Drawing on family history and his own story, noted theologian and pastoral leader Fr. Louis J. Cameli takes readers on an archaeological exploration into the faith passed down across time and place. Beginning in his ancestral home in Italy and tracing the story through the centuries, Cameli unearths layers of faith to lead readers to a clearer understanding of their own faith as a legacy from the community of the Church. In The Archaeology of Faith, Fr. Louis Cameli digs into his ancestry to uncover the source of his own faith and invites believers and seekers alike to examine their own faith in the context of history and within the community of the Church. Tracing the evolution of faith from pre-Christian times in his ancestral village of Grottamare on Italy’s Adriatic coast, Cameli discovered how faith intersects with the most basic predicaments of life. While studying the rise of monasticism, he learned that faith is lived in community. As he looked at the medieval raids of Saracen pirates, Cameli found a sense of living with vulnerability. Finally, he realized that trust in God was modeled for him by the relatives who farm the same land today as their ancestors did. As Cameli studied the rich complexity of faith in his family history, he reflected on his own life, his vocation, and the personal challenges that his beliefs pose. Cameli is a highly respected priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, where he has served as the Cardinal’s delegate for formation and mission and is a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops.
With insight reminiscent of The Screwtape Letters, Rev. Louis J. Cameli challenges readers to reconsider what they've always believed about the devil. In some ways, it’s easy to believe in a devil who makes heads spin round and enables people to levitate. Many movies and books about possession and exorcism have trained spiritual seekers to identify evil by its expected Hollywood conventions. By contrast, in The Devil You Don't Know: Recognizing and Resisting Evil in Everyday Life, Cameli, nationally renowned pastoral leader and priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, paints a challenging, unsettling portrait of the devil as a formidable adversary who works great harm, often in quiet, less-seen ways. While remaining a fixture of popular culture, the devil has—until now—been largely ignored in contemporary spiritual writing. Cameli exposes the devil’s tactics of deception, division, diversion, and discouragement, in individuals and also in institutions. This thoroughly biblical, deft exploration considers the personal and social dimensions of sin, and offers both enlightenment and hope in the power of Christ to overcome evil.
In Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality: New Paths to Understanding, Rev. Louis Cameli, nationally renowned pastoral leader and priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, presents the Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality with insight, new possibilities for spiritual care, and a vision for greater hospitality within the Church. Is the sexuality of homosexually inclined persons a blessing or a curse? Does it lead a person to God or away from God? Can a homosexual person be a good Catholic? With humility and pastoral sensitivity, Cameli offers hope to the many who feel alienated from the Church because of these questions. Taking his cue from Pope Benedict’s call to “express the teaching pastorally, theologically, and intellectually in the context of today’s studies of sexuality and anthropology,” he provides a deeper understanding of the Church’s theological language and stresses that while the Church is a teacher, it must also be a learner.
In this challenging but hopeful new book, Church, Faith, Future: What We Face, What We Can Do, Father Louis J. Cameli renders a carefully composed portrait of the church in North America today. Drawing on philosophy, history, cultural analysis, and sociology, he offers a sobering picture of where church and faith stand in our society and where they seem to be headed. Identifying several possible ways forward, Fr. Cameli points out the way he sees as the most promising and most faithful to Catholic tradition. In a fascinating afterword to the book, Cardinal Blase Cupich enters into dialogue with Fr. Cameli's thinking, describing how the Archdiocese of Chicago has begun to address the issues and the directions indicated.
Bread of Life: Exploring the Presence of Eucharist in Our Lives, by Fr. Louis Cameli, focuses on the role that the Eucharist takes in Catholic life. Fr. Cameli gives a personal account of the role of the Eucharist in his own life, explores what Jesus wanted to give us when he gave us the Eucharist by considering chapter six of John’s account of the Gospel, and considers central human questions through the lens of the Eucharist. Reflection questions are included so that readers may reflect on the book on their own or in discussion with others.
