The Writings of One of the World's Greatest Religious Leaders on the Most Important Spiritual Issues of Our Time. The Way to Christ offers a unique opportunity to experience inspiring sermons Pope John Paul II preached during spiritual retreats he led while he was still a cardinal. In them he addresses the pressing spiritual issues of our day: the miracle and dignity of each human life, the need for a community that nurtures humanity, the necessity of cultivating the inner spiritual life, and the power of Christ to transform our present and future realities. These deeply scriptural, very personal talks celebrate the reality and the immediacy of Christ, offering rich insights and solid guidance for Christians living in today's world.
Winner of a first-place award for English translation editions from The Catholic Media Association. Teachings for an Unbelieving World is a newly discovered work written by St. John Paul II—then Archbishop Karol Wojtyła of Kraków—in the years just after Vatican II. He uses St. Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens in Acts 17 as a framework for articulating the faith in a culture of skepticism and unbelief. These thirteen brief reflections provide compelling teaching for Catholics in today’s post-Christian world and give fresh insight into JPII’s pontificate. This is the first English-language publication of this important work. St. John Paul II composed these thirteen reflections at a unique point of convergence in history—the closing of Vatican II in 1965 and the 1966 observance of one thousand years of Christianity in Poland. Teachings for an Unbelieving World is an extended meditation on Acts 17 where Paul speaks to the cultural elite of Athens after he observed an altar of an unknown god in the city. Quoting from both the Bible and the documents of Vatican II, John Paul II draws timely wisdom from the apostle’s mission to bring the truth of the Gospel to a worldly culture of sophistication and disbelief, one not unlike our own. The future pope reveals Paul’s memorable encounter as an enduring framework to boldly present the core truths of Catholic faith to those living under Poland’s communist regime. In so doing, JPII demonstrates how relevant Paul’s words are today and equips us to meet the challenges of proclaiming the faith in our times. Teachings for an Unbelieving World affirms the continuity of Catholic faith about: humanity’s place in God’s creation; our search for meaning, truth, and freedom; addressing a culture of unbelief; the gift of redemption in Jesus Christ; the grace of the Holy Spirit; the role of the Church in the world; the power of the Eucharist; the redemptive and self-giving nature of human love; and the importance of prayer.
Reaffirming the "greatness and inestimable value of human life," Pope John Paul II discusses in this encyclical letter the present-day legal, ethical, and moral threats to life. In view of today's climate of practical materialism, he addresses, among other issues: abortion artificial reproduction techniques contraception death penalty euthanasia legitimate defense sterilization suicide The Holy Father encourages the faithful to promote and develop the Christian message concerning life, based on the goodness and dignity of life and on the human responsibility to share in the fullness and truth of God's love. In order to build a new culture of human life through prayer and action, he welcomes evangelization efforts and stresses the role of the family in bringing this to fruition. Noting the unique role of women in promoting a "new feminism" that overcomes discrimination, violence, and exploitation, the pope recognizes the witness of love through motherhood and also adds a special word to women who have had an abortion. The letter concludes by looking to Jesus, in order that all may contemplate the life that was made manifest, and to the example and solace of Mary, who is the mother of life.
The best-selling collection of the beloved pope’s most personal thoughts and writings—revised and expanded This definitive compilation brings together the words that Pope John Paul II most urgently wanted the world to hear and embrace. Arranged by the themes he emphasized in his quarter century as pope—including prayer, forgiveness, family, suffering, the church, and Christ—Go in Peace gives the reader an up-close and personal look at this great churchman’s pastoral heart and passes along his vision for a vital life of Christian faith.“Make time for study, meditation, and reflection. Use your intelligence well; make an effort to reach correct convictions; do not waste time; deepen the motives and foundations of faith in Christ and in the Church, so as to be firm now and in your future. We remain firm in our faith by means of prayer; remember St. Paul wrote: ‘Pray without ceasing.’” —John Paul II, from Go in Peace
A great international bestseller, the book in which, on the eve of the millennium, Pope John Paul II brings to an accessible level the profoundest theological concerns of our lives. He goes to the heart of his personal beliefs and speaks with passion about the existence of God; about the dignity of man; about pain, suffering, and evil; about eternal life and the meaning of salvation; about hope; about the relationship of Christianity to other faits and that of Catholicism to other branches of the Christian faith.With the humility and generosity of spirit for which he is known, John Paul II speaks directly and forthrightly to all people. His message: Be not afraid!
