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This work has emerged from efforts to attend Mass then having to leave with a deep sadness that does not easily go away, and the awareness that I am not alone in this. This book is not intended for anyone who is able to happily participate in the sacramental life of the Church, nor is it intended to encourage anyone to stop doing so. As a faithful Catholic has a right to the sacraments, this ritual is for those faithful members of the People of God who are finding themselves unable to do so and still yearning to, a way to help those of us who feel pushed to the margins. In other words, the purpose of this little book is to help faithful Catholics stay in the Church.The core of this ritual is our identity as priests in the common priesthood of Jesus. Each baptized follower of Jesus the Christ has been anointed priest, prophet, and royal. As vassal kings and queens of the King of kings and queens, each of us has been gifted with power rooted in our imago dei, being created in the image of God with gifts and talents we are meant to use to wash the feet of humanity and participate in God's ongoing creative and healing work. As a prophet each of us will be called to speak a truth that God wants heard by a person, a community, or by the whole world, and speaking this truth will involve risk. As a priest in the common priesthood of Jesus the Christ, each of us is called to be in a personal relationship with the one God and to be in communion with God along with each human we encounter. And as priests we are given the power and duty to forgive, a power we use in the first place at home.The Agape Meal Prayers, probably from the late 1st century AD might be best suited today for what we call a potluck supper or dinner on the ground, where everyone brings what they have and there is equal sharing, or perhaps for large family reunions.The Eucharistic Prayer is from the Apostolic Tradition, from about 215 AD, the prayer that I use regularly in these days.The Anaphora of Addai & Mari, probably also from the 3rd century, is still the core of some Eastern Eucharistic Prayers.While a deacon, priest or bishop is the ordinary minister of Baptism, in cases of necessity even a non-Christian with the intention of doing so for the Church can baptize as long as water and the words (I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) are used.As a pastor I developed a Candidacy for Confirmation, used sometimes at a Sunday Mass and sometimes at the end of a Confirmation retreat, and offer it here for a sponsor and parents.The ritual for Marriage can be used by an officiant of a civil marriage. It recognizes that the spouses themselves confer the sacrament of marriage onto each other in their mutual exchange of consents, and it is their identity as priests in the common priesthood of believers that empowers them to do so.The Prayers for the Sick and the Commendation of the Dying are not to take the place of the Sacrament of Anointing, but recognize that there will be times when a priest is not available and we trust in God's mercy.Though a Funeral is normally presided over by a priest or deacon, a graveside service can be done by anyone.For the closing Blessings in this book, as with any blessing by the lay faithful, the leader simply signs themselves with the sign of thecross along with everyone else. If prayer is done with a group of people, consider making copies and inviting all present to read the prayers together.From the institutional church I beg patience and forbearance with all of this. I know this is not easy. Please remember that Catholics who feel marginalized are also being asked to continue being patient with our institutional church.For more visit idjc.org.

