Ken Untener's Books

The Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes of prayer each day during the 50 days of the Easter 2015 season. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with a variety of items: Catholic traditions and customs, the saint of the day, historical facts, and information pieces. But the key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays) we’ll walk through the final two chapters of John’s Gospel. These readings begin early Easter Sunday morning when Jesus’ tomb is discovered to be empty, and then continue with accounts of the appearances of the risen Jesus, through to the end of the Gospel.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays) we’ll walk through Luke’s Resurrection narrative, and then through part of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays), we’ll walk through the Sunday Gospels of Cycle B (this year’s liturgical cycle).

This Little Black Book is your companion for Lent. It’s an old-fashioned “vade mecum” (pronounced vahday maykum). That’s Latin for “travel with me” and was used to describe a book that was a constant companion – perhaps a condensed book of prayers for traveling priests, or a handbook for quick reference – something you could take with you anywhere.

Pastoral writings by the late Bishop Ken Untener of the diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, compiled and organized into topics by two members of the Bishop's "Theology Squad.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter 2016 season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays) we’ll look at the Gospel passages assigned for the weekday Mass, and suggest some reflections.

This book is for Christmas season 2015-2015. This Little Book will be your companion, and you can take it with you wherever you wish. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with a variety of thoughts about the Advent and Christmas seasons, the feast of the day, or various traditions and customs. The key is the right-hand page where we’ll reflect on a Gospel passage. This year, the Little Blue Book will use the Gospel passages assigned for the weekday Masses of these seasons. This will give many people a chance to reflect on and pray passages from all of the Gospels that they may have seldom heard proclaimed or preached about at liturgy.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays) we’ll walk through the Sunday Gospels of Cycle C (this year’s liturgical cycle).

Six minutes a day. That’s what you’re asked to give during these next 43 days – the 24 days of the Advent season, and the 19 days of the Christmas season. Each 24-hour day has 240 “six minute” packages. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, you’re asked to give one of those to the Lord.

Six minutes a day. That’s what you’re asked to give during these next 37 days – the 22 days of the Advent season, and the 15 days of the Christmas season. Each 24-hour day has 240 “six minute” packages. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, you’re asked to give one of those to the Lord. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays), we’ll walk through the first several chapters of Matthew’s Gospel a little bit at a time. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with a variety of thoughts about the Advent and Christmas seasons, the feast of the day, and various traditions and customs. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 18.0px; font: 10.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000} span.s1 {font-kerning: none}

A compendium of wise and useful advice about preaching: what works and what doesn't.

“My name is Ken and I will be your waiter for a long, long time . . .” That’s how Ken Untener introduced himself to the more than 6,000 people who attended his ordination as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, on November 24, 1980. The purpose of this book is to let Ken Untener tell the story of his vocation, priesthood, and ministry in his own words. And (ever the teacher), he often used stories of his life as a way to deliver a message from the Scripture and the strength of his faith. This book is not a memoir. Ken did a lot of preaching and rarely used a prepared text, but often recorded his homilies and talks on a microcassette recorder tucked in his pocket. He spoke from his heart and he used examples from everyday life, sometimes even using an incident that had just happened to him that day.

Each 24-hour day has 1,440 minutes. You’re asked to give six of those 1,440 minutes to prayer for the next 44 days. You can give more than six minutes if you wish. But the main thing is to pray every day. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with a variety of thoughts about the Advent and Christmas seasons, the feast of the day, or various traditions and customs. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays), we’ll walk through the first part of Luke’s Gospel a little bit at a time.

This Little Black Book is your companion for Lent 2014. It’s an old-fashioned “vade mecum” (pronounced vahday maykum). That’s Latin for “travel with me” and was used to describe a book that was a constant companion – perhaps a condensed book of prayers for traveling priests, or a handbook for quick reference – something you could take with you anywhere.

Each 24-hour day has 1,440 minutes. You’re asked to give six of those 1,440 minutes to prayer for the next 43 days. You can give more than six minutes if you wish. But the main thing is to pray every day.

