The Joy of the Catholic Mass and the Celebration of Eucharist

7 days free, then $2.99/month
The Joy of the Catholic Mass and the Celebration of Eucharist

University of Notre Dame's Dr. Timothy P. O'Malley guides you on an enlightening journey through every aspect of the Eucharistic celebration. Although it takes only an hour each week, the Mass is one of the most important ways Catholics profess their beliefs in Christian love and mercy. When Catholics express their faith alongside their brothers and sisters, they are not only participating in powerful traditions but also deepening their spiritual lives. Now "The Joy of the Catholic Mass and the Celebration of Eucharist" lets you take this leading liturgical expert as your personal professor anywhere and anytime. Grounded in the historical and spiritual developments of the Mass, Dr. O'Malley's 12 lectures will enrich your faith and enhance your enjoyment of each Eucharistic celebration. Whether you are a priest or layperson, you will learn to view the Mass as a spiritual practice for healing in the modern age. To enhance your understanding, you'll draw on the philosophical, theological, and spiritual insights of such luminaries as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Francis, and Evelyn Underhill. This inspiring course will inform your theological understanding and inspire your fruitful participation in the source and summit of Christian life: the Eucharistic liturgy. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

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  • Internationally best-selling author, renowned professor, and the "dean of American Catholic Historians," Fr. John O'Malley presents his monumental course on the papacy. This masterpiece series covers the most fascinating history in the Western world. Now you can trace the amazing history of the papacy, the oldest still-functioning institution of any kind in the Western world, in 36 erudite lectures. By focusing on popes that shaped vital moments in global history, you will gain a deep understanding of the people, issues, and ideas that gave us the Catholic church and our world. The story features both trouble and triumph—and Fr. O'Malley deftly tackles both aspects—but above all, it tells of resilience. You will be enthralled as you listen to Fr. O'Malley explains how pope after pope responded to challenges from barbarians, "Christian" monarchs, disgruntled bishops, and, above all, the faults and failures of human nature in order to guide Peter's bark through the rugged seas of time.

  • Join Thomas Merton in exploring one of the most influential figures in the history of spirituality. Delivered in 1962 to the novices at Merton's monastery, these talks allow you to hear his voice and experience his powerful teaching. Born in the fourth century, Saint John Cassian (A.D. 360 – 435) lived when tensions between the traditional and innovative peaked. A monk and theologian, Cassian made the Christian tradition relevant for the needs of his day in his spiritual works. Indeed, his spirituality remains essential today; he influenced Saints Benedict and Ignatius of Loyola, and his works continue to be read worldwide. These remastered recordings of his lectures give you the opportunity to discover the vitality of Cassian's philosophy of prayer with Thomas Merton as your guide. A teacher par excellence, Merton breathes new life into ancient texts as he passes tradition onto novices. Merton's conferences are not didactic presentations about Cassian's teachings but meaningful applications of them to the modern world. Cassian integrated Eastern monasticism into Western thought, and his Conferences provide the principles of monastic life: unceasing prayer, charity, and asceticism. Especially compelling are his teachings about prayer and virtue and his examination of the "prayer of fire" as the goal of contemplation. Merton guides you through these topics and more in his captivating talks. You will discover why the mysticism of John Cassian is cherished in the monastic tradition and the wider Christian community alike. These conferences will inspire you as you explore your own spiritual life. This set includes an afterword by Fr. Anthony Ciorra.

  • How do you find God? When your soul longs for the spiritual, how do you find the time to turn within? Now, this profound series invites you to look to the contemplative tradition for inspiration and answers. Prayer is one of the most essential acts of the Christian life. In this spiritually edifying 24-lecture series, you will join celebrated author and Pauline sister Kathryn James Hermes, F.S.P., in exploring the tradition of contemplative prayer. Regardless of your level of experience, you will find nourishment in this unique series. Sr. Hermes weaves together various strands of Christian living into a tapestry of spiritual development and Christian maturity. In these presentations, you will find new horizons of contemplative living in today's society. You will explore a variety of practical teachings on contemplative prayer from saints and the Catholic tradition that will help you develop your own spiritual life. You will explore what the ancient mystical tradition of the Church means today in our ever-changing world. You will also learn how to avoid the pitfalls of merely tacking prayer onto your routine, or being too busy for prayer altogether. Instead, you will find paths to inner peace when your heart needs healing. This is a truly essential course for all Christians wishing to live prayerfully.