This work has emerged from efforts to attend Mass then having to leave with a deep sadness that does not easily go away, and the awareness that I am not alone in this. This book is not intended for anyone who is able to happily participate in the sacramental life of the Church, nor is it intended to encourage anyone to stop doing so. As a faithful Catholic has a right to the sacraments, this ritual is for those faithful members of the People of God who are finding themselves unable to do so and still yearning to, a way to help those of us who feel pushed to the margins. In other words, the purpose of this little book is to help faithful Catholics stay in the Church. The core of this ritual is our identity as priests in the common priesthood of Jesus. Each baptized follower of Jesus the Christ has been anointed priest, prophet, and royal. As vassal kings and queens of the King of kings and queens, each of us has been gifted with power rooted in our imago dei, being created in the image of God with gifts and talents we are meant to use to wash the feet of humanity and participate in God's ongoing creative and healing work. As a prophet each of us will be called to speak a truth that God wants heard by a person, a community, or by the whole world, and speaking this truth will involve risk. As a priest in the common priesthood of Jesus the Christ, each of us is called to be in a personal relationship with the one God and to be in communion with God along with each human we encounter. And as priests we are given the power and duty to forgive, a power we use in the first place at home. The Agape Meal Prayers, probably from the late 1st century AD might be best suited today for what we call a potluck supper or dinner on the ground, where everyone brings what they have and there is equal sharing, or perhaps for large family reunions. The Eucharistic Prayer is from the Apostolic Tradition, from about 215 AD, the prayer that I use regularly in these days. The Anaphora of Addai & Mari, probably also from the 3rd century, is still the core of some Eastern Eucharistic Prayers. While a deacon, priest or bishop is the ordinary minister of Baptism, in cases of necessity even a non-Christian with the intention of doing so for the Church can baptize as long as water and the words (I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) are used. As a pastor I developed a Candidacy for Confirmation, used sometimes at a Sunday Mass and sometimes at the end of a Confirmation retreat, and offer it here for a sponsor and parents. The ritual for Marriage can be used by an officiant of a civil marriage. It recognizes that the spouses themselves confer the sacrament of marriage onto each other in their mutual exchange of consents, and it is their identity as priests in the common priesthood of believers that empowers them to do so. The Prayers for the Sick and the Commendation of the Dying are not to take the place of the Sacrament of Anointing, but recognize that there will be times when a priest is not available and we trust in God's mercy. Though a Funeral is normally presided over by a priest or deacon, a graveside service can be done by anyone. For the closing Blessings in this book, as with any blessing by the lay faithful, the leader simply signs themselves with the sign of thecross along with everyone else. If prayer is done with a group of people, consider making copies and inviting all present to read the prayers together. From the institutional church I beg patience and forbearance with all of this. I know this is not easy. Please remember that Catholics who feel marginalized are also being asked to continue being patient with our institutional church. For more visit idjc.org.

Rainbow Psalms in 30 Days is a meditation rendering of 146 of the 150 Psalms, 36 Canticles, and many Sayings of Jesus arranged for morning and evening in a 30 day repeating cycle following the Book of Common Prayer. These renderings were composed with specifically LGBTQ+ readers in mind. They remain relevant for all people of God. (Warning: If you have a very strong preference for the traditional masculine imagery for God, you will not like this meditation rendering.) Designed by a former parish priest who has prayed the Psalter for over thirty years, these choices were made in this meditation rendering: 1. For the name YHVH, or Yahweh, the Hebrew word Adonai (ah-duh-nigh') meaning My Lord, is used. In several places the words El or Elyon or Elohim are retrieved, as is Sabaoth instead of Mighty or Hosts. 2. Following the Christian understanding of one God in the three persons of the Trinity, masculine pronouns for God are avoided. 3. Except in the traditional Lord's Prayer and doxology, rather than the Greek Father (pater) the more intimate Aramaic Abba is used (think Dad, Daddy, Papa) as in Mark 14:36. Among my family and friends, no one addresses their Daddy as Father. See also Saint Paul's use of Abba in Romans 8:15 and Galatians 4:6. 4. In an admittedly imperfect effort to pray the gospel as well as the psalms, the word enemy is most often rendered as enmity and foes as adversity. 5. Where people are referred to as evil, the emphasis is shifted to those who do the bad, or ways that are bad. 6. Since race is a human construct, and we are all members of the one human race, words such as tribe and family are used. Most of the Antiphons are Sayings of Jesus drawn from Sunday Gospel readings: In the Sunday Lectionary, the Old Testament readings have connections with the Gospel reading, and the Responsorial Psalm is a response to the Old Testament reading. This means that on any given Sunday there is a relationship between the Gospel reading and the Psalm. The antiphons were chosen based on this relationship. Some of the intercessions and petitions are drawn from Guadium et Spes, "Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World," Vatican II, 1965, paragraph 27. Stephen Joseph Wolf has prayed the Psalter for over thirty years from several different translations. Hinge Hours for Ordinary Time and Two Weeks Ordinary were previous edition of this book.

