Parish Resources

With a goal of transcendent awareness, John Shea presents this commentary on the Sunday Gospel readings for those who are drawn to the spiritual wisdom of the Gospels. Ideal for Christian preachers and teachers, and Christians who meditate on the Gospels, Shea's book takes a literary-spiritual approach. He analyzes the mindsets of characters and how Jesus complimented, critiqued, praised these mindsets, to inspire meditation, reflection, and spiritual development. On Earth as It Is in Heaven, Year A is the first book of a four-volume set, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers. This set is a Lectionary-based resource that references both Roman Catholic and Revised Common Lectionaries, making it useful and interesting to various Christian denominations. A Scripture index makes Shea's insightful reflections accessible for personal reflection on the Gospel texts as well as other uses outside of liturgical preparation. With wisdom relevant to our contemporary world, The Spiritual Wisdom of the Gospels for Christian Preachers and Teachers: On Earth as It Is in Heaven will find its way to the top of your resource list.

Subtitle: On Earth as It Is in Heaven Year A
Author: John Shea, STD

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814629130
Details: 360 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 09/01/2004

Catholic Press Association Award Winner!

The commentaries on the Lectionary readings in Hearing the Word of God are an attempt not only to hear the Word of God in Scripture but also to suggest ways that the Sunday readings might continue to nurture faith and life. Inevitably they reflect the time in which they were first written as a popular weekly column in America from November 2000 to Advent 2001.

Hearing the Word of God includes Scripture readings for the Sunday, followed by a reflection on the reading, and concludes with "Praying with Scripture," a series of questions and meditations to guide readers in making a personal application of the reflection.

Subtitle: Reflections on the Sunday Readings, Year C
Author: R. Donahue, SJ

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814627846
Details: 152 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 09/01/2003

What author John J. Pilch did for our understanding of the Sunday readings in his best-selling Cultural World of Jesus Sunday by Sunday series, he now does for the readings of the Triduum and Easter Sunday. Preachers, liturgy planners, musicians, and lyricists will discover the cultural context and meaning of the three Scripture readings for each day. All who participate in the Triduum and Easter Sunday liturgies will gain a deeper understanding of the Scriptures and their application to modern life.

The introduction presents and explains a three-step method commonly used by specialists in cross-cultural communication. Pilch offers suggestions for homilists and reflection questions from historical, liturgical, and cultural perspectives to encourage the reader to explore and master this cross-cultural method for breaking open the Scriptures. This process helps to make the challenge of the Scriptures clearer than ever for the modern reader.

Subtitle: Breaking Open the Scriptures
Author: John J. Pilch

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814627273
Details: 56 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 07/01/2000

These meditations present the mystery of Pentecost, from Luke in Acts, John in his Gospel, and Paul in his Letters. By placing these diverse but complementary points of view together, Cantalamessa provides priests, students, and interested lay people with a "three-dimensional" image of the coming of the Spirit, particularly suited to promote catechesis and devotion. Fr. Cantalamessa originally presented these meditations in his capacity as preacher to the papal household.

Chapters are "And They Began to Speak in Different Tongues: The Lukan Pentecost and the Spirit of Unity," "You Will Receive Power When the Holy Spirit Comes Upon You: The Lukan Pentecost and the Spirit of Prophecy," "He Breathed on Them and Said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit': The Johannine Pentecost and the Spirit of Truth," "But One and the Same Spirit Produces All of These: The Pauline Pentecost and the 'Person' of the Holy Spirit."

Author: Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap.; Glen S. Davis, Translator

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814627242
Details: 72 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 02/01/200

In this book of meditations Father Raniero Cantalamessa reflects on Christ passion, death, and resurrection. First presented as a Lenten retreat in Rome, together with the Good Friday homily in St. Peter Basilica, the result is a rich and multifaceted exploration of this central mystery of the Christian faith. Christ journey to Easter is such an immensely rich source that homilists, liturgists and believers who wants to plumb its depths know the challenge is not about lack of content, but rather where to begin. Like an experienced guide who knows the territory and its many paths, Father Cantalamessa helps readers reach the spiritual center. His varying points of departure become stirring reflections on Easter. They culminate in a powerful meditation on the Servant Song in the light of the Passion narrativesand the message of the victorious Christ.

