Title: Homilies on the Heart of Jesus and the Apostleship of Prayer: The Apostleship of Prayer for the World's Salvation  Author: Herbert F. Smith, S.J.  ISBN: 0-8189-0844-0  Paperback: xxviii + 226pp.  Price: $12.95 + shipping  To Order call: 1 800-343-ALBA (2522) Please have your Master, Visa or American Express card ready. To order online click here.

In the Daily Offering of all our prayers, works, joys and sufferings to the Lord, we not only offer God the worship of our lips but the service of our lives as well. Religion is not relegated to church, but imbues all our thoughts, words, sentiments and deeds and thus contributes to the salvation of the world. The prayerful and carefully honed homilies in this book will assist the priest or deacon who gives them to enter into the spirit of love that inspired them, thus enabling their delivery to be filled with a passion and conviction that can move and inspire others to a devotion which will truly bear fruit in their lives both here and hereafter. The homilies are designed in such a way as to encourage the listeners to join the apostleship of prayer for the salvation of the world.

 

Internationally published author of spiritual and theological works, veteran retreat master and preacher of novenas and parish missions, Fr. Herbert F. Smith, S.J., was for nine years Province Director of the Apostleship of Prayer for the seven states of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus. He presently continues as its Director for the Archbishop of Philadelphia. The fact of his having spent almost a year in Israel, traveling, researching, and consulting scholars has given a flavor of immediacy to his homilies and spiritual writings. A frequent guest speaker on International Sacred Heart Radio and a member of the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars, Father Smith is the author of a very popular homily series for Alba House: Sunday Homilies, Cycles A (1989), B (1990) and C (1991). Reviews "It is the perfect book for a pastor who wishes to offer a daily spiritual way of life to his parishioners. It's ideal for both the children in his parish and the grownups." --Fr. Bob McAllister, S.J., National Director Emeritus of the Apostleship of Prayer, Sept. 3, 2002 "I heard the controversial, retired (but not retiring) Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong recently, suggesting that the biggest threat to the established churches comes not from new, fundamentalist churches, but rather from the largest Christian group, which Spong calls "Christian alumni," those who no longer have anything to do with any institutional church. 'We have bored them almost to death,' he asserted. Jesuit Fr. Herbert F. Smith also sees many as having wandered away, and he suggests that part of the problem may be a lack of the devotions that stirred hearts and emotions in days gone by. Those who think he may be onto something might look at his Homilies on the Heart of Jesus and the Apostleship of Prayer. --Fr. William C. Graham in National Catholic Reporter "Bookshelf", September 1, 2000 "The Holy Father has called for a New Evangelization that started where it all began: the Heart of Christ. Father Smith calls Christians back to the love that animates the world and writes with a wisdom that was developed and formed by many years of prayer. May many hearts respond to the message. --Thomas M. King, S.J., Professor of Theology, Georgetown University, Co-Founder of the National University Professors for Life and recently nominated by the staff of The Hoya "Georgetown's Man of the Century." "If Catholicism is to flourish in our culture, there must be a profound, incisive and well-formulated theological teaching balanced by a healthy, moderated, nourishing and affective devotional life. Theology minus affectivity can be dry, sterile and boring, whereas a devotional life unbalanced leads often to sentimentalism, superstition and cultism. Fr. Smith attempts to balance this difficult task in his Homiies on the Heart of Jesus and the Apostleship of Prayer. This book presents a challenge to every priest, Sister, Brother and lay person to look at today's Church longing for a balanced theological-devotional life. Some lay people are finding this nourishment in sects, others are asking for it in their parishes." --John Rainaldo, S.J., National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer: Sacred Heart Devotion Top of Page