Consuming Love: Discovering Christ the Bridegroom in Holy Communion

by Fr. Gregory Cleveland, OMV

The Eucharist is the “sacrament of love.” Jesus Christ is the true Bridegroom of our hearts, and it is he whom we receive in holy Communion. Even if you have received our Lord thousands of times in the Eucharist, Consuming Love invites you to experience afresh the intensity of the intimacy Christ offers us. This book opens new horizons in our understanding of the Eucharist and offers a language of love to express our relationship with Jesus as a divine romance. Through his Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, Jesus Christ wedded human nature to himself, making a marvelous marriage of God and man. Jesus continues to make a marriage with his Church through the gift of himself to us in the Blessed Sacrament. We respond with consent to this union of Christ with our hearts as we receive him in holy Communion, giving ourselves completely to him in return.

Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“As an author myself, I love a good title and subtitle for a book. Consuming Love: these two words together have a double meaning, both equally profound, which Father Cleveland unfolds with brilliant insight throughout: the love revealed in the Eucharist is not only “all consuming,” but in receiving the Eucharist, we have the privilege of literally consuming this all-consuming love. Oh, the intimacy to which we are invited at every Mass! The revelation of the Eucharist as “the sacrament of the Bridegroom and of the Bride” (St. John Paul II) is transformative – not only of one’s experience of the Mass, but of one’s entire life. Be not afraid of the journey of Discovering Christ the Bridegroom in Holy Communion on which this treasure of a book will lead you!” – Christopher West, Th.D., President, Theology of the Body Institute, author of Eating the Sunrise: Meditations of the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty

“Feast on the words of this deeply Eucharist book. Rooted deeply in Scripture and the Liturgy, these beautiful reflections remind us that we are Christ’s beloved bride. As individuals and as the Church, we participate in the wedding banquet at each Mass. In adoration, we gaze in love at our bridegroom Jesus and He gazes back at us. Fr. Gregory Cleveland’s book invites us to enter more fully into relationship with the Lord and surrender to His love in the Eucharist and the other Sacraments.  Fr. Cleveland teaches us how to participate more intensely in Mass, from the kiss at the altar to going forth as living tabernacles to joyfully sharing God’s love with others. Questions and prayer exercises at the end of each chapter make the book a wonderful companion for both personal meditation and group discussion.” – Lynda Rozell, author of Return to Me: Visits to the Tabernacle

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER CATHOLIC ACADEMIC BOOKS

Heresia Disfarçada de Tradição

por Pedro Gabriel

Livro de bolso: €22.99 | Kindle: €9.19

TESTEMUNHOS

​”Pedro Gabriel exibe as mesmas qualidades admiráveis encontradas nos seus outros escritos, ou seja, pesquisa cuidadosa, argumentação clara e refutações caridosas mas convincentes das falsas alegações feitas pelos críticos papais. Embora o Dr. Gabriel seja muito versado em teologia, ele é um médico … por formação e profissão. Em Heresia Disfarçada de Tradição, a sua formação médica é evidente. Ele é capaz de diagnosticar o cancro da falsa teologia disfarçada de tradição e expor as suas qualidades patológicas.” – Dr. Robert Fastiggi, Professor de Teologia Sistemática, Seminário Maior do Sagrado Coração, Detroit, Michigan

“Pedro Gabriel tem o dom de dar respostas transparentes e honestas a questões complexas. Agora, neste livro, ele explica o que é a Tradição Católica. Uma das pragas da atual discussão sobre o pontificado do Papa Francisco são os tradicionalistas que não conhecem a tradição da Igreja. Para propor a mesma verdade num contexto diferente, diante de uma cultura diferente e de desafios diferentes, não basta repetir as mesmas palavras. As palavras são sempre interpretadas num contexto. Parece que há apenas a escolha entre separarmo-nos da cultura em que vivemos para nos tornarmos homens da cultura em que a Tradição (que engloba a Escritura) foi originalmente formulada (mas então perdemos a capacidade de iluminar com as palavras da Escritura os dilemas do mundo de hoje) ou ler a Escritura à luz do Espírito do Nosso Tempo (mas então perdemos a capacidade de afirmar aquelas verdades que o nosso tempo não está disposto a aceitar e em vez de nos transformarmos segundo o Espírito de Jesus, transformamos Jesus segundo a nossa Mente). A resposta católica é que Deus instituiu, através do sacramento da Ordem e do Primado de Pedro, o contexto apropriado para a interpretação da sua Mensagem. Este contexto está ao mesmo tempo no tempo e fora do tempo. Sem a ajuda do Espírito Santo não pode haver Tradição, ou pelo menos não pode haver Tradição católica. É por isso que não é possível opor a Tradição católica ao Primado de Pedro. Simul stabunt, simul cadent (“juntos se erguem ou juntos caem”). O leitor encontrará respostas claras numa linguagem fácil de compreender e na qual transparece um amor fervoroso à Tradição e ao corpo de Cristo encarnado”. – Rocco Buttiglione, Membro da Pontifícia Academia das Ciências Sociais e da Pontifícia Academia de Santo Tomás.

