Stewards of God's Mysteries

Priests are stewards of God's mysteries. They teach these mysteries as merciful revelation, celebrate them in the liturgy, invoke them as healing and pardon, and above all, live them as the deepest meaning of their own lives. But it is one mystery - the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ - that shapes and sustains priests' spiritual lives.Stewards of God's Mysteries considers how priests participate in the dying and rising of their Lord through challenges and joys that are rooted in our changing culture, in the growing diversity of our Catholic world, and in the demands of their own ministry. Designed as a study text addressing the life of both diocesan and religious clergy, these pages contain reflection questions for priests and clergy study groups to help them experience deeper joy in their lives and ministry.Chapters include The Cultural Context for Ordained Ministry Today," *Christ's Priesthood Lived Through the Paschal Mystery, - *The Shape of Ordained Ministry Today, - *Transformation Through Discipleship, - *The Practices of the Spiritual Life, - and *A Fresh Call to Renewal. -

I know of no other comparable contemporary book that should be on the bedside table of every American priest and bishop for regular and repeated consultation and inspiration. It deserves the highest recommendation.Rev. Paul Maier, DMin, A good read about where we have come from and where we are. We need to use it to think about where we are going.Church, This is a wonderfully balanced tool that priests should read, pray over, and discuss with their confreres and their ordinaries. Those responsible for the book have done a great service to the church. Let us hope it is used.Pastoral Music, . . . a helpful guide for priests in today's modern society.Catholic Studies, This reflection situates priestly spirituality within a comprehensive theology of the priesthood, healthy human development, a priest's various relationships, and the challenges of contemporary culture. While holding up the ideal of conformity to Christ in his paschal mystery, this spirituality pays attention to the practices which contribute to a robust and sustainable spiritual life. This is a spirituality which is real, practical, and possible within the tensions of contemporary life.Susan K. Wood, S.C.L., Professor of Theology and Associate Dean, Saint John's University, School of Theology*Seminary, Collegeville, Minnesota

Paul Philibert, OP, has taught pastoral theology in the United States and abroad. He is a Dominican friar of the Southern Province. His translation of a collection of Congar's essays on the liturgy has been published by Liturgical Press under the title At the Heart of Christian Worship. His book The Priesthood of the Faithful: Key to a Living Church (Liturgical Press, 2005) reflects the ecclesiology of Yves Congar and his vision of the apostolic life of the faithful.