Music in Divine Worship

USCCB

Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship is the latest document on music in the liturgy published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It recalls the rich musical tradition of the Church as it provides basic guidelines for understanding the role and ministry of music in the liturgy.

Standing on the foundational work of the Council fathers, Sing to the Lord echoes the call to full, active, and conscious participation in the Liturgy through its sung elements. It addresses the practical concerns of pastoral leaders-appropriate ministers, cultural diversity, instrumentation, formation, acoustics, and copyrights. It also outlines considerations for preparing and judging music for worship with an in-depth review of the musical structure of Liturgy.

Use Sing to the Lord to: evaluate your parish's current musical repertoire; better understand your role in sung worship; prepare particular sacramental liturgies; train parish music ministers.
Softcover, 96 pages 6 x 9

Cost: $9.95

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This book invites you to be at home with God’s Word by yourself or within a
group. Here you can read Sunday Scriptures, reflect on them and prepare yourself
to listen to the word proclaimed on Sunday. The readings are followed by
thought-provoking and discussion starting comments. An excellent resource for
RCIA groups.

Cover price: $8.00 each

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Frank J. Matera

Nothing is more central to the Church than preaching the gospel, and few have preached the gospel with the intensity and insight of St. Paul. Paul's letters play an important role in the New Testament and in the Roman Lectionary. Yet, despite their importance, Paul's teaching is seldom proclaimed from the pulpit. In Strategies for Preaching Paul, Frank Matera provides preachers with the comprehensive background needed to successfully preach the Pauline readings.

More than a collection of homily hints, Strategies for Preaching Paul provides preachers with three strategies for preaching the Pauline readings in the Sunday Lectionary during Ordinary Time. Each letter is introduced by explaining the historical circumstances that caused it and its literary structure. Next, each Sunday reading is explained in light of its wider literary context and its historical background, suggesting ways in which preachers might employ the text in the Sunday homily. Finally, after considering the letter, Matera suggests the major Pauline themes of the letter that need to be preached, such as justification by faith, the return of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, and the moral life of believers.
Paper, 192 pp., 5 3/8 x 8 1/4

Cost: $21.95

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USCCB - Liberia Editrice Vaticana

This small, easy to carry book is a self-described treasure trove of "Prayers and truths of the Catholic Church with space for personal reflection." Each page contains a large print prayer of the church. Expected texts are included such as the Lord’s Prayer and the Hail Mary, but also included are such items as the Creed, the Mysteries of the Rosary, the Act of Contrition, prayers for morning and evening. Listings of the ten commandments, the cardinal virtues and the sacraments are also included. Invocations and litanies are also found here, but each in clear, large type printing and all with space for the reader to make notes or spiritual reflections in the style of lectio divina.

This booklet would make an excellent learning tool for religious education classes, for both children and adults. It would be a perfect gift for confirmation candidates, members of the RCIA, and with its simple, large print, it would make a wonderful resource for the elderly and homebound. Anyone looking to grow in their spiritual life according to the tradition of the church would benefit by spending time in prayer and relfection with this handy little resource. Softcover, 127 pages 5 x 7.

Cost: $6.95ea.
50 + $5.95ea

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Pope Benedict XVI

In his encyclical letter On Christian Hope, Pope Benedict XVI elaborates the significance of Christian hope in eternal life for contemporary Catholics by presenting examples of hope from the New Testament and saints of the Church. After affirming the modern practice of working to progress in faith with the help of reason, he reminds readers that hope ultimately depends on trusting in God's love for us, and that Christians can be strengthened by turning to God together, in community.

6" x 9" 64 pages.
Available in Spanish - same price.

Cost: $6.95

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Pope Benedict XVI

In today's high-tech, fast-paced world, love is often portrayed as being separate from Church teaching. With his first encyclical, Pope Benedict XVI hopes to overturn that perception and describe the essential place of love in the life of the Church. The Holy Father explains the various dimensions of love, highlighting the distinctions between "eros" and "agape," Jesus as the incarnate love of God, and the scriptural law of love. In part two, he links the Church's charitable work with the love of God as Trinity, noting that the Church must express love through acts of justice and charity. This encyclical is an ideal reflection for religious and civic leaders, those preparing for marriage, and those engaged in justice and charitable work. 6" x 9" 64 pages.

Cost: $6.95

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Katherine Howard, O.S.B.

The popular author of previous Daily Reflections for Advent and Christmas, Katherine Howard, O.S.B., now brings her wisdom and insights to the Lenten season. Not by Bread Alone offers daily reflections and meditations that focus on the Lenten themes of repentance and redemption, sacrifice and salvation-as well as the Easter message of resurrection and new life. Using only two pages per day, Howard’s poignant reflections nourish readers and help strengthen their relationships with God. These reflections on the daily readings make it simple for even the busiest person to make prayer an  important part of everyday life. Paper, 104 pp., 4 x 5 1/4

Cost:
1-49 $2.00
50 + $1.00

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Archbishop Piero Marini

In these pages Archbishop Piero Marini reveals the vision, courage, and faith of the pastors and scholars who struggled to implement the Second Vatican Council’s teachings on the liturgy. While in some circles it is fashionable to propose "a reform of the liturgical reform," any such revision needs to take into account the history of the consilium-the organism established by the Holy See to carry out the initial liturgical changes. This story of the work of the consilium offers a fascinating glimpse into the struggles and tensions that accompanied the realization of the council's dream to promote the "full, conscious and active participation" of the faithful in Roman Catholic worship.

Piero Marini was ordained on June 27, 1965. He became the personal secretary for Archbishop Annibale Bugnini in 1975 and in 1987 was appointed the head of the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. In 2003, Marini was appointed Titular Archbishop of Martirano. He also served as the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations from 1987-2007. Paper, 224 pp., 6 x 9 .

Cost: $15.95

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Jerry Galipeau
A collection of beautifully composed texts for dismissing catechumens following the homily each Sunday. Inside this handy book you'll find a text for each Sunday of Year A, Year B, and Year C, as well as dismissal texts for solemnities and feasts that are celebrated when they occur on Sundays during the liturgical year. These texts follow the general formula for dismissals found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and are inspired by the scripture readings of the day and the liturgical season. 6x9 paperback with large, easy-to read print and liturgy-worthy foil stamped cover. Included CD-ROM allows you to print all texts as 8 1/2 x 11 pages and place in your own ceremonial binder.

Softcover; includes CD-ROM

Cost: $19.95

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USCCB
The newly revised Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers is the perfect resource for Catholics to explore the rich treasury of the Catholic tradition of prayer. Use Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers to learn the essential prayers that every Catholic should know; practice the simple form of the Liturgy of the Hours as a family; bless the family advent wreath, Christmas crèche, Easter foods, and candles for the home; lead grace before meals and bless the home before a move and in times of trouble. Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers is the perfect gift for families, newly-weds and young parents.

About the Revision
The USCCB undertook the revision of Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers to update the calendar, provide a more suitable binding, include new prayers for such topics as stewardship, vocations, retirement, and the like. An entirely new thematic section of Scripture excerpts was added as well. It is bound in bonded leather with gold stamping and includes a presentation page.
Hardcover 528 pages 6 1/4" X 9 1/4" X 1 1/2"

Cost: $34.95

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