The Resurrection in the Great Story of Jesus is a parish-tested resource by a former Catholic priest. If you are a baptized disciple of Jesus, you are already an apostle in the world, a witness to the resurrection (see Acts 1:27). The great story of Jesus is part of your story, part of who you are, for the preaching of the good news began with the Easter story. This little book sets the four gospel accounts side-by-side as the story unfolds, with notes and some questions for pondering: The Empty Tomb, Mary Magdalene, Road to Emmaus, Upper Room, Seashore Breakfast, Commission & Ascension. Invite the original witnesses of the story to sit with some of your curious friends, or with a spouse or best friend, or in your personal time with God, who creating you in God's own image and knowing you better than you know yourself is loving you right now completely.

One Week in Ordinary Time is a meditation rendering of Psalms (146 of the 150), Canticles (40), Sayings of Jesus, Scripture Readings on the Christian Life (42), and traditional songs from the public domain (46), arranged for offices of Readings, Prophets, Morning Prayer, Daytime, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. Almost all of the Psalms and Canticles and Readings are placed on the same day of the week as in the four-week traditional cycle of the Liturgy of the Hours. Designed by a parish priest as a straightforward introduction to praying the Liturgy of the Hours, One Week can also be used for private prayer and meditation by veterans of the breviary who wish now and then to pray the full Psalter in one week.This meditation rendering follows consciously these four choices: 1. For the name YHVH, or Yahweh, the Hebrew word Adonai (ah-duh-nih') meaning My Lord, is used. In several places the words El or Elyon or Elohim are retrieved, as is Sabaoth instead of Mighty or Hosts. 2. Following the Christian understanding of one God in the three persons of the Trinity, masculine pronouns for God are avoided, except when God is referred to as Father, or specific references to Jesus. 3. In an admittedly imperfect effort to pray the gospel as well as the psalms, the word "enemy" is most often rendered as "enmity." 4. Where people are referred to as evil, the emphasis is shifted to those who do evil, or ways that are evil or bad. There are problems with all four of these choices, and these would be reasons to not consider this compilation for public liturgy.Most of the antiphons are Sayings of Jesus drawn from Sunday Gospel readings: In the Sunday Lectionary, the Old Testament readings have connections with the Gospel reading, and the "responsorial psalm" is a "response" to the Old Testament reading. This means that on any given Sunday there is a relationship between the Gospel reading and the Psalm. The antiphons were chosen based on this relationship.Stephen Joseph Wolf is a parish priest in Clarksville, Tennessee, who spends most Mondays in silence and solitude writing for faith sharing groups. Visit www.idjc.org.

99 Poems, a bunch of odd pictures, and 3 downside-up songs. These twenty years of lines tell of one vocation in progress still by the grace of our patient God. Except for random thoughts while running, really jogging, I rarely thought of poetry and put not a poem on paper since some Christmas lines in the second grade. Introduced to journaling, and asked to write a psalm, "a song to God" a habit settled in and then a second. When a writer advised that a poem is a thing that ought be read out loud, editing became intense joy. A seminary teacher more than once described a priest's life as being with people in the sacred moments of life. In a very odd way, these poems have been with me in the sacred moments of my own life. They have helped me to remember what I believe God is saying to each of us every moment of every day and night: "I made you, I know you, and I love you." - Steve Wolf

A Simple Family Breviary is a modern version of the Little Office of Saint Francis of Assisi by a parish priest trying to help families pray together. Each prayer session includes a traditional song, a psalm of the season, either a psalm of Saint Francis or a psalm from the commons of Mary and the Saints, and closing praises. The order of prayer is easy to follow and offers variety day to day and month to month, and includes a calendar of major feasts of the church year. This simple once-daily prayer is suitable for a family, the classroom, midday at work, and with co-workers. Stephen Joseph Wolf is a retired and now former parish priest of the diocese of Nashville, and Angie Bosio is Director of Youth Ministry at St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory, Tennessee.

