Working Toward Sainthood

These daily meditations on the readings of the Mass invite us to immerse ourselves in the season by getting in touch with the saints within. A shining, wondrous book, full of wisdom for Lent.

Ethical questions feature prominently on today's cultural and political agendas. The Ethics of Cultural Studies presents an ethical manifesto for Cultural Studies, an exploration of its current ethical and political concerns, and of its future challenges. The book is concerned with ethics in the material world, and draws on examples as diverse as cloning and genetics, asylum and immigration, experiments in plastic surgery and in electronic and digital art, memories of the Holocaust, September 11th, and media representations of violence and crime. The Ethics of Cultural Studies is a groundbreaking intervention that sets the debate on ethics in cultural study, and offers an invaluable source of ideas for students of contemporary culture.

Called by Name is a 365-day devotional from WINE: Women In the New Evangelization designed to empower and equip you to draw near to Jesus and use your God-given gifts for the Church. With meditations on scripture and encouraging insights from popular Catholic authors and speakers in the WINE community, this is the perfect daily companion for women who want to connect with the heart of Jesus and live every day in the light of his truth and love. The Lord is calling you each day to be like him. Called by Name will help you respond to his call by encouraging, equipping, and inspiring you to enter into a more intimate relationship with him, all year long. This daily devotional follows the liturgical seasons and includes major holidays and some feast days. You can begin your reading journey at any point in the year. As with all WINE offerings, you are invited to read, reflect, and respond using lectio divina. Each day includes a Bible verse or passage for meditation; daily reflections; a closing prayer to focus your heart on an important truth or goal; and a tangible action you can carry out each day, such as volunteering, going to Confession, or donating clothes to charity. The more than eighty contributors to Called by Name include Kelly Wahlquist, Sarah Christmyer, Katie Warner, Caralyn Collar, Lisa Hendey, Sarah Damm, Sonja Corbitt, Teresa Tomeo, Stephanie Landsem, ValLimar Jansen, Kathleen Beckman, Maria Morera Johnson, and Lisa Mladinich.

Kerala Christian Sainthood is an ethnography-based study that celebrates the multi-vocal function of saints. Drawing on pilgrim anecdotes, shrine practices, official hagiographies, and regional lore, author Corinne Dempsey demonstrates how the business of saints routinely extends beyond their capacity as earthly conduits of miraculous power. Saintly characters described in this book, hailing from the religiously pluralistic south Indian state of Kerala, tend not only to the health and happiness of individual devotees but help craft and express the multiple identities and complex power relations of their devotional communities as well. Throughout the study, Dempsey highlights the traditions of Sr. Alphonsa of Bharananganam (1910-1946) and St. George the martyr, two figures who reflect the many preoccupations of Kerala sainthood. Sr. Alphonsa, native of Kerala and famous for her life of suffering and posthumous power, stands in line to be canonized by the Vatican. St. George, the caped dragon slayer imported to Kerala by Syrian merchants and later by Portuguese and British colonizers, is today partially debunked by Rome. These two figures, while differing dramatically in temperament, nationality, age of cult, and Vatican standing, boast a vast popular appeal in Kerala's Kottayam district. In examining Sr. Alphonsa and St. George, Dempsey shows how Kerala's saint traditions reflect devotees' hybrid identities in both colonial and postcolonial times. This ethnography of Christian sainthood within a Hindu cultural context, of "foreign" traditions adopted by native practice, and of female sanctity negotiated through patriarchal expectation is poised at a number of intersections. Dempsey provides not only a comparative study of cultures, religions, and worldviews, but also a unique grounding for contemporary ethnographic, post-colonial, and feminist concerns.

This is a standard work of reference for the study of the religious history of western Christianity in the later middle ages which, since its original publication in French in 1981, has come to be regarded as one of the great contributions to medieval studies of recent times. Hagiographical texts and reports of the processes of canonisation - a mode of investigation into saints' lives and their miracles implemented by the popes from the end of the twelfth century - are here used for the first time as major source materials. The book illuminates the main features of the medieval religious mind, and highlights the popes' attempts to gain firmer control over the wide variety of expressions of faith towards the saints in order to promote a higher pattern of devotion and moral behaviour among Christians.

When Pope John Paul II died in 2005 some four million pilgrims made their way to Rome to celebrate his extraordinary life. When this man is beatified on May 1, 2011, putting him only one final step from sainthood, millions more will arrive, and thousands will pack St. Peter's Square. Rarely in our age has one person touched so many people so profoundly. LIFE Books first published its bestselling illustrated biography of this man in 1999, and now on the eve of beatification it is time to revisit the story, and bring it up to date with 25 new pages of inspiring text and photography. Pope John Paul II: Toward Sainthood follows the life of the former Karol Wojtyla through the great events of the 20th century, events in which he sometimes played a crucial role. In this book, a dramatic life is captured in words and extraordinary pictures-including photographs shared with LIFE by Karol Wojtyla's old friends in Poland, seen in LIFE's pages for the first time. Also in this expanded edition are the stories of the last ten years: the celebration of the 2000 Jubliee year at the Vatican, the horrific sexual-abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church and the papacy, the extraordinary funeral of John Paul II (the largest funeral in world history, and probably the most watched event ever) and, finally, the man's inexorable march to the communion of the saints. The Reverend Billy Graham writes in his moving foreword to this book: "Few individuals have had a greater impact-not just religious but socially and morally-on the modern world. He will stand as the most influential moral voice of our time." That voice has not been stilled by death, and is alive in the pages of this special book.

This would be easier if I were writing about someone else. Then I could change it, fatten up the thin parts and leave out the dull ones, turning them twice like frayed collars and cuffs, making them over into something more romantic than they really were, but then the remembering would be neither so painful, nor so sweet. I suppose you can't have one without the other. . . Evangeline Glennon knows plenty about life's highs and lows. Still, she feels lucky, surrounded as she is by people who care deeply: Papa, who's never lost his Irish brogue or the twinkle in his eye; endlessly practical, generous Mama; and steadfast best friend Ruby. Romance would be too much for a girl like Eva to expect. Then again, love has a tendency to find those who aren't looking for it. . . Out of a clear blue sky, a dashing young aviator makes an impossibly gentle landing in Papa's Oklahoma wheat field. After taking her up in his plane, "Slim" leaves Eva with an exhilarating new perspective--and an even more precious gift that changes her forever. But that's only the beginning. The world is changing, too--and only the strongest in body and spirit will weather what is to come. Now, while tracing from afar the progress of the brave young barnstormer she knew so briefly, Eva stitches her heart and soul into intricate quilts whose images take extraordinary form from the heartbreak and joy of parallel lives. . . "A lyrical, lush, and lovely novel from a clever and talented new writer." --Jane Green "A gripping, heartwarming story. . .complete with fascinating characters and a page-turning plot." --Dorothy Garlock Marie Bostwick Skinner was born and raised in the Northwest. Since marrying the love of her life twenty-three years ago, she has never known a moment's boredom. Marie and her family have moved a score of times, living in eight U.S. states and two Mexican cities, and collecting a vast and cherished array of friends and experiences. Marie now lives with her husband and three handsome sons in Connecticut where she writes, reads, quilts, and is privileged to serve the women of her local church.

Catechesis Taken in the sense of the act of teaching and the knowledge imparted by teaching, this term is synonymous with CATECHESIS and CATECHISM. Didaskalia, didache, in the Vulgate, doctrina, are often used in the New Testament, especially in the Pastoral Epistles. The word katechesis means instruction by word of mouth, especially by questioning and answering. New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia We cannot share what we ourselves do not have This quote was often shared by the founder of the Marian Catechist Lay Apostolate, Father John A Hardon S, J. one of the Twentieth Centuries foremost Theologians and Teachers of Traditional Catholicism. This profound teaching was the impetus for my years of studying our Catholic Faith. I ended my classroom Faith sharing with three years of RCIA; Rites of Christian Initiation for Adults, and am very much aware of its shortcomings, due primarily, to imposed time restrictions. Personal circumstances took me out of the classroom, but led to a very active internet ministry from home. This is a book of Catholic Catechesis, a term meaning instruction by word of mouth, especially in questioning and answering [From the Catholic Encyclopedia]. Through an active participation with the Catholic Answers Forum, [PJM], I was made of aware of an urgent need for supplemental instruction to what RCIA programs were able to impart. So I stared a free on-line course to fill in and add to, what RCIA did not have time to cover. We live in very challenging times, as society, and our government seem to have an agenda to destroy Christianity. Abortions, Divorce, and most recently same sex unions that we are told to call marriage, being legalized add to the confusion and the castration of Christianity. This book contains the Lessons from my course: Building Blocks of our Catholic Faith. It is a not a novel, but a series of Lessons introducing, and then proving, most often Biblically, what we Catholics believe and practice, supported with evidence that substantiates and affirms our Catholic Faith, as the One Founded, desired and guided by both Jesus [John 17:18-19] and the Holy Spirit [Mt. 28:18-19]. Mt. 28: 19-20 Going therefore, teach YOU all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded YOU: and behold I am with YOU all days, even to the consummation of the world. This same command applies to me and you. Each of is called to know, practice, share and live the fullness of our Catholic Faith. By Patrick J. Miron A member of the Marian Catechist Lay Apostolate