Download or read book The Mass of the Early Christians 2nd Edition written by Mike Aquilina and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2007-05-30 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What did the first Christians believe about the Eucharist? How did they follow Jesus' command, "Do this in remembrance of me"? How did they celebrate the Lord's Day? What would they recognize in today's Mass? The answers may surprise you. In The Mass of the Early Christians, respected author, scholar, and television host Mike Aquilina reveals the Church's most ancient Eucharistic beliefs and practices. Using the words of the early Christians themselves -- from many documents and inscriptions -- Aquilina traces the history of the Mass from Jesus' lifetime through the fourth century. That the Mass stood at the center of the Church's life is evident in the Scriptures, as well as the earliest Christian sermons, letters, artwork, tombstones, and architecture. Even the pagans bore witness to the Mass in the records of their persecutions. These legacies from the early Church bear witness to the same worship Catholics know today: the altar, the priest, the chalice of wine, the bread, the Sign of the Cross ... the "Lord, have mercy" ... the "Holy, holy, holy" ... and the Communion.
Download or read book Signs and Mysteries written by Mike Aquilina and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2008-08-04 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine the dangerous life of an early Christian. You've embraced your newfound faith in Christ but fear the risk of persecution or death at the hands of the pagans living around you. Then a trusted friend tells you about some of Jesus' followers who secretly meet. He whispers into your ear, "Look for a fish carved in a paving stone" by a certain home on the Via Tiburtina. You smile in gratitude. Still today, modern society recognizes those Christian symbols that kept the early Christians safely connected: they appear on churches, bumper stickers, mugs -- even mints and stuffed animals. Yet we are often ignorant of the rich meaning of these symbols: their origins in Scripture, in ancient culture, and in the preaching of the Church Fathers. In this book, noted author Mike Aquilina conducts an intriguing and insightful tour of the symbols that expressed the life and devotion of the Church through the first four centuries of its existence. He explains how Christians freely borrowed pagan and Jewish symbols, giving them new, distinctly Christian meanings. Recover the zeal of our spiritual ancestors as you learn to read their symbolic language -- and discover the impact the symbols still have on your life today. More than a hundred illustrations, reproduced by artist Lea Marie Ravotti from the ancient originals, beautifully complement the text. View a mulitmedia presentation and listen to an interview of the author here.
Download or read book We Learn About Mass written by Gerard Moore and published by LiturgyTrainingPublications. This book was released on 2009 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Early Christian Writings written by and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 1987-04-30 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The writings in this volume cast a glimmer of light upon the emerging traditions and organization of the infant church, during an otherwise little-known period of its development. A selection of letters and small-scale theological treatises from a group known as the Apostolic Fathers, several of whom were probably disciples of the Apostles, they provide a first-hand account of the early Church and outline a form of early Christianity still drawing on the theology and traditions of its parent religion, Judaism. Included here are the first Epistle of Bishop Clement of Rome, an impassioned plea for harmony; The Epistle of Polycarp; The Epistle of Barnabas; The Didache; and the Seven Epistles written by Ignatius of Antioch - among them his moving appeal to the Romans that they grant him a martyr's death.
Download or read book Praying the Psalms with the Early Christians written by Mike Aquilina and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mike Aquilina and Christopher Bailey open a treasure chest of ancient Christian wisdom that will enrich your experience and appreciation of the psalms. Each of the short chapters on selected psalms is designed to help you pray these beautiful and personal Old Testament songs-not just to read or recite them, but to make them part of your lives. Each chapter features the complete text of the psalm in the Revised Standard version format, a brief introduction that sets the psalm in context, "words to remember"-a few lines to recall throughout the day, short reflections in modernized language from one or two great early Christian thinkers, questions to help you apply the words of the psalm and the ideas of the early Chrsitain writers to your life.Also included are brief biogrpahies of the men and women quoted in the book.
