Joan R. Specht, a spiritual director, bereavement coordinator, and retreat facilitator, received her Doctor of Ministry Degree from St. Mary of the Lake University in Mundelein, Illinois. She was a Sister of Mercy for thirty years. She is an ordained priest in the Catholic Apostolic Church of Antioch. She lives in Center Point, Texas, with her husband, Donald Klanchar. She is also the author of Breakthrough, under her pen name, Marsha Malone. Cover art by Susan K. Boyle www.sboyleart.com
Is your church a rowboat church or a sailboat church? Rowboat churches depend largely on human effort. In a time of often shrinking budgets and membership, rowboat churches frantically row harder against a current, often frustrated and disappointed at their efforts. Sailboat churches, on the other hand, take up the oars, hoist sales, and rely on the Holy Spirit to guide them. Arguing that churches should be “sailboats,” author Joan S. Gray encourages readers to shift concern from the many daily, practical concerns of their local church to consider how new directions might be found by allowing the Holy Spirit to provide fresh ideas. The book includes four days of sailing prayers, quotes from Scripture, brief reflection questions, and an extensive bibliography that is arranged by theme. Perfect for groups to read together, this book will help leaders reframe their church’s mission and practice with the Holy Spirit as their guide.
Scripture speaks of miracles wrought through relics: a dead man was raised when Elisha’s bones touched him, and the clothing of Jesus and His apostles healed the sick. In the early Church, Masses were celebrated over the bones of the martyrs, and phials of their blood have effected countless miracles. Direct successors of the Apostles themselves speak of venerating relics; Church Fathers encourage it; throughout the ages of Catholic legacy, relics of the saints are always present. The Church takes diligent care in preserving and documenting the authenticity of her relics. Best-selling author Joan Carroll Cruz takes full advantage of these resources. With painstaking research, she exposes the details behind hundreds of the Church’s most famous and beloved relics. She covers 38 second-class relicsof our Lord and Lady, such as the Holy Grail and Our Lady’s Veil, and relics of all sorts from 75 favorite saints, such as St. Mary Magdalene, St. Agnes, St. Charles Borromeo, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Maria Goretti, and many more! Relics is a unique collection of years of dedicated research about the lives of the saints and the mementos they left behind, to remind us of their presence and intercession for us.
Mary has made herself all to all, and opens her merciful heart to all, that all may receive of her fullness; the sick, health; those in affliction, comfort; the sinner, pardon; and God, glory. St. Bernard (1090 1153) See How She Loves Us is an amazing collection of apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Ranging across twenty-three countries and two millennia the visions chronicled here show Mary s deep love for mankind, her Son, and the Church. Joan Carroll Cruz has meticulously researched fifty apparitions of Our Lady. Discover lesser known apparitions like Our Lady of La Vang in Vietnam and Our Lady of Las Lajas in Columbia, and learn more about the visions of Mary at Fatima, Lourdes, and Guadalupe. Approved by the local bishops or the Vatican, these miracles show Mary s great love for man, her constant intercession on our behalf, and her role as protector of the Church. Perfect for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, See How She Loves Us sheds light on the many mysteries of the Catholic Church and Catholics love for the Blessed Mother.
This unique and intensely personal memoir is about spirituality, not about religion,and it is alive with the raw energy of a journal and polisjed with the skill of the master storyteller.
People are moving to the margins of the Catholic Church. As one dialogue partner states, "I left the Church to beat the rush." Yet, another remarks, "I just wonder. I have to ask, who's on the margins? I'm not sure." Let Your Voice Be Heard details original practical theology research that endeavors to understand the dynamics on the margins of the Roman Catholic Church in dialogue with fifty dialogue partners from across the United States. Practical theology, the theology of marginality of Jung Young Lee, reciprocal ethnography, and the communication theory of Mikhail Bakhtin join in a cross-disciplinary dialogue. In conversation with dialogue partners, Joan Hebert Reisinger seeks the reasons why Catholics over the age of twenty-one who were once active and involved in the Catholic Church find themselves on the margins of the Church and how they understand their own marginality. The dialogue partners speak of new ways of being Church emerging on the margins. This emerging Church is marked by inclusive relationships that include dialogue that does not seek agreement or consensus, a critical and thoughtful recalling of memories and narratives of the Catholic faith tradition, and appropriation of these in new and creative ways.
