The rosary has been nearly ubiquitous among Roman Catholics since its first appearance in Europe five centuries ago. Why has this particular devotional object been so resilient, especially in the face of Catholicism's reinvention in the Early Modern, or "Counter-Reformation," Era? Nathan D. Mitchell argues in lyric prose that to understand the rosary's adaptability, it is essential to consider the changes Catholicism itself began to experience in the aftermath of the Reformation. Unlike many other scholars of this period, Mitchell argues that after the Reformation Catholicism actually became less retrenched and more open to change. This innovation was especially evident in the sometimes "subversive" visual representations of sacred subjects and in new ways of perceiving the relation between Catholic devotion and the liturgy's ritual symbols. The rosary played a crucial role not only in how Catholics gave flesh to their faith, but in new ways of constructing their personal and collective identity. Ultimately, Mitchell employs the history of the rosary as a lens through which to better understand early modern Catholic history.

Scott Hahn and a dozen of his students write thirteen chapters "to show how the teachings of Scripture and the Catholic Church relate to each other. At the same time, we hope you will catch a new vision of the Catholic faith in all of its beauty, symmetry, coherence, and practicality" (p. 4).

THE HOLY ROSARYCATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING — The Holy Rosary Illustrated: Prayers, Scripture Readings, Guides and Meditations — Includes an Image of Jesus Christ in the Eucharistic State of Adoration! — Includes The Seven Dolour Rosary Meditations, advice on the Rosary and the origins of the Rosary — Includes an Active Index, Table of Contents and NCX Navigation Publisher: Available in Paperback:ISBN-13: 978-1-78379-034-0 Included in this book are the 20 mysteries of the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Illustrated; The Joyful mysteries, the Sorrowful mysteries, the Glorious mysteries and the Luminous mysteries. Each of the three main mysteries and decades have Scripture Readings and Quotations, Guides and two Meditations. The Seven Dolour Rosary Meditations are included as well as helpful advice on saying the Rosary, the origins of the Rosary and an Image of Jesus Christ in the Eucharistic State of Adoration. The rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "Crown of Roses" or "garland of roses") is a Roman Catholic sacramental and Marian devotion to prayer and the commemoration of Jesus Christ and events of his life. Throughout centuries, the rosary has been promoted by several popes as part of the veneration of Mary. The rosary also represents the Roman Catholic emphasis on "participation in the life of Mary, whose focus was Christ," and the Mariological theme "to Christ through Mary," taught by Saint Louis de Montfort. God Bless! PUBLISHER: CATHOLIC WAY PUBLISHING

When Quietism was condemned in 1687 it resulted in an antipathy, if not an open hostility to authentic mystical theology. This situation has lasted down to the present day and has been aggravated by many forms of counterfeit mysticism that are self-centred, not God-centred. The consequences have been disastrous. To restore the balance lost to Christian spirituality, the author returns to the profound mystical teaching that Jesus himself lived and handed on to the early Church through his disciples. His research has resulted in a book that details a practical daily spirituality for all, that mirrors that which was lived by our earliest Christian forebears. It emphasises the original balance between personal and communal prayer in such a way that our whole lives become the place where we continually offer our lives through Christ to the Father.

The Pope. The Holy Eucharist. The Blessed Virgin Mary. The Seven Sacraments. Catholicism is filled with great mysteries, so you've probably been confused about this 2,000-year-old religion at one time or another. In 29 Things To Know About Catholicism, the Catholic Church is beliefs are explored in easy-to-understand terms for the devout Catholic and the curious non-Catholic alike. This quick go-to guide helps answer these questions: Was the Catholic Church the first Christian church? Do Catholics worship Mary and pray to saints? How do I know what to do in Mass with all its Latin chants and prayers, kneeling, holy water, confession, and communion? Does the communion bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ? Can the priest—a human–forgive sins?

Witty and thought provoking, two Vatican astronomers shed provocative light on some of the strange places where religion and science meet. “Imagine if a Martian showed up, all big ears and big nose like a child’s drawing, and he asked to be baptized. How would you react?” —Pope Francis, May, 2014 Pope Francis posed that question—without insisting on an answer!—to provoke deeper reflection about inclusiveness and diversity in the Church. But it's not the first time that question has been asked. Brother Guy Consolmagno and Father Paul Mueller hear questions like that all the time. They’re scientists at the Vatican Observatory, the official astronomical research institute of the Catholic Church. In Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial? they explore a variety of questions at the crossroads of faith and reason: How do you reconcile the The Big Bang with Genesis? Was the Star of Bethlehem just a pious religious story or an actual description of astronomical events? What really went down between Galileo and the Catholic Church—and why do the effects of that confrontation still reverberate to this day? Will the Universe come to an end? And… could you really baptize an extraterrestrial? With disarming humor, Brother Guy and Father Paul explore these questions and more over the course of six days of dialogue. Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial will make you laugh, make you think, and make you reflect more deeply on science, faith, and the nature of the universe.

What’s your relationship to Mary, the mother of Jesus? Do you think of Mary as your mother or your queen? What did Jesus say from the wood of the cross about his mother? Do you pray to Mary for your family, loved ones, and yourself? In Put Your Hands into Hers, author Father Ron Ramson, a Vincentian priest, offers an in-depth look at Mary, the mother of Jesus, a woman who has exemplified a mother’s love, hope, and inspiration. With snippets of Ramson’s life included, it offers interesting, informative, and inspirational insight into the human side of this special woman’s life. Put Your Hands into Hers demonstrates that Mary is the answer to a messed up world; she is our refuge and our hope. We need Mary; we need a Mother’s love in action. We need her inspiration, truth, compassion, and justice.

Celebrate the upcoming canonization of John Paul II with The Gift of Saint John Paul II! In this book, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, captures the vision that John Paul had for the Church and the world. Cardinal Wuerl is known for his gift of teaching the faith, and in this book he explores the spiritual and pastoral wealth of John Paul’s writings as found in his encyclicals and apostolic exhortations. The Cardinal unfolds these treasures for us, presenting not only St. John Paul’s teachings, but also showing us how we can apply them in our lives. (Formerly available as The Gift of Blessed John Paul II.) “This is a profoundly spiritual, deeply theological, and engagingly pastoral presentation of the faith of the Church, the gospel imperative, and its implications and applications to the circumstances of our lives.” —Cardinal Stanislaus Dziwisz, Archbishop of Krakow, Poland, and Personal Secretary to Pope John Paul II

An exposition of the "what," "why," and "how" of beaded prayer in the different traditions of Christian faith and in three of the world's other major religions to strengthen, enrich, or motivate one's present practice by engaging in a truly universal form of prayer.

This is the first complete translation of the biographies of fifteen artists, including Annibale Carracci, Carvaggio, Rubens, Van Dyck, and Poussin, written by the seventeenth-century antiquarian Giovan Pietro Bellori. Originally conceived as a continuation of Vasari's famous Lives, it is a fundamental source for seventeenth-century Italian art and artistic theory, providing detailed descriptions of extant and lost works of art, while casting light on the cultural politics of contemporary Rome and the relations between Rome and France. The importance of Bellori's Lives lies in the scrupulous documentation of artists, many of whom he knew personally; the author's detailed descriptions of their works; and his exposition of the classicist theory of art in the introductory lecture, the Idea. This volume contains the twelve Lives published in the original edition of 1672 and three Lives (Guido Reni, Andrea Sacchi, and Carlo Maratti) that survive in manuscript form and that were published for the first time in 1942.