Children's books to break your cabin fever

Winter's bleak, cold, short, gray days can try the patience and chill the enthusiasm of even the most stout and good-natured family. It doesn't matter if the groundhog sees his shadow, there are weeks and weeks to go before spring arrives. The temptation is to hibernate into one's own world. But rather than Tweeting the ether, texting "friends", or teasing siblings, Sophia Institute Press challenges you and your family to make the remaining weeks of winter something special. We've selected five of our best family friendly and children's booksand assembled them into one of the most deeply discounts sets we've ever offered, our Children's Snowy Day Stockpile.  Just $39.97 for more than 800 pages!*   Guaranteed to fire the imagination of the entire family, these books vividly present the Faith, its heroes, and some of the most exciting adventures only the reality of Catholic history is able to provide.  A great way to build a young reader's library or enhance your existing collection, these books will be treasured for years as your children discover them on their own or have them read aloud. Either way, they become the occasion to gather and be truly together as a family. So, welcome the frigid and snowy days and grab a book from theChildren's Snowy Day Stockpile: Bible Stories for Little Children  In charming words and classic images beloved by children for over a century, here are the stories of Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, David and Goliath, and the Birth of Jesus. A Book of Angels   Marigold Hunt explains what angels are (and are not!) and gathers most of the stories of angels in the Bible, from the tempting Adam and Eve to the angel who freed Peter from prison plus many, many more exciting accounts. The Book of Life and The Book of Books  Rediscover the Bible's riches than through the captivating retelling by a master storyteller. In a magnificent feat of imagination and scholarship, in two illustrated volumes, Henri Daniel-Rops takes us from the sacred tales of Creation through the greatest adventures of Hebrew history right to the appearance of the Angel to Mary and ultimately the betrayal that leads to the cross. Catholic Tales for Boys and Girls     Simple but not shallow, twelve delightful tales, charmingly illustrated with lively drawings of pirates and princesses, castles and kings. For a limited time, get all five books in theChildren's Snowy Day Stockpile* for only $39.97.           _____________ Add the set to your basket and at checkout enter code: SnowyDay *Plus shipping. Sale ends 2/15/2012. Cannot be combined with other discounts.    _____________   Fine Catholic Books  from SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS    1-800-888-9344 We always welcome contributions to our non-profit apostolate. If you would prefer not to use the PayPal button below, you can add a contribution directly to your shopping cart at our on-line store.    Sophia Institute Press is the publishing division of

NO TO HOMECOMINGS TURNING SOUR

1^st READING - 2 Samuel 24:2, 9-17

P S A L M - Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 6, 7

R: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done.

GOSPEL 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.

 Mark 6:1-6

SABBATH

This February, we start with the Gospel from Mark 6. And what we have today is an interesting episode. It’s about Jesus’ visit to His hometown. Homecomings are generally happy occasions, but somehow they can also open old wounds and trigger past issues. In the case of Jesus, His townmates’ initial reaction of seeming amazement turned out to be really one of derision or contempt. A barrage of questions on their part reveals insulting insinuations. Then instead of the typical Jewish tradition of being called after one’s father, they gave Him the label “Son of Mary.” Reading between the lines, they even seemed to cast doubts about Jesus’ legitimacy. Worse still, they apparently disdained the fame of Jesus, His reputation which at that time was already spreading. Their familiar knowledge of Him worked against His favor. Truly, as the saying goes, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Now, can this also be said of us, “familiar” as we might already be with our Lord? It may be good for us to examine our relationship with Him. Could we have somewhat lost our respect for Him, treating Him as an ATM-like dispenser of graces which we can conveniently avail of just because we have problems? Or is He more just like a “buddy” for us? What a pity that Jesus worked no miracles in Nazareth itself, apart from healing a few who were sick. The neighboring villages instead were the ones who benefited. Let us not be dismayed if others, who are more respectful and receptive of Jesus than we are, will be the ones to enjoy Jesus’ favor more. Let us make Jesus’ homecoming into our hearts the joy-filled event that it is meant to be.  Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB   REFLECTION QUESTIONS: How is your relationship with Jesus now? Are you too familiar with Him that you have lost the respect due Him?   Lord Jesus, I welcome You once more into my life. My heart rejoices in You.

WIN OVER THE ENEMY

1^st READING - 

2 Samuel 18:9-10, 14, 24-25, 30-19:3

P S A L M - 

Psalm 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Listen, Lord, and answer me.

GOSPEL

 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

Christ took away our infirmities and bore our diseases.

