Hospitality, Welcoming the Stranger
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Hospitality was a hallmark of the ancient Mediterranean world and, according to St. Paul, is among the characteristics to be found in the Body of Christ, the church. True hospitality begins with the recognition of human dignity and the desire to respond effectively to human need. Here Catherine Upchurch, recognized nationally for her keen ability to make the Scriptures come alive for Catholics, explores how three biblical settings encourage us to be people of welcome.
Empty Nest, Time for Letting Go
Part of the Alive in the Word series
When parents find themselves alone after their children move out of the house-or when anyone's loved one moves out of the home-they may experience a very real sense of loneliness, lack of purpose, and even grief. These prayerful reflections on the Joseph story, the incarnation, and the last discourse of Jesus offer comfort and challenge to anyone with an empty nest. The word of God has the power to help empty nesters change, let go, and love anew.
Christmas, Season of Wonder and Hope
Part of the Alive in the Word series
It is not possible to celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Christ, the very Son of God, in a single day. The church gives us a season-from Christmas eve to the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord-to reflect with wonder on what God has done and is doing in our world. The gift of this child who would go on to give his very life for our salvation is the source of our hope in every age and through every storm. In Christmas, Season of Wonder and Hope, meditate with Catherine Upchurch on three New Testament passages that invite us to move through wonder to hope.
Lent, Season of Transformation
Part of the Alive in the Word series
During Lent, we strive to free ourselves from all kinds of clutter-material and spiritual-in order to focus on God and turn back to him with our whole hearts. If this "turning back" is genuine, it will be a reorientation, a transformation. To help us enter into this season, Amy Ekeh guides readers in exploring three key moments in the life and ministry of Jesus. The result will be a better understanding of the authentic transformation that God calls each of us to embrace as individuals and as a community and a renewed desire to live God's own outward-looking, self-emptying, laying-down-one's-life kind of love.
Forgiveness, Choosing to Receive and to Give
Part of the Alive in the Word series
The Bible gives witness to the generously forgiving nature of God, and in turn, our call to exhibit the same generosity of spirit. Explore three biblical passages that will affirm God's mercy toward us and encourage the kind of forgiveness that will transform us and our relationships.
Baptism, Alive in Christ
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Baptism is not just an event that happened in the past-but the identity we are immersed in as followers of Jesus. This volume helps us reflect on this identity in the midst of our contemporary church and world. Explore three New Testament passages to contemplate what it means to be alive in God's love, alive in Christian community, and alive in Christ's death and resurrection.
Sarah & Hagar, Women of Promise
Part of the Alive in the Word series
It is not possible to tell the story of Abraham's descendants without taking note of how God's plan unfolded in the lives of Sarah and Hagar. The best laid plans and the unexpected converge as these two women respond to God's promises.
Hope, An Anchor in Today's World
Part of the Alive in the Word series
One of the great theological virtues, hope is a sign of our trust in God, the foundation for making our way through difficulties, and an invitation to witness to God's care in our lives. A psalm, a Pauline passage, and a gospel passage allow us to explore this virtue of which our world is in such need.
Mary, Favored by God
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Few people have influenced Christian spirituality, theology, and history as profoundly as Mary, mother of Jesus. Explore three key events early in her life that set the course for her role in salvation history. Learn what it means to be favored by God.
Paul, Pastoring God's People
Part of the Alive in the Word series
The writings of St. Paul have provided teaching, insight, and guidance to Christians from the church's earliest days right up to our own. A missionary, theologian, and martyr, he was at all times a pastor to the early Christian communities scattered throughout the Roman Empire. By exploring three passages from his letters (1 Thess 1:2-10; 1 Cor 12:12-31; Gal 5:13-16) we will discover that God's people now still need his encouragement and instruction.
Easter, Season of Realized Hope
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Easter is the high point of the church year and the very heart of Christian hope, and yet sometimes we are tempted to simply move on once Easter Sunday is over. Easter, Season of Realized Hope invites us to linger a bit. Join the women who visit the tomb of Jesus in the early morning and encounter the risen Lord. Travel with the disciples walking to Emmaus and let your heart burn with recognition. Learn from Paul what a difference it makes that Christ is risen. Let your deepest hopes be realized.
Mercy, God's Nature, Our Challenge
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Jesus calls us to be merciful as his heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). Explore one of the psalms that offers thanks for God's mercy in salvation history, and reflect on two gospel stories that illustrate the meaning of mercy then and now.
Eucharist, Bread of Life
Part of the Alive in the Word series
God feeds his people. In the desert, God's covenant with Israel was sealed through sacrifice and a meal. On the altars of our churches, God continues to feed us with the bread and wine of the new covenant-the food and drink that is Christ himself. In Eucharist, Bread of Life, Fr. Joshua J. Whitfield, priest and preacher, explores three Scripture passages and helps us rediscover this enduring mystery, from the heights of Sinai to the depths of our own hearts and lives.
