Prayers of the Early Church, edited by J. Manning Potts was first published in 1908. It contains a selection of prayers, arranged chronologically, and collected from many old books of prayers and devotional materials. Chapters include; New Testament Prayers (Simeon, Mary, Jesus, Stephen, Paul, Peter); Other First Century Prayers (Clement of Rome, Clementine Liturgy, Syrian Clementine Liturgy); Second Century Prayers (Polycarp, Ignatius, Liturgy of St. James, Barnabas, Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus); Third Century Prayers (Old Gallican Sacramentary, Liturgy of St. Mark, Eastern Church Liturgy, Eastern Church Vespers); Fourth Century Prayers (Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril, Ambrose, Nerses of Clajes, Gallican Sacramentary, Armenian Liturgy, Basil, Chrysostom, Augustine, Apostolic Constitutions); and, Fifth Century Prayers (Liturgy of the Nestorians, Ancient Collect, Leonine Sacramentary, Gelasian Sacramentary, Liturgy of the Blessed Apostles).

Joy isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity. But how do we find joy—and hold onto it—when so much in our life stands in the way? Living Joy: 9 Rules to Help You Rediscover and Live Joy Every Day equips you with the wisdom you need to experience joy to the fullest. With evidence, experience, and common sense, Chris Stefanick presents nine rules that will empower you to overcome the obstacles that are keeping you from unspeakable joy. You’ll learn why gratitude is the first key to unlocking deep joy silence creates space in your life for happiness rest, friendship, and fun are integral to joyful living and so much more. No matter the circumstances of your life, Living Joy will show you exactly how you can claim the joy you were created for.

The earliest of the four Gospels, the book portrays Jesus as an enigmatic figure, struggling with enemies, his inner and external demons, and with his devoted but disconcerted disciples. Unlike other gospels, his parables are obscure, to be explained secretly to his followers. With an introduction by Nick Cave

How Baptism and the Eucharist Shaped Early Christian Understandings of Jesus Long before the Gospel writers put pen to papyrus, the earliest Christians participated in the powerful rituals of baptism and the Lord's Supper, which fundamentally shaped their understanding of God, Christ, and the world in which they lived. In this volume, a respected biblical scholar and teacher explores how cultural anthropology and ritual studies elucidate ancient texts. Charles Bobertz offers a liturgical reading of the Gospel of Mark, arguing that the Gospel is a narrative interpretation of early Christian ritual. This fresh, responsible, and creative proposal will benefit scholars, professors, and students. Its ecclesial and pastoral ramifications will also be of interest to church leaders and pastors.

"A fresh, vigorous new translation of the Gospel of Mark."—The American Conservative "Professor Pakaluk provides not only a thrilling new rendering of the ancient Greek text but also provides lively scholarship in the commentary that follows his translation of Mark's sixteen chapters."—The Catholic Thing "This is a very rewarding version of Mark, and even those who have made long study of the text will find a wise and sensitive guide in Michael Pakaluk."—National Catholic Register "Pakaluk's translation and commentary offers us a wonderful way to immerse ourselves anew..."—The B.C. Catholic "Like his translation, Pakaluk's notes do a lot to bring St. Mark and his gospel alive for us."—Aleteia The Gospel as You Have Never Heard It Before... At a distance of twenty centuries, the figure of Jesus of Nazareth can seem impossibly obscure—indeed, some skeptics even question whether he existed. And yet we have an eyewitness account of his life, death, and resurrection from one of his closest companions, the Simon Bar-Jona, better known as the Apostle Peter. Writers from the earliest days of the Church tell us that Peter’s disciple Mark wrote down the apostle’s account of the life of Jesus as he told it to the first Christians in Rome. The vivid, detailed, unadorned prose of the Gospel of Mark conveys the unmistakable immediacy of a first-hand account. For most readers, however, this immediacy is hidden behind a veil of Greek, the language of the New Testament writers. Four centuries of English translations have achieved nobility of cadence or, more recently, idiomatic accessibility, but the voice of Peter himself has never fully emerged. Until now. In this strikingly original translation, atten- tive to Peter’s concern to show what it was like to be there, Michael Pakaluk captures the tone and texture of the sherman’s evocative account, leading the reader to a bracing new encounter with Jesus. The accompanying verse-by-verse commentary—less theological than historical—will equip you to experience Mark’s Gospel as the narrative of an eyewitness, drawing you into its scenes, where you will come to know Jesus of Nazareth with new intimacy. A stunning work of scholarship readily accessible to the layman, The Memoirs of St. Peter belongs on the bookshelf of every serious Christian.