Luke's account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus has an amazing power to inspire us today, just as it has given life to every generation of Christians. How do we understand that encounter on the road, and how can we be open to its message? How can it help us deepen our prayer life and understanding of Scripture so that we can grow closer to Jesus? How can it help us open our eyes to our liturgical encounter with Jesus and to all the ways he reveals himself to us each day? Finally, how might meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus energize us to share Jesus' message with other believers and with the world? Here, in this insightful and prayer-provoking new book, Father Dennis Billy invites us to join the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and experience for ourselves the power of the Risen Lord. Meeting Jesus on the Road to Emmaus will lead you to a greater awareness of how Jesus accompanies you in every moment of your life. It is an excellent companion to guide us all on the path of true and vibrant discipleship.
Diamonds are beautiful and precious gems. The gift of a diamond says something about the beauty one person sees in another. In Eucharist: Exploring the Diamond of Our Faith, Dennis Billy meditates on the various facts of the Eucharist described in the writings of the New Testament. Jesus left the mysterious gift of the Eucharist to his disciples as a precious diamond because of the hidden beauty he saw in their hearts. In turn they became keenly aware of the intimate connection between the breaking of the bread of life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an engaging style Fr. Dennis Billy looks with the eyes of faith at the significant passages on the Eucharist in the four gospels, Acts, and the letters of Paul. He guides readers in delving more deeply into the meaning of these passages, to appreciate more fully the tremendous gift of the Eucharist and its meaning for our lives. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter help readers personalize the content of this book. Eucharist: Exploring the Diamond of Our Faith is an excellent resource for individual and group mediation and study, as well as a reference for catechists, teachers, RCIA leaders, and anyone involved in faith formation.
Fr. Dennis J. Billy, CSsR, is professor emeritus of the history of moral theology and Christian spirituality at the Alphonsian Academy of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and currently serves as the Karl Rahner Professor of Catholic Theology at the Graduate Theological Foundation in Mishawaka, IN. An American Redemptorist of the Baltimore Province, Fr. Billy has advanced degrees from Harvard University, the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum), and the Graduate Theological Foundation. The author of numerous books and articles on a variety of religious topics, he is also active in his order's retreat apostolate and in the ministry of spiritual direction.
This book focuses on Jesus, the four last things, and their relevance for our lives. He has much to teach us about these things. Jesus faced death with courage and was raised to new life by the power of his heavenly Father. He descended into hell and reached out to those who had alienated themselves from God. He promised to return at the consummation of time to judge the living and the dead and to establish the fullness of his kingdom. He lives forever in the house of his Father, hoping to draw all people to himself and make all things new. The book reminds us that, for Jesus, the four last things are just a prelude to the first things. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He teaches us to put last things first and first things last.
Although most of us have probably already heard of spiritual direction, we may not have a clear idea of what it is or exactly what to expect from it. This pamphlet is designed to present the basic elements of this important ministry in the Church and to provide a general sense of what might take place during a typical session. "Pamphlet
This series of reflections is intended to promote a deeper experience of God through attention to a variety of spiritual sources, including the author's own experience of the Divine. A unique, path-breaking approach to Christian spirituality that invites and moves readers to reflect on their relationships with God.
Preaching was close to the heart of Saint Alphonsus because he knew that preachers could stir up in people a deep love for God. In Simple, Heartfelt Words, Father Billy uses letters and other writings from the doctor of the Church to discuss Alphonsus's most important ideas on preaching. He also presents Alphonsus's critique of preachers in his day and the approach to preaching he intended for members of his order. Simple, Heartfelt Words is the third volume in Alphonsian spirituality by Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. It completes his series on the spiritual aspects of the Alphonsian heritage.
This book highlights some of the major theological voices from the past century who contributed to a deepening of the Church's understanding of the significance of the Eucharist and whose efforts came to fruition in the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Each of the authors treated within these pages has a distinct voice that blends with the other voices of the Church's rich theological tradition. The result is a beautifully nuanced harmony of meanings that challenges the mind and moves the heart to wonder.
