Holy Thursday - François Mauriac
On the night before His death, His betrayer already at work, our Lord lifted a simple chalice in a world covered in darkness. Elevating it, He sealed for eternity a new covenant between God and man, imparting to us the gift of His Body and Blood.
In these sublime meditations on the events of Holy Thursday, Nobel laureate François Mauriac reminds us of the ineffable value of the gift given us that evening in the Upper Room: the Eucharist, present still in the tabernacles of the world... where Christ waits patiently for us to visit Him, pray with Him, and receive fullness of life from Him.
To read these stirring pages is to rejoice again in the fact that Christ has not left us orphans. He remains with us at all times in the Eucharist, without which we can never attain true peace. As Mauriac notes, “No man knows himself, if he has not looked at his soul in the light of the Host lifted above the ciborium.”
Come, then, into the heart of this mystery of our Faith. Take your seat at the table beside our Lord. Learn why millions of souls believe that Christ is physically present in their local church, and discover the joy they experience when they meet Him there. You, too, can have the strength, the hope, and the consolation Christ gives to all who place themselves beside Him.
Paperback, 120 pages.
Meditations Before Mass - Romano Guardini
The profound wisdom found in this Romano Guardini classic will help you to quiet your soul, concentrate your mind, and grow more receptive to God's grace in the Holy Mass.
Written for ordinary Catholics who are struggling to become closer to Christ, Meditations Before Mass is full of wisdom and yet offers practical, straightforward advice that will help you overcome distractions and restlessness while leading you into a more enriching experience when you enter into Holy Communion with God.
Over fifty years ago, Msgr. Romano Guardini resolved to help his parishioners move beyond the petty hindrances to full participation in the Mass—hindrances to which we are all prone. Just before Mass each Sunday, he gave a brief talk on some aspect of the Mass, teaching them week by week, topic by topic, how to prepare themselves to participate more prayerfully.
So helpful were these 32 talks that they were soon published and have since been reprinted countless times in numerous countries and languages, helping generations of Catholics to deepen their devotion during Mass.
In these pages, you'll discover:
- What to do when Mass becomes boring and "routine"
- How to achieve a genuine—not superficial—stillness
- The one indispensible element for a deep liturgical life
- How to gain control over your wandering attention
- One tendency we must overcome when listening to Scripture readings
- The real meaning of "keeping holy" the Sabbath—and its special importance for the family
- The importance of listening, and the inner barriers that prevent it
- Why it's good to arrive early at Mass whenever possible
- The true significance of standing and kneeling in church
Dozens of other practical ways to enrich your worship.
Although he was an eminent theologian, Msgr. Guardini wrote for ordinary Catholics who are struggling to become closer to Christ. Practical, straightforward, yet full of wisdom, Meditations Before Mass will help you to quiet your soul, concentrate your mind, and grow more receptive to grace.
Paperback. 208 pages.