This timely new leadership guide for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is written for church officers who are looking for a deepened relationship with God. Joan Gray challenges elders and deacons to see themselves as spiritual leaders and equips them to lead alongside their pastors. Gray lays out a variety of leadership styles and helps leaders understand when each is appropriate. She also provides resources for dealing with relationships in the church and identifies ways churches can be supportive of the spiritual leadership of elders and deacons.
Drawing on the story of her own monastic community, a best-selling author shoes how to redfine the essentials of faith in a time when old ways and formulas no longer serve.
Do you think that Jesus only surrounded himself with men? Think again. Inspired by their popular Channel 4 documentary Jesus' Female Disciples, historians Helen Bond and Joan Taylor explore the way in which Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Martha and a whole host of other women - named and unnamed - have been remembered by posterity, noting how many were silenced, tamed or slurred by innuendo - though occasionally they get to slay dragons. Women Remembered looks at the representation of these women in art, and the way they have been remembered in inscriptions and archaeology. And of course they dig into the biblical texts, exposing misogyny and offering alternative and unexpected ways of appreciating these women as disciples, apostles, teachers, messengers and church-founders. At a time when both the church and society more widely are still grappling with the full inclusion and equality of women, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical and cultural origins of Christianity.
In this riveting biography of Elizabeth Seton critically acclaimed and bestselling author Joan Barthel tells the mesmerizing story of a woman whose life featured wealth and poverty, passion and sorrow, love and loss. Elizabeth was born into a prominent New York City family in 1774. Her father was the chief health officer for the Port of New York and she lived down the block from Alexander Hamilton. She danced at George Washington's sixty-fifth Birthday Ball wearing cream slippers, monogrammed. Catholicism was illegal in New York when she was born; Catholic priests seen in the city were arrested, sometimes hung. When Elizabeth and her wealthy husband Will sailed to Italy in a doomed attempt to cure his tuberculosis, she and her family were quarantined in a damp dungeon. And when Elizabeth later became a Catholic, she was so scorned that people talked of burning down her house. American Saint is the inspiring story of a brave woman who forged the way for the other women who followed and who made a name for herself in a world entirely ruled by men. Elizabeth resisted male clerical control of her religious order, as nuns are doing today, and the publication of her story could not be more timely. Maya Angelou has contributed the foreword.
A journey of the soul through the map of Christian time. The liturgical year, beginning on the first Sunday of Advent and carrying through the following November, is the year that sets out to attune the life of the Christian to the life of Jesus, the Christ. What may at first seem to be simply an arbitrary arrangement of ancient holy days, or liturgical seasons, this book explains their essential relationship to one another and their ongoing meaning to us today. It is an excursion into life from the Christian perspective, from the viewpoint of those who set out not only to follow Jesus but to live and think as Jesus did. And it proposes to help us to year after year immerse ourselves into the sense and substance of the Christian life until, eventually, we become what we say we are—followers of Jesus all the way to the heart of God. It is an adventure in human growth; it is an exercise in spiritual ripening. A volume in the eight book classic series, The Ancient Practices, with a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, General Editor.
Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun, is one of the most popular and prophetic religious voices in the world today. In her many books and countless speeches, she has addressed the burning social issues of our time—justice, peace, the role of women, and the survival of the planet. She has explored the deepest questions of human existence, including love, suffering and death, the quest for happiness, and the meaning of life. She has probed the word of God, the message of the gospel, the call to contemplation, and the challenge of faithful living. To all of these she has brought her characteristic courage, honesty, and above all, passion. This volume, more than any other, captures and distills her spirit and her message for women and men today—including reflections on her own journey, why she remains in the church, and what sustains her faith and hope.
This book is about a new adventureaEUR"looking for a church and meeting new people, a minister and his wife, and so began my introduction to the Holy Spirit. But trouble is in paradise. The Holy Spirit warned of trouble to comeaEUR"the Mafia is in the church. The minister is accused of wrong which ultimately leads to his downfall. The church is sold, and people leave with broken spirits. A false prophet takes over, and SatanaEUR(tm)s people worships him. The evil one is a liar and a thief and humiliates people, picking on their weaknesses. The Holy Spirit keeps telling me, aEURoeAsk me questions.aEUR The preacher is drugged by the ex-con and framed at deer-hunting camp in Pennsylvania, forced to launder drug money through the church bank account owned by the Catholic Church. He goes to Las Vegas and is drugged in a restaurant, dragged into the casino, and gambled the church away. This is his last Sunday at church and shamed by his preacher friends and wives. He is then held hostage at a weed farm, forced to grow weed (sweet Mary Jane) for three years. Eventually he is arrested by Pennsylvania State Police, trialed, and imprisoned. This is a revelation of the hierarchy of Catholic Church. All roads lead to RomeaEUR"the pope!