In his commentary, John Paul Heil presents two new proposals regarding Paul’s letter to the Galatians. First, he demonstrates an entirely new chiastic structure embracing the entire letter, based on strict linguistic and textual criteria rather than on conceptual or theological themes. This chiastic structure accords with the view that Galatians was originally performed orally in a setting of communal worship. Second, Heil offers a new proposal for a key theme that runs throughout Galatians, as expressed by the subtitle of this book – ‘Worship for Life by Faith in the Crucified and Risen Lord’. Here, ‘worship’ is considered to be a comprehensive concept that includes liturgical, cultic, or ritual worship as well as the moral behaviour that is to complement it as ethical worship in accord with the biblical tradition. ‘Life’ refers both to the present way of living as well as to future eternal life. ‘Faith’ refers to the acceptance of divine grace available to the believer because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In Pope John Paul II Speaks on Women, Brooke Williams Deely presents a comprehensive record of John Paul II's reflections. This collection brings to the forefront the full context and content of his original contributions. Since John Paul II encouraged women and men to expand what he has adumbrated, this book facilitates ongoing dialogue. The principle of the organization of the volume is chronological, compiling John Paul II's teachings on the subject of women arranged by date over the entire term of his Papacy. Since this influential Pope addressed the situation of women from the beginning of his pontificate, this overview of his writings and his spoken addresses best showcases the development and historical context of his thought.
A new critical translation of Pope John Paul II's talks on the Theology of the Body by the internationally renowned biblical scholar Michael Waldstein. With meticulous scholarship and profound insight, Waldstein presents John Paul II's magnificent vision of the human person. Includes a preface by Cardinal Schönborn, a foreword by Christopher West, a comprehensive index of words and phrases, a scriptural index, and a reference table for other versions of the papal texts. Recipient of a CPA Award!
The Gospel of John has been examined from many different perspectives, but a comprehensive treatment of the theme of worship in this Gospel has not yet appeared. John Paul Heil offers a contribution toward a remedy of this deficiency by analyzing the entire Gospel of John from the perspective of its various dimensions of worship. The aim is to illustrate that three different but complementary dimensions of worship - confessional, sacramental, and ethical - dominate this Gospel. Indeed, these different types of worship represent the ways one expresses and demonstrates the faith that includes having divine life eternal, which is the stated purpose for writing the signs Jesus did in this Gospel - that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, believing, you may have life in his name ( John 20:31).
In this interpretation of the corpus of the thirteen New Testament letters attributed to Paul, Heil establishes a connection between communal worship and the New Testament. The author focuses on the key theme of 'worship', understanding it in its most comprehensive sense in the biblical tradition, with the liturgical and the ethical facets of worship held in dynamic interrelationship. The reader is offered a fresh way of reading and listening to the letters of Paul for a deeper understanding of their original purpose and message.
We should always forgive, remembering that we too are in need of forgiveness."Christ came not to condemn but to forgive, to show mercy."Mercy is an indispensable dimension of love; it is as it were love's second name and, at the same time, the specific manner in which love is revealed. . . ."Such is the wisdom of the world's most influential religious leader, Pope John Paul II. In the same format as Fear Not, which has sold 21,000 copies, Forgiveness is a touching collection of the Holy Father's thoughts and reflections on the importance of forgiveness in the human experience. This topic is especially timely because it is the main theme of the Vatican's Holy Jubilee Year 2000. As editor Alexandria Hatcher says, "Pope John Paul II understands 'forgiveness' not as an abstract entity to talk about, but rather as a process to be lived." The Pope's impassioned philosophy on the subject can only be described as inspiring and heartfelt. The insight provided by Forgiveness comes from a holy man committed to spreading the importance of God's love and mercy in the face of chaotic modern times. The Pope's teachings on the subject of forgiveness are beautifully edited by Hatcher into four themed sections for readers: Sin, Mercy, Conversion, and Salvation. To acknowledge John Paul II's Trinitarian sense of forgiveness, these primary themes are interspersed with brief interludes on the Son, who bridges our humanness to God's mercy; on the Holy Spirit, who guides us toward atonement; and on the Father; in whom we seek the wholeness that reconciliation offers. Elegantly simple and accessible for any reader, Forgiveness is the perfect book for any person seeking to understand the special and pivotal role forgiveness can have in his or her life.
Available for the first time in English, the private reflections of the modern pope recently elevated to sainthood—deeply personal writings that reveal a spiritual leader who agonized over his service to God, continually questioning whether he was doing enough. As the head of the Roman Catholic Church for twenty-five years, from the final decades of the twentieth century to the first years of the new millennium, Pope John Paul II significantly impacted our world. As famous as a rock star, this powerful leader who conferred with numerous heads of state was the ultimate model of wisdom and religious commitment for numerous Catholics around the globe. Throughout much of his adult life, from 1962 until two years before his death in 2003, John Paul II kept a series of private diaries in which he disclosed his innermost thoughts, impressions, and concerns. Written in his native Polish and never before available in English until now, these journals provide intimate and deeply moving insight into a man, a priest, and a saint’s spirituality and a life devoted completely to God. In God’s Hands lays bare the soul of this powerful, influential statesman, revealing a devout man untouched by his celebrity status; a selfless servant of God who spent decades questioning whether he was worthy of the role he was called to carry out. Over forty years, from his bishopric in Krakow to his election to the papacy to his final years, one question guided him: "Am I serving God?" Entrusted to his personal secretary—who defied John Paul II’s instructions to burn them after his death—these notebooks provide us with a privileged glimpse into the life of a humble man who never took for granted his mission or his exalted role in the church and in the world.