Download or read book Work Play Love written by Mike Aquilina and published by Paraclete Press. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Christians make the Mass, and the Mass makes Christians.” So said the Martyrs of Abitina, North Africa, in A.D. 304. The Mass was the reality most essential to the life of believers, and it deeply affected everything they did. In Work Play Love popular author Mike Aquilina shows how the Eucharist shaped three basic dimensions of life for the early Christians. Work. Christians brought the fruits of their labor to the altar—not only bread and wine, but also cheese, olives, honey, dried fish, and freshly pressed oil. As they worshiped, they consecrated the world itself to God. In turn, this affected the way they approached their work. It was not just toil. It was an act of love, undertaken for the Father. They labored in imitation of Jesus the laborer. Made one with Christians in the Eucharist, Jesus worked through them and in them. Play. The Mass was a leisurely, contemplative act, but it was celebrated on a normal workday in the Roman world. It was useless by the standards of the city. And yet it called forth—gently, gradually—the most creative responses. The Mass inspired new forms of music, poetry, architecture, and painting. At liturgy Christians stood back and reconsidered the cosmos from God’s perspective. They saw their lives as part of a profoundly new and different narrative. This made for new and different art. Love. Christian ritual demanded personal and communal acts of charity. The earliest descriptions of the Mass show the importance of the collection and its distribution to the poor, the imprisoned, and the home-bound sick. Deacons and deaconesses were dismissed to take Communion to the same people in need. The fruits of the Mass extended beyond the time of liturgy—and the bounds of Christian community. Christians took care even of their persecutors. This led to the establishment of institutions of universal charity, a first in human history. The story of the Mass is not simply a rehearsal of ancient texts. It’s a drama of personal and societal transformation. This book tells the story as much as possible in the lively words of the early Christians and draws from the most exciting discoveries of recent archaeology. It is a powerful imaginative encounter with the first generations of our Christian ancestry.
Download or read book The Early Church at Work and Worship Volume 3 written by Everett Ferguson and published by Wipf and Stock Publishers. This book was released on 2017-10-19 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the third volume of Ferguson's collected essays, and includes some of his most memorable work, especially on "laying on of hands."
Download or read book Catechism of the Catholic Church written by U.S. Catholic Church and published by Image. This book was released on 2012-11-28 with total page 849 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life. Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe. The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instruction" - this book will serve as the standard for all future catechisms. Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.
Download or read book The Mass written by Cardinal Donald Wuerl and published by Image. This book was released on 2011-02-01 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An insightful and practical exploration of Catholicism’s most sacred tradition. The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition is an engaging and authoritative guide to Catholicism’s most distinctive practice. And now, with the Church introducing revised language for the Mass, Catholics have a perfect opportunity to renew their understanding of this beautiful and beloved celebration. With eloquent prose and elegant black-and-white photography, bestselling authors Archbishop Donald Wuerl and Mike Aquilina guide readers through the different parts of the Mass, from the entrance procession to the blessing and dismissal, capturing the deep meaning of elements that are at once ordinary and mysterious: bread and wine, water and candles, altar cloths and ceremonial books. Step by step, they explain the specifics, such as the order of the Mass, the vessels used, the unique clothing worn, the prayers and responses, the postures and the gestures. Then they explore the rich historical, spiritual and theological background to each. Prayerful but practical, fact-filled but readable, The Mass prepares readers to participate more fully and appreciatively in the sacred rite at the heart of Catholic life.
Download or read book Mothers of the Church written by Mike Aquilina and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2012 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mothers of the Church: The Witness of Early Christian Women will reinforce Catholics understanding of the part played by women in the early Church. Drawing upon a wide spectrum of sources, it illustrates the many kinds of women that left their mark on sacred history by responding to God s call. Whether they were martyrs, abbesses, mothers, desert solitaries, or managers of large family businesses, these women s stories will encourage you and deepen your faith. Each chapter features a concise biography that is supplemented by quotes from the Fathers writings concerning the woman in question, poetry concerning her, and other ancient testimonials. The Mothers of the Church include: Holy Women of the New Testament --St. Blandina --St. Perpetua and St. Felicity --St. Helena --St. Thecla --St. Agnes of Rome --St. Macrina --Proba the Widow --St. Marcella --St. Paula --St. Eustochium --St. Monica --Egeria the Tourist
Download or read book Backgrounds of Early Christianity written by Everett Ferguson and published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 676 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New to this expanded & updated edition are revisions of Ferguson's original material, updated bibliographies, & a fresh dicussion of first century social life, the Dead Sea Scrolls & much else.
Download or read book Faith of Our Fathers written by Mike Aquilina and published by Emmaus Road Publishing. This book was released on 2012 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Getting to know the Church Fathers means getting to know our own roots. It means knowing more deeply who we are as we learn more and more about who they are. The early Christians are our ancestors, our common genealogy, our family. When we look to our roots, what do we see? That's what Mike Aquilina shows you in this book. The Fathers managed to pull off an amazing achievement. They converted the pagan world in a mere two and a half centuries. They did it without any resources, without any social or political power. They did it with the most primitive communications media. Yet their Church sustained a steady growth rate of 40 percent per decade over the course of those centuries. Maybe there's something we can learn from them. This book is a journey into that world, a tour where your guides are the Fathers.
Download or read book A Treasure Hid in a Field written by Christopher Wallace and published by Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2018-07-19 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Are you considering Catholicism and find it difficult to accept certain Catholic teachings? Do you frequently struggle with explaining Catholicism to people who often use Scripture to challenge your faith? Are you currently Catholic and are struggling with the temptation to leave the Catholic Church? Are you trying to understand more about the Catholic faith? If so, A Treasure Hid in a Field is for you. This book contains a through overview of Catholicism which helps the reader sort through the many theological differences between Catholicism and Protestantism and helps the reader to come to a greater theological understanding of Catholicism. Therefore, A Treasure Hid in a Field is an overview of Catholicism written from the perspective of a minister converting from Protestantism to Catholicism. The focus is upon explaining how I had served as a Protestant minister for twenty years but came to the knowledge of the fullness of the truth where I had never anticipated. The purpose of the book is to help those who may be following my same journey, those who may already be Catholic and need help in responding to common objections to Catholicism presented by Protestants, individuals who may be struggling with the temptation to leave the Catholic Church, or those who may simply be seeking to learn more about the Catholic faith. The overall theme of this book is based on the two ways theme found throughout Scripture, applied to Catholicism and Protestantism. During my conversion process, I often found myself facing the choice between two paths, which always resulted in the path toward Catholicism. Even the topics included in this book that were not a particular crossroads in my journey are presented in the same format for the sake of those to whom a particular doctrine might serve as a challenge. Therefore, each chapter is presented as a question, or a choice between two ways, which for me resulted in my conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism.
Download or read book General Instruction of the Roman Missal written by Catholic Church and published by USCCB Publishing. This book was released on 2003 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From USCCB Publishing, this revision of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) seeks to promote more conscious, active, and full participation of the faithful in the mystery of the Eucharist. While the Missale Romanum contains the rite and prayers for Mass, the GIRM provides specific detail about each element of the Order of Mass as well as other information related to the Mass.
Download or read book One Ordinary Sunday written by Paula Huston and published by Liturgical Press. This book was released on 2024-06-15 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Award-winning writer Paula Huston offers a rich spiritual reflection on the origin and meaning of the Catholic Mass. For Catholics, the Mass is the "source and summit of the Christian life," as the documents of the Church put it. Yet many Catholics might confess to not understand in any depth what goes on in a typical celebration of the Eucharist. In One Ordinary Sunday Paula Huston guides us through a Mass at her home parish in a rural California town. Huston's personal and spiritual reflections offer fresh and often unexpected insights into the profound mystery at the heart of the Catholic faith. A natural storyteller, Huston deftly illuminates what might seem either mysterious to those unfamiliar with the Mass or overly familiar to those who have lost an appreciation of its mystery. In the Mass "we are healed and restored and spiritually fed," she writes. "We are unified and made whole as a people and as a Church. We get a little taste of heaven."
Download or read book Christianizing the Roman Empire written by Ramsay MacMullen and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 1984-01-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offers a secular perspective on the growth of the Christian Church in ancient Rome, identifies nonreligious factors in conversion, and examines the influence of Constantine
Download or read book The Eucharist Mystery of Presence Sacrifice and Communion written by Lawrence Feingold and published by Emmaus Academic. This book was released on 2018-04-01 with total page 706 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Eucharist: Mystery of Presence, Sacrifice, and Communion explores the three ends of the Sacrament of Sacraments: God’s true presence, His redemptive sacrifice, and spiritual nourishment through communion with Him. In this follow-up to his groundbreaking work, Faith Comes From What Is Heard, Lawrence Feingold constructs a biblical vision of the Eucharist from its prefigurement in the Old Testament to its fulfillment in the New and presents the Eucharistic theology of the Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas, and magisterial teaching from centuries past through today. The Eucharist is a masterful text, both challenging and spiritually rich, that comprehensively examines the unspeakable mystery that is the Eucharist.
