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Preaching & Reflections
Bede Jarrett Anthology
Edited by Fr. Jordan Aumann, O.P.
Father Bede Jarrett, OP (1881-1934), true to the religious vocation given to him by God, was above all a preacher. By reason of his natural gifts, combined with an unlimited capacity for concentrated work, he could have become a notable scholar and a prolific writer. The administrative duties, imposed upon him relatively early in his Dominican life and fulfilled by him with exemplary conscientiousness and abundant fruit until the day of his untimely death, prevented him from developing his gift for scholarship and his capacity for writing. But nothing could prevent him from being a great preacher. To this primary and beloved duty he brought all his outstanding natural gifts of understanding and sympathy, of gentleness and friendliness, of affability and unwearied patience, of personal charm and appealing oratory. But it was not this that made him a great preacher. Much that he was and did might have been purely natural; in actual fact it was not, for it was inspired and illuminated throughout by an intense love of God and of all things, especially of all men, that burned in him as an unquench-able fire.
Dialogue as Mission: Remembering Chrys McVey
Edited by Fr. Prakash Anthony Lohale, O.P., and Fr. Kevin Toomey, O.P.
What will we leave behind? How will people remember us? These questions come to our minds at various times. When a collection of presentations made by a person is gathered together, others can more easily answer. Indeed, the answers to such questions are best given by others rather than by ourselves. In this way, we have a truer picture of the person in question from the real encounters of others with him or her.The legacy of our brother Chrysostom McVey OP, known to all as fr Chrys, is found throughout the well-chosen articles in this collection. Although this is not an exhaustive collection of his presentations, it does give us an important insight, not only to our brother Chrys, but also to a way in which to answer these questions that touch upon the difference we have made in the world.
Make of Your Life a Gift: Letters of Gratitude
Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, O.P.
This collection of letters is filled with faith, humor, anecdotal insight, and spiritual joy. It shares the holiness of ambiguity, confusion and the sudden, dawning light of decision as one courageously travels the road of vocation to God’s will. Reading them, one is left with a palpable echo of God’s delight in the messy journey of discovering one’s calling. Most of all, they serve as evidence of the divine fingerprints left behind in the minds and hearts of all involved in the eternal work of bringing laborers to the vineyard. This is especially true of the faithful benefactors for whom this book is dedicated. Fr. Wisdom began writing his letters to The Society for Vocation Support Family in 2002 when he was named the Promoter of Vocations and Director of the Society for Vocational Support for the Dominican Central Province of St. Albert the Great. His unique style and personal approach earned him the gratitude of many benefactors, some of whom passed his letters around to their friends. It was upon their effusive comments of appreciation that the Province decided to publish the best of those letters to honor the 800th birthday of the Order
Preaching to the Choir
Ann M. Garrido
For over 15 years, Ann Garrido preached regularly at Aquinas Institute of Theology—a school of theology and ministry in the Dominican tradition. Preaching to the Choir includes selections of Garrido’s preaching, providing a window into the way the Word of God intersects with very particular events in the community’s history and the author’s own life.
Reflections
Fr. David Delich, O.P.
This second book of reflections of God is mostly due to my recent move at the behest of my Provincial from the Dominican Priory in St. Louis to the one in Chicago. In this move, I came across seven articles I had published in the Irish Dominican periodical, Spirituality, since my first book of reflections was published in 1999. Just as in 1999 I have the idea that if I use published articles again in a new book, many more readers will benefit from them. I will also benefit with regard to my number of work hours. I wrote the book while I was the chaplain on a cruise ship. God is good!
The Valiant Woman
St. Albert the Great, O.P., translated with introduction by Fr. Benedict Ashley, O.P., and Fr. Dominic Holtz, O.P.
This splendid example of medieval scriptural interpretation shows us how the “spiritual sense” of scripture enriched the minds of the faithful and warmed their hearts. The literal and historical sense of the passage in Proverbs 31,which is known as the Valiant Woman, is a eulogy for a faithful Jewish wife and mother, who stands out above others for her strength. The spiritual sense, using analogy, meticulous divisions, and proof texts from scripture, finds in this acrostic poem, a catalyst for exploring the deepest mysteries of redemption, the mystical union of the risen Christ, the Husband, with his faithful Church his Bride, seen as the Valiant Woman. By extension, it is also the faithful soul, imitating the Church, experiencing the adventure of seeking the beloved and eternal happiness. St. Albert the Great puts his imagination to service in the understanding of every Christian’s spiritual quest. Every verse, every chapter, opens a new vision of the Valiant Woman. Why the Church should be understood as a woman(ch. 1); how her Husband trusts in her(2); how they repay each other (3); symbols of wool and flax, and the work of her hands (4); she is a ship (5); nights and banquets (6); olives, fields, and vineyards (7); her arm and her strength (8); taste and sight, her lamp (9); wrestling with vices, her fingers (10); stretching out to the poor (11); her house in snow, her servants doubly clothed (12); her tapestry of the passion (13); Christ and the gates of Jerusalem (14); linen garments (15); her strength, fortitude and laughter (16); her “mouth” and “tongue” (17); her house (18); blessed like the sons of Jacob (19); her “riches” (20); how praised (21); fruits of the spirit, in the gates (22).Sometimes amusing, always amazing, and profound in its spiritual wisdom, “The Valiant Woman” is a fruitful experience for the reader and a welcome addition to the translations of medieval scriptural commentaries.
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