The Kingdom of God, the Essential Message of Jesus
Part of the Alive in the Word series
The kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus' preaching. Through stories and images, Jesus teaches that God's presence among us-his powerful reign-is both mighty and quiet, both welcoming and demanding. As small as a seed and as grand as a great dinner party, the kingdom of God grows among us and transforms everyone who embraces it. In this volume of Alive in the Word, New Testament scholar Frank Matera explores three gospel passages that will orient you to this essential, transforming message of Jesus.
Prayer, Biblical Wisdom for Seeking God
by Michelle Francl-Donnay
Part of the Alive in the Word series
In praye,r not only do we call out to God, but God endlessly calls out to us, enfolding us in mercy, drawing us close in love. Yet prayer can be daunting. We may not be sure where to begin or how to continue. In Prayer, Biblical Wisdom for Seeking God, Michelle Francl-Donnay explores what Scripture teaches us about prayer with insightful commentary on three key passages. The voices of the psalmist, St. Paul, and Jesus are our guides in this rich volume on one of the most essential topics of the spiritual life. Reflection questions and ideas for prayer are included.
Grief, Finding Hope in Sorrow
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Loss comes to each of us, without fail. Scripture can serve as a companion to us in the grief we bear and ultimately in our surrender to our compassionate God. Through this set of insightful reflections on the stories of Ruth and Naomi, the death and raising of Jesus' friend Lazarus, and the promise of a new heaven and earth, Laura Kelly Fanucci invites us to a deepening experience of God's healing presence in our lives.
Trust, Confidence in the God of Salvation
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Our faith gives witness to a God who is worthy of our trust and invites us to model this confidence to those around us. Explore a few key Bible passages that teach us to surrender to the power of divine love and rely on the God who created and redeems us.
Advent, Season of Divine Encounter
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Advent means arrival or coming. During this sacred season, we actively recall the arrival of Jesus as the Word made flesh, and we joyfully await his final return at the end of the age. But as we remember the past and anticipate the future, we are also attentive to our divine encounters in the present, the ways God 'arrives' in our everyday lives. Amy Ekeh's Advent, Season of Divine Encounter helps us look closely at three key Scripture passages to recall, recognize, and anticipate the ways God comes into our lives and our world.
John the Baptist, Forerunner
Part of the Alive in the Word series
A fiery preacher and humble servant to the coming kingdom of God, John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus. Three gospel passages capture his message and its meaning and invite us to make way for Jesus in our hearts and in our world.
Paul, Proclaiming Christ Crucified
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Paul discovered his core identity in the crucified and resurrected Christ and spent his final years proclaiming the power of the cross. Explore three key passages from his letters that invite us to embrace the redemptive power of the cross in our lives.
From Home to Home, Finding Meaning in Mobility
Part of the Alive in the Word series
In a society where so many of us are on the move-relocating because of employment, to be near extended family, or even just to pursue a dream of living somewhere new-staying connected is a real challenge. The Scriptures invite us to discover God's presence in a new place and in the midst of a changing community. Passages from the Old and New Testaments offer lessons that are fresh and relevant today.
New Beginnings, Finding God in the Unknown
Part of the Alive in the Word series
New beginnings are often fraught not only with excitement and adventure, but anxiety and uncertainty. The road is no longer familiar, the terrain perhaps not as friendly. In this set of three inviting reflections, Matthew A. Glover helps us to see that the Scriptures show us how God is present in these new beginnings of our lives, even when the path forward may be unknown.
Barnabas, Man for Others
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Among the leaders of the early church, Barnabas is not as well-known as the likes of Peter or Paul. However, Barnabas vouched for Paul before the other apostles, traveled with him as an evangelizer, and then stepped aside when circumstances and Divine Providence demanded. Explore three fascinating passages from the Acts of the Apostles with Jerome Kodell, OSB, one of the most insightful Catholic voices on Scripture today.
Finding Peace, Letting Go of Stress and Worry
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Stress has stitched itself into the fabric of modern life, slowly but surely weaving its way into the tapestry of our days. So many things worry us. So many things weary us. Where will we look for renewal? How can we restore the golden thread of peace into our lives? Finding Peace, Letting Go of Stress and Worry explores three New Testament passages, refreshing our minds and hearts in the love of God, our unity with Christ, and the peace that flows from loving one another.
Moses, Called and Equipped
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Superheroes are all the rage and Moses has loomed large in Judeo-Christian storytelling. Not always the strong and courageous type, Moses first had to learn to hear God's voice and then to fill God's people with a new vision.
Dashed Hopes, When Our Best-Laid Plans Fall Apart
Part of the Alive in the Word series
Where do we turn when our hopes are dashed, when we look at best-laid plans and see only shattered dreams? With fresh perspectives on Jeremiah's plans for "a future of hope," Jesus' agony in the garden, and Isaiah's promise of "a way in the wilderness," Laura Kelly Fanucci offers hope for those wondering what comes next when life feels broken.
Mary Magdalene, Apostle to the Apostles
Part of the Alive in the Word series
What do the gospels tell us about Mary Magdalene? She was a committed disciple of Jesus during his public ministry and at the cross. She was the first to encounter the Risen Lord on Easter morning. And she received his commission to be the apostle to the apostles. Through Dinah Chapman Simmons' reflections on these experiences, Mary Magdalene invites us into a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus.