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In the hundred years that have passed since Blessed Columba Marmion's death in 1923, his contributions to the Church as handed down in his books, letters, and example have only become increasingly relevant and necessary. It was a great blessing to the Church, then, when Pope St John Paul II beatified Columba Marmion on September 3, 2000. As the pope said: 'Marmion left us an authentic treasure of spiritual teaching for the Church of our time. In his writings he teaches a simple yet demanding way of holiness for all the faithful, whom God has destined in love to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ.' Twenty-three years later, this statement still rings true.The essays contained in the present volume are a testament to this fact for they demonstrate the great breadth of souls that Blessed Marmion speaks to even down to our own day and age. From Marmion's doctrine based upon our spiritual adoption by the Father to the centrality of Christ's mysteries lived and participated in through the Church's liturgy; from his firm foundation in Scripture, to his absolute adherence to the teachings of the Church; from his exposition of the beauty and goodness of the religious life to his care for the universal call to holiness; and from his soaring insights into the great heights of Truth to his dwelling in the particularities of each individual and each circumstance, Marmion has something to say to 'all the faithful'. With a heart attuned to and beating with the heart of the Church, to each of us Marmion offers Christ, 'Christ today, yesterday, and forever' (Heb. 13:8), Christ contemplated, loved, and lived, not with a theoretical knowledge, but with a real and lively faith. The Church is gifted but rarely with souls so comprehensive as to reach all of Her children, but there is no doubt that Blessed Columba Marmion was one such soul: a soul beloved of both God and men.

Vandeur's The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass serves as an important testament to the grandeur and magnificence of the Mass. In the modern era, marked by an increasing trend of secularisation and heightened participation of the laity in the Mass, this profound meditation proves vital for the clergy and faithful throughout the Catholic Church. As it elucidates the splendour, glory, and thanksgiving inherent in this sacred rite, it also delves into the mystical beauty underpinning the themes of forgiveness and mercy within the Holy Mass, imparted by Our Lord. The text is structured in concise chapters, each devoted to an examination of select liturgical phrases. Whether you wish to bring this book along as a companion to Mass or meditate upon the various aspects of Holy Sacrifice at some other time, Vandeur's work will help you to ascend the Ladder of Sanctity, from the first step, 'In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost', to the last, 'And the Word Was Made Flesh'.

From a young age, (now St) Pierre-Julien Eymard wanted nothing more than to be a priest. Once ordained, young Fr Eymard quickly developed a deep devotion to his Lord in the Holy Eucharist. Consumed by his great love, Fr Eymard devoted his life to increasing devotion to Jesus in all tabernacles.In this biography of the "Priest of the Eucharist", Fr Tesnière, a novice trained by St Pierre-Julien, showcases the prayerful devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament that characterized St Eymard's life. Through extensive quotations from St Eymard's journal, Fr Tesnière, charts Fr Eymard's growth in holiness and ever-deepening love of the Lord. Culminating in an account of the beatification process, this book shows the immeasurable power of the Eucharist in forming souls to be like Christ.

"Prayer must necessarily involve a discipline, but it need not involve a system...In our prayer we must return to the primary purpose of what we are trying to do: we are trying to bring worship to God. The greatest act of worship that man can give to God is to refer back to him what God has already given. Man has nothing of his own to offer, nothing that has not been lent by God."Almost everyone who has believed in God has wondered how to pray to him. But in the same way that no two relationships are identical, no two people's prayer life with God are identical. More important than praying perfectly is praying diligently, with reliance on God's grace, and a readiness to "remain in whatever state of spirituality God chooses to allow." By uniting penance, confidence, and humility to prayer, man will avoid the snares of the devil and come to greater union with God. This book is not for those seeking a step-by-step guide to the interior life of prayer. But it is for those who desire to do everything they can to come close to God. By laying out the principles of prayer, Van Zeller provides both an understandable education for those who have just begun to think about prayer, as well as a helpful review and self-examination for those who have been praying for many years.

"Before a piece of sculpture can be called Christian we must be sure that it can be called sculpture." With the insight and charm characteristic of his spiritual meditations, in this volume Benedictine monk and artist Hubert van Zeller examines sacred art from the angle of his own artistic specialty: sculpture. First published in 1959, these reflections on the relationship of sculptor and sculpture, spirituality and artistic inspiration, remain relevant today. Arguing that "religious carving is meant to be a plea for light and truth, not for charm," van Zeller is concerned with "the present lack of direction in Christian sculpture." The life-long sculptor and Catholic priest approaches the topic in both technical and spiritual aspects, ironically noting that "before a piece of sculpture can be called Christian we must be sure that it can be called sculpture." From his concise history of the development of sculpture styles to the place of symbol and truth in art, this book is capable of inspiring not only truer art but truer Christianity in a new generation of readers. Illustrated with a dozen plates of van Zeller's own sculptures, this reprint is entirely re-typeset and includes a new foreword by artist and writer Julian Kwasniewski which gives additional biographical and theological context to this book.

"In a word, the service of God is meant to be beautiful, because a true instinct of man makes him realize, even when he is in a state of retrogression and barbarism, that all that is best and noblest must be made subservient to the worship of the Lord and Creator of all." Dom Ernest Graf begins his work The Priest at the Altar with this declaration that beauty is the fundamental form of the Liturgy. The ensuing chapters vividly unfold how the Extraordinary Form Latin Mass displays the hermeneutic of beauty directed to worship of the Lord. Beginning with a brief overview on the nature of liturgy in general, Graf then presents a discourse on each individual element of the Mass -- from the Introibo to the Thanksgiving Prayers after Mass. His treatment includes not only the historical foundation of the liturgical practices, but also the spiritual significance of the Priest's actions. Though concise, Graf's writing elucidates both the logic of the Church's tradition and the rich signification of the Mass as sacrifice and sacrament. While each priest, deacon, or altar server is sure to be enriched by Graf's reflections, The Priest at the Altar's layman reader will inevitably be led to a deeper appreciation of the Liturgy as well. His humility will be awakened by new reflections on the Confiteor; his joy at the Gloria will be stirred; and a new and profound devotion for the Eucharist will surely flood his heart when he recalls Graf's words on the Domine Non Sum Dignus. Newly typeset, this edition of The Priest at the Altar displays the profound beauty and intelligibility contained in the Latin Mass, carrying the wisdom of the ages into today's liturgies.

"Love is the cause and crown of everything, but the key to everything is faith."The phrase, "I'm spiritual, not religious" is commonly heard today. Yet, as Van Zeller points out in Approach to Spirituality, there is no spirituality without true faith, and there can be no faith without true religion. He demonstrates the necessity of a life truly conformed to God, particularly through prayer, in order for spirituality to have any root or effect. Genuine spirituality is not a vague ideal, but a practical, well-marked path to holiness, born out of faith in a God who is reality itself. Exploring themes such as the fundamentals of prayer, its necessity for all, and its practical forms, Van Zeller cements the crucial foundations and maps tried-and-true paths in the spiritual life. While everyone desires a rich interior life marked by the heights and depths of union with God in love, a soul only progresses with the humble gift of faith: faith in a God who has come close and related to each individual. Therein Van Zeller reveals the true approach to spirituality, of which "the primary condition then is a belief in the interpersonal relationship between the Christian and Christ. Before you can get anywhere in the spiritual life you have to be convinced that such a relationship is possible and that it is open to you."

"One of the vital concerns for Fr Willie Doyle in his life as a Christian and a priest was holiness, not only seeking it for himself, but encouraging it and supporting it in those he served", writes Fr John Hogan in his Introduction. Indeed, the invitation to perfection is held out to all, and Fr Willie in his pamphlets offers practical wisdom to both laity and religious in pursuing the life of holiness. With a brief introduction to Fr Willie's life and writings written by Fr John Hogan, Diocesan Postulator for the Cause of the Servant of God, Fr Willie Doyle, Pamphlets for the Faithful presents all of Fr Willie's published works, originally written in the form of pamphlets. These pamphlets cover such topics as:the dignity and beauty of religious life.advice on how to discern whether one has a vocation.a short guide for priests on offering the Mass.the great fruits that retreats produce for the laity and how to preserve their beneficial effects.practical advice for laity and spiritual directors in combatting that most pestering vice: scrupulosity.Even though some of the pamphlets have as their immediate audience those who are pursuing priesthood or the religious life, they are indeed "pamphlets for the faithful." Regardless of one's state in life, all five pamphlets, Fr Doyle's only published works, continue to guide souls in every state of life down the way of perfection.

Dom Hubert, in summing up this book's theme, quotes Joubert: "How many people eat, drink, marry, buy, sell, build, make fortunes, acquire friends and enemies, enjoy pleasure, endure pain; in short are born, grow up and die-but asleep." It is this sleep which Dom Hubert desires to combat in this series of reflections upon the relations of man with his fellow humans and God. Prayer and the life of grace, married love and friendship, modernity and the Gospel all feature in these pages. The wide array of topics addressed include:How to assist at Mass, and whether or not "Ought I to use a missal or can I go on saying the rosary?" is even the right questionThe difference between sensation and sentiment in married loveThe expression, material, and problem with interior prayer (not to mention it's condition and idiom)The vocation of teachers and the necessity of treating pupils with a supernatural outlookHow to approach the universal call to mystical union with GodWhat true asceticism asks and how it operates.How both the Mass and Marriage call us to a Johannine charityIn the midst of the reflections, Dom Hubert pauses to recall one of his main sources of inspiration-a close friend, the Dominican Father Bede Jarret, and a last series of conversations before Father Jarret's death. "Much especially that deals with Christian love is an echo of those August mornings," writes Dom Hubert, "While the section describing leadership has Father Bede of course as a model."Born in British-controlled Egypt, Dom Hubert van Zeller (1905-1984) was a Benedictine monk of Downside Abbey in Bath, England, where he was educated. Of his scholastic career he said that he "passed no examinations-merely by-passed them." The author of numerous books ranging from scriptural commentary to fiction and biography, he was also renowned as a minimalist sculptor and cartoonist. He was a friend of Ronald Knox and of Evelyn Waugh, who described Dom Hubert's writings as "characterized by vitality and elegance."