In this wonderful little book, Pope John Paul II shares with readers why Sunday is such a special day in our Christian tradition and how it can change their lives if they let it. He invites them to bask in its spiritual riches and to slow down, think, pray, and reach out to God in a special way--in a word, to let Sunday truly be Sunday.
This collection of 52 weekly reflections invites young people to read and act on Pope John Paul II's inspiring addresses to young people gathered at annual World Youth Day celebrations. Each reflection contains a Scripture passage related to the theme for the week, a message from the pope, a "Think About That" section asking the reader to ponder the pope's message, and more.
Pope John Paul II's pontificate has been one of the longest and most eventful of the whole history of the Catholic Church. More importantly, this Pope's enduring and courageous preaching of the Gospel message throughout the world has meant that an unprecedented number of people have been exposed to its challenging and invigorating influence. People of the most varied cultures and degrees of Christian commitment have listened to this ambassador of Christ as he addressed their needs and concerns while digging deep into the words of Jesus. Many have been moved to take up the Gospels themselves and rediscover their on-going relevance. Others have felt their devotion to the Church strengthened or have better understood its call to conquer evil with good, violence and hatred with forgiveness, selfishness and pride with humility and self-giving. The present volume is a small representation of John Paul II's teaching presented as a help to those who wish to live the Christian Church's season of Lent more meaningfully. However, it can also meet the interest of inquirers who wish to know something of the Pope's message to Christians and of his hopes for a world in which the respect for truth and the knowledge of God's love bring joy and peace to the hearts of many. Book jacket.
Pope John Paul II has had a profound theological and personal impact on Catholics and non-Catholics alike. In the scholarly tradition of Saint Augustine and Saint Thomas, he has found a new unity between faith and reason. The study of God, says John Paul, is also the study of humanity. He has come to vigorously insist on the rights and dignity of each human person, and on the divine importance of the family. John Paul teaches that the keystone of Christian living today is the communion of persons which is the family.ÊCovenant of LoveÊconveys this central message of his pontificate. It explores the influence of Christ on the modern family, human intimacy, and sexuality and illustrates the Pope's response to the violations of that familial communion: materialism, sterilization, pre-marital sex, abortion, polygamy, adultery and lust, contraception and artificial conception, and homosexuality. Written for the layman as well as for clerics, students, and educators, this volume will enhance the understanding and appreciation of Pope John Paul II's teachings.ÊCovenant of Love,Êpresents the extraordinary new way that John Paul II is using to present a new synthesis of the faith that can be the means of renewing the faith of all Christians and of bringing more people to Christ. It sets out his philosophical and theological design for every Christian who seeks a closer relationship with God--in the person of Christ, in the Church, and in the human heart.
Pope John Paul II's only encyclical on our Blessed Mother, with introduction by the Cardinal Prefect of the congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, and commentary by one of the world's leading Catholic theologians, Hans Urs von Balthasar. The Church's supreme magisterium and representative of the Church's most penetrating theological reflection combine to provide for all the faithful a rich and concise compendium of the Mother of the Redeemer. ...[from back cover]
This book investigates Colossians as a "captivity" letter from the primary implied author, the imprisoned Paul, to an implied audience of mainly Gentile converts currently in danger of influence by local Jews or Jewish Christians. Utilizing a text-centered, literary-rhetorical, and audience-oriented method, it demonstrates new chiastic structures for the entire letter that progressively encourage the audience to resist deceit and conduct themselves according to all the wisdom at their disposal as holy ones in Christ.
The attraction to Pope John Paul II was an attraction no just to the human charism and magnetism of the Pope. It was an attraction to a profoundly spiritual human being, who lives Christ, radiates Christ, and resounds Christ. All of the speeches, homilies, letters and the encyclical "Jesus Christ the Redeemer of Man" are a proclamation of Christ--the Way, the Truth, and the Light. The Pope is, in name and in fact, an "Alter Christus--Another Christ" as well as the Vicar of Christ. To help us appreciate this basic spiritual element in our Holy Father, the gifted American Dominican theologian Jordan Aumann, former Director of the Institute of Spirituality at St. Thomas Aquinas University, Rome, has translated the Holy Father's doctoral thesis on "Faith According to St. John of the Cross". It is my fervent hope that the reading of this translation will help many not only to know God better, but to live His divine life--to that fullness of life promised by Christ."-- John Cardinal KrolArchbishop of Philadelphia (from the Foreword)
Over the years, the Holy Father has said much about the meaning of vocation and how Catholics should respond to God's call, but it has been scattered through dozens of addresses he has given all over the world. Now at last this compact compendium collects the Pope's choicest remarks on God's call and how you should strive to hear and obey Him. He helps you clarify what God is calling you to do, explains how and when God calls, and even helps parents face up to their children's vocations!
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