by Joe from Providence.
This is a devotional book; it is meant to fit in your carryall or bag at all times: so that when you decide to go to Adoration, it is with you. I have had three copies of this little book (I left two in the pews at churches and chapels after adoration). If you want to learn how to enrich your Holy Hours or visits with Jesus, present in the Eucharist, this book will offer you a multitude of short-enough passages to contemplate the Eucharistic Presence. If you have been a participant in Adoration for a long time, this book will enrich the experience for you. Without a doubt, you will return to this book again and again, oftentimes TO CENTER YOURSELF when you enter Christ's Presence. The book is a marvel in miniature.

After reading Fr. Groeschel's insightful book, Arise From Darkness: What To Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense, and pushing it on everyone I know, I did not think that Groeschel would be able to top that. But he did. Whether you are a skeptic of the Real Presence of Christ, or believe beyond all doubt; whether you think this an invention of man or of God; whether you are a spiritual and intellectual weakling or a superman, this book is for you. The voice of Groeschel's inner city life and Bronx-style attitude shine through. That, coupled with his humble wisdom and faith, places him among the very best Christian writers. Enjoy.

This little book of readings and prayers has been very useful for me during Eucharistic Adoration.

This book does not just contain prayers to say during the time with Our Lord, but inspiritations and insights from Fr. Grouschel and many saints that will cause readers to think and contemplate the Real Presence during their visits to the Lord in the Eucharist. Small enough to bring with you every time.

My mother gave me a copy of "Praying Our Goodbyes" in 1998, shortly after the death of my son. I am just now getting around to absorbing its wonderful, tender message. I especially like the parts on taking quiet times to reflect on the loss of a loved one. Many may have anger or disappointment with God when a loved one dies and Joyce addresses that and focuses on how our prayers change with loss. She includes many meaningful prayers for various losses in our lives. ---Alice J. Wisler, "Slices of Sunlight, A Cookbook of Memories"

My father died just months ago and it has been very hard to accept. This book was given to me by a relative and has been such a blessing to my spirit. It gives hope and helps turn that darkness to light. The path is still difficult at times but the inspiration this book has brought me has been a great comfort in my life.

The author's words are profound and provide comfort and guidance to those suffering through the various good-byes of life. It helped me work through a very painful relationship break-up. Her description of the "existenstial ache" was a particular comfort and is something we can all relate to. It helps to know one is not alone in one's "aloneness". The prayers and exercises are healing.

this is the best book you could possibly read!! It is so good, I finished it for everyday of the week for two weeks! I've been trying to find this book ever sence I checked it out from the library. So if you're looking for a good book, you just found it!

Not only is this novella beautifully written, but it is also a fast and enjoyable read. I spend many nights dreaming of the actions that occur between the two main characters-Cupid and Psyche-just to try and re-experience its spender. Based on the mythological love affair that was forbidden by Cupid's own jealous mother, Venus, Orgel portrays the struggle for true love that occurs between the godly mortal Psyche, and the love-stricken God Cupid. Through sensual verses and phrases the theme of true happiness and passion leave the reader begging for another chapter. I recommend this book to anyone who loves mythology like myself as well as forbidden romance, for it is truly a wonderful combination of the two.

I devoured this beautiful book in an hour. Full of romance, it retells the story of "Cupid and Psyche" expanding the characters of both protagonists, making them likable and offering interesting insights into their minds and hearts. If you enjoy mythology and fairy tales, you definitely need to read this book!

Simply the best book on explaining the Catholic Faith I have read. Absolutely everyone, whatever their beliefs may be, should read it.

As an active Youth Minister for the Catholic Church I find Fr. Lukefahr's writing style easy to read and understand. I have used "The Priviledge of Being Catholic" extensively for preparing for R.C.I.A. classes and others that I teach. Also Oscar's book is easy to lend out to parents who have youth who ask tough questions that the parent's do not feel comfortable answering.

Oscar's use of the Sacramental Principle to explain alot of the Catholic teachings that Non-Catholics often attack, helps the non- theologian to practice good Apologetics. A workbook is also available that helps a teacher to use Ocsar's teachings in a classroom setting. I highly recommend "The Priviledge of Being Catholic" to any professional lay or religious minister in the Catholic Church and those who question the biblical basis of Catholic teaching and practices.