Mark 5:21-43

SABBATH

 

Today’s First Reading presents to us the end of the rebellion mounted against the reign of King David. Absalom, David’s own son, was overcome by ambition and led a mutiny against his father, King David. He did not succeed and today’s reading narrates how he fell from the sword of Joab the Cushite, killed as he lay helpless, hanging by his hair stuck in the terebinth tree. Excited over Absalom’s death, the Cushite reported to King David, “Let my lord the King receive the good news!” A king usually rejoices at the news of a traitor’s end but the first thing David asked was, “Is young Absalom safe?” Discovering that he has been killed, David wept bitterly crying out, “My son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you.” The reading ended with the words, “That day’s victory was turned into mourning.”

Today’s reading gives us once more an intimate look at David’s heart. Remember when King Saul was madly trying to kill the young David? David tried reasoning with Saul again and again, longing to win him over, even once purposely sparing Saul’s life when he had the chance to kill him (see 1 Samuel 24:4ff). David is a different kind of king. His goal is not only to win. His goal is to win over. He does not rejoice at the elimination of an enemy. His desire is the elimination of the enmity. That’s why he did not kill Saul when he had the chance and reason to do so. That’s why he mourned the death of the rebellious Absalom.

David truly is a king after God’s heart. The way of the world is to win. Its instrument is violence and uses power to eliminate and silence the enemy. It uses its fists to do the talking. That way the enemy is eliminated, but not the enmity, and so the cycle of violence continues.

The way of God’s kingdom is to win over by reason, dialogue and love. Winning over also “eliminates” the enemy because it resolves the enmity, and so the enemy is transformed into a friend.Fr. Joel Jason

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: In resolving your conflicts with others, do you try to win or to win over? Do you try to eliminate your enemy or the enmity?

 

Lord Jesus, Prince of peace, transform my heart after the pattern of Your own heart. Amen.

 

HIS NAME IS LEGION

1^st READING - 2 Samuel 15:13-14, 30; 16:5-13

P S A L M - Psalm 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: Lord, rise up and save me.

GOSPEL 

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people.

 Mark 5:1-20

SABBATH

Today’s Gospel narrates another instance of Jesus exorcising a man possessed by the devil. Jesus asks the name of the unclean spirit. In response, it said, “Legion is my name,” for they are many. Yes, the Bible affirms the existence of the devil. Several years ago, a random survey of 1,500 respondents conducted by a famous Philippine college revealed a contradiction that 81 percent believed in heaven but only 42 percent believed in hell or the existence of the devil. Why the contradiction? It’s probably because we all want a God who rewards but not a God who “punishes.” We all want a God who gives blessings but not a God who calls us to task and responsibility. The devil deceives by making himself unknown. If you do not believe in him, you will not do anything to put up a fight or any form of defense against him. Satan is then able to act with much more freedom. Here are some facts about the reality of the devil from the Catechism of the Catholic Church: 391. The Church teaches that Satan was at first a good angel, made by God: “The devil and the other demons were indeed created naturally good by God, but they became evil by their own doing.” 392. This “fall” consists in the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected God and his reign. 393. It is the irrevocable character of their choice, and not a defect in the infinite divine mercy, that makes the angels’ sin unforgivable. “There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death.” Jesus asks the name of the unclean spirit because knowledge of the enemy is the first step to victory over that enemy. Let us know our enemy and its ways that we may always be on guard and victorious against its cunning. Fr. Joel Jason   REFLECTION QUESTION: Are you aware of the entry points of the devil in your life?   “Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.”

Today's Gospel - January 29, 2012 with Reflection

1st READING - Deuteronomy 18:15-20  P S A L M - Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 7-9 R: If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts. 2ND READING - 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 GOSPEL  GOSPEL ACCLAMATION The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light; on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death, light has arisen.   Mark 1:21-28 21 Then they came to Capernaum, and on the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. 22 The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. 23 In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; 24 he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” 25 Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” 26 The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. 27 All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” 28 His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. 1st READING 2nd READING GOSPEL PSALM

SABBATH

SAY IT IN FAITH   In today’s Gospel, we hear a declaration of the true identity of Jesus: “I know who you are — the holy One of God!” Biblical scholars call it an indirect theophany, i.e., a manifestation of the Divinity of Jesus by another other than God Himself. It is just ironic that such declaration came from an unclean spirit that possessed a man in the synagogue. In response to such declaration, Jesus rebuked the evil spirit sharply and commanded, “Be quiet! Come out of the man!” Jesus obviously was not flattered by the declaration. In some other parts of the Gospels, Peter also made an indirect theophany when, in response to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” he declared in behalf of the Apostles, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus commended Peter for such declaration. It is worth noting that Jesus said to Peter, “Blessed are you, Simon…” while to the evil spirit Jesus said, “Be quiet!” Both Peter and the evil spirit made the same declaration. But the same declaration received a different response from Jesus. What accounts for the difference? The evil spirit simply made a declaration of fact. Peter made a declaration of faith. The devil cannot avoid the fact. Jesus is God. But it is simply a dry fact for the devil. Even if he does not want to, the devil has no choice but to acknowledge it. The devil may have even uttered it in fear. For Peter, it was different. It was a declaration borne out of love, out of a personal relationship with Jesus. Every Sunday, we go to church and profess and declare our faith in the living God. But we are not simply there to declare a fact. If we do that, our declaration will be no different from that of the devil. We need more than a declaration of fact. God does not need to be reminded of the fact of His divinity. He does not need a massage to the divine ego. He knows it from eternity. But God does long to hear a declaration of faith and love from His children. So what is it for you — fact or faith?Fr. Joel Jason REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you cultivate a personal relationship with God in your prayer, study, and a life of righteousness?   “Lord, You have no need of our praise, but our desire to thank You is itself Your gift. Our prayer of praise adds nothing to Your greatness but makes us grow in Your grace. Amen!”

The best introduction to Aquinas ever written!

Approaching Aquinas without a guide is daunting. It can easily become a frustrating and disorienting experience.   Do you begin with his Commentary on the Ten Books of Nicomachean Ethics or his Commentary on Aristotle's Politics? How about Against the Errors of the Greeks to Pope Urban IV? Perhaps just play it safe and start with the one you have some familiarity with, the Summa Theologica ... all five volumes. Thomas Aquinas was prolific and his range of thought was astonishingly broad. At times elegant, precise, and easily grasped, just as often his subject required a dense and scholarly style assuming a level of expertise on the reader's part. Like trying to climb Mt. Everest without a Sherpa, simply knowing where to start with Aquinas is vital if your journey is to be successful.      Sophia Institute Press is excited to announce the publication of  Thomas Aquinas: Scholar, Poet, Mystic, Saint by Fr. A. G. Sertillanges. There is no better guide to help you make your ascent of Thomas Aquinas.     One of the most widely recognized experts on Aquinas, Sertillanges knew that the key to understanding Thomas was not a total immersion into his all his works, but to instead begin with the man himself.          Understanding the forces that compelled him to write, the method he used, and most crucially, the unifying spirit animating all his work is how one must begin with Aquinas. It is then that the beauty and lasting power of the Angelic Doctor is revealed. As Sertillanges explains: "The circumstances that gave rise to Thomism are dead, its problems are dead, its method and vocabulary are dead ... but the doctrine is not .... His doctrine contains something whereby it can renew itself from age to age, while his personality, perfect type as he is of scholar, social benefactor, and saint, is a constant example." Thomas' philosophical and theological concepts and arguments will forever have relevance. In clear bold strokes, Thomas Aquinas: Scholar, Poet, Mystic, Saint stands as one of the best introductions for those new to Aquinas and for those already well acquainted.   As to how to compare Aquinas with modern philosophies, Chesterton offers useful insight:     "[T]he philosophy of St. Thomas stands founded on the universal common conviction that eggs are eggs. The Hegelian may say that an egg is really a hen, because it is a part of an endless process of Becoming ... the Pragmatist may believe that we get the best out of scrambled eggs by forgetting that they ever were eggs, and only remembering the scramble. But no pupil of St. Thomas needs to addle his brains in order adequately to addle his eggs; to put his head at any peculiar angle in looking at eggs, or squinting at eggs, or winking the other eye in order to see a new simplification of eggs."      When you order Thomas Aquinas: Scholar, Poet, Mystic, Saint you will also receive a beautiful Italian made St. Aquinas relic prayer card FREE (while supplies last).      Read an excerpt from Thomas Aquinas.    It's almost over! Sophia's store-wide sale ends January 31st: at check out enter discount code newsite25.     Thomas Aquinas by A. G. Sertillanges 160 pgs ppbk $18.95 _____________ At checkout enter code: newsite25 Sale ends 1/31/2012.   Cannot be combined with other discounts.  Shipping not discounted. _____________   Fine Catholic Books  from SOPHIA INSTITUTE PRESS    1-800-888-9344 We always welcome contributions to our non-profit apostolate. If you would prefer not to use the PayPal button below, you can add a contribution directly to your shopping cart at our on-line store.   Sophia Institute Press is the publishing division of