The bishops attending the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) decreed that the treasures of the Bible were to be opened for Roman Catholics by presenting a larger part of the Bible over three years. The first one-volume Lectionary, a collection of biblical texts appointed for worship on given days--what ultimately became four volumes plus a supplement in English--was published in Latin on September 30, 1970. The result of people seeing four volumes consisting of more pages than most Bibles ...

From Biblical Animals to Family Pets begins with ten general reflections on animals found in the Bible, explores their characteristics, and presents six exercises on biblical animal spirituality. In the second part, what is learned from exploring biblical animals is applied specifically to Shelbydog, the author’s deceased pet; he demonstrates how his dog was a theophany, a manifestation of God, how she and he connected spiritually, and how she nourished his spirituality. Family pe...

The Spirit of the Lord God presents seventy-three biblical-based reflections on the invisible power and life-source of God, known as Spirit, in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), Old Testament (Apocrypha), and the Christian Bible (New Testament). Each exercise begins with a biblical quotation about the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, or Spirit. The biblical words are followed by an in-depth reflection highlighting both the names for and the images of the Holy Spirit ...

The adjective spiritual refers to aspects of one's spirit. The idea that each person possesses an immaterial and immortal soul, which is distinct from the body, did not appear in Jewish (biblical) literature before the Babylonian exile. After interacting with Persian and Hellenistic philosophies, the word nephesh entered Hebrew, meaning living being--not the dichotomous Hellenistic meaning. Thus, the biblical soul refers to a living, breathing, conscious body. According to biblical literat...

If there were only one Paul in the Christian Bible (New Testament), it would not be so difficult to understand him. However, there are three faces (and maybe more) of Paul found in the Bible. In biblical book order, there is the Acts-of-the-Apostles Paul; this Paul is generated by the same author--whoever he was--who wrote Luke's Gospel. Second, there is genuine Paul, the author of seven letters. Third, there are the multiple faces of second-generation Paul; these faces represent believers...

How well-known is the prophet Agabus? How about the prophetess Anna? Daniel? Or Deborah? Besides the prophets who have biblical books named after them, there are over eighty other prophets found in biblical literature. This book presents all the prophets and prophetesses found in the Bible. While most are named, there are a few who are known simply as “Man of God.” Among the 104 entries, readers will read and learn about Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Elijah, Elisha, and Noadiah, and E...

Because there is no single word that translates the Hebrew word hesed and the Greek word eleos, multiple words are used in English biblical translations. Mercy is the most frequently used word in English, but forgiveness, generosity, pity, and others are also used. Using 106 biblical texts gathered from the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), the Old Testament Apocrypha, and the Christian Bible (New Testament), a representative sample of the various ways hesed and eleos are translated is present...

Contemplation is a spiritual process involving long, thoughtful, steady, serious, and attentive consideration or observation in order to achieve closer unity with God and to discover and understand God's will for the contemplative. Contemplation gives rise to activity, and activity, in turn, gives rise to more contemplation. The result of contemplation is often called discernment, seeing clearly what is at first not very clear or obvious, understanding what is not immediately obvious, resu...

The Roman Catholic Church issued its first, modern, one-volume Lectionary--a book of biblical texts assigned for every day of the year--in 1970 in response to the Second Vatican Council's call for a greater fare of Scripture during Mass. By the time the Lectionary was revised and published between 1998 and 2002, it had grown to four volumes. Because of the revision, many weekday celebrations of saints were assigned texts that had not been so in the 1970 Lectionary. Because of the Lectionar...

The title of this book, Very Short Reflections--for Advent and Christmas, Lent and Easter, Ordinary Time and Saints--through the Liturgical Year, accurately describes its contents. Chapter 1 presents a short reflection for every day of the Advent Season. Chapter 2 does the same for every day of the Christmas season. Lent is covered in chapter 3, the Sacred Paschal Triduum in chapter 4, and the fifty days of the Easter season in chapter 5. Chapter 6 covers Ordinary Time. And chapter 7 prese...

The Folks in the Woods focuses on Mary Ann Ackerson, 1904-91, in an isolated French village located in southeast Missouri. When she was seven years old, her parents--Daly and Sarah Ackeson--died of typhoid fever on successive days in 1911. Because Missouri was not yet a state, there were no adoption procedures for Mary Ann and her two brothers and one sister. The author's maternal great-grandfather and great-grandmother, Zeno and Sarah Osia, took Mary Ann to live with them. She grew up wit...

This book presents one hundred reflections on the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The seasons of the year bring change to people. Winter heating gives way to spring and summer air conditioning. The new life of spring--trees leafing, bulbs blooming, grass growing--brought about by rain turns into summer maintenance. Summer maintenance diminishes as the autumn chill begins to spread across the land, and T-shirts and shorts are exchanged for sweaters and jeans. Coats are bro...