"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story by O. Henry first published in 1905. The story tells of a young husband and wife and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money. As a sentimental story with a moral lesson about gift-giving, it has been popular for adaptation, especially for presentation at Christmas time.

The baptized are called to serve God and the Church in a variety of ways, utilizing the gifts they have been given by the Holy Spirit. Some individuals are called by God to serve in a special way. They have heard God’s voice and respond to his call by presenting themselves to the Church to be instituted as a lay catechist, a lector, or an acolyte or to be ordained as a bishop, a priest, or a deacon. The ceremonies of institution and ordination set apart these members of the Catholic faithful as servant leaders, and these liturgical rites affirm the special charisms that have been bestowed upon them by the Holy Spirit. In Present for God’s Call, Fr. Paul Turner provides the historical evolution of the rites of institution and ordination as well as a pastoral overview of the current Latin texts and English translations of these rites. This book is a timely and important liturgical study on the vocational and ministerial roles in the Church, especially for women, who are now permitted to serve as instituted lectors, acolytes, and catechists. Unique to Fr. Turner’s study is the emphasis on the faithful’s role in the rites of institution and ordination. The ordination ceremonies expect that the assembly be prepared and that they fully participate in these rites. The entire local Church is called to prepare to take part in these rites, and this book provides one way for this formation to take place.

Celebrating 25 Years as a New York Times Bestseller — Over 16 Million Copies Sold It’s no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 16 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes readers on an inspiring spiritual journey to find their true and deepest self and reach the ultimate in personal growth and spirituality: the discovery of truth and light. In the first chapter, Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain and shows them how to have a pain-free identity by living fully in the present. The journey is thrilling, and along the way, the author shows how to connect to the indestructible essence of our Being, “the eternal, ever-present One Life beyond the myriad forms of life that are subject to birth and death.” Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback shows that only after regaining awareness of Being, liberated from Mind and intensely in the Now, is there Enlightenment.

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family.

You Can Inspire Hope Every Day

An empirical investigation of financial crises during the last 800 years.