“Pedro Gabriel conseguiu articular uma apaixonada defesa católica da verdadeira Tradição contra as suas deformações pseudo-tradicionalistas. Nada poderia ser mais oportuno para compreender – de uma vez por todas – que o Espírito Santo não foi de férias e assiste constantemente todos os sucessores de Pedro na condução e no governo da Igreja.” – Rodrigo Guerra Lopez, Secretário da Pontifícia Comissão para a América Latina.

“Pedro Gabriel oferece uma defesa bem escrita e profundamente pesquisada da doutrina católica em resposta aos erros do tradicionalismo católico contemporâneo. O Dr. Gabriel envolve-se diretamente com os argumentos dos tradicionalistas radicais e oferece uma resposta completa, não deixando pedra sobre pedra. O livro enfatiza as doutrinas da Igreja relativas ao papado, especialmente o papel crucial do papa na manutenção da unidade da Igreja e como garante da ortodoxia. Recomendo vivamente este livro a qualquer pessoa interessada em eclesiologia católica que queira compreender os debates em curso sobre autoridade e tradição na Igreja”. – Mike Lewis, cofundador e editor do website Where Peter Is.

“Este livro é uma lufada de ar fresco. O Dr. Gabriel escreveu um livro que falou diretamente a mim. Quando ele apresenta os seus argumentos, eu penso, sai da minha cabeça. Finalmente alguém reuniu um livro coeso que refuta a ideologia por detrás do tradicionalismo radical. Ele expõe na perfeição como esta ideologia coincide com a dos hereges do passado. Excelente trabalho, Dr. Gabriel! O seu trabalho é muito apreciado!” – Josh Anderson, revisor da Amazon, 5 estrelas!

SOBRE O AUTOR

OTHER CATHOLIC ACADEMIC BOOKS

Unpacking Palamism: A Catholic Critique

by James Likoudis with essays selected and edited by Andrew Likoudis

Unpacking Palamism: A Catholic Critique, penned by esteemed scholar Dr. James Likoudis, meticulously scrutinizes the doctrines of Palamism, a theological construct found in Eastern Orthodoxy, but seemingly less than essential to it. This Palamite system, controversially claimed to be foundational to Eastern Orthodoxy, primarily involves the essence-energies distinction made famous by Hesychast monk Gregory Palamas. Dr. Likoudis examines the tenets of this system, discussing their place in Eastern Orthodox theology and ecumenism. He assesses the scriptural and traditional foundations of Palamism, as well as providing a Catholic lens through which to understand it, in the hopes of resolving longstanding difficulties in the way of full unity between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.

Paperback: $14.95 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“James Likoudis deserves much praise for this present volume, which provides a sound Catholic critique of the essence/energies distinction promoted by the Byzantine monk, archbishop, and theologian, Gregory Palamas (1296–1359). Since the 1930s, there has been a revival of interest in Palamism on the part of Eastern Orthodox Christians. Some Orthodox theologians and bishops even consider the essence/energy distinction of Palamas to be a dogma of the faith. Likoudis carefully examines the history of Palamism and the metaphysical and theological problems that some—including Orthodox—have noted in his system. This volume is enriched by an excellent foreword by Fr. Thomas Weinandy, OFM Cap. and a number of valuable appendices, especially one by Yves Congar, OP. Gregory Palamas might have been a holy monk, but the problems with his mystical theology should not be minimized or ignored.” — Robert Fastiggi, Ph.D., Bishop Kevin M. Britt Chair of Dogmatic Theology and Christology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary

“James Likoudis’s Unpacking Palamism: A Catholic Critique is a most welcome and timely publication. While debate will continue over the compatibility of Palamas’s theology and metaphysics with Catholicism, there can be no disputing Likoudis’s pivotal role in bringing Palamas into the theological awareness of many Western Christians. Likoudis’s trenchant engagement with Palamas over several decades helped set the tone for Orthodox-Catholic apologetics and has had a non-negligible impact in sparking a good deal of more recent scholarly research. This alone more than justifies this publication of Likoudis’s collected writings on Palamas. However, it is Likoudis’s clear presentation of Palamas’s beautiful teaching on the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of all Christians, that sets this book apart. Mary is the key to resolving remaining theological differences between Catholic and Orthodox, and Likoudis provides his readers with a guide to knowing Mary according to the mind of this ‘Pillar of Orthodoxy.’” – — Dr. Jared Goff, Adjunct Professor of Dogmatic Theology, Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Ss. Cyril and Methodius; Co-author, “Palamas Among the Scholastics,” in Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies

“Likoudis’s concise retelling of the Palamite controversy and problematic readings of Palamism, both among Catholic and Orthodox scholars, as well as his concise summary of Palamas’s Mariology, provide an accurate representation of academic positions thereon by the pars maior of Catholic theologians and can be used with great profit for becoming acquainted with the historically controversial assertions of Palamas and Palamists in both Late Byzantium and by Modern systematic theologians.” — Rev. Christiaan Kappes, PhD, SLD, Academic Dean, Byzantine Catholic Seminary of Ss. Cyril and Methodius; Co-author, “Palamas Among the Scholastics,” in Logos: A Journal of Eastern Christian Studies

“This work represents the capstone of Dr. Likoudis’s life-long effort toward reconciling his Eastern Orthodox brethren with the Catholic Church. His concise and informative treatment of Gregory Palamas, the famous and controversial 14^th century monk of Mount Athos and Archbishop of Thessalonica, is both highly appreciative and gently critical. On the one hand, Likoudis praises Palamas’s ascetical-mystical spirituality and theology of theosis, calling his rich Mariology “sublime” and suggesting that Catholics have much to learn from him. On the other hand, he devotes two chapters to Palamas’s controversial notion of God’s “uncreated energies,” which, though distinct from God’s transcendent essence, allegedly do not compromise divine simplicity and yet can be experienced by men as the “Light of Mount Tabor.” Likoudis carefully reviews both the writings of Catholics sympathetic with Palamas as well as those who are critical. He devotes two chapters to problematic aspects of Palamism that serve as obstacles to reunion with Rome, noting how some Eastern Orthodox theologians champion Palamas as a rival to St. Thomas Aquinas, yet also noting how others such as Fr. Alexander Schmemann concede the logical necessity of a universal church’s need for a universal head in the bishop of Rome. Highly recommended.” — Philip Blosser, Professor of Philosophy, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit

“The Churches of the Christian East and West have wrestled for many centuries with the question of the relationship between the uncreated and created realms. Orthodox Archbishop Gregory Palamas of Thessalonica weighed in on this matter in a period of heightened controversy related to the spiritual experiences and contemplative methods of the Athonite Hesychasts (Gk. hesychia “stillness”), forging out of the crucible of both prayer and polemics what he believed to be a theological solution found in the essence-energies distinction in God. The positive reception of this distinction as defined by the Orthodox saint has been by no means univocal in either East or West, and the emergence of a divisive and hyper-polemical neo-Palamite school in modern Eastern Orthodoxy has shed far more heat than light on the subject. In this work, James Likoudis presents a worthy synthesis of his own thinking along with several others on the matter, with varying degrees of sympathy and antipathy towards the Palamite distinction and its possible effect on the prospects of Orthodox-Catholic unity.” — Fr Daniel Dozier, Executive Director of God With Us Eastern Catholic Formation, and author of 20 Answers: Eastern Catholicism from Catholic Answers

