Most Popular Books by Mike Aquilina

He is a man of many titles. Head of the Holy Family. Spouse of the Blessed Virgin. Guardian of Our Lord. Terror of Demons. Though he is only briefly mentioned in the Bible, and never once has a quote attributed to him. St. Joseph is likely the best-known " silent" character in all of history, but theologians have spent centuries contemplating him. In St. Joseph and His World, author Mike Aquilina skillfully paints a portrait of St. Joseph by contrasting him with someone who affected his life in many ways— King Herod the Great. Aquilina invites readers into the life of St. Joseph— an heir of David with quiet beginnings, anticipating the promised Messiah. Conversely, he reveals Herod for who he was– a sociopathic warlord, prone to wicked jealousy and paranoia. Drawing on modern and archaeological texts, Aquilina sheds light on a remarkable number of mysteries in the life of this revered saint. Was Joseph the decrepit old man he is often depicted as in art? Did the residents of Nazareth expect the Messiah to be one of their own? What did Joseph'' s education and job training entail? Why would he contemplate divorcing Mary after the angel Gabriel'' s visit? Was the flight to Egypt meticulously executed, or hastily carried out? What did the Holy Family do during the memorable trip to Jerusalem when Jesus was found in the Temple? Josephologists across the centuries have contemplated the life and character of the Angelic Man. In this definitive work, Mike Aquilina takes the brilliantly uncomplicated approach that, by familiarizing ourselves with St. Joseph'' s world: his hometown, his trade, and his faith, we can draw closer to him and ultimately, draw closer to Christ.

We hear the voices of the early Church Fathers even today. Their teachings, their guidance, their insights, and their sacrifice shaped the Catholic Church. They defined the canon of Scripture. They developed our creeds and forms of worship. They defined Christianity''s distinctive moral sense. But who were they? What can we learn from their ancient teachings? What can the Fathers teach us in the 21st century - about holiness, culture, faith, and the Gospel? This is the definitive resource for anyone interested in learning about the Church Fathers and their legacy. Ideal for RCIA, catechists, and clergy as well as lay Catholics who want to learn more about the great teachers of early Christianity. In this new and extensively updated The Fathers of the Church, 3rd Edition, you will find: New: twenty Church Fathers never before covered in this series, New: many poets of ancient Christianity, whose hymns we still sing today, An extensively revised introduction, Nearly seventy-five more pages of information on the early Church, The Mothers of the Church and their impact, Research-friendly references and citations, topical index, timeline, and detailed bibliography Book jacket.

Unlock the knowledge of our Church Fathers. They fought the first culture wars. They died for our faith. Honor their memory as we walk in their footsteps. Long established as an indispensable reference tool for clergy, seminarians, RCIA candidates, and lay Catholics, The Fathers of the Church has become the standard introduction to the great teachers of early Christianity. Newly revised to include more material from more of the Fathers, this expanded edition features full references and citations, a topical index, detailed bibliography, and ancient texts available in English for the first time in more than a century. Additions include authors from little-known traditions of Egypt, East Syria, North Africa, and the lands that make up modern Iran and Iraq, as well as "Mothers of the Church," holy women from Christian antiquity. Imagine, the wisdom of the ages conveniently presented for your review and prayerful consideration!

In this volume from the Fathers of the Faith series, you’ll be introduced to Saint Augustine of Hippo. Who was he? What did he teach? Where and when did he live? Why is he an important figure in the history of the Church? In this accessible, bite-sized introduction, renowned author, speaker, and television host Mike Aquilina gives an overview of Augustine’s life as a proud North African in the fourth and fifth century. His conversion from sinful young man to Catholic priest and bishop is well known from his autobiography, Confessions. One of the four great Doctors of the Roman Catholic Church, Augustine is considered the authority on almost everything because he wrote about practically everything. He incorporated the best of secular philosophy and science into his thought. His works are an encyclopedia of the Christian faith, and his writings have impacted countless millions. His legacy endures today. About the Author Mike Aquilina is the award-winning author of more than fifty books on Catholic history, doctrine, and devotion. His works have been translated into many languages. He has hosted eleven television series and several documentary films. He and his wife, Terri, have been married since 1985. Their six children and growing number of grandchildren are much loved.