What does it mean to live as a child of God? In this book, Fr. Piotr Rostworowski offers timeless advice and spiritual counsel to a nun under his direction, aimed at helping her live a life of perfect unity with God. In simple, loving, honest language, this holy father sets out clear guidance and practical methods for how to attain perfection.Likewise, the universality of the issues with which Fr. Rostworowski deals, issues ranging from how to overcome one's own will in temptation to recognizing the immensity of God's mercy and love, make this book a must-have for anyone seeking to deepen their friendship with the Lord and live as children of God. "You must not be afraid," says Fr. Rosworowski, "you simply have to trust and persevere. I think there is nothing wiser that you can do, and the Lord will do his part." Who will not benefit from advice such as this?

While the figure of St Benedict looms large in the landscape of saints, it is more on account of his Rule and his order than his person. Yet the life of St Benedict stands second only to the Rule itself in guiding the order throughout the course of history, "for the holy man could not otherwise teach than he himself lived." Therefore, the Little Flowers sets forth the true spirit of the order for all. Filled with stories reminiscent of the great Patriarchs and Apostles, the Little Flowers of St Benedict unveils the heart of one "filled with the spirit of all the just," the heart of one entirely devoted to God. May the present volume stand alongside all other great spiritual biographies in lighting a sure path to holiness.

"The end of penance is God, not more penances. Thus the approach to penance has to be by way of love, not by way of steeling the will to toughness. Penance must have its roots in charity, not austerity."With characteristic Benedictine discretion, Van Zeller here sets straight common misapprehensions of penance, steering the reader past the Scylla of extremism on the one hand and the Charybdis of avoiding this essential virtue of the Christian life on the other hand. "Take up your cross and follow me," Christ asks each disciple in turn. It is thus a joyful duty for all to understand and approach the penitential cross correctly. Rather than a frightful self-punishment, penance is rather a means to an end-God-and thus must always be tempered and exercised according to that end. Cast in this light, what Van Zeller teaches here is not how one is to do penance, but how one ought to approach penance: "In the last analysis we cannot guarantee the measure of asceticism which will atone for our sins or bring us one single step closer to union with God. Is it not much wiser then to make for something which can be guaranteed? Is it not better to have recourse to Christ, and learn from him a lesson of love? Christ atones for us; love draws us nearer to union." Equipped with this knowledge, each reader may go forth with complete freedom to gladly bear the cross that Christ has fashioned.

"These pages do not pretend to furnish theologians and doctors with a new Mariology. My aim is much more modest; I am trying to reach many small souls, for whom a few rays of Holy Mary's beauty will suffice; that they may endlessly admire and better pronounce her name-after the Name of Jesus, the most beautiful of names."Dom Eugene Vandeur's Hail Mary is not another scholarly exegesis on each part of that ancient prayer; it is a poetic, passionate, expressive, rhythmic hymn of praise. In the chapters of this little book, Dom Vandeur lovingly meditates on all the words and phrases of the Hail Mary, aiming to inspire Marian devotion in "small souls" and deepen in his readers appreciation for the prayer. Like the practice of prayerfully repeating the Hail Mary, this book is best when savored and returned to again and again.

