With the mind of a theologian and the heart of a pastor, Marc Cardinal Ouellet releases this timely book to help Catholics arrive at a deeper understanding of the Church's traditional teaching on the priesthood and the discipline of celibacy. As the Church rises to the duty of evangelization amid the challenges of secularism, Cardinal Ouellet sounds a clarion call to discover enduring solutions rooted in the basics of holiness. Cardinal Ouellet deftly draws the tradition into the present, adding fresh insights that challenge us to think anew about the beauty and power of the priesthood. He shows the deep connection between the ministerial priesthood of the clergy and the royal priesthood of all believers—how they are united in Christ's priesthood, and how they work together to build up the Kingdom of God on earth. Friends of the Bridegroom is a book not just about the priesthood but for priests, and should therefore find a welcome home in rectories and seminaries everywhere. It promises to confirm them confidently in their vocation, their hope in Christ, and remind them of their dignity and duties in relation to the challenges of the modern world. As the Church prepares for the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, Cardinal Ouellet charts a path forward that is both sensitive to the missionary duties of the Church and steeped in Her incomparable and irreplaceable tradition. As the President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, Cardinal Ouellet knows and loves this land and its people; his prescription for the priesthood is full of evangelical zeal and pastoral warmth. This is an essential document for understanding not just the priesthood, but this pivotal moment in Church history.

In addition to its use of the Gospel narratives, Bulgakov's profound portrait of the Baptist is colored by sacred tradition as it is embodied in patristic literature, in liturgy, and in iconography."--BOOK JACKET.

This is a valuable resourse book through the Bible, explaining many customs practiced in Bible times. Not only is it easy to understand, but it is also filled with many helpful illustrations.

In Jesus the Bridegroom, Brant Pitre once again taps into the wells of Jewish Scripture and tradition, and unlocks the secrets of what is arguably the most well-known symbol of the Christian faith: the cross of Christ. In this thrilling exploration, Pitre shows how the suffering and death of Jesus was far more than a tragic Roman execution. Instead, the Passion of Christ was the fulfillment of ancient Jewish prophecies of a wedding, when the God of the universe would wed himself to humankind in an everlasting nuptial covenant. To be sure, most Christians are familiar with the apostle Paul's teaching that Christ is the 'Bridegroom' and the Church is the 'Bride'. But what does this really mean? And what would ever possess Paul to compare the death of Christ to the love of a husband for his wife? If you would have been at the Crucifixion, with Jesus hanging there dying, is that how you would have described it? How could a first-century Jew like Paul, who knew how brutal Roman crucifixions were, have ever compared the execution of Jesus to a wedding? And why does he refer to this as the "great mystery" (Ephesians 5:32)? As Pitre shows, the key to unlocking this mystery can be found by going back to Jewish Scripture and tradition and seeing the entire history of salvation, from Mount Sinai to Mount Calvary, as a divine love story between Creator and creature, between God and Israel, between Christ and his bride--a story that comes to its climax on the wood of a Roman cross. In the pages of Jesus the Bridegroom, dozens of familiar passages in the Bible--the Exodus, the Song of Songs, the Wedding at Cana, the Woman at the Well, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, and even the Second Coming at the End of Time--are suddenly transformed before our eyes. Indeed, when seen in the light of Jewish Scripture and tradition, the life of Christ is nothing less than the greatest love story ever told.

From the remarkable Ha Jin, winner of the National Book Award for his celebrated novel Waiting, a collection of comical and deeply moving tales of contemporary China that are as warm and human as they are surprising, disturbing, and delightful. In the title story, the head of security at a factory is shocked, first when the hansomest worker on the floor proposes marriage to his homely adopted daughter, and again when his new son-in-law is arrested for the "crime" of homosexuality. In "After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town," the workers at an American-style fast food franchise receive a hilarious crash course in marketing, deep frying, and that frustrating capitalist dictum, "the customer is always right."Ha Jin has triumphed again with his unforgettable storytelling in The Bridegroom.

Named a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2012 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes keeps winning reader awards for her gorgeously imagined books. If you're already a fan, you'll devour her new characters and if you haven't yet discovered the richly drawn worlds of Grace Burrowes, you're in for a treat.... "Memorable heroes. Intelligent, sensual love stories. This author knows what romance readers adore."—RT Book Reviews, 4 Stars His Family or His Heart — One of Them Will Be Betrayed... Ian MacGregor is wooing a woman who's wrong for him in every way. As the new Earl of Balfour, though, he must marry an English heiress to repair the family fortunes. But in his intended's penniless chaperone, Augusta, Ian is finding everything he's ever wanted in a wife. "Historical details enrich Burrowes's intimate and erotic story, but the real stars are her vibrant characters and her masterful ear for dialogue. Burrowes is superb at creating connections that feel honest and real."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review