Instrumentum Laboris is the (working document) for the 3rd Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops (to be held October 5-19) which focuses on “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelization”.The Instrumentum Laboris consists of three parts. The first part focuses on the biblical and magisterial understanding of marriage, and features a heavy focus on the “natural law.” It also reflects on the role of the family today, the “fundamental cell of society, where we learn to live with others despite our differences and to belong to one another.”The second part concerns many pressing challenges to marriage and the family. These include cohabitation, remarried divorcees, teen motherhood, mixed-religion marriages, and same-sex unions.The final part deals with openness to life and parental responsibility. It explores how to transmit the faith to younger generations and how to form children in difficult or irregular family situations.This document will set the tone for October's anticipated Synod on the Family, and it deals with some of the most important issues today.

In Hear the Word of the Lord: The Lectionary in Catholic Ritual, Martin Connell offers an in-depth understanding of the Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass. He presents a theology of the Word of God that is grounded in both ancient and ongoing liturgical practices of hearing and proclaiming the Word in the Church. Steeped in the history and composition of the New Testament, Connell traces the development of the Lectionary from the letters of St. Paul to the current Lectionary, demonstrating the way in which a listening assembly serves as an essential component of both our experience and our understanding of Scripture. In addition, Connell presents a comprehensive look at the structure of the Lectionary and its role in the liturgical year.

The church is made up of both the clergy and the laity. And for it to properly fulfill the mission for which it was instituted by Christ, all its members, each according to his or her God-given gift, must contribute both to the upbuilding of the church and to its mission. On the part of the laity, their active participation in the general mission of the church ad intra and ad extra has been a great challenge in the life and practice of the church throughout its history. The Second Vatican Council, in its spirit of aggiornamento, makes some positive difference. This work critically examines the conciliar documents, some relevant postconciliar documents, and theological reflection of some theologians. And finally, it proffers solutions that will enhance the active participation of the laity in the mission of the church in general and the church in Southeast Nigeria in particular.

Who should read the Bible? What is the biblical word? How is Scripture to be interpreted? How is it to be prayed and lived? How does Scripture call forth the Church's entire life and mission? In October 2008 the Synod on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church took place in Rome. During the synod the bishops addressed these questions on the significance of the Word in the life and mission of the church. Beginning with a helpful explanation of the synod process, James Chukwuma Okoye, CSSp, follows the synod in historical progression, highlighting important topics and issues along the way and concluding with an exposition of the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, which Benedict XVI signed on September 30, 2010. Okoye emphasizes that the Synod on the Word of God was not just about Scripture's function in the pastoral life of the church but it was also about tradition and God's continuing self-disclosure in history and in the religions and cultures of humankind."

The formation of priests means following a singular 'journey of discipleship', which begins at Baptism, is perfected through the other sacraments of Christian Initiation, comes to be appreciated as the centre of one's life at the beginning of seminary formation, and continues through the whole of life.This Ratio Fundamentalis emphasises that formation - both initial and ongoing - must be seen through a unifying lens, which takes account of the four dimensions of formation proposed by Pastores Dabo Vobis. Together, these dimensions give shape and structure to the identity of the seminarian and the priest, and make him capable of that 'gift of self to the Church', which is the essence of pastoral charity.

When Pope Francis puts pen to paper, people around the world pay attention. Between 2017 and 2020, the Holy Father published six groundbreaking documents with topics ranging from the importance of scripture to Catholic social teaching, and from injustice in the Amazon to the role of religion in building world peace. These seven documents—letters, apostolic exhortations, an encyclical, and a statement cosigned by Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb—are gathered in one volume for the first time. Volume 2 includes: Gaudete et Exultate, March 19, 2018: In his apostolic exhortation Rejoice and Be Glad: On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, Pope Francis reissues the universal call to holiness, challenges us to recognize the “saints next door” we encounter in daily life, and provides a practical meditation on how we can respond to the Lord’s invitation to become his disciples. Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together, February 4, 2019: This document emphasizes the important role of religion in building world peace and the rights of freedom, justice, and full citizenship for all people—including women. It was cosigned in Abu Dhabi by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, during Pope Francis’s apostolic visit to the United Arab Emirates. Apperuit Illis, September 30, 2019: This apostolic letter, Instituting the Sunday of the Word of God, reflects on Vatican II’s teaching on the importance of the scriptures and encourages all Catholics to embrace the Bible as part of their rich spiritual heritage. Christus Vivit, March 25, 2019: Christ is Alive is the post-synodal apostolic exhortation to young people framed on three key principles: God loves you, Jesus saves and suffers with you, and Jesus is alive. Querida Amazonia, February 12, 2020: The 2020 post-synodal apostolic exhortation Beloved Amazon addresses injustice and exploitation in the Amazon region, outlines challenges to caring for creation and respecting the cultures of indigenous peoples, and renews consideration of how the Church’s mission can and should take shape in the twenty-first century. Fratelli Tutti, October 4, 2020: All Brothers and Sisters: On Fraternity and Social Friendship is Pope Francis’s third encyclical and the only one written between 2017 and 2020. This seminal work challenges us to take a fresh look at the great ideals of the Church’s social teaching and put them into practice on a new—and more personal—level. Patris Corde, December 8, 2020: The apostolic letter With a Father’s Heart declared 2021 the Year of St. Joseph, and provides an extended meditation on the various facets of Joseph’s fatherhood.