This book is a great source for Catholics looking to enrich their faith and for non-Catholics who have questions or misconceptions about the Catholic faith. It really explains in such great clarity the richness of the Catholic faith and how the Sacrimental life is used to live the way that Jesus wants us to live as a part of his Church. This is a must have for any Catholic who is serious about living a Catholic life and for any non-Catholic who needs clear, objective answers to his/her questions. This book ranks up their with Karl Keating's "Catholicism and Fundamentalism."

Daniel Clay sees himself as a lighthouse, illuminating for us the proper way. His immensely readable book, The Prophecies, are the visions he sees for us, our country, our planet and our world. The messages came to him while in a meditative state and offer scenarios if we listen...and if we do not!

The Prophecies addresses many vital subjects...from technology to health to finances to natural resources. Most of all, though, Daniel Clay speaks to the situations that affect everyone of us in a most personal way. Like child-raising, terrorism, peace and even politics. For instance, he forecasts the end of communism everywhere; the oncoming prosperity of Asia; and the coming obsolescence of money, "Gold and silver will be without value, diamonds but decoration".

This reviewer found this quotation most interesting, "And that there will come into this global economic environment an individual of goodwill and piety. He shall be the Pope of the Holy Roman Catholic Church". Further, Pope Sixtus shall reform the church...and this man will bring peace until "...another spirit shall enter the body...the spirit of evil incarnate...and the end will be near".

Daniel Clay is a man of humility and integrity. His words should be heeded because he may be the spiritual teacher we've been expecting. The Prophecies is one of the most interesting and provocative books published. In this reviewer's opinion, Daniel Clay is a prophet of great magnitude and his words can lift our consciousness dramatically!

Clay, in contrast to the traditional Nostradomus prediction tradition, presents such clear, precise predictions. These are truly warnings about what might happen. I did not expect the alternative to also be given. The Power is in the Positive. The alternative is also given in detail. For the first time, I was given a clear picture to strive toward, to pray for. Keeping, holding the image, the thought of what MIGHT, of what could be is more attractive, and effective than the dire warnings, that have become almost commonplace as to loose their once effectiveness. That only serve to enhance the hopelessness that is epedimic.

Whether or not Daniel Clay's "Prophecies" are divinely inspired revelations or merely the products of a deeply spiritual and insightful mind is almost beside the point as one begins to read this truly astonishing work. While the reader's first temptation is to skim the text searching for validations of predicted events that have already come to pass--and there are more than a few absolute stunners, like the present situation in the Balkans and the recent rash of school shootings in the U.S.--more careful reading yields greater rewards. Because Daniel Clay has an uncanny ability to peel away the layers of the most complex sociological and political issues of our time to expose basic truths that are at once so obviously simple and yet so profound they take your breath away. Those deep and undisputable insights, in turn, force one to give serious credence to the author's dire and very specific predictions of mankind's possible future in a new millenium devoid of individual expression and shadowed by the politics of pure Evil. Though you may agree or disagree with "Prophecies," I confidently predict you won't be able to put it down.

In this retelling of the story of Atalanta, Stephanie Spinner continues in the tradition of great novelists like Mary Renault who render ancient history and mythology fresh, accessible and immediate without adulterating the original power of the stories. Atalanta, a mythical huntress with a remarkable story, is still a teenaged girl -- confused, hormonal, and horse-crazy. Anyone who has ever been a adolescent girl or known one will feel a certain affinity to and sympathy for her.

Spinner doesn't fall into the trap of stylistic modernization, however. Despite her character's accessibility to the modern reader, Atalanta remains undisputably an inhabitant of an ancient, mythical world in which creatures like centaurs are an unremarkable (though smelly and obnoxious) aspect of everyday life, and the gods are flawed, mercurial and fickle. Apollo and Artemis carry on conversations filled with the idle, slighty vicious barbs one would expect from siblings, though not, perhaps, from devine ones. That our heroine, long-suffering and stoic, is at the mercy of these creatures seems the ultimate injustice: she is so much better than they.

I suppose that injustice is part of what makes "Quiver" so convincing and evocative of the original myths it is based on. The Greek Gods of Homer and Ovid were never especially divine in judgement or emotion; what makes them so terrifying and moving is that they are just like us, only bigger, more powerful, and even more ruled by the drives and emotions we deem ignoble, primal, and unmanagable. In this godly muck of jealousy, revenge and chaos for the sake of it, Atalanta is a beacon of level-headedness, humanity, and nobility.

Quiver was a wonderful integration of mythology, romance, and adventure. I have recommended this book to many of my friends and my Latin teacher. The main character, Atalanta, was one of many characters beautifully brought to life through dialogue and description. Spinner's Quiver was a delicate mix of the many tales of Atalanta. I hope to read many more books by Stephanie Spinner in the future.

Quiver was a wonderful integration of mythology, romance, and adventure. I have recomended it to many of my friends and my Latin teacher. The main character, Atalanta, was one of the many characters beautifully brought to life through dialogue and description. The plot was a delicate mix of the many tales of Atalanta. I look forward to reading many other books by Stephanie Spinner.

Williams says evangelicalism is suffering from amnesia about "how little the church's future is being informed by the Christian past."

Evangelicals in the Free Church tradition suffer from a very negative view of church history and the "Foundational Tradition of the early church."

The author, an ordained Baptist minister, believes that if the Free Churches don't rediscover that Tradition, they'll become more sectarian and become more and more susceptible to accomodation to the surrounding culture. From my observations, I believe Williams is correct.

I don't mean to sound cynical, but I'm very skeptical of Free Church/evangelicals responding to Williams' message. (I hope they'll prove me wrong!) So many of them seem to believe Christianity began when they asked Jesus into their lives, not 2,000 years ago.

Williams builds a strong case for his convictions. He believes it's the key to the church's renewal.

At the suggestion of a professor of Patristics after taking his class on Early Christian Thought, this was a tremendous eye-opener to the danger of forsaking the wellspring of rich legacy found in the Early Church and in Christian history in general. D.H. Williams writes primarily to "Suspicious Protestants," i.e. those leery of tradition and its (oft-thought) destructive influence upon authentic Christianity. On the contrary, Williams argues, Tradition (capital "T" -- thus not the man-made jots and tittles of deadening religion but the Heritage of Orthodoxy bequeethed to us from the Ancient Church) is just the necessary component to direct our way aright in the pluralistic/subjectivist mileiu in which we find ourselves. As Henri de Lubac has correctly noted: "Every time a Christian renewal has blossomed in our West, whether in thought or in life... it has blossomed under the sign of the Fathers."

Buy this book!! You won't regret it!

This is an exellent work. The Church (especially the evangelical ones) need a look at the ancient faith to face the future. Williams shows you the great treasure of redescovering the tradition of the early church. Refreshing!

This wonderful book will appeal to those Christians who understand that the mystical is real and who do not subscribe to a cynical interpretation of Scripture. Michael Brown's journey from a secular life as a journalist to a devotional life centered on the Blessed Virgin Mother will console those who struggle to sustain their faith in the post-Christian paganism of the contemporary world. The central theme of the book is spiritual warfare against the demonic realities which surround us and which have penetrated almost every aspect of popular culture. The book maintains a sober balance between the recognition that evil is an ontological, personal reality and the Catholic hopefulness that it cannot overcome us. In simple, lucid prose Mr. Brown describes the life of the spiritual warrior whose main weapons are the rosary, Mass and prayer. He discusses the significance of the many Marian apparitions in the last 150 years and recounts his own experiences at Medjugorge. Michael Brown reminds us that penance, humility and quiet devotion are essential to our own salvation and for the amelioration of the coming chastisements.

This is a story of the author's personal spiritual journey home to Christianity. It begins with him being of the world and all about his career and worldly goals. Then after some Angelic intervention, Mr. Brown begins his long journey. That changes his whole outlook on life and the world around him. It is a riveting and emotional tale. Mr. Brown is an accomplished investigative journalist. His strong research style adds an air of credibility to a very personal story that leads deeply into spiritual warfare. He effectively sprinkles guidance and prayers along with the narrative of his journey. This is a powerful book. I could not put it down. I have bought copies for a number of family members and friends and all have found it gripping. Some even saw it as a personal awakening!

i read this book at least 4 years ago,lent it out and never got it back. I am thrilled that i have found it again and can not wait to read it again. If ever in doubt please read this book. God bless! Mr. Brown if you can email me at moonshadowhollow@hotmail.com that would be great!