Subtitle: Meditations on the Resurrection
Author: Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap; Demetrio S. Yocum, Translator

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814627068
Details: 64 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 09/01/2006

Seasons in the Word: Liturgical Homilies Year C is the second of a three-volume collection of homilies covering the Lectionary, including feast days. The book results from decades of prayerful preaching on the Sunday Scriptures by Fr. John Sandell to congregations in the Diocese of Fargo. Useful for priests in their own homiletic preparation, Seasons in the Word is also for lay people who wish to prepare for the upcoming Sunday readings and for individual reflection.

Subtitle: Liturgical Homilies Year C
Author: John Sandell

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 978-0-8146-2585-9, 2585
Details: 120 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 08/01/2003

The parables of Jesus are puzzling sayings and stories with world-transforming potential. Parables for Preachers offers an understanding of how parables work and a fresh variety of possible meanings not only for Jesus original audience and for the early Christians for whom Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote but also for contemporary Christians as well. The Gospel parables are analyzed in the order in which they appear in the Lectionary, making this book an indispensable resource for preachers, teachers, catechists, liturgy planners, and Bible study groups.

Subtitle: Year C, The Gospel of Luke
Author: Barbara E. Reid, OP

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814625521
Details: 368 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 08/01/2000

The parables of Jesus are puzzling sayings and stories with world-transforming potential. Parables for Preachers offers an understanding of how parables work and a fresh variety of possible meanings not only for Jesus original audience and for the early Christians for whom Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote but also for contemporary Christians as well. The Gospel parables are analyzed in the order in which they appear in the Lectionary, making this book an indispensable resource for preachers, teachers, catechists, liturgy planners, and Bible study groups.

Subtitle: Year B, The Gospel of Mark
Author: Barbara E. Reid, OP

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814625514
Details: 144 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 
Publication Date: 10/01/1999

The parables of Jesus are puzzling sayings and stories with world-transforming potential. Parables for Preachers offers an understanding of how parables work and a fresh variety of possible meanings not only for Jesus original audience and for the early Christians for whom Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote but also for contemporary Christians as well. The Gospel parables are analyzed in the order in which they appear in the Lectionary, making this book an indispensable resource for preachers, teachers, catechists, liturgy planners, and Bible study groups.

Subtitle: Year A, The Gospel of Matthew
Author: Barbara E. Reid, OP

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814625507
Details: 296 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/
Publication Date: 09/01/2001

Making Good Preaching Better explores not the preaching of ethics but the ethics of preaching. Using sound theology and practical insights, this book shows that by putting themselves in the place of the people in the pews, preachers can improve their sermons and make good preaching better more consistently. Written with the practicing homilist in mind, Making Good Preaching Better helps motivate and sharpen the skills of those in preaching ministry. Laid out as a teaching tool for classroom use, it also makes the work of the homiletic professor easier.

Reverend Rueter explains how the same qualities - visual, oral, cohesive - that make it possible for preachers to remember their sermons also make it possible for parishioners to remember these sermons. He also explores concepts not covered in other homiletics books, such as the legitimate appeal to self-interest as observed in Jesus, Paul, and Moses, how to deal with "hard," controversial topics, and tips for remembering homilies. Reverend Rueter bases his approach on the time-proven step-by-step pedagogy used in the first-century schools of rhetoric. He believes that requiring novices to prepare whole homilies for criticism presents too many possibilities for failure and thus discouragement. With its step-by-step homiletical exercises, Making Good Preaching Better gives students greater possibilities of the joy of success in putting together entire homilies one step at a time.

Making Good Preaching Better offers three-minute oral exercises to be performed before a video camera. Each exercise uses the theological/homiletical principles explained in that chapter and includes suggestions on how to conduct the video lab sessions without provoking dread but rather, by promoting affirmation. Fourteen homilies (by the author and others) are supplied for both professionals and novices to critique. To supplement the instruction, recommendations for additional readings are provided at the end of each chapter. Roman Catholic and Protestant clergy, seminarians, and those in Roman Catholic diaconate formation programs will benefit from this practical textbook.