Tree of Life: Incarnation, Passion & Glory, Saint Bonaventure on the Christ Story. This is Saint Bonaventure's 13th Century collection of fifty meditations on the Incarnation, Passion, and Glory of Jesus Christ. Following the 1978 translation by Dr. Ewert Cousins, parish priest of 22 years and spiritual director Stephen Joseph Wolf offers a paraphrase with brush-ink drawings.

Rev. Steve Wolf, a former parish priest, seeks in this essay connections of the faith tradition, scripture, theology, some LGBTQI realities, and a history of some church teachings being both correct and still incomplete. He draws on Pope Francis (Who am I to judge?); that a minority of humans discover themselves to be LGBTQ; religious freedom; the right to act in conscience; and the Church's call to treat people who discover that their reality includes deep-seated same-sex attraction with respect, compassion, and sensitivity; to suggest some ways to deal with all this.

Psalter of Lectio is a revised guide to using your Bible to pray the way a monk might pray outside of the monastery. "Psalter" means the collection of psalms and canticles (poems and songs embedded in scripture) used by the early hermits, a collection developed by St. Benedict and the entire monastic tradition, which is always in a state of reform. "Lectio" is shorthand for "lectio divina," which means literally "sacred reading." Psalter of Lectio allows a pray-er to review the antiphons of all of the psalms and canticles prayed by the Church on a particular day of the week, choose an antiphon that seems to speak to him or her, and then go to the related psalm or canticle to listen to what the Lord might want to say on a particular day. The introduction includes concise and descriptive paragraphs on ways to use the book, the traditional four-step process of lectio divina (read, meditate, dialogue, and sitting open to contemplation), brief summaries of what some of today's teachers of praying are saying, and an invitation into "lectio continua," or continuous day-to-day reading in prayer of the Bible in its entirety, as one abbot says, "omitting nothing, doing honor to the integrity of revelation." Psalms for Night Prayer are also offered, as are simple charts comparing Psalter of Lectio with the Four-Week Psalter used by most priests and religious, and a chapter-a-day reading plan for praying the entire Catholic Bible over 44 months. Most significant are the three blank lines following each psalm antiphon to allow the pray-er to enter the psalm verses prayed, and so build his or her own Personal Psalter for those times when prayer is difficult. Compiled by a former parish priest who loves praying the Psalms and the Gospels, Psalter of Lectio may be the best answer to the oft-repeated question of believers: I want to pray with my Bible; how do I begin?

Linda Zralek went to heaven in 2014, and her funeral was a fest of her poetry.A note from the poet: "I Drink Beauty From Any Cup" is a poem I wrote many hears ago. To notice and to appreciate beauty is as important as breathing to me. Simple beauty, everyday beauty. The beauty of nature, of poetry, music, art, the beauty of all children, the beauty in the goodness of those I love and in others I barely know. I drink it all up and I am always grateful.A note from Linda's beloved Jim: In her humility she would hesitate to let others read her poems. She showed me only one of them. Whether it was spring's first jonquils, giggling grandchildren, a breeze on the screened-in porch, or the smell of coffee, they all primed the pump within her and began the flow of poetry. After living with her for forty-four years I suspect the pump produces water from heaven.Publisher Notes: These poems are presented in the order chosen by Linda's beloved, Jim Zralek. His arrangement is an impressive work of understanding, and I think the reader will agree that it brings to the collection a truly invitational flow which a chronological rendering may not have offered. Where Linda noted dates of composition these are given discreetly. The poems are also given in differing fonts in an effort to be faithful to how Linda recorded them over the years. Steve Wolf, IDJC Press, idjc.org

Hinge Hours For Christmas is a meditation rendering of Psalms (63), Canticles (14), Scripture Readings on the Christian Life (40), and traditional songs from the public domain (36), arranged for the two "hinge hours" of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer for the cycle of the Season of Christmas. Designed by a parish priest as a straightforward introduction to praying the Liturgy of the Hours, the Hinge Hours can also be used for private prayer and meditation by veterans of the breviary. Stephen Joseph Wolf was a parish priest in Nashville for 22 years who spent most Mondays in silence and solitude writing for faith sharing groups and spiritual direction. No longer a priest, the psalms and canticles are still at the center of his prayer life. For more information visit www.idjc.info.

