April 2015
The Cloud of Unknowing
Fr. Dennis J. Billy, CSsR
Liguori Publications $19.99
Few would dispute that our active lives can intrude upon our ability to focus when we pray. It seems twas ever thus. Seven hundred years ago, The Cloud of Unknowing was written in Middle English, a work of Christian mysticism and guide to the practice of contemplation. The author was unknown. A summary of its message: God can be loved but cannot be thought, can be grasped by love but not by concepts. Our minds are too small, our God too immense. Less thinking, then, and more loving. Inspiring mystical searchers and transforming countless who pray through the ages, The Cloud is said to have formed the basis for the Centering Prayer movement. Redemptorist Fr. Dennis J. Billy offers an illuminating modern translation of this spiritual classic, both clear and inspiring to the contemporary Christian. His effectual historical groundwork and practical personal reflections invite us to a fresh experience of the timeless text and to the tireless encounter that is “resting in God.”
Why Be Catholic? Ten Answers to a Very Important Question
Patrick Madrid
Image $22
Popular apologist Patrick Madrid never had the slightest doubt as to whether he should be Catholic. “I love the Catholic Church because it is ‘ever ancient, ever new’… because of its richness and diversity…because I can have the most personal relationship with Jesus Christ possible,” he insists. And yet Madrid recognizes that “Why be Catholic?” is an important question. He offers what he considers to be ten compelling and convincing answers. There is no sense the author is out to triumphantly win an argument, but rather he desires to enthusiastically engage his reader. Highly readable, with a candid, personable approach, Why Be Catholic? is an honest examination of our treasured teachings and customs, as well as our less-than-perfect history and membership. This book is helpful for the seeker and the scoffer, useful for the securely grounded, as well as those uncertain, unsure of how they might respond to the reason for their belief.
Praise God and Thank Him
Jeff Cavins
Servant Books $15.99
How do we make praise a more present and a practical dimension of our daily lives? How do we develop an attitude of gratitude, learning to thank God more readily and steadily in times of both blessing and blight? These are among the significant questions Jeff Cavins addresses in Praise God and Thank Him. Author, diocesan director of evangelization, and popular EWTN host, Cavins is certain of two things: Life will never be problem-free, and how we respond to these obstacles will determine whether we are successful in our walk with God. His writing is grounded in Scripture, supported by the Catechism and Patristics, and supplemented with concrete takeaways and tips for developing and incorporating the postures of praise and thanksgiving, that we might sustain a more meaningful relationship with God.
Stations of the Cross
Timothy Radcliffe
Liturgical Press $14.95
Word and image—powerful components of prayer and reflection, are brought together never more expressively than in the Stations of the Cross. We will find them in just about every Catholic Church, beckoning us to accompany Jesus on his brief journey from Pilate’s palace to the cross and his tomb. Here, renowned spiritual author and Dominican friar Timothy Radcliffe joins award-winning liturgical artist and Benedictine monk Martin Erspamer, presenting a unique and powerful meditation on this beloved devotional practice. Beautifully expressed in word and image, again we set out with Jesus, see him embrace his Mother and meet the daughters of Jerusalem, be crucified and buried. Lest the stations remain fixed in Jerusalem, Fr. Radcliffe draws us to our own day where, for too many, daily life is the way of the cross. There is much food for thought, with reflections and illustrations moving us deeply, prayerfully into the passion narrative.
Anthony of Padua: Wonder Worker
Barbara Yoffie , author
Katherine A. BorGatti, illustrator
Liguori Publications $4.99
The latest in Liguori’s Saints and Me! series, the story of Portuguese Franciscan friar Anthony of Padua comes to life for young readers. One of our most beloved saints, he devoted his life to diligently preaching the word of God. While most of us know him as the patron we turn to for help in finding lost things, Anthony of Padua is also the patron of children—how important, then, for children to know his story. Perfect to respond to a child’s request to “tell me a story” or to read aloud, let Anthony of Padua: Wonder Worker introduce your children, grandchildren, godchildren, and religious-education students to Saint Anthony, preparing them to carry God’s word into the world.
