The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a comprehensive and accessible resource for undergraduate, graduate, and seminary courses on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It offers an overview of the sacrament in terms of its anthropological, scriptural, historical, and theological roots as well as an analysis of the key components of the sacrament itself (matter, form, minister, recipient, etc.). With the knowledge of a theologian and the skill of an historian, Robert Fastiggi links the Sacrament of Penance to its anthropological foundations, grounded in the recognition of human failure and the need for forgiveness. This anthropological foundation includes a brief overview of how non-biblical religions deal with sin and purification as well as the revelation of the human need for reconciliation presented in Sacred Scripture. He carefully unwraps the Old Testament and New Testament narratives that cover original sin, human rebellion, the need for reconciliation, conversion, forgiveness, and the remission of sin. Dr. Fastiggi understands the sacrament in the context of spirituality or ascetical and mystical theology. His section on the Sacrament of Penance in Church history lays out comprehensive overview of the development in the sacrament of Penance from the Patristic period to the period immediately before Vatican II. At the heart of the new evangelization is the proclamation of Christ, who has come into the world to reconcile sinful human beings with the transcendent love of God. For those living today in a post-Christian world, the powerful message of God’s merciful love expressed through the sacrament of reconciliation is a most valuable way of knowing the “joy of the Gospel.”

Exploring the modern approach to the economics of happiness, which came about with the Easterlin Paradox, this book analyses and assesses the idea that as a country gets richer the happiness of its citizens remains the same. The book moves through three distinct pillars of study in the field: first analysing the historical and philosophical foundations of the debate; then the methodological and measurements issues and their political implications; and finally empirical applications and discussion about what determines a happy life.

It is confidently expected that this work will prove useful to many English speaking Catholics. It may be well to state that in the translation the first chapter is entirely new, while the second has been enlarged considerably. The other chapters, however, are practically the same as in the original, and thus the value of the decree of the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences is preserved. One or two slight additions have been made, but these are in accordance with the New Raccolta, which is also recognized 8S authentic by the Congregation of Indulgences. In translating the prayers throughout this work the text of the New Raccolta has been used wherever possible. This little work is offered to the public in the hope that it may be found useful by piously disposed persons. There are many indulgences which these persons could gain very readily, but which are lost through lack of a tabulated statement, a spiritual calendar, I may say, in which these indulgences would be set forth in proper order, together with the conditions which must be fulfilled by those who desire to gain them. It is by supplying this want that I expect this book to prove serviceable. After careful consideration I decided not to insert partial indulgences, except some which are attached to prayers or devotional exercises which many practise frequently. In acting thus I had two main reasons. In the first place, it was my desire to make the work as brief as possible; and in the second place, there are no special conditions to be fulfilled to gain these indulgences. It is sufficient, generally speaking, to be in the state of grace and to form the intention every morning to gain all the indulgences which the Church has attached to the various good works we may perform during the day. As regards plenary indulgences, I restricted myself to those which are attached to the most commonly practised devotions. It will be a very simple matter for those who are accustomed to other practices of piety, not so generally known, to insert the indulgences attached thereto in the proper place in this little book. The Church throws wide the doors of its spiritual treasury; and we should not hesitate to use the privileges offered us, both in our own behalf and in behalf of the holy souls in purgatory. Their sufferings are intense, and it is so easy for us to advance the hour of their deliverance! We should all, therefore, resolve to assist them. Such charity will be certain to meet with a rich reward from Almighty God, and the gratitude of the souls released by our prayers will last forever.

Much of the contemporary world has become cynical about the existence of God. This lack of belief in God has resulted in an abandonment of spiritual accountability, and a corresponding rise in dissemination of misinformation, tolerance of evil, and abandonment of hope for humanity. The cynicism can be cured through a focus on Biblical prophecy fulfilled with uncanny precision over the millennia since relevant prophets moved on. Prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, and the Gospel About the Papacy (Applying Rules of Interpretation by Sir Isaac Newton) applies rules of prophecy interpretation provided by none other than Sir Isaac Newton in his posthumously-published Observations Upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John to interpret precision prophecies about the Papacy memorialized in Daniel 7, and Revelation 12, 13, and 17, and the Olivet Discourse of the Gospel accounts. These prophecies refer mostly not to events in our future, as is often assumed, but rather mostly to events in our past. Examination of these precision prophecies against events of the past two millennia evidence not only Design by a Supreme Intellect but also that the Creator Is our Father in Heaven and that Jesus Christ is our Savior and King.