in the individual and corporate lives of Christians. The church fathers employed the Psalms widely—as hymns, Scripture readings, counsel on morals, forms for prayer, and in the great doctrinal controversies. In this ACCS volume readers will find rich comment and theological reflection from more than sixty-five ancient authors.

Preaching was immensely important in the medieval Church, and Thomas Aquinas expended much time and effort preaching. Today, however, Aquinas’s sermons remain relatively unstudied and underappreciated. This is largely because their sermo modernus style, typical of the thirteenth century, can appear odd and inaccessible to the modern reader. In Reading the Sermons of Thomas Aquinas, Randall Smith guides the reader through Aquinas’s sermons, explaining their form and content. In the process, one comes to appreciate the sermons in their rhetorical brilliance, beauty, and profound spiritual depth while simultaneously being initiated into a fascinating world of thought concerning Scripture, language, and the human mind. The book also includes analytical outlines for all of Aquinas’s extant sermons. Reading the Sermons of Thomas Aquinas: A Beginner’s Guide is an indispensable volume for those interested in the thought of Aquinas, in the intellectual and spiritual milieu in which he worked, and in the manifold ways of preaching the Gospel message.

What happens to the Responsorial Psalm in the Sunday liturgy? How can it help us pray the Sunday readings? How can it help in planning the liturgy? The Responsorial Psalm is the most neglected part of the Liturgy of the Word, yet it can be the key to all the rest. Its intent is to help bring the message of the other readings into our lives. This book addresses the riches of the Responsorial Psalm for every Sunday of the three-year cycle. It explains the psalm genre, offers exposition on the meaning and beauty of the psalm itself, and comments on the relationship of the Responsorial Psalm to the other readings. It is the book for anyone who wants to understand and appreciate the Sunday readings -- preachers, catechists, liturgists and all the people in the pews.

One of the most breathtaking prophecies in the Bible is the promise of the new heavens and earth. In that glorious day the widespread effects of the fall and the curse will be undone. Man will experience unbroken, utopian blessing in his eternal home. But how will the new heavens and earth come about? Will the current heavens and earth cease to exist and be replaced by a second ex nihilo creation as many Bible teachers insist? Or will the current earth be refurbished by earthquake and fire from heaven even as the last earth was refurbished by the flood? In this volume I present several arguments—such as historical precedent, the character of God, the eternality of the earth, and the eternal nature of the kingdom established at the second coming—which combine to make a formidable case that the new heavens and earth will be the current heavens and earth refurbished.

Living Liturgy(TM) is your comprehensive go-to guide for preparing Sunday liturgy. The 2018 edition provides completely new content by a fresh team of expert authors. What you get is practical, sound, and inspiring preparation for your parish ministry. This best-selling annual resource is ideal for parish ministers, liturgists, pastors, planning committees, and RCIA programs. It offers the week's Sunday readings, plus insightful reflections and background for parish ministers of all types. Engaging new art by three remarkable artists complements the text. Written completely fresh each liturgical year, Living Liturgy(TM) gives your team members the spiritual preparation they need to become true ministers of the liturgy. Living Liturgy(TM) integrates daily living, prayer, and study in one inviting and easy-to-use resource. It is an indispensable guide that deepens and strengthens the worship experience for the whole parish. It includes featured liturgical texts, supports for ministry, and utility features. Consider it an essential resource to connecting the liturgy to leadership so that celebrating the liturgy and living a liturgical spirituality become the focus of each ministry. Featured Liturgical Texts - Collect - Gospel Acclamation - Gospel - Responsorial Psalm - First Reading - Second Reading Supports for Ministry - Reflecting on the Gospel - Living the Paschal Mystery - Focusing the Gospel, First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading - About Liturgy - About Liturgical Music - About Initiation - Prompts for Homilists, Catechists, and RCIA Teams - Model Penitential Act - Homily Points - Model Universal Prayer (Prayer of the Faithful) - Engaging art drawn from the gospel message Utility Features - How to use this resource guide - Pronunciation guide - Calendar-dated - Perfect-bound - Readings in sense lines