Here is a charming book containing the insights of one of the greatest theologians of the age, an architect of the Second Vatican Council and friend to the current pontiff. Cardinal Ratzinger does not like much of the mischief that has been perpretated since the Council in the name of aggiornamento (I think that means "trendiness" in Italian), and makes it clear that the Council was not a license to go on making frivolous tinkerings with the sacred liturgy, ad nauseam, ad infinitum.

Many Church "progressives" (persons who believe that the editors of Commonweal Magazine have the charism of ex cathedra infallibility) enjoy depicting Cardinal Ratzinger as a fiend from the depths of hell. Don't believe this hyperventilating hype; in the name of "collegiality" and "liberty" and "fraternal collaboration," the leftist jacobins have almost succeeded in destroying the reputation of a fine man and a first-rate thinker.

Ratzinger demonstrates how the current breed of liturgists -- like Ezra Pound, pathologically intent on "making it new" -- often claim to represent the interests of the poor and the unlettered, all the while running roughshod over their wishes. The poor and unlettered are derided by the innovators for their naivete, their unsophistication, and their old-fashioned devotional practices. In fact, Ratzinger cites an instance where the poor parishioners of an Episcopalian church in New York City were instrumental in stopping the drastic "renovation" of a church they loved just the way it was.

"Mark my word," Thomas Merton once wrote to a friend, "there is no uglier species on the face of the earth than progressed Catholics, mean, frivol, ungainly, inarticulate, venomous, and bursting at the seams with progress into the secular cities and the Teilhardian subways." And Thomas Merton was not to be confused with Cardinal Ratzinger, who has been called every name in the book by those who pride themselves on their tolerance. Read the Ratzinger Report and don't believe the hype.

I came to this book--or, rather, interview--as a person feeling the pull to Catholicism. This was probably not the best book to read this early in the journey to Rome, since it presumes something of a knowledge of the Church and its "crisis" in modern times, particularly after Vatican II--unlike, say, an introduction to Catholic theology or liturgy. In that respect, then, not being a Catholic, I was probably limited in what I could take from the book.

Nevertheless, I found it extremely fascinating and worthwhile. For starters, Ratzinger's understanding of the Church speaks directly to why I was drawn to it in the first place. He conveys a sense of the Church's community of believers, the communion of saints, emphasizing the very important communal aspects of the Catholic faith and suggesting that theology is not just a matter for individuals and academicians and "theologians"--it is pursued as a community. He describes this community, this unity quite wonderfully, I think: "harmonic wholeness."

His description as the Church going up against the powerful cultural forces of our time was also quite convincing and appealing. Indeed, the Church stands virtually alone against the tide of permissivity. Ratzinger discusses the difficulties the Church was facing in the mid-1980s, from feminism and liberation theology to the dangers of extreme individualism. His proposed solutions are probably not surprising to those familiar--among others: not an abandonment of Vatican II but a discovery of its true spirit; a re-affirmation of traditional doctrines (such as the Virgin Mary); a recognition that the Church is not democratic but sacramental and hierarchical instead; and a restoration of the virtues of motherhood and virginity.

All in all, a great survey of the Catholic Church's position in the modern world, which deals with problems as well as possible answers. Moreover, Ratzinger speaks, either directly or indirectly, to the problems facing the world in general, and his solutions could just as easily be applied in that broader context. This book, then, in many ways, transcends its intended Catholic audience--a true achievement.

In this interview, Cardinal Ratzinger, perhaps the second most influential person in the Catholic church, shows everyone to be wrong about him. He is less conservative than the conservatives think and progressives fear. Ratzinger is an example of how the Catholic church is something entirely different, such that you cannot fit it's mission into a 'progressive' or 'conservative' form. Rather, there is simply Catholicism. Ratzinger's main goal is to make us, progressives and conservatives, understand that Vatican II cannot be ignored, but must exert its full affect upon the Church.