Challenges us to live a life of peace and to proclaim to a violent world that we stand for something entirely different.

Federico Suarez here explores the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, Mary's hidden life, the wedding at Cana, and Mary's sorrows at the Cross. He does so to show that the Blessed Mother is not just to be admired, but to be imitated by every Christian. Suarez pays particular attention to the concept of vocation in Mary's life, depicting her as the supreme example of one who strove for holiness in every condition in which she found herself. This book helps you do likewise.

A major theme in the Gospels is 'peace'; indeed Jesus proclaimed: 'Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you'. Yet when we look at the world, peace can seem an elusive dream. Mary Grey looks at how the Advent story encourages forgiveness and reconciliation, both essential for peace, and how the Gospels can be key tools to help Christians work towards peace. She ties the Advent story in with current situations in the UK and in the Middle East and the book has both a personal and a global outlook. The book will make ideal reading for Advent and Christmas, either on your own or in a group. It is sure to challenge you to ask 'how can I help to make peace a reality for all God's children?'

Jenny Robertson explores the ministry of Mary within its biblical context: as a servant who is chosen and who responds to God's challenge; as a prophet whose words bridge the Old Testament and the New; as a woman of faith who at one point fails to recognize the implications of her son's life and teachings, but who follows him to the foot of the cross - and beyond into the new Spirit-filled life of the Church. The book suggests that Mary is an important role model for many aspects of faith and discipleship, that a proper honouring of her (not to be confused with praying to her) brings us closer to capturing the essence of her song, which radiantly affirms God and stresses the divine bias towards the poor.

This illuminating examination of the Gospels reveals how the questions Jesus asks of his followers lead the way to a deeper understanding of the meaning of life and the mystery of God. The Gospels are filled with stories, parables, miracles, commandments, and dramatic incidents that trace Jesus’ life and recount his teachings. A close reading of the Gospels reveals, however, that they are also filled with questions. As John Dear points out in this remarkable book, Jesus, like any great teacher and rabbi, “has a question for everyone he meets, for every occasion, for every experience, for every potential disciple.” Dear uses these questions as a starting point, an invitation to readers to discover the lessons they contain by searching their own hearts and minds for answers. Throughout The Questions of Jesus, Dear interweaves insights from ethical and religious teachers ranging from Buddha to Gandhi to Martin Luther King, Jr. Using recent events as powerful and poignant examples, he shows why a renewed commitment to Jesus’ message of nonviolence, compassion, justice, and peace is essential to healing a world torn by violence and war.

It’s amazing to think that the first smile Jesus ever gave was in response to Mary’s smile. It must have been an extraordinary moment: her son was smiling at her, and it was God smiling at her too. This book looks at Mary, this extraordinary woman who is “the cause of our joy” because she brought us the greatest joy of all: Jesus. She was full of joy because she was full of gratitude, gladly acknowledging the fullness of grace that God had given her. Her deep joy overflowed when she visited her cousin Elizabeth: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit exults in God my Saviour”. But this Magnificat song wasn’t just a once-off song of praise: the reason it came to Mary’s lips so easily was because it was her usual way of praying. She constantly thanked God for the gifts he had given her. Whatever the circumstances, Mary had the deep inner conviction that “all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” as Julian of Norwich was later to express it. Many of us seek joy outside of ourselves, in food and drink, or in riches and reputations. But Mary found an inner joy that came from encountering God, a joy that was immeasurably greater than any material joy. And by giving Mary a place in our hearts, we can find true joy in God as well.

A wonderful introduction to the Blessed Mother.