These eye-opening pages document the many ways in which Christians penetrated and civilized that debased Roman empire, introducing then-radical notions such as the equal dignity of women, respect for life, protection of the weak and vulnerable, and the obligation of rulers to serve those they rule and maximize their freedom.

Once again, Mike Aquilina delves into the life and world of a legendary saint too often surrounded by more " legend" and less certainty. While traversing history in an imaginative and engaging way, Aquilina'' s keen interest in both historical fact and storytelling combine artfully into a powerful reminder why St. Patrick came to be one of the most beloved and well-known saints of the Catholic Church.

“From the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure offering; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts.”—Malachi 1:11 One Old Testament passage seized the imagination of the early Church—and directed Christian hearts and minds toward the Eucharist. It was the oracle of Malachi 1:11, and it was cited (like Isaiah’s Suffering Servant oracles) to prove the identity of the Messiah through His Church and His Sacrament. In The Eucharist Foretold: The Lost Prophecy of Malachi, Mike Aquilina reveals that the Messiah’s true identity—and the identity of the Eucharist—helps us find our identity as “catholic,” and will lead us to discover our roots in the religion of ancient Israel. To the early Christians, Malachi’s oracle defined who they were individually and as a Church.

What did the first Christians believe about the Eucharist? How did they follow Jesus'' command, "Do this in remembrance of me"? How did they celebrate the Lord''s Day? What would they recognize in today''s Mass? The answers may surprise you. In The Mass of the Early Christians, respected author, scholar, and television host Mike Aquilina reveals the Church''s most ancient Eucharistic beliefs and practices. Using the words of the early Christians themselves -- from many documents and inscriptions -- Aquilina traces the history of the Mass from Jesus'' lifetime through the fourth century. That the Mass stood at the center of the Church''s life is evident in the Scriptures, as well as the earliest Christian sermons, letters, artwork, tombstones, and architecture. Even the pagans bore witness to the Mass in the records of their persecutions. These legacies from the early Church bear witness to the same worship Catholics know today: the altar, the priest, the chalice of wine, the bread, the Sign of the Cross ... the "Lord, have mercy" ... the "Holy, holy, holy" ... and the Communion.

For the Church Fathers, friendship was at the heart of the Gospel. It was the way to salvation and the most effective means of evangelization. God had taken flesh in order to befriend mankind. Jesus had called his Apostles friends. The first Christians, in turn, spread salvation through friendships of their own. Evangelizing the world was done through one friend bringing another into the Church—where both could be friends with God. Friendship and the Fathers brings together, for the first time, the Fathers’ doctrine and stories of friendship—mostly in their own words. You’ll meet many giants of the early Church, including Minucius Felix, and walk with him as he brings a pagan friend to faith. Basil and Gregory, best friends from school whose friendship was shattered and then restored. Ambrose, who encouraged his clergy to cultivate strong friendships. Augustine, whose grief for a lost friend led him to profound insights—and whose friendship with St. Jerome was fraught with emotional baggage. Rabanus Maurus, the great biblical commentator and writer of hymns, whose counsels on friendship have never before appeared in English.

Catholics of a certain age fondly remember the Baltimore Catechism, the gold standard question-and-answer catechism that provided an entire generation of Catholics with easy-to-understand-and-memorize answers to the basic truths of the Catholic Church. The authors have taken this time-honored question-and-answer format and written a new catechism rooted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the documents of Vatican II. From the very first question: "Who are you?" to the final "What prayers does the Church recommend?" this sure-to-become-a-classic is filled with the richness of Catholic teaching. In addition to the question-and-answer section, What Catholics Believe also contains sections on traditional Catholic prayers, a guide to making a good Confession, an explanation of the Mass, and much, much more.