"Even to me, Protestant as I am, it did seem completely suitable that an event so stupendous could scarcely be approached by any other process than that of a sacred dramatic dance, with an accompaniment of rigid and minute Court etiquette. To leave the conduct of such a thing to the individual personality and the private taste of a simple clergyman in a surplice, would be nothing else than bathos of the worst description; human outlines must be obliterated by some overpowering uniform, personal tastes and methods of behaving must be rigidly supplanted by set movements and gestures. In fact, for such a drama as this we need not clericalism, but the most emphatic sacerdotalism. Originality in the sanctuary, as has been well observed, is the grossest vulgarity known to men."In this work of imaginative fiction, Catholic priest and writer Robert Hugh Benson "edits the notes" of a non-Catholic actor who is attempting to understand the belief and worship of Catholics. Only moderately successful in his career, the author of these "papers" finds himself quite alone in the world, his wife having died within a year of their marriage. His own health beginning to fail, he pays serious attention to the subject of religion for the first time. After a brief dalliance with the Anglican Church, he is drawn to the local Catholic church, where he attends various liturgies-a Requiem, a Low Mass, Benediction, and the ceremonies of Holy Week. He struggles with "a great deal of inchoate agnosticism" while writing about the powerful impressions these ceremonies make on him. Finally, the actor is received into the Church shortly before he dies. Benson, himself a convert from Anglicanism, creatively weaves surprising, poignant, and profound insights into the traditional beliefs and customs of Catholics by viewing them through the eyes of "a pariah"-a lonely outcast.Robert Hugh Benson (1871-1914), the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury, was educated at Eton and Trinity College. Drawn toward the High-Church tradition, Benson was ordained an Anglican priest by his father, but began to investigate the claims of the Catholic Church during a trip to the Middle East in 1896. He converted to Roman Catholicism in 1903 and was ordained to the Catholic priesthood the following year. Amid his various ecclesial duties, he was a well-known preacher and a prolific writer, and his works span many genres, including science and historical fiction, contemporary novels, children's books, apologetics, plays, poetry, and devotional material.

Christ desires to be our Friend. But how can we respond? Taking up themes from great mystical writers, Benson gives a prophetic corrective for those in the Church who mistake "Christ's gifts for Christ, religiosity for religion, and the joys possible on earth for the joys awaiting us in heaven." Benson steers the soul away from temptations to despair and from presumption upon Christ's friendship, pointing to the consoling truth: "I am in all things His debtor, but He bids me call Him Friend." In these pages, Benson will guide you in the ways of Christ's friendship, from first love, through purgation, to illumination. You will see how to be friends with Christ in Himself, but also in the modes by which He offers Himself; some more obvious, such as the saints and the Eucharist; others more strangely disguised, such as the Average Man and the Sinner. Lastly, through the historical life of our Friend crucified and vindicated, Benson will bring you to that crowning moment when Christ pledged His friendship and won ours. This book reveals how one can be friends with Him who asks for our "adoration, dependence, obedience". Wherever you are in your friendship with Christ, whether it is the initial exhilaration of attending "every instant to this new intimate," or whether you are in the thralls of "disillusionment"; whether you perceive Him in the chalice, or whether you are blinded to Him by the sins of the Church and the cry of the Sufferer, Benson shows how in each of these to see the face of your Friend.

The year is 1975. A young man...a painter. Having converted, he tries his vocation as a monk, but decides that monastic life is not for him. Thrown back on his own resources, he quickly becomes enmeshed in difficulties-not least, when he discovers an unusually sympathetic ear in a young married woman-and he struggles to find a place in the contemporary Church. Throughout his searching, he turns to the Benedictine Dom Hubert for counsel, wondering what to do with his feelings. Dom Hubert, also an artist, offers practical advice to his correspondent while astutely pinpointing his mistakes. Not only fascinating as an historical snapshot of the world in 1975 through the eyes of a widely-travelled monk, these letters, full of wit and insight, address many topics which remain pertinent today, including:Seeking peace and balance in the life of the spiritProgress in prayer, and the danger of self-absorption Chastity, and the difference between romance, love, and friendshipPapal infallibility, obedience in the Church, and the crisis of religious vocationsLiturgical aesthetics, the Charismatic movement, and the Latin MassThe fear that God is not enough to satisfy man.¿Dom Hubert van Zeller (1905-1984) was born in British-controlled Egypt and became a Benedictine monk of Downside Abbey in Bath, England. The author of numerous books ranging from scriptural commentary to fiction and biography, he was also renowned as a minimalist sculptor and cartoonist. He was a friend of Ronald Knox and of Evelyn Waugh, who described Dom Hubert's writings as 'characterised by vitality and elegance'.

"If my correspondence is anything to go by," writes Benedictine artist and author Dom Hubert Van Zeller, "the problem which men and women living in the world most want to discuss is that of how to handle the affections." The fruit of Dom Hubert's experience as a spiritual director, these 42 short reflections are culled from his correspondence, and engage with questions surrounding the cultural upheaval which followed World War II, the first stages of the sexual revolution, and the modern world's apathy towards God. Dom Hubert's witty and incisive reflections draw on a varied and colourful array of sources, including Tacitus, Milton, Evelyn Waugh, and Saint Benedict, and address such topics as:The almost-but-not-quite saintPurity, chastity, and understanding the opposite sex Perseverance in prayer, faith, and workThe point of Sacramental MarriageSimplicity in art, prayer, and "everything"Two mistakes people make about sin (other than committing it)Why contemplative vocations are more frequent among women.With insights that remain relevant today, Dom Hubert provides advice helpful for young and old, for the spiritually motivated and listless alike, in a short book which clearly presents the universal call to holiness.