Subitle: A Step-by-Step Guide to Scripture-Based, People-Centered Preaching
Author: Alvin C. Rueter

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814622155
Details: 288 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 02/01/1997

Homilies for Weekdays: Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials is a requested and welcome addition to the first two volumes of weekday homilies by Father Don Talafous, OSB. Here, he offers creative homily suggestions for solemnities, feasts, and obligatory memorials that fall on weekdays. Readers will deeply appreciate the faithful representation of the Scripture readings and their practical applications for Christian living.

Subtitle: Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials
Author: Don Talafous, OSB, PhD

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814618714
Details: 96 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 10/01/2009

In this volume of weekly reflections on the Sunday Lectionary for Year C, Verna Holyhead moves deftly between the Old and New Testament readings, providing theological context and tying the texts to contemporary concerns. Rich in references to poetry and history, these reflections are infused with the spirit of the Rule of St. Benedict, which invites Christians to take the two Testaments as the truest guides for human life. The supplementary series of conversations between the Liturgy of the Word and the Rule extend the weekly reflection. As a sourcebook for pastoral ministry or a reference for personal or communal reflection, this volume will assist believers who desire to engage more deeply with the Word.

Subtitle: With Burning Hearts
Author: Verna Holyhead, SGS

PRODUCT DETAILS
ISBN: 9780814618349
Details: 224 pgs , 6 x 9 
Publication Date: 08/01/2006

Balaam's Donkey is a series of daily reflections based on the homilies preached by CisteOCIAn monk Michael Casey over his fifty years of priesthood. What remained of the original homilies was a large box full of index cards with a few talking points on each. From there, Casey has re-created the homilies and recast them into short reflections, arranged randomly for every day of the year. The range of topics discussed is broad and the approach taken differs with each reflection, most of them colored with a touch of Casey's whimsy and good humor.

Paperback 488 pgs , 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 

Publication Date: 02/28/2019

Fr. Michael White and Tom Corcoran know that the fundamental work of the Church is to evangelize to introduce people to Christ and make them disciples. Still, they"re the first to admit: the difficulty comes when we reach down into the details and get to work.In their barn-burning first book, Rebuilt, White and Corcoran shared their story and vision of building better Catholic parishes. Now, in their eagerly anticipated second book, Tools for Rebuilding, they lay out seventy-five proven tactics for getting the job done.

In Tools for Rebuilding: 75 Really, Really Practical Ways to Make Your Parish Better, White and Corcoran share seventy-five foundational tactics that helped to rejuvenate their parish. Their candid, hands-on advice gives a clear way forward one that will make church matter to the people in the pews and that anyone working in parish ministry can implement.

Authors: Michael White & Tom Corcoran

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-444-3

On-sale date: November 25, 2013

Drawing on the wisdom gleaned from thriving mega-churches and innovative business leaders while anchoring their vision in the Eucharistic center of Catholic faith, Fr. Michael White and lay associate Tom Corcoran present the compelling and inspiring story to how they brought their parish back to life.

Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, and Making Church Matter is a story of stopping everything and changing focus. When their parish reached a breaking point, White and Corcoran asked themselves how they could make the Church matter to Catholics, and they realized the answer was at the heart of the Gospel. Their faithful response not only tripled their weekend mass attendance, but also yielded increased giving, flourishing ministries, and a vibrant, solidly Catholic spiritual revival. White and Corcoran invite all Catholic leaders to share the vision, borrow their strategies, and rebuild their own parishes. They offer a wealth of guidance for anyone with the courage to hear them.

Authors: Michael White & Tom Corcoran

Foreword by: Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 978-1-59471-386-6

On-sale date: February 25, 2013

The Basic Sixteen Documents

The sixteen official documentsconstitutions, decrees, and declarationsof the Second Vatican Council are now available from Liturgical Press in the most popular and widely used inclusive-language edition translated by Irish Dominican Austin Flannery (+October 21, 2008).

