The Lord's Prayer holds an honored place in the worship and devotional practices of countless Christians around the world. People of every ethnic background, denominational affiliation, and theological leaning pray to "Our Father who art in heaven." But what if there's more to it than we think? Our Father Who Aren't in Heaven takes a decidedly this-worldly approach to the prayer, and seeks to understand what Jesus meant to teach his original disciples--and us--through this radical manifesto of the kingdom of God. In these pages, Robert S. Turner presents a political reading of the prayer and explores how we can encounter through it a God who has left the divine hammock empty and cast God's lot with humanity and the rest of creation. A renewed understanding of the prayer may have the capacity to transform the world. These subversive reflections on the Lord's Prayer may have the capacity to transform the reader as well.
"This commentary on the Lord's Prayer has been compiled from a series of Radio Liberty broadcasts to listeners in the former Soviet Union. Because this single short prayer of Jesus Christ has everything that needs to be said about God, his kingdom, this life, about all of us - it is not an exaggeration to suggest that in this commentary Fr. Schmemann provides us with a map for seeing anew the purpose and measure of our whole life as he awakens in us a fresh understanding of these familiar petitions. Includes black and white illustrations."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The perfect gift for parents this Father’s Day: a beautiful, gut-wrenching memoir of Irish identity, fatherhood, and what we owe to the past. “A heartbreaking and redemptive book, written with courage and grace.” –J.D. Vance, author of Hillbilly Elegy “…a lovely little book.” –Ross Douthat, The New York Times The child of an Irish man and an Irish-American woman who split up before he was born, Michael Brendan Dougherty grew up with an acute sense of absence. He was raised in New Jersey by his hard-working single mother, who gave him a passion for Ireland, the land of her roots and the home of Michael's father. She put him to bed using little phrases in the Irish language, sang traditional songs, and filled their home with a romantic vision of a homeland over the horizon. Every few years, his father returned from Dublin for a visit, but those encounters were never long enough. Devastated by his father's departures, Michael eventually consoled himself by believing that fatherhood was best understood as a check in the mail. Wearied by the Irish kitsch of the 1990s, he began to reject his mother's Irish nationalism as a romantic myth. Years later, when Michael found out that he would soon be a father himself, he could no longer afford to be jaded; he would need to tell his daughter who she is and where she comes from. He immediately re-immersed himself in the biographies of firebrands like Patrick Pearse and studied the Irish language. And he decided to reconnect with the man who had left him behind, and the nation just over the horizon. He began writing letters to his father about what he remembered, missed, and longed for. Those letters would become this book. Along the way, Michael realized that his longings were shared by many Americans of every ethnicity and background. So many of us these days lack a clear sense of our cultural origins or even a vocabulary for expressing this lack--so we avoid talking about our roots altogether. As a result, the traditional sense of pride has started to feel foreign and dangerous; we've become great consumers of cultural kitsch, but useless conservators of our true history. In these deeply felt and fascinating letters, Dougherty goes beyond his family's story to share a fascinating meditation on the meaning of identity in America.
2020 Catholic Press Association first place award, books about prayer Can Christians still pray the Our Father in the twenty-first century? We can, and we must. Gerhard Lohfink breaks open its strange phrases like “hallowed be thy name,” its off-putting language like “Father” and “kingdom,” and its apparently harsh demands like forgive us as we have forgiven those who hurt us—all to shed light on Jesus’ original words and their meaning. By probing what the prayer meant for Jesus and his first disciples in their world Lohfink calls us to allow the Our Father to break open our own minds and hearts to its infinite invitation and challenge for our time and for all ages.
Notes My Father Left Me creates a detailed sketch of a widowed father who papered his own house with notes written to himself and to anyone else who might be around. When he died, his son, Ray Iallonardo, found the notes. He then decided to combine them with his own reminiscences and comments, creating an unusual portraiture of a man who held strong opinions and who found no details too small to merit his attention. In the end, the fathers notes enabled him posthumously to become the straight man for his sons lovingly humorous and slightly sentimental musings. If you find joy in seeing the deep reserves of mirth that can flow from the tiny and mundane details of life and if you enjoy seeing someones likeness emerge from a mosaic of many small tiles, then you will enjoy reading the words and viewing the images in Notes My Father Left Me. When you are finished, you may find yourself tempted to post a note on the cover of this book: Keep this and read it again when I need to laugh.