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER CATHOLIC ACADEMIC BOOKS

The Lord of the Rings and Catholicism: Exploring the Christian Roots of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

by Madeleine Dobrowski

TESTIMONIALS

“Madeleine Dobrowski offers a compelling case for the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholic faith on his development of Middle Earth in which his epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings is set. She demonstrates over the course of her analysis how Tolkien “infuses the presence of Christ into the values and roles of a multitude of characters throughout the story” while using no formal allegory indicating that it was written against a Catholic landscape. In short, Tolkien’s Catholic faith is the source of the hope his characters find in their fellowship with one another in response to the despair imposed upon them by Sauron and his minions. A must read for any serious student of Tolkien’s work!” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, author of The Narrative Spirituality of Dante’s Divine Comedy

“Madeline Dobrowski has written a gem. Her book paves a delightful path for Catholics interested in discovering the riches of the trilogy. This book will enkindle a hunger to feast on Tolkien’s broader corpus as well. For Tolkien aficionados, Dobrowski’s book convincingly shows just how deeply Tolkien’s imagination was suffused by his faith. In particular, I was impressed at Dobrowski‘s rich analysis of the themes of eucatastrophe, Eucharist, and Our Lady. Rest assured, she does not simply point out the well-worn, obvious connections you’ve heard in other Tolkien scholars. In finishing the book, one can feel a sense of gratitude and awe not merely for Middle Earth but for the world in which you sit.” – 5 star review from Tyler on Goodreads

“Nowhere in JRR Tolkien’s LOTR does he mention Christianity, but every page is infused with the themes of the Catholic faith. The book isn’t just about LOTR. It’s also a study of how a creator’s worldview finds a way to shine through his work. We don’t need to stand on soapboxes cajoling passersby to repent. That works for some, but, in my experience, it’s the people who often don’t need to say a word about Jesus who proclaim the Christian way of life the loudest through their humility, friendship, and mercy. These themes are pondered in Maddie’s book. As a novelist, I was inspired and encouraged because I’m interested in telling stories about life-saving mercy and hard journeys but hate how heavy-handed “Christian” fiction can feel. Reading this book made me realize how without really having to try, your faith (if you are being true to it) seeps into your work. That’s at once comforting and freeing.” – 5 star review from Adrienne Morris on Amazon

Madeleine Dobrowski

Madeleine Dobrowski is originally from the great Midwest but currently resides in Spokane, WA, where she spends her time studying philosophy, reading, writing, teaching literature, and enjoying the Pacific Northwest with her husband. She obtained her BA in Philosophy from Boise State University and is currently pursuing her MA in Philosophy – Christian Wisdom at Holy Apostles College and Seminary.

OTHER CATHOLIC ACADEMIC BOOKS

Disputed Catholic Landmarks: From Disinformation to Information

by Gerard Verschuuren

Everyone’s life has landmarks: when you were born, when you graduated from school, when you got your first job, when you got married, and so many more. There must be many landmarks in the history of the Catholic Church, too. Just think of issues such as the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Protestant Reformation, the Holocaust, and several more. What all of them also have in common is that they are disputed, challenged, and contested—ripe for discussion and open to various interpretations. Is it possible to dispel misinformation from people’s minds that are filled with prejudiced opinions? Verschuuren endeavors in this book to do just that, separating truths from untruths, facts from fictions, and information from disinformation.

Paperback: $18.99 | Kindle: $9.99

TESTIMONIALS

“In an age of Facebook factcheckers and politically correct cancelations, of ideological divisions even within the heart of our Church, Gerard Verschuuren has provided just the resource we need to bring clarity to confusion, order to chaos.” – Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP, co-author of Catholic Realism

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gerard M. Verschuuren is a human geneticist who also earned a doctorate in the philosophy of science. He studied and worked at universities in Europe and the United States. Currently semi-retired, he spends most of his time as a writer, speaker, and consultant on the interface of science and religion, faith and reason.

Currently, while semi-retired, he writes about issues at the interface of

• science and religion,
• science and creation,
• faith and reason.

All his books can be found at: www.where-do-we-come-from.com

OTHER WHY CATHOLIC BOOKS

Human Nature: Moral Norm

by Francis Etheredge

PART IV

Part IV: A Spirituality of Being Open to Life (Comprising Chapters 5-6

Opening Chapter Five: The Founding Act of the Human Person: Being is a Unity-in-Diversity (I); Conception and the Actus Essendi of the Human Person (II); Confirmation of this View of Conception (III)

Closing Chapter Five: The Attitude-in-Action of Procreation: The Inclination to Procreation (I); the Person-as-Gift is Interior to Spousal Love and Procreation (II); The Bodily-Personal Action of Procreation (III)

Chapter Six: Be Open to Life: The Spiritual Significance of Being Open to Life: The Covenant of the Flesh (I); The Activity of the Holy Spirit (II); A Spirituality of Being Open to Life (III); The Christo-Trinitarian Significance of this ‘Openness’ (IV); and, Finally, the Social and Inseparably Eschatological Dimension of Being Open to Life (V)

Dr. Moira McQueen: A Biography and Complementary Contribution to Part IV: “The McQueen Family: 2XX 5XY”

PART V

Part V: The Word of Truth-in-Love and Conscience (Comprising Chapter 7)

Dr. Mary Shivanandan: A Complimentary Contribution to Part V: A Biography and Personal Journey: “My Experience with Natural Family Planning”

A Postscript and References by Francis Etheredge

A Further, Triptych of Experience: Part I of III: Being Open to Life: Being Open to Being-in-Relationship: Wrongdoing and psychology; Sin, Salvation, Suffering and the Marriage Covenant; The Mystery of the Marriage Covenant; and Natural Family Planning

A Touch of Experience: Part II of III: Where Are You? Contraception and Abortion as the Denial of “Relationship”; Rediscovering the Value of Evidence; Evidence and Sex-Trafficking; Evidence and the Environment; In the Case of an Abortion; Does “not being pregnant” Define a Man?; Hope and Forgiveness: Forgiveness and Hope

Dr. Christine M. W. Ward: Biography and “The Lived Experience of Contraception”: Part III of III: The Lived Experience of Contraception; A Different Act; Love’s watermark: the total self-gift

Chapter Seven: Conscience-as-Relationship Entailing Recovery from Error: The first part of the chapter follows with a specific consideration of principles and experience (I). It will then go on and develop an account of the conscience as integral to the person and as a witness to the truth of our relationships (II). Drawing on saints and scholars it is possible that conscience and the word of God entails a dynamic relationship that could prompt, possibly, the “un-doing” development of an erroneous conscience (III)

“A Pain-Breaking Word” of Encouragement (Prose and Poem)

CONCLUSION

Dr. Richard Spinello: Biography and an “End Word”

“Humanae Vitae, the Magisterium, and Justice to the Creator

REVIEWS

“A Dialogue between Dr Pravin Thevathasan and Francis Etheredge,” Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 74(2) May 2024. Click here. For a PDF download, click here.

“Being Open to Life: Being Open to Being-in-Relationship,” Catholic Medical Quarterly Volume 72(1) February 2022. Click here.

TESTIMONIALS

“What a wonderful book! What a tour de force!!! I have fallen in love with Etheredge’s Human Nature: Moral Norm: it is a fresh and often poetic new look at deep fundamentals. This is an analysis that transcends such categories as phenomenological/traditional metaphysics with a new and compelling synthesis. I want to pass it on to some professor who is still teaching ethics regularly. Glory!” – Dr. Ronda Chervin, Emerita Professor of Philosophy, Holy Apostles College and Seminary, and author of numerous books about Catholic ethics and spirituality

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mr. Francis Etheredge is married with eight children, plus three in heaven.

Francis is currently a freelance writer and speaker and his “Posts” on LinkedIn can be viewed here. Poetry; short articles; autobiographical blog; excerpts from books; and “Philosophize: A Ten Minute Write.”

For a list of all of Francis’ books published by En Route Books and Media, click here.

See Francis’ other books, too, entitled Scripture: A Unique Word, From Truth and truth: Volume I-Faithful Reason, From Truth and truth: Volume II: Faith and Reason in Dialogue, From Truth and truth: Volume III: Faith is Married Reason.

He has earned a BA Div (Hons), MA in Catholic Theology, PGC in Biblical Studies, PGC in Higher Education, and an MA in Marriage and Family (Distinction).

Enjoy these additional articles by Francis Etheredge:

• Witness “begets” Witnesses
• Love is a Liturgical Act
• The Holy Family, Celibacy, and Marriage: A Reflection on the “Passage” from the Jewish Rite of Marriage to the Sacrament of Marriage
• “Do-it-Yourself” or Vocation: Coincidence or Providence

OTHER ACADEMIC BOOKS