  • Gain fresh insights into the New Testament in this life-changing course by a celebrated Bible translator and Oxford professor. Perhaps no other text has so greatly influenced Western civilization as the New Testament. And yet, it also remains widely misunderstood, even among lifelong Christians. Now, "The New Testament: A Bible Study Course" answers your most important questions about its 27 books. Brilliantly presented by Fr. Nicholas King, these 36 engaging lectures give you access to modern scholarship on the New Testament. Fr. King's original translations breathe new life into the words you have so often heard and studied, accurately conveying the mood of the original documents. After a fascinating general introduction to the New Testament, you will take a fresh look at the Pauline epistles. You will enjoy four lectures on each of the Gospels before looking at Acts of the Apostles, the general epistles, and Revelation. Finally, you will consider the important themes of Christ's Resurrection, divine inspiration, and the necessity of the Old Testament. Above all, you will gain a fuller sense of Jesus as a devout Jew who was telling the old story of God and the People of God in a new way. And as Jesus preached, the gospel message is open to all. This scriptural journey will fill you with the excitement that pervades the writings of the New Testament. Embark on it today.

  • Can a faithful Catholic benefit from understanding Sufism? Merton thought so. Now you can discover why. In the twentieth century, Thomas Merton, one of Christianity’s great mystics, encountered the ancient Eastern mystical tradition known as Sufism. The result was an outpouring of mystical insight and spiritual wisdom. In these talks, you will discover what first electrified Merton. The Sufi mystics have given us one of the world’s most read poets, Rumi, the beautiful mystical dance of whirling dervishes, interreligious insight, and new forms of contemplation. A visionary who sought to synthesize the best of Eastern and Western spiritualities, Thomas Merton’s profound interest in the Sufi mystics is more relevant today than ever. Merton explores the contemplative wisdom of Sufism to enhance our Christian understanding of mysticism and spiritual practice. In one of his talks to the novices at Gethsemani, he said, “The Sufis are seeking to know God and have ways of seeking to know God, and this should have some success with us...We should be closer to the Sufis.” In these talks, you will watch the development of Merton’s spirituality as he moved towards a greater understanding of interreligious dialogue. Merton believed that the Sufis had much to teach us about prayer, mysticism, and contemplation. Merton will bring you to new and exciting places as he reflects on Sufism and the mystical life. What Merton taught in the mid-twentieth century is prophetic for spiritual seekers in the contemporary world. ***Photographs of Thomas Merton by Sybille Akers and John Howard Griffin. Used with Permission of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University.

  • Presented by acclaimed biographer Prof. Michael W. Higgins, Ph.D., this course explores the life and literary genius of Thomas Merton. When Thomas Merton published "The Seven Storey Mountain" in 1948, no one could have expected it to become an international sensation. An autobiography of his conversion to Catholicism, it became a wildly popular bestseller, propelling this humble Trappist monk to literary fame. Today, it is widely regarded as a spiritual classic. While it remains his most famous work, "The Seven Storey Mountain" is only the tip of the iceberg in Merton's rich, multi-layered oeuvre. In Thomas Merton, ""The Seven Storey Mountain, and the Rest of the Story,"" you will join award-winning professor and speaker Michael W. Higgins in exploring Merton's compelling autobiographical literature. As you examine his journals, letters, novels, and poetry, you will encounter a brilliant portrait of the premier Catholic spiritual figure of the twentieth century. Although "The Seven Storey Mountain" cemented Thomas Merton as a prominent writer, he also felt that it presented a limited portrait of him. Indeed, his later autobiographical works, such as "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander" and "The Asian Journal," show a more mature and fully realized vision. "The Seven Storey Mountain" would establish many of Merton's most powerful themes—his later works brought these themes to their apex. In this course, you will examine the writings of this modern and post-modern chronicler of the soul's unfolding. Encounter Thomas Merton—the man, monk, and mystic—today.

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About

University of Notre Dame's Dr. Timothy P. O'Malley guides you on an enlightening journey through every aspect of the Eucharistic celebration. Although it takes only an hour each week, the Mass is one of the most important ways Catholics profess their beliefs in Christian love and mercy. When Catholics express their faith alongside their brothers and sisters, they are not only participating in powerful traditions but also deepening their spiritual lives. Now "The Joy of the Catholic Mass and the Celebration of Eucharist" lets you take this leading liturgical expert as your personal professor anywhere and anytime. Grounded in the historical and spiritual developments of the Mass, Dr. O'Malley's 12 lectures will enrich your faith and enhance your enjoyment of each Eucharistic celebration. Whether you are a priest or layperson, you will learn to view the Mass as a spiritual practice for healing in the modern age. To enhance your understanding, you'll draw on the philosophical, theological, and spiritual insights of such luminaries as St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Thomas Aquinas, Pope Francis, and Evelyn Underhill. This inspiring course will inform your theological understanding and inspire your fruitful participation in the source and summit of Christian life: the Eucharistic liturgy. This course is part of the Learn25 collection.

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