Amoris laetitia calls on the Church to minister in a different way to families. In this document, Pope Francis offers a new vision of pastoral care that insists that the Church has a mission to accompany, discern, and integrate families into the Body of Christ, no matter the challenges in their lives. In A New Vision of Family Life: A Reflection on Amoris laetitia, Fr. Louis J. Cameli helps pastoral staff understand how they can support families as they accompany them through difficulties, aid them in discerning their conscience, and integrate them into the parish community. The author shows that such support is vital if the Church is to form families as disciples. Fr. Cameli shows pastoral staff that they can help families see how God works in their lives, understand their experience in light of the Gospel, hear how God is calling them to conversion, and carry their conversion to a world in need. The book situates marriage and family life as a central focus for transformation in the Christian life. Questions at the end of each chapter help the reader reflect on how parishes can implement the vision in Amoris laetitia.
In this challenging but hopeful new book, Church, Faith, Future: What We Face, What We Can Do, Father Louis J. Cameli renders a carefully composed portrait of the church in North America today. Drawing on philosophy, history, cultural analysis, and sociology, he offers a sobering picture of where church and faith stand in our society and where they seem to be headed. Identifying several possible ways forward, Fr. Cameli points out the way he sees as the most promising and most faithful to Catholic tradition. In a fascinating afterword to the book, Cardinal Blase Cupich enters into dialogue with Fr. Cameli's thinking, describing how the Archdiocese of Chicago has begun to address the issues and the directions indicated.
In Catholic Teaching on Homosexuality: New Paths to Understanding, Rev. Louis Cameli, nationally renowned pastoral leader and priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, presents the Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality with insight, new possibilities for spiritual care, and a vision for greater hospitality within the Church. Is the sexuality of homosexually inclined persons a blessing or a curse? Does it lead a person to God or away from God? Can a homosexual person be a good Catholic? With humility and pastoral sensitivity, Cameli offers hope to the many who feel alienated from the Church because of these questions. Taking his cue from Pope Benedict’s call to “express the teaching pastorally, theologically, and intellectually in the context of today’s studies of sexuality and anthropology,” he provides a deeper understanding of the Church’s theological language and stresses that while the Church is a teacher, it must also be a learner.
Bread of Life: Exploring the Presence of Eucharist in Our Lives, by Fr. Louis Cameli, focuses on the role that the Eucharist takes in Catholic life. Fr. Cameli gives a personal account of the role of the Eucharist in his own life, explores what Jesus wanted to give us when he gave us the Eucharist by considering chapter six of John’s account of the Gospel, and considers central human questions through the lens of the Eucharist. Reflection questions are included so that readers may reflect on the book on their own or in discussion with others.
Pan de vida: Explorando la presencia de la Eucaristía en nuestras vidas, el padre Louis J. Cameli examina la creciente secularización de nuestra cultura y el descenso de la asistencia a la misa dominical, reflexionando profundamente sobre el papel que tiene la Eucaristía en la vida católica. Por lo mismo, el padre Cameli nos comparte su “autobiografía eucarística”, un relato muy personal y conmovedor sobre el rol de la Eucaristía en su vida, desde la niñez hasta la edad adulta. Después de relatar su “autobiografía eucarística”, el padre Cameli va más allá de su experiencia personal para meditar sobre lo que Jesús quiso entregarnos al darnos la Eucaristía, y lo hace colocándonos frente a las cuestiones importantes planteadas por Jesús y sus discípulos en el relato del capítulo sexto del evangelio según san Juan. A partir de allí, el padre Cameli se enfoca en el significado de la Eucaristía en la vida moderna, explorando cuestiones fundamentales de la vida humana como la vida y la muerte, la violencia, y la misma sexualidad con el lente de la Eucaristía. A lo largo de la exposición, los lectores encontrarán preguntas que les invitan y ayudan a hacer su propia reflexión y a compartirla con otras personas.
With insight reminiscent of The Screwtape Letters, Rev. Louis J. Cameli challenges readers to reconsider what they've always believed about the devil. In some ways, it’s easy to believe in a devil who makes heads spin round and enables people to levitate. Many movies and books about possession and exorcism have trained spiritual seekers to identify evil by its expected Hollywood conventions. By contrast, in The Devil You Don't Know: Recognizing and Resisting Evil in Everyday Life, Cameli, nationally renowned pastoral leader and priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, paints a challenging, unsettling portrait of the devil as a formidable adversary who works great harm, often in quiet, less-seen ways. While remaining a fixture of popular culture, the devil has—until now—been largely ignored in contemporary spiritual writing. Cameli exposes the devil’s tactics of deception, division, diversion, and discouragement, in individuals and also in institutions. This thoroughly biblical, deft exploration considers the personal and social dimensions of sin, and offers both enlightenment and hope in the power of Christ to overcome evil.