Jerusalem, Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, Ephesus, Carthage, Edessa . . . These were some of the ancient cities that once raged against the Gospel and persecuted the Church but later came to admirable faith. Each city had its own unique commerce, culture, and institutions. Each city was different from all the others, and each became more perfectly itself through the influence of Jesus Christ. In the pages of this book, you''ll climb the hills of these cities, sail into their harbors, look up in awe at their titanic public works, walk their streets, push your way through their bustling markets. And you''ll see how all those things shaped the expression, practice, and history of the Christianity we know today. This is your imaginative entry into the world of the Church Fathers, the saints, and sages who converted the world to Christ. During their era—and in their hostile cities—the Church grew at a steady rate of 40 percent per decade, and practices such as abortion, infanticide, and euthanasia went from commonplace to unthinkable. The Fathers have something important to teach the modern Church about evangelization. Among Mike Aquilina''s many works about the Church Fathers, this is his most complete and compelling overview of the Fathers'' amazing achievements.

We hear often that “the word of God is living and effective” (Heb 4:12). But what does that really mean for our day-to-day lives? A Joyful Noise reveals how the Psalms, sung by everyone from King David to Jesus to the Early Church Fathers to your church choir, are deeply rich and meaningful for our lives today. Author Mike Aquilina shows how to “change the racket” of modern life—to turn from noise that distracts us toward the Psalms, those ancient songs that ring with eternal truths to this very day. Each of the thirty-five Psalms found within are paired with easy-to-read modern translations of meditations from the Fathers of the Church. The text includes questions to help reflect on the Psalms and apply these meditations to everyday life. Mike Aquilina invites you to participate more fully in a tradition as old as the People of God: to turn from the clamor of life to make a joyful noise to the Lord!

"Christians make the Mass, and the Mass makes Christians." So said the Martyrs of Abitina, North Africa, in A.D. 304. The Mass was the reality most essential to the life of believers, and it deeply affected everything they did. In Work Play Love popular author Mike Aquilina shows how the Eucharist shaped three basic dimensions of life for the early Christians. u200b Work. Christians brought the fruits of their labor to the altar—not only bread and wine, but also cheese, olives, honey, dried fish, and freshly pressed oil. As they worshiped, they consecrated the world itself to God. In turn, this affected the way they approached their work. It was not just toil. It was an act of love, undertaken for the Father. They labored in imitation of Jesus the laborer. Made one with Christians in the Eucharist, Jesus worked through them and in them. u200b Play. The Mass was a leisurely, contemplative act, but it was celebrated on a normal workday in the Roman world. It was useless by the standards of the city. And yet it called forth—gently, gradually—the most creative responses. The Mass inspired new forms of music, poetry, architecture, and painting. At liturgy Christians stood back and reconsidered the cosmos from God''s perspective. They saw their lives as part of a profoundly new and different narrative. This made for new and different art. u200b Love. Christian ritual demanded personal and communal acts of charity. The earliest descriptions of the Mass show the importance of the collection and its distribution to the poor, the imprisoned, and the home-bound sick. Deacons and deaconesses were dismissed to take Communion to the same people in need. The fruits of the Mass extended beyond the time of liturgy—and the bounds of Christian community. Christians took care even of their persecutors. This led to the establishment of institutions of universal charity, a first in human history. The story of the Mass is not simply a rehearsal of ancient texts. It''s a drama of personal and societal transformation. This book tells the story as much as possible in the lively words of the early Christians and draws from the most exciting discoveries of recent archaeology. It is a powerful imaginative encounter with the first generations of our Christian ancestry.

In every age— till very recently— there was one dominant way we passed our culture, knowledge, and devotion to the next generation. It was poetry. Poetry entertained people as it bothered them, preoccupied them, and stayed with them for life. Poetry offered a new lens, a creative angle, a thought-provoking perspective on life in all its dimensions. We have lost much if we have lost the capacity to appreciate poems and allow them to pique our curiosity and gratification of life. This book is about gaining— or regaining— the ability to enjoy poems in all their artful and constructive ways of communicating the human experience.