“We received more miracle reports when Joan Hunter was a guest on It’s Supernatural! than from any other interview.” —Sid Roth, Host, It’s Supernatural! TV
42 miraculous manifestations of Our Lord, from all over the world. Includes careful research on the Shroud of Turin and Veronica’s Veil, as well as accounts of lesser-known images such as the Crucifix which spoke to St. Thomas Aquinas, the Crucifix of Limpias, and many more!
The story of 36 major Eucharistic Miracles from Lanciano, Italy in 800 to Stich, Bavaria in 1970. Details the official investigations. Tells where some are still venerated today. Covers Hosts that have bled, turned to flesh, levitated, etc.; plus, of Saints who have lived on the Eucharist alone. Reinforces the Church's doctrine of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament like no other book!
The activist, nun, and esteemed spiritual voice who has twice appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday sounds the call to create a monastery within ourselves—to cultivate wisdom and resilience so that we may join God in the work of renewal, restoration, and justice right where we are. “Essential reading for anyone wishing to find the compass of their heart and the wellspring from which to live fully.”—Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries and New York Times bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart “In every beating heart is a silent undercurrent that calls each of us to a place unknown, to the vision of a wiser life, to become what I feel I must be—but cannot name.” So begins Sister Joan Chittister’s words on monasticism, offering a way of living and seeing life that brings deep human satisfaction. Amid the astounding disruptions of normalcy that have unfolded in our world, Sister Joan calls all of us to cultivate the spiritual seeker within, however that may look across our diverse journeys: “We can depend only on the depth of the spiritual well in us. The well is the only thing that can save us from the fear of our own frailty.” This book carries the weight and wisdom of the monastic spiritual tradition into the twenty-first century. Sister Joan leans into Saint Benedict, who, as a young man in the sixth century, sought moral integrity in the face of an empire not by conquering or overpowering the empire but by simply living an ordinary life extraordinarily well. This same monastic mindset can help us grow in wisdom, equanimity, and strength of soul as we seek restoration and renewal both at home and in the world. At a time when people around the world are bearing witness to human frailty—and, simultaneously, the endurance of the human spirit—The Monastic Heart invites readers of all walks to welcome this end of certainty and embrace a new beginning of our faith. Without stepping foot in a monastery, we can become, like those before us, a deeper, freer self, a richer soul—and, as a result, a true monastic, so “that in all things God may be glorified.”
You’ve prayed for deliverance—you’ve forgiven those who have hurt or abused you—and yet you’re still nursing the painful wounds of your past. Does this describe your experience? Many Christians have suffered unspeakable trauma and wonder why they aren’t experiencing the freedom God has promised. The reason is that trauma goes deeper than the mind. It infiltrates the body at the cellular level, and only a deliverance that deals with the whole man—soul, spirit, and body—will treat the trauma and set you free—completely free. Speaking as one who has received miraculous healing herself and also ministered it to others, Christian author and healing expert Joan Hunter demonstrates how to find true freedom through such methods as… Cursing cellular memory of rape and other forms of sexual abuse Escaping the stress that wears you down Renewing your mind with the mind of Christ Forgiving those who have harmed you Learning to love yourself Accepting the unconditional love of your heavenly Father As you break free from the bondage of trauma and pain, you will walk in deliverance and discover your true identity as a beloved child of God. You can be healed and whole! Start the recovery process today.
A beloved nun and social activist offers a soul-stirring guide for all who feel disillusioned and dissatisfied with the power-hungry institutions and systems of this world “A cri de coeur against the status quo and for a bold spirituality to fight injustice.”—The New York Times In The Time Is Now, Sister Joan Chittister—a rabble-rousing force of nature for social justice and fervent proponent of personal faith and spiritual fulfillment—draws on the wisdom of prophets, both ancient and modern, to help us confront the societal forces that oppress and silence the sacred voices among us. Pairing scriptural insights with narratives of the truth-tellers that came before us, Sister Joan offers a compelling vision for readers to combat complacency and to propel ourselves toward creating a world of justice, freedom, peace, and empowerment. For the weary, the cranky, and the fearful, this energizing message invites us to participate in a vision for a world greater than the one we find ourselves in today. This is spirituality in action; this is practical and powerful activism for our times. Praise for The Time Is Now “For decades Chittister has been a prolific author and advocate for women and social justice inside and outside the realm of the Catholic Church. Here she shares her perspective on the current state of equity, social justice, and the environment and calls on all Christians to explore the traits of prophets, many of which they can find within themselves . . . offering motivation as well as ways to accomplish change.”—Booklist “A series of short essays to encourage and refresh the spirit of activists . . . applicable to both progressive and conservative Christians. Will appeal to spiritual readers seeking an encouraging book for social justice advocacy.”—Library Journal (starred review)
On the way home from a vacation, JoAn kept hearing what she thought was a song running through her head. Eventually, she realized it was a message. She wrote it down on a scrap of paper and later typed it, wondering why that message, which was a poem, had come to her. Following an auto accident and her descent into an abyss of pain and critical illness, she realized the poem was a gift to encourage her on the most difficult journey of her life. That critical illness led to the study of the scriptures on healing and an intensive search for the healing ministry of Jesus. Her book takes the reader on that journey as she prayed and hoped for the healing Jesus offered in his earthly ministry. Her hope is to encourage and empower the seeker to trust in the God of creation on their own journey, for God has not left us defenseless but has equipped us for the journey no matter where that journey may lead.
