The History of the Catholic Mass: The Evolution of the Church's Most Vital Celebration

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.

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.

You are invited to hear some of Thomas Merton’s most impassioned lectures. In 1962 at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton taught an extraordinary course on the heart of Benedictine spirituality. Through 16 digitally remastered recordings, you will encounter Merton as a master teacher, his voice reaching out across the decades to make monastic wisdom accessible to all of us. The Rule of St. Benedict is foundational in the history of Western spirituality, especially in its commentary on humility. This work of spiritual genius has guided the monastic movement since the sixth century and touched countless Christians. Merton brings new energy to this ancient document, and you will gain new insights into the rule and experience another side of Merton’s personality. The uniqueness of this series lies in how it transports you to the classroom of the monastery. You will listen to the way Merton teaches through his interaction with his students as he shares his reflections with them. You will also witness how Merton works through the material, integrating the virtue of humility into his own life. All of us struggle with humility. In this course, you will examine what it means with a great mystic who personally struggled to live this foundational virtue. You will encounter St. Benedict, gain new insights on humility, and get to know Thomas Merton as a great teacher.

In this brilliantly taught course, you will explore the theology and practice of the Catholic Mass with one of the world's leading liturgical professors as your guide. Catholics believe that every time they gather to celebrate, they are acting in obedience to Jesus' command to ""do this in memory of me. "" Catholics have obeyed this command for nearly two thousand years, and now you can explore anew the spiritual and theological meaning of this vital celebration. Your guide is Fr. John Baldovin, S.J. (Ph.D. Yale), a celebrated professor of liturgical theology at Boston College and past president of the Past president of the North American Academy of Liturgy. Under his guidance, you will gain powerful answers to the most important questions about the Mass: -How did Vatican II influence Eucharistic Liturgy? -How does what we celebrate today find its roots in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of the Lord? -How has the celebration of the Mass developed over the centuries? How were the Scripture passages used in the Sunday lectionary chosen? -What language and ritual gestures are suitable for our celebrations? -How does the Mass unite us to the Lord and to one another? -How does it participate in the Paschal Mystery? What is the meaning of transubstantiation? Fr. Baldovin answers these and many more questions. Anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the Liturgy of the Eucharist will treasure this course.

"The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola" has been one of the greatest classics of Western spirituality for more than 400 years. Whether you are discovering it for the first time or you are an expert seeking fresh insight into the Exercises, you will profit from this unique new series. Your guide is Fr. Brian McDermott, S.J., former academic dean of the Weston Jesuit School of Theology. A spiritual director for 35 years, he has been Jesuit tertian director for the Maryland and New York Jesuit provinces since 1996. "The Exercises" have guided countless Jesuits, other religious and lay people into a profound experience of God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It gained immeasurable success by staying close to the life of Christ, as revealed in the Gospels, and inviting believers to accompany Jesus in his being born, his ministry, his passion and death, and resurrection. These 18 lectures will introduce you to the powerful dynamics of this timeless classic. Drawing on his own experience of directing the Exercises, Fr. McDermott will guide you into the riches of this text with expert commentaries and relevant contemporary theology. Ignatius' imagination was orderly and vibrant. Because of his conviction that believers are best able to grow in their spiritual lives through a combination of structure and flexibility, he developed his Exercises to offer both strengths. You'll explore the series of progressive and cumulative prayer exercises, through which the believer experiences all the most important 'moments' of the Christian journey.