Drawing on family history and his own story, noted theologian and pastoral leader Fr. Louis J. Cameli takes readers on an archaeological exploration into the faith passed down across time and place. Beginning in his ancestral home in Italy and tracing the story through the centuries, Cameli unearths layers of faith to lead readers to a clearer understanding of their own faith as a legacy from the community of the Church. In The Archaeology of Faith, Fr. Louis Cameli digs into his ancestry to uncover the source of his own faith and invites believers and seekers alike to examine their own faith in the context of history and within the community of the Church. Tracing the evolution of faith from pre-Christian times in his ancestral village of Grottamare on Italy’s Adriatic coast, Cameli discovered how faith intersects with the most basic predicaments of life. While studying the rise of monasticism, he learned that faith is lived in community. As he looked at the medieval raids of Saracen pirates, Cameli found a sense of living with vulnerability. Finally, he realized that trust in God was modeled for him by the relatives who farm the same land today as their ancestors did. As Cameli studied the rich complexity of faith in his family history, he reflected on his own life, his vocation, and the personal challenges that his beliefs pose. Cameli is a highly respected priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, where he has served as the Cardinal’s delegate for formation and mission and is a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops.
Amoris laetitia calls on the Church to minister in a different way to families. In this document, Pope Francis offers a new vision of pastoral care that insists that the Church has a mission to accompany, discern, and integrate families into the Body of Christ, no matter the challenges in their lives. In A New Vision of Family Life: A Reflection on Amoris laetitia, Fr. Louis J. Cameli helps pastoral staff understand how they can support families as they accompany them through difficulties, aid them in discerning their conscience, and integrate them into the parish community. The author shows that such support is vital if the Church is to form families as disciples. Fr. Cameli shows pastoral staff that they can help families see how God works in their lives, understand their experience in light of the Gospel, hear how God is calling them to conversion, and carry their conversion to a world in need. The book situates marriage and family life as a central focus for transformation in the Christian life. Questions at the end of each chapter help the reader reflect on how parishes can implement the vision in Amoris laetitia.
The question of this study consists in three elements: spirituality, the priest and service. The task at hand is to relate these three terms to see how service enters the spirituality of the priest. If one were to tag the over-all type of work, evidently it must be called a work of spirituality, a theological work on the spiritual life of the priest viewed under the aspect of service. But the decision to treat a question as a question of spirituality does not, as in other theological fields, allow for an immediate inception of the work. The question of method in spirituality must be raised briefly, since a universally accepted notion of the task and therefore the method of spirituality does not exist. Spirituality means first of all, apart from its use to describe a scientific or theological field, a living reality. Considerable discussion has been raised precisely on this point in the last dozen years: what is an adequate notion of spirituality?
Catholic spirituality faces a crisis. Many Catholics are searching for a sustaining spirituality -- a way of living that expands their vision and enhances their lives. Communal life in the Catholic church invites all to the disciplines of love that enable the faithful to stay true to their call and to grow together as Catholic Christians. Recalling the Second Vatican Council's vision of one church, Father Cameli reveals how to develop spiritually gifted communities that bring Christ to the world and share gifts with one another.
Catholic spirituality faces a crisis. Many Catholics are searching for a sustaining spirituality -- a way of living that expands their vision and enhances their lives. Communal life in the Catholic church invites all to the disciplines of love that enable the faithful to stay true to their call and to grow together as Catholic Christians. Recalling the Second Vatican Council's vision of one church, Father Cameli reveals how to develop spiritually gifted communities that bring Christ to the world and share gifts with one another.
Mary's Journey is a meditation on Mary in the life of the Bible, in the teachings of the Church, and in our life of worship and devotion. It outlines the journey of faith by the most beloved female figure in the Catholic faith tradition. It reflects the best of contemporary scholarship and theological insight. A collection of well-known Marian prayers appear at the back of the book. Father Cameli writes: "I invite you to share in this meditation. Together we will certainly recognize the unique and privileged place of Mary in the story of salvation and in the Church. We will also see her setting a pattern for our journey and accompanying us along the way. My hope is that you, the reader, will return to your own image of Mary, the Mother of God, and find her more alive and present to you than ever before.
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