This book retells the narrative of Christ's redemptive journey by looking at some of the Gospel's underlying assumptions and showing how they are both reasonable and credible. For Christians, faith is not contrary to reason, but presupposes and even builds on it. This faith asks us to put aside whatever preconceptions we may have regarding the Gospel message and listen with an open heart to the way it speaks to the universal human condition. The seed of hope buried deep within the mythologies of old is nothing but a faint reflection of God's dream for his creation. For Christians, this dream has entered the arena of history in the person of Jesus Christ, the New Adam, who sheds light on our human condition by "making all things new" (Rev 21:5).
Jacob's Wood takes place in ancient Palestine during the time of Jesus. It is the story about a farmer named Jacob, his fondness for a certain tree that grew on his land, and how, because of an act of kindness on Jacob's part, that tree was graced by God to follow Jesus throughout his earthly life and beyond.
Diamonds are beautiful and precious gems. The gift of a diamond says something about the beauty one person sees in another. In Eucharist: Exploring the Diamond of Our Faith, Dennis Billy meditates on the various facts of the Eucharist described in the writings of the New Testament. Jesus left the mysterious gift of the Eucharist to his disciples as a precious diamond because of the hidden beauty he saw in their hearts. In turn they became keenly aware of the intimate connection between the breaking of the bread of life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In an engaging style Fr. Dennis Billy looks with the eyes of faith at the significant passages on the Eucharist in the four gospels, Acts, and the letters of Paul. He guides readers in delving more deeply into the meaning of these passages, to appreciate more fully the tremendous gift of the Eucharist and its meaning for our lives. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter help readers personalize the content of this book. Eucharist: Exploring the Diamond of Our Faith is an excellent resource for individual and group mediation and study, as well as a reference for catechists, teachers, RCIA leaders, and anyone involved in faith formation.
This book retells the narrative of Christ’s redemptive journey by looking at some of the Gospel’s underlying assumptions and showing how they are both reasonable and credible. For Christians, faith is not contrary to reason, but presupposes and even builds on it. This faith asks us to put aside whatever preconceptions we may have regarding the Gospel message and listen with an open heart to the way it speaks to the universal human condition. The seed of hope buried deep within the mythologies of old is nothing but a faint reflection of God’s dream for his creation. For Christians, this dream has entered the arena of history in the person of Jesus Christ, the New Adam, who sheds light on our human condition by “making all things new” (Rev 21:5).
This book focuses on Jesus, the four last things, and their relevance for our lives. He has much to teach us about these things. Jesus faced death with courage and was raised to new life by the power of his heavenly Father. He descended into hell and reached out to those who had alienated themselves from God. He promised to return at the consummation of time to judge the living and the dead and to establish the fullness of his kingdom. He lives forever in the house of his Father, hoping to draw all people to himself and make all things new. The book reminds us that, for Jesus, the four last things are just a prelude to the first things. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He teaches us to put last things first and first things last.
This second edition of Living in the Gap is prompted by the Church’s celebration throughout 2015 of a Year for Consecrated Life to mark both the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and the 50th anniversary of Perfectae Caritatis, “The Decree on the Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life.” The book wishes to raise awareness of the importance of the vocation to the consecrated life in the life of Church and to help religious in their efforts towards the new evangelization. The challenge before religious today and before all those called to evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty, and obedience is to do their best to narrow the gap between vision and reality. The question they should be asking themselves is not whether the gap between vision and reality exists in their lives, but whether it is getting larger or smaller.
This surprisingly modern, twelfth-century classic has long been popular with monks. Now this new edition opens up the riches of this spiritual masterpiece to a wide audience of contemporary readers who see the spiritual life not as a solitary enterprise, but one intimately connected to relationships. Written in dialogue form, Spiritual Friendship offers wise counsel on many aspects of friendship. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R., editor of the innovative Classics with Commentary series, has once again provided readers with an invaluable introduction and background. The popular translation by M. Eugenia Laker is complemented by Billy's helpful commentary and thoughtful reflection questions.