As the worldwide Church continues to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Council (1962-65), there is a great need in college classrooms and parish faith formation groupsas well as for individualsto again have access to these documents in contemporary English. As Flannery wrote in his introduction to the 1996 edition, "The translation of the texts of the Vatican documents in the present volume differs from that in the previous publication in two respects. It has been very considerably revised and, in place, corrected. It is also, to a very large extent, in inclusive language.

"I say 'to a very large extent,' because we have used inclusive language in passages about men and women but not, however, in passages about God, except where the use of the masculine pronoun was easily avoidable."

General Editor: Austin Flannery, OP

624 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 05/01/1996

The remarkable success of the book A Pastor's Toolbox: Management Skills for Parish Leadership has demonstrated that the demands of time and financial challenges continue to impact the work of today's parish leaders. The need has become even greater for practical tools to assist in the many aspects of temporal administration, leadership, and church management.

This follow-up volume provides all new information, insights, and practical tools that pastors need to handle the complexities of parish management in the twenty-first century. Sixteen contributors from across the country deliver key content that focuses on promoting excellence and best practices in the areas of management, finances, communications, and human resources development. A Pastor's Toolbox 2 provides: 

• leadership tools for the pastor and his team;
• help for working with the parish's pastoral and finance councils;
• intercultural competence and complex pastoring situations;
• suggestions for time management and effective meetings;
• human resources, change management, and canon law;
• tools for parish stewardship, communications, and Catholic schools.

The book is an outgrowth of the Toolbox for Pastoral Management, a nationally recognized joint project of Leadership Roundtable and Seton Hall University. Learn more at www.LeadershipRoundtable.org.

Author: Paul A. Holmes, Editor

Details: 186 pgs, 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 07/03/2017

Today's parish leaders are expected to be holy and prayerful spiritual guides, great preachers and compassionate confessors, but also to make important decisions in key areas like finance, budgeting, hiring and firing, fundraising, risk management, relationship-building, and more-often with virtually no transition or training. And with all the requisite education in philosophy and theology they must provide future pastors, in addition to formation in priestly spirituality and pastoral care, seminaries can do little to prepare priests to deal with the difficult temporal issues pastors face.

A Pastor's Toolbox is designed to help fill that void. It is loaded with valuable information, insights, and practical tools that pastors need in order to begin handling the complexities of parish management in the twenty-first century.

The book is an outgrowth of The Toolbox for Pastoral Management, a nationally recognized joint project of The National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management and Seton Hall University. The Leadership Roundtable is a nonprofit organization of Catholic lay leaders, religious, and clergy working together to promote excellence and best practices in the management, finances, communications, and human resources development of the Catholic Church in the U.S. through the greater incorporation of the expertise of the laity. Learn more at www.TheLeadershipRoundtable.org.

Author: Paul A. Holmes, Editor

Details: 190 pgs, 6 x 9 Paperback

Publication Date: 01/28/2014

Emphasizing both spiritual and practical preparation, this book will help both experienced and beginning lectors develop their understanding of the ministry of proclaiming the word of God as well as the skills needed to do it well. Wallace offers insight to various aspects of the lector's work (job, ministry, vocation), and reflects on the mystery of God who speaks to--and through--us in the Word. It includes an accessible explanation of important concepts related to the Lectionary and the liturgy, ideas for spiritual preparation before serving as lector, concrete guidance for ongoing skill development, and a handy pronunciation guide.

Author: James A. Wallace, CSsR

104 pgs , 5 3/8 x 8 1/4 Paperback

Publication Date: 02/10/2017

Reflections on Lectionary Readings for Cycle C by Dr. Dianne Bergant, CSA

A well-known biblical scholar presents thought-provoking reflections on the lectionary readings for each Sunday and feast for the Year of Luke.

Paperback 200 pages

Cycle C of this three-volume work of reflections on the liturgical readings for Sundays and Holy Days rounds out Father Krempa's series with meditations based largely on the Gospel of Luke which plays such a prominent role in the Cycle.   As such, emphasis has been placed on the Lord's kindness, compassion, predilection for the poor, the outcast, the sick and the sinner.   Intended for the "average" Sunday congregation, these brief thoughts exemplify how to apply the best scripture scholarship to practical, everyday problems.  

199 pages

In concluding his 3-volume series of reflections on the Sunday Gospels, Father Dowling throws light in a special way on the nuances to be found in the Gospel of Luke, which plays such a predominant role in Cycle C of the liturgical readings. With Luke there is always more than meets the eye or ear when initially encountered. These meditations reveal what we otherwise might well have missed. Ever gender-conscious in his presentation of the teachings of Jesus, Luke made a special effort to follow a lesson in which a man was the protagonist with another in which a woman took the lead. Struck by Our Lord €™s predilection for the poor, the outcast, the sick and the sinner, Luke portrays the kindness, the compassion, the empathy and the forgiving nature of Jesus in a way that is unique to his Gospel. Drawing on his years of study and long experience as a homilist in a variety of settings, Father Dowling educates and inspires with these brief yet profound reflections in the hope of enriching the spiritual lives of those who make use of them. Homilist and average parishioner will find much to ponder here. All will appreciate the addition of the topical, liturgical and scriptural indices to his three-volume series present in this third book.

Pages 271

In this volume, Father Smith rounds out his three-year cycle of practical, pertinent and popular reflections on the Word of God proclaimed from the pulpit each Sunday. Following his own advice he has kept his homilies short and to-the-point with brief, illustrated and often humorous stories which emphasize the main theme of the liturgical readings of the day. €œPreaching, €� he tells us, €œmust be the fruit of the preacher €™s own prayed experience €¦[and] a good homily always serves up something to think about, something to emote over, something to aspire to, something to smile at, and something to believe. Most of all, it provides a truth of faith to live by €�. These Sunday homilies succeed remarkably well in doing all these things.

Pages 251

This resource provides invaluable commentary on the Lectionary readings for Year C (including the Responsorial Psalm) for Sundays, holydays of obligation, and feasts and solemnities that may occur on a Sunday. Written in a pastoral tone, it offers historical-critical background on each of the readings and underscores their relevance to life today. Thematically related quotations from major Church documents are included with each Scripture background to provide context and connections to Church teaching. Organized by the liturgical calendar, each season of readings begins with an overview of the season and a brief look at where the readings come from and any unifying messages or themes present throughout the selected readings. Scripture Backgrounds for the Sunday Lectionary, Year C is written by a team of writers with a broad range of theological, pastoral, and catechetical experience. Their reflections offer homilists a solid foundation from which to begin the process of preparing to speak the Word of God to their assemblies.

Author contributors: Mary A. Ehle; Peg Ekerdt; Jean Marie Hiesberger; Biagio Mazza; Mary M. Mcglone, csj; Abbot Gregory J. Polan, caps">osb; Denise Simeone; George Smiga; Paul Turner

Paperback 6x9 308 pages

This is a book of short homilies on the Gospels for the Sundays and celebrations of Year C. The homilies concentrate on the core message of the Gospel and are catechetical in approach. They make a wonderful companion and guide for those who prepare the homilies as well as those who want further reflection on what they hear at Mass.

Paperback 6x9 160 pages

In recent years there has been an intensified focus on the development of discipleship-based parish ministries especially in the Catholic Church. Making disciples is the great and enduring Commission Jesus gave to the Church in Matthew 28:19.

In this book, Monsignor Mueggenborg presents a simple resource that can help enrich the faith lives of parishioners and assist them in becoming missionary disciples. These reflections are based on the Gospel readings assigned to a given Sunday in liturgical year C.

Each reflection identifies some significant elements in the Gospel passage followed by application questions that challenge a disciple's faith life. The reflections are designed for use in either small group bible studies or as a resource for individual prayer and contemplation. The reflections intentionally start with the brevity and simplicity of Advent before developing into more complex explorations of the biblical text as the year progresses. The Word of God is alive, powerful, and sharper than a two edged sword (Heb 4:12). Come Follow Me is a tried and proven resource that helps to unleash the power of the Word in the hearts of Christ's disciples.

Paperback 6x9 292 pages

Geoff Wood combines examples from Western literature and his own personal life to help readers connect the Sunday readings to their own experiences.

Paperback 6x9 160 pages