In 1980, at the age of ten, Loung Ung escaped a devastated Cambodia and flew to the US as a refugee. She and her eldest brother, with whom she escaped, left behind their three surviving siblings, and her book is alternately heart-wrenching and heart-warming, as it follows the parallel lives of Loung and her closest sister, Chou, during the 15 years it took for them to be reunited. Their two worlds were very different, and Loung's depiction of the contrast between her life in the affluent West and that of her sister, who navigated her way through landmine-strewn fields and survived raids by the Khmer Rouge, is laced with the guilt she feels about being the lucky one. This powerful story helps us to understand what happens when a family is torn apart by politics, adversity and war. It is also the compelling and inspirational tale of a remarkable woman.
Originally published in 1935, this volume offers a variety of spiritual counsels and reflections; these are arranged on a framework of the phrases of the Our Father, giving special attention to the sufferings of Our Lord in His Passion. A wide-ranging treatment, perfect for visits to the Blessed Sacrament, prayers after Mass and daily meditation. This book touches on the topics of sin, divine love, suffering, justice, forgiveness, and many more, concluding each topic with an original prayer. Plus, it is embellished with a generous selection of pious verses and traditional Catholic prayers. Also included here is John Cardinal Newman's powerful meditation on the Mental Sufferings of Our Lord in His Passion, as well as a paraphrase of the Our Father by St. Francis of Assisi and another paraphrase from the Divine Comedy of Dante. The Our Father in Gethsemane is a book that can be picked up and read on any page to provide a spirit of devotion in visits to the Blessed Sacrament, at Mass and in our daily life.
Using colorful visuals, easy-to-read summaries, and reflections, The Lord’s Prayer Bible Study takes you through the seven petitions of one of Jesus’s most famous prayers. Enrich your prayer life with a deeper understanding of this model prayer that Jesus taught his closest disciples to pray. Key features include:Short, concise lessons for people with busy lives, as well as an optional reading plan for people with more time who want to go deeper.Leader’s guide is contained within each study guide, so no extra book purchase is required.Discussion questions for each session and lots of space for writing.Most Bible studies on the Lord’s Prayer don’t include visuals. Imagine having one that does! Perfect for small groups, individual use, young adult study, homeschool, church library, to give to a friend, and more! Whether you have repeated The Lord’s Prayer countless times in church or are new to this classic prayer, this Bible study will help you dive deeper into the rich theological and spiritual meaning behind each line. This study answers questions such as:What does it mean for God’s kingdom to come, and to ask for our daily bread?How do we “hallow” God’s name?How are we forgiven of our debts (trespasses)?And more!With practical life application and thought-provoking discussion questions, you will discover more about God’s attributes and how to pray to our Father in heaven.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Pope Francis illuminates the Lord’s Prayer, the most important prayer in all of Christianity, offering readers a guide to living a life of meaning, purpose and strength. In conversation with Father Marco Pozza, a theologian and prison chaplain in Padua, Italy, Pope Francis offers unprecedented insight into Jesus’s most profound words, as he explores the importance of embracing social justice, benevolence, and forgiveness in our hearts and minds. Looking to address the concerns and hopes of today’s men and women, Our Father: Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer is a guide to living a life full of meaning, purpose, and strength. “We need courage to pray the Our Father,” writes Pope Francis, “to truly believe that God is the Father who accompanies us, forgives us, gives us bread, is attentive to all that we ask, clothes us even better than the flowers of the field. To believe is a big risk.” Challenging this doubt and fear, he issues a call to “dare . . . help oneanother to dare.” With excerpts from some of the Pontiff’s most cherished teachings, this beautiful work offers words of encouragement and inspiration for all who are seeking hope and direction in our often tumultuous world.