This classic work of Christian spirituality emboldens modern readers to see God’s care and concern for them in the joys and challenges of everyday life. Jean-Pierre de Caussade, a French Jesuit spiritual director and writer born in the late seventeenth century, is best known for his belief in the sacredness of the present moment, or the "eternal now." His masterpiece, Abandonment to Divine Providence, has been celebrated by spiritual writers as diverse as Richard Foster and Alan Watts for its ability to invoke the mystery of eternity in the now--a tenet of spirituality that resonates across faith traditions. Accompanied by the probing, expert commentary of Dennis Billy, CSsR, this exemplary edition of de Caussade's Abandonment offers newcomers to mysticism and spiritual direction a clear, compelling path to entering into God's presence.
Conscience and Prayer takes the new conversation between Christian spirituality and moral theology to a deeper level of precision and focus. The authors argue that the relationship between moral theology and spirituality can best be explored by looking at how conscience is related to prayer. In exploring this relationship, both historically and theologically, Billy and Keating open new ways to approach the fundamental aspects of Catholic moral theology."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Father Billy's powerful reflections on faith in the life of the disciple of Christ, with accompanying reflection questions, can be an excellent vehicle for prayer and study groups, RCIA programmes, and ongoing faith formation for adults.
One of the best-loved spiritual classics of all time is now more accessible than ever. While many contemporary readers seek the richness of classical spirituality, some find the language and thought patterns of The Imitation of Christ distant and difficult to understand. Fr. Dennis Billy, noted teacher and spiritual guide, helps today's readers interpret The Imitation by raising their awareness of how the world of Thomas à Kempis colored and shaped his presentation of the spiritual life. Using the accessible translation of The Imitation of Christ by William Creasy, Fr. Billy highlights how today's Christians can interpret and apply The Imitation to their own spiritual journeys. Each chapter is preceded by a brief introduction and followed by a set of thoughtful reflection questions that help readers understand and apply the text.
The Vatican II documents remind us that the spiritual journey is not made in a vacuum, that God has chosen to save us, not individually, but as The People of God. The Eucharist must help Christians to make their choices by discerning out of Christ's paschal mystery. For this process to take place, however, Christians must first understand how the Eucharist puts them in touch with Christ's passion, death, and resurrection, and what concrete implications being in touch with this mystery has for their daily lives. In The Way Of Mystery, James Keating and Dennis Billy examine the Eucharistic mystery to uncover its significance for Christian life today. They seek to discover what implications the simple act of breaking bread together has for the concrete decisions Christians make. And they point out how, if Christian worship is to enliven the believing community, it must help the faithful to integrate the spiritual and moral dimensions of their lives by leading them to embrace the attitudes and values embraced by Christ. The book is intended for an educated lay audience. It is also idea for adult continuing education classes, as a text for undergraduate courses seeking to integrate faith and the moral life.
Using the concept of "deep heaven," an image borrowed from C. S. Lewis's popular work of Christian fantasy The Great Divorce, the basic christological truths of the faith are considered in the context of human happiness. Six important aspects of Jesus' redeeming actions from the Apostles' Creed are examined: his incarnation, passion and death, descent into hell, resurrection, ascension, and second coming. Each chapter concludes with a series of reflection questions and meditative prayers to assist the reader in uncovering practical applications for his or her life and relationship with God."--BOOK JACKET.