This book offers daily reflections on stewardship based on the Gospel of Matthew. Each day includes a passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel and some reflections to help you enter into some quiet time with the Lord.

This book offers daily reflections on stewardship based on the Gospel of Mark. Each day includes a passage from St. Mark’s Gospel and some reflections to help you enter into some quiet time with the Lord.

Six minutes a day. That’s what you’re asked to give during these next 43 days – the 23 days of the Advent season, and the 20 days of the Christmas season. Each 24-hour day has 240 “six minute” packages. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, you’re asked to give one of those to the Lord.

This book is for Christmas season 2015-2016. Each 24-hour day has 1,440 minutes. You’re asked to give six of those 1,440 minutes to prayer for the next 43 days. This Little Book will be your companion, and you can take it with you wherever you wish. You can write in it, tear out a page and put it in your pocket, get extra copies and mail them to friends or family members and have a sense of praying with them each day. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with a variety of thoughts about the Advent and Christmas seasons, the feast of the day, or various traditions and customs. The key is the right-hand page where we’ll reflect on the first reading assigned for the Mass each day. This will give many people a chance to reflect on and pray passages from the Old Testament that they may have seldom heard proclaimed or preached about at liturgy.

This book offers daily reflections on stewardship based on the Gospel of Luke. Each day includes a passage from St. Luke’s Gospel and some reflections to help you enter into some quiet time with the Lord.

This Little Burgundy Book follows the same format as the Little Books we’ve used for the Advent/Christmas, Lenten and Easter seasons. The theme of this book is stewardship. The left-hand pages will have informational items relating to stewardship. The right-hand pages will give prayerful reflection, drawing upon Scriptural passages from the Gospel of St. John.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays), we’ll walk through the Sunday Gospels of Cycle A (this year’s liturgical cycle).

This Little Black Book is your companion for Lent 2015. It’s an old-fashioned “vade mecum” (pronounced vahday maykum). That’s Latin for “travel with me” and was used to describe a book that was a constant companion – perhaps a condensed book of prayers for traveling priests, or a handbook for quick reference – something you could take with you anywhere. The right-hand pages walk through Luke’s passion narrative, a few verses at a time, with explanations and reflections along the way. It’s an ancient way of praying the Scriptures – called lectio divina. The left-hand page has a variety of quotes, information, and timely thoughts. Treat it like a buffet table from which you can take what you like. (If pressed for time, go directly to the right-hand page and spend your time there.) On Sundays and on various left-hand pages, we’ll especially call to mind the poor this Lenten season, remembering Pope Francis’ words that “(a)mong our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor.” We won’t start reading the Gospels until Ash Wednesday. But we’ll start the six-minute program on Sunday, February 15 (the Sunday before Ash Wednesday), which will give us three days to get ready for Lent.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter 2014 season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays) we’ll walk through Matthew’s resurrection narrative. When the narrative is completed, we’ll look at the Gospels from four celebrations which this year fall on a Sunday, replacing the Gospel from Ordinary Time. The left-hand page is like a buffet table with information about the Easter season, or various traditions and customs, or the saint whose feast is celebrated that particular day. The main thing is to spend some quiet time with the Lord using one of our oldest traditions of prayer called lectio divina – sacred reading. We take a short Scripture passage and simply let God speak to us through the words, guiding us to reflections that sometimes seem to come from nowhere. But they’re not “from nowhere.” They’re from God.

This Little White Book is meant to help you enjoy six minutes a day in prayer during these next 50 days of the Easter season. The key is the right-hand page. On that page each day (except Sundays) we’ll look at passages from the Acts of the Apostles, and suggest some reflections.

Six minutes a day. That’s what you’re asked to give during these next 43 days – the 27 days of the Advent season, and the 16 days of the Christmas season. Each 24-hour day has 240 “six minute” packages. During the Advent and Christmas seasons, you’re asked to give one of those to the Lord.

Book's by Ken Untener

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