Lent is a time to listen

Saint Augustine celebrated Christmas with his community in fifth-century Algeria, presiding over a midnight liturgy in his cathedral. We still possess a number of the sermons he preached on those occasions. He delivered the sermons sitting down while the congregation stood. A scribe, known as a notarius, would take down his words with a stylus, marking a wax tablet in a kind of shorthand.

Demystifying Mysticism

Reviews of Mercy without Borders: The Catholic Worker & Immigration, Garry Wills's "biography" of Augustine's Confessions, Martin Marty's study of Bonhoeffer's letters from prison, and a book about the Communion & Liberation movement.

A review of Cardinal Francis George's The Difference God Makes

Spiritual Classics, at a Bookstore Near You

From the Maritains to the Catholic Worker, from icons to the sanctified vision, Cunningham reviews the latest in religious publishing.

As the subject of “spirituality” continues to grow in popularity, its definition is increasingly muddied. Lawrence S. Cunningham, Notre Dame theologian and Commonweal columnist, tries to shed some light on the subject. He traces the history of Catholic spirituality, and brings to life several forms of its expression today.