Creating the first comprehensive narrative of Mississippi since the bicentennial history was published in 1976, Dennis J. Mitchell recounts the vibrant and turbulent history of a Deep South state. The author has condensed the massive scholarship produced since that time into an appealing narrative, which incorporates people missing from many previous histories including American Indians, women, African Americans, and a diversity of other minority groups. This is the story of a place and its people, history makers and ordinary citizens alike. Mississippi's rich flora and fauna are also central to the story, which follows both natural and man-made destruction and the major efforts to restore and defend rare untouched areas. Hernando De Soto, Sieur d’Iberville, Ferdinand Claiborne, Thomas Hinds, Aaron Burr, Greenwood LeFlore, Joseph Davis, Nathan Bedford Forrest, James D. Lynch, James K. Vardaman, Mary Grace Quackenbos, Ida B. Wells, William Alexander Percy, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, John Grisham, Jack Reed, William F. Winter, Jim Barksdale, Richard Howorth, Christopher Epps, and too many more to list—this book covers a vast and rich legacy. From the rise and fall of American Indian culture to the advent of Mississippi’s world-renowned literary, artistic, and scientific contributions, Mitchell vividly brings to life the individuals and institutions that have created a fascinating and diverse state.
This series of reflections is intended to promote a deeper experience of God through attention to a variety of spiritual sources, including the author's own experience of the Divine. A unique, path-breaking approach to Christian spirituality that invites and moves readers to reflect on their relationships with God.
A step-by-step journey focusing on the tasks of developing a rich and intimate faith that likens these tasks to those necessary to learning how to walk.
Luke's account of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus has an amazing power to inspire us today, just as it has given life to every generation of Christians. How do we understand that encounter on the road, and how can we be open to its message? How can it help us deepen our prayer life and understanding of Scripture so that we can grow closer to Jesus? How can it help us open our eyes to our liturgical encounter with Jesus and to all the ways he reveals himself to us each day? Finally, how might meeting Jesus on the road to Emmaus energize us to share Jesus' message with other believers and with the world? Here, in this insightful and prayer-provoking new book, Father Dennis Billy invites us to join the two disciples on the way to Emmaus and experience for ourselves the power of the Risen Lord. Meeting Jesus on the Road to Emmaus will lead you to a greater awareness of how Jesus accompanies you in every moment of your life. It is an excellent companion to guide us all on the path of true and vibrant discipleship.
Fr. Dennis J. Billy, CSsR, is professor emeritus of the history of moral theology and Christian spirituality at the Alphonsian Academy of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome and currently serves as the Karl Rahner Professor of Catholic Theology at the Graduate Theological Foundation in Mishawaka, IN. An American Redemptorist of the Baltimore Province, Fr. Billy has advanced degrees from Harvard University, the Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum), and the Graduate Theological Foundation. The author of numerous books and articles on a variety of religious topics, he is also active in his order's retreat apostolate and in the ministry of spiritual direction.
This book examines what some of the most prominent voices of Christianity's distant past have taught about the Eucharist including Ambrose, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, John Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine of Hippo. A title for the Year of the Priest, this book examines what some of the most prominent voices of Christianity's distant past have taught about the Eucharist. The author's goal is to look at how the proponents of an emerging Christian orthodoxy understood, celebrated, and presented the Eucharist in the centuries immediately following the end of the apostolic era. Father Billy has made a monumental contribution to the popularization of the Church Fathers at a time in the life of the religious community when being reminded of tradition is vital for the perpetuity of the faith. By a careful, sensitive, and thoroughly readable exposure to the original texts of the Fathers, this book provides the faith community and the individual with a very useful resource of the Church's teaching about the Eucharist. If ever a time was right for such a reintroduction of the Fathers' teachings, now is unquestionably the time. John H. Morgan, Ph.D. President, Graduate Theological Foundation Dennis Billy has done a masterful job of exposing us to almost 600 years of Christian belief on the Eucharist as reflected in the Fathers of the Church. He reminds us that this living faith of the dead is part of our heritage, something that we ignore only at our peril and loss. His writing is clear, practical, and his treatment of each Father consistent. He helps us to see how each writer adds to the mosaic and richness of our Eucharistic faith. Especially helpful are the reflection questions that end each chapter, as these force readers to plumb the depth of their own understanding and faith, and to examine how the Eucharist affects the whole of their Christian lives. I recommend it highly. Paul Bernier, SSS Editor, Emmanuel Magazine
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