Discover the Life and Times of Ben Hur In this must-have for fans of the epic film, acclaimed author Mike Aquilina offers an unflinching look at the life and times in which the epic adventure of Ben-Hur is set. Once you explore the gripping times in which the Roman Empire ruled the world, countless scenes throughout the film will have greater meaning and a significance that only knowledge of history can provide. You’ll come to a deeper understanding of the Roman penal system that led Judah Ben-Hur to the galleys, the struggle to survive disease and martyrdom, the inevitable destiny of the slave, and the truth about the Roman games that gave birth to the famous chariot race that remains one of the most memorable experiences in cinematic history. As you strip away centuries of accumulated tradition and look at Jesus of Nazareth with fresh eyes, you’ll also share with Ben-Hur the exciting, confusing, and life-changing experience of meeting Jesus for the first time. Armed with new wisdom and keen insights into the fascinating history of the Roman Empire, you’ll never watch Ben-Hur the same way again.

Winner of a 2020 Catholic Press Association book award (first place, best new religious book series). Suspense, politics, sin, death, sex, and redemption: Not the plot of the latest crime novel, but elements of the true history of the Catholic Church. Larger-than-life figures such as Athanasius of Alexandria, Augustine, and Constantine played an important part in the history of the Christianity. In The Church and the Roman Empire (AD 301–490): Constantine, Councils, and the Fall of Rome, popular Catholic author Mike Aquilina gives readers a vivid and engaging account of how Christianity developed and expanded as the Roman Empire declined. Aquilina explores the dramatic backstory of the Council of Nicaea and why Christian unity and belief are still expressed by the Nicene Creed. He also sets the record straight about commonly held misconceptions about the Catholic Church. In this book, you will learn: The Edict of Milan didn’t just legalize Christianity; it also established religious tolerance for all faiths for the first time in history. The growth of Christianity inspired a more merciful society: crucifixion was abolished; the practice of throwing prisoners to wild beasts for entertainment was outlawed; and slave owners were punished for killing their slaves. Controversy between Arians and Catholics may have resulted in building more hospitals and other networks of charitable assistance to the poor. When Rome fell, not many people at the time noticed. Books in the Reclaiming Catholic History series, edited by Mike Aquilina and written by leading authors and historians, bring Church history to life, debunking the myths one era at a time.

“Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” —Luke 10:8-9 When Jesus sent seventy disciples on ahead of him, part of their mission was to heal the sick. In fact, they were supposed to heal the sick before they preached the Gospel. Best-selling author Mike Aquilina calls this command the healing imperative. And it’s an imperative that ushered in the world of modern medicine. The Healing Imperative: The Early Church and the Invention of Medicine as We Know It reconstructs the fascinating history of a uniquely Christian institution: the hospital. Underlining how the virtues of charity and hospitality motivated the first generations of Christians, along with Jesus’ explicit command to heal the sick, Aquilina shows just how revolutionary the actions of Christian doctors and nurses were and how they transformed society in ways that still reverberate today. The radical developments in health care spearheaded by Christians influenced culture, society, and civilization. As The Healing Imperative proves, now more than ever, the compassion of Christians is needed to guide the world of medicine. Jesus’ command still resonates, and Aquilina urges us to respond.

Every day is a holiday in the Catholic Church. In their latest collaboration, Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina examine the history and traditions behind both favorite and forgotten holidays, from Christmas to Easter, from the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity to the Feast of the Holy Angels Catholic faith is festive, and the Catholic faithful count their days by celebrating the mysteries of Jesus’ life. There is a message to be found in the passing of days, weeks, and seasons. Through the feasts, ordinary Christians learn the life of Christ, share it, and come to imitate it. This book continues the work the authors began in their books The Mass and The Church, exploring the meaning and purpose of the most basic and beloved aspects of Catholic life. Each chapter uncovers the biblical origins and development of one of the great feasts or fasts — Advent, Epiphany, the Holy Angels, all the Marian feasts, and even this very day. The calendar can be a catechism for Catholics who know how to live it. “The feasts form us,” write the authors, “They help to make us and remake us according to the pattern of the life of Jesus Christ. We number our days as we walk in his footsteps, from his birth to his baptism, from his passion to his resurrection, from his Ascension to his sending of the Spirit to make us saints. We do this faithfully every year, and it defines us as who we are.” “Cardinal Wuerl and Aquilina show us the transformative spiritual power in the Church’s original and most ancient feasts. This is a book to be prayed with and meditated on. Because when we understand the meaning of the Church’s liturgical feasts, we know better the great dignity and destiny we have as children of God.” - Most Reverend José Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles