Writing about the Virgin Mary in the Philippines is like writing about the sunrise. You are telling the readers what they already know, appreciate, and love. So when I was asked to produce a book on the Blessed Mother, I listened, and I was grateful that my friends felt that I was capable of doing this. But I did not write the book right away because I was sure it would be a twice-told tale. But the request haunted me. I had a deep sense of guilt—a feeling that this was something I should do and I wasn’t doing anything about it. I didn’t know exactly how to present anything really new about this beautiful peasant woman, the mother of God. Then I remembered my grandmother whom we called “Nana.” How she prayed for my Uncle Ern for thirty years! And how Uncle Ern finally came back to God—not only on his deathbed, but three full days after the doctors expected him to die. I also remembered other things that happened in my own family—stories that only I could tell and if I don’t record them, no one else will. Moreover, I keep receiving letters from both friends and strangers, telling me about the beautiful adventures they experienced with the Virgin Mary and the amazing answers they received from their prayers to her. These stories are all unique. No two people’s stories are exactly alike. And the way each one reacts when touched by the hand of God is unique. This reminds me of American writer William Sydney Porter, better known as O. Henry, and one of his collection of stories called The Four Million, based on the population of New York City at the time he published it. He felt that if you could portray the soul of any one in that four million, you would have a drama that never happened before, and will never happen again. This gave me courage. If I could just tell the actual stories of real people and their contact with the mother of God, then every narration would be new.

For two-thousand years, Christians around the world have sought the Blessed Virgin Mary as a guide to growing closer to her Son, Jesus. Through Scripture, Catholic teaching, devotions, and countless works of art, we come to see Mary as our Mother, too. Through the Year with Mary by Katherine Bogner brings together the Church’s traditions in one place and provides a year-long plan for coming to know and love the Mother of God through Weekly passages from Scripture, saints, and scholars Reflections to nurture your understanding of Marian teaching and devotion Sacred art from around the world Marian prayers to teach you to grow closer to Jesus through Mary This comprehensive resource will help adults and children alike to entrust themselves to the most loving Mother of Jesus. Through the Year with Mary has received the nihil obstat and imprimatur. Nihil obstat: Msgr. Philip D. Halfacre, V.G. Censor Librorum Imprimatur: Most Rev. Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C. Bishop of Peoria September 15, 2021

The saints were the original social justice advocates. This stunning collection of contemporary portraits celebrates their diversity and spiritual depth as never before, accompanied by thoughtful reflections from bestselling and influential writers. “This book is profound, insightful, and beautifully disruptive.”—Sarah Bessey, author of the New York Times bestsellers A Rhythm of Prayer and Jesus Feminist Over the centuries, the rich diversity and relevance of the saints has been whitewashed, their images portrayed as expressionless, and the lessons of their lives watered down. But artist, writer, and modern iconographer Gracie Morbitzer is painting the truth. The Modern Saints is a celebration of the divergence of ethnicities, ages, abilities, and practices of spiritual pilgrims who transformed the world, and an invitation to connect with historical icons whose lives have astonishing and inspiring relevance for our present-day. Each entry of this striking collection features a contemporary image of the saint, a re-imagining of the space they might hold in society today, and an inspiring prayer to honor each figure. Readers will appreciate each contribution from our current generation's spiritual thought leaders that illuminate the impact and wisdom each historical saint offers us today. Among forty-eight additional spiritual reflections and original paintings, The Modern Saints presents: • Fr. James Martin’s reflections on the flexibility of St. Ignatius of Loyola to encounter God in everyday life • Tsh Oxenreider's unique appreciation for the endurance of St. Monica with her strong-willed children • Dr. Christena Cleveland's praise for St. Catherine of Alexandria’s fight for intersectional justice • Kirby Hoberg’s inspiration from the resilience of St. Kateri—the first indigenous American to be canonized—who overcame personal humiliation to cultivate love in her community With its unique portraits and compelling narrative, this 52-week collection is perfect for devotional reading, as it will move, encourage, and strengthen each reader as they find solidarity and profound belonging within the host of saints.

Activism through Music during the Apartheid Era and Beyond documents the grassroots activism of Sharon Katz & the Peace Train against the backdrop of enormous diversity and the volatile social and political climate in South Africa during the early 1990s. Among the intersections of race, healing and the "soft power" of music, Katz offers a vision of the possibilities of national identity and belonging as South Africans grappled with the transition from apartheid to democracy. Through extensive fieldwork across two countries (South Africa and the United States) and drawing on personal experiences as a South African of color, Ambigay Yudkoff reveals a compelling narrative of multigenerational collaboration. This experience creates a sense of community fostering relationships that develop through music, travel, performances, and socialization. In South Africa and the United States, and recently in Cuba and Mexico, the Peace Train's journey in musical activism provides a vehicle for racial integration and intercultural understanding.

Jeanne Pitre Soileau vividly presents children’s voices in What the Children Said: Child Lore of South Louisiana. Including over six hundred handclaps, chants, jokes, jump-rope rhymes, cheers, taunts, and teases, this book takes the reader through a fifty-year history of child speech as it has influenced children’s lives. What the Children Said affirms that children's play in south Louisiana is acquired along a network of summer camps, schoolyards, church gatherings, and sleepovers with friends. When children travel, they obtain new games and rhymes and bring them home. The volume also reveals, in the words of the children themselves, how young people deal with racism and sexism. The children argue and outshout one another, policing their own conversations, stating their own prejudices, and vying with one another for dominion. The first transcript in the book tracks a conversation among three related boys and shows that racism is part of the family interchange. Among second-grade boys and girls at a Catholic school, another transcript presents numerous examples in which boys use insults to dominate a conversation with girls, and girls use giggles and sly comebacks to counter this aggression. Though collected in the areas of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette, Louisiana, this volume shows how south Louisiana child lore is connected to other English-speaking places: England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as the rest of the United States.

The Rosary signifies prayer--a form of daily prayer and meditation for millions of Roman Catholics across the world--and has been for centuries. The Rosary unites the followers of Christ as one family in a common faith, baptism, and Lord. The power of the Rosary stems not only from the intercession of the Mother of our Savior, but each of the twenty mysteries finds its source in the Bible. The truth of the word of God teaches us not only that the Father sent his Son to save us from our sins so we may have eternal life, but also how we live our communion with Christ through our daily choices. The Rosary and the Bible lead us to Jesus Christ; the Scriptures point to Jesus, and Jesus is at the very center of the Rosary. And so, the Rosary and the Bible provide us with the armor we need to help us in combat: against Satan's deceptions, lies, and attacks. To know the truth, we need the word of God, and to live in truth Jesus gives us his mother at the cross, "This is your mother." We need the grace of God, Mary's intercession, and the word of God in spiritual combat.