Early in the thirteenth century a young woman named Clare was so moved by the teachings of Francis of Assisi that she renounced her possessions, vowing to live a life of radical poverty. Today Clare is remembered for her relationship with Francis, but her own dedication to poverty and her struggle to gain papal approval for a Franciscan Rule for women is a fascinating story that has not received the attention it deserves. In The Privilege of Poverty, Joan Mueller tells this story, and in so doing she reshapes our understanding of early Franciscan history. Clare knew, as did Francis, that she needed a Rule to preserve the &“privilege of poverty&”&—a papal exemption that gave monasteries of women permission not to rely on endowment income. Early Franciscan women gave their dowries to the poor and were as passionately holy and shrewdly political in this choice as were their male counterparts. Mueller shows the crucial role played in this by Agnes of Prague, one of Clare&’s closest collaborators. A Bohemian princess who declined an engagement to Emperor Frederick II in order to found a monastery of Poor Ladies in Prague, Agnes capitalized on the papal need for a political alliance with the kingdom of Bohemia to negotiate the privilege of poverty for her monastery and set up a hospital for the poor in Prague. The efforts of Clare and Agnes ultimately paid off, as Pope Innocent IV approved a Franciscan Rule for women with the privilege of poverty at its core on Clare&’s deathbed in 1253. Only two years later, Clare was canonized, and the Poor Clares&—as they came to be known&—continue today as contemplative and active communities devoted to the same ideals that inspired Francis and Clare. The Privilege of Poverty not only contributes new insight into Franciscan history but also redefines it. No longer can we view early Franciscanism as primarily a male story. Franciscan women were courted by their brothers and by the papacy for their essential contributions to the early Franciscan movement.
The new pastor in Covington discovers that the pastor from forty years ago was never ordained, and was therefore not qualified to marry anyone! With five long-standing marriages thrown into crisis, it's decided that the couples absolutely must remarry on Christmas Eve. With the church desperately in need of repairs, though, how can they get it ready in time? Sounds like a job for the ladies of Covington! But when last-minute obstacles threaten to stop the weddings, Grace, Hannah, and Amelia are going to need a miracle to turn Christmas Eve into a wedding day that no one will ever forget.
In recent years a new interest in the Eastern Churches has emerged in the Western Churches both Catholic and Protestant. The reader of this work will find answers to such fundamental questions as Who are Eastern Catholics?" "How did the Eastern Catholic Churches originate?" "Who are Orthodox Christians?" "How do Orthodox Christians differ from Eastern Catholics?" "Why do so many diverse Eastern Churches exist?" While it cannot answer all these questions thoroughly, this concise booklet can help interested laity, theological students, and ministers come to understand and respect Eastern Catholicism for its many contributions to the universal Catholic Church.
Teach them the difference between the holy and the profane, between the clean and unclean. Teach them all the word God has given" (Leviticus 10:10). Emeralds, sapphires, diamonds? What do precious gems have to do with God? Everything, if you study the high priest breastplate and decode the message. Proverbs 25:2 says, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the glory of kings is to search a thing out." There is much more buried deep in the scriptures than we know. It is a deep well of treasure waiting to be mined and just as precious as sapphires and diamonds. How does God see these jewels? Does the Hebrew name for ruby, written three thousand years ago, mean "flaming sword of light," and does it hint at the laser hidden inside its depths? Do these gems represent anything important and of great value? Absolutely! Is there a secret and mysterious meaning imbedded in the fact that God assigned a jewel to each tribe of Israel, accompanied by two very specific blessings and a tribal banner, which surprisingly has an astronomical significance? Jesus said that before He comes back, there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. Do these constellations, depicted in the tribal banners, tell us something of great import for the world? Are there warnings broadcast in the stars that we should be paying attention to them now? Buckle up and begin one of the most fascinating journeys into the mysteries of God.
Everyone has dreams and goals that they want to achieve, but the foremost and overarching goal for every catholic, and the only one that brings true happiness, should be to become a saint and enjoy the Beatific Vision. It is a momentous task that can often seem overwhelming and unattainable. Indeed, without the aid of grace it is impossible. But confident hope can be placed in God that He will always provide the grace necessary to accomplish such a feat. The saints in this volume are evidence of this fact and serve as role models for cooperation with the action of God’s grace. Within this volume are fifty eight saints who achieved holiness as husbands, wives, parents, or youth. Some lived in marital bliss with never a quarrel; others suffered greatly at the hands of their spouse, and many became saints while still at a tender young age. Each of these saints have qualities to be emulated in living as a member of a family, whether patience is needed in bearing with the faults of a spouse or temperance is needed to check a natural inclination to anger.
Reweaving the Relational Mat is an integrative response to the problem of violence against women which grounds theological and sociological analysis in the praxis of Oceanian Christian women's experiences of violence. It focuses on the collusion of the church in the problem of violence against women by critiquing the ways in which its theology and practices have contributed to 'power-over' ways of relating. Employing the Oceanian metaphor of weaving the mat, the analysis 'unravels' the 'patriarchal relational mat,' paving the way for a constructive 'reweaving' of a Christocentric 'egalitarian relational mat.' The study begins by unravelling the correlation between violence and the ideology of patriarchy. It then highlights the various strands of violence against women, and examines the complex mosaic of socio-cultural sources and manifestations of violence against women in Oceania. This leads to an analysis of the interwoven strands of religion and violence, focusing particularly on the church's captivity to patriarchy. The ensuing explication of problematic theological and biblical interpretations and church practices ends with a critique of male clergy power, particularly as it functions in the Oceanian context. This leads to an examination of the relationship between flawed theological education and violence against women. Case studies of violence against women in the Oceanian theological education setting are analysed. The subsequent 'reweaving of the relational mat' issues forth in specific challenges to church leaders, theological educators and church women.
Step beyond the walls of the church and into the thick of humanity. "Joan Brown Campbell's career can be regarded as prophetic. For Joan, faith has meant engagement with the world and its pain. Her words remind us that at its best, religion should not narrow our horizons, but enable us to live more fully; should not cause us to withdraw from the world, but to do our utmost to make it a better place." —from the Foreword by Karen Armstrong Drawing on her amazing life experiences, Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell speaks out on the pressing issues that face us today: love, justice, reconciliation, forgiveness and community. With a bold, distinctive voice, this visionary minister asserts that we have the capacity to transcend the barriers that separate us from one another. She poses that "Who is my neighbor?" may be the most crucial question in our world where so many are hungry and hurting and weary of war. She calls us to live life fully—not carefully or cautiously, but wholly engaged with the world and with the messiness of humanity. She dares us to act as the people we are called and created to be—to claim our freedom to care, to risk and to step out into the unknown. Capturing the essence of her wisdom gained from years of world travel and experience, Campbell offers inspiration and challenge for all who would claim their lives as people of hope.
Here the authors convincingly show that intergenerational faith formation, when done well, can be powerful, dramatic, even magical. Not only is there a place for intergenerational learning in parish faith formation, the authors believe there is a necessity for it. They show that intergenerational faith formation can help children, adolescents, and adults effectively identify with and integrate into the faith community because their learning and formation takes place in the context of communityall ages learning together. People will be looking for this one.
Reflections by Joan Chittister with icons by Robert Lentz present over two dozen saints and prophets--from Hildegard of Bingen to Martin Luther King, Jr.,--who speak to the urgent spiritual questions of our time.
This book is a detailed examination of the literature and archaeology pertaining to specific sites (in Palestine, Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Memre, Nazareth, Capernaum, and elsewhere) and the region in general. Taylor contends that the origins of these holy places and the phenomenon of Christian pilgrimage can be traced to the emperor Constantine, who ruled over the eastern Empire from 324. He contends that few places were actually genuine; the most important authentic site being the cave (not Garden) of Gethsemane, where Christ was probably arrested. Extensively illustrated, this lively new look at a topic previously shrouded in obscurity should interest students in scholars in a range of disciplines.
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