Forty Spiritual Exercises: lifegiving penances in the great gift of mercy, is a collection of popular penances arranged by a former parish priest for faith-sharing groups meeting over six weeks, or for an individual reader seeking more creative ways to pray. They include 10 psalms, 22 other scripture passages, a walk to search for beauty, un-telling a lie, remembering one's baptism, a freely done tithe, the immensity and absurdity of sin, 72 tools of the spiritual craft, naming my cross, what's missing, anger the Jesus way, Saint Benedict's 12 steps to humility, the song that makes me say "yes!", the at-hand stretch, the greatest command, to bed one hour early, four or five toward intimacy, the breath of the Risen Lord, and claiming apostleship.(previously published as Forty Penances for Spiritual Exercise)

Pondering Our Faith is revised with the New Creed and offers a six-week review of Catholic faith basics for followers of Jesus the Christ to learn, teach and pray: The New Evangelization, The Church, Sacraments, Vocation, Moral Formation In Christ, and The Sacred. Compiled by retired and now former parish priest and spiritual director Stephen Joseph Wolf, here too are a handful of traditional songs, pastoral notes, and questions for reflection and story telling for each week. Pondering Our Faith is for adults, parents and catechists, and helpful for individual study or for groups of 5 to 15 people. Any attempt to articulate the faith will be imperfect, because we are trying to speak about our God. The narrative of Pondering Our Faith is excerpted with permission from the 2005 document of the U.S. Bishops, National Directory of Catechesis, which drew on input from countless faithful, clergy and lay, in a brave attempt of this generation to articulate the Christian faith.

A Simple Family Breviary is a modern version of the Little Office of Saint Francis of Assisi by a parish priest trying to help families pray together. Each prayer session includes a traditional song, a psalm of the season, either a psalm of Saint Francis or a psalm from the commons of Mary and the Saints, and closing praises. The order of prayer is easy to follow and offers variety day to day and month to month, and includes a calendar of major feasts of the church year. This simple once-daily prayer is suitable for a family, the classroom, midday at work, and with co-workers. Stephen Joseph Wolf is a retired and now former parish priest of the diocese of Nashville, and Angie Bosio is Director of Youth Ministry at St. Stephen Catholic Community in Old Hickory, Tennessee.

Here are 144 Hymns for Daily Prayer arranged by the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time with Ukulele Chords using three fingers: Index, Middle, and Ring. 93 traditional melodies, most from the public domain plus 10 by the author.How it happened (A Different Kind of Twelve Steps): 1. Got an ukulele that will stay in tune ($50+). 2. Got one of those electronic tuners (

Twelve Step Spirituality For Christians is a parish-tested introduction to a vibrant spirituality of honesty, perhaps the greatest American contribution to spirituality. It is designed for personal exploration or in groups of 5 to 15 people. The main goal of this little book is to expose 12 step spirituality to Christians who may not be familiar with it. Behind this is a conviction that our culture, leaning to addiction, is called to be a culture of life, vocation, and freedom. Some familiarity with these 12 steps will most certainly enrich the life and prayer of every woman and man on any faith journey. Stephen Joseph Wolf, the compiler, is a former parish priest and spiritual director. The six chapters are When I Am Weak, Let Go And Let God, Sick As Our Secrets, Progress Not Perfection, Let It Begin With Me, and One Day At A Time.

Planning My Own Funeral? offers a four-week process for planning one's own funeral, ideally in a group of 5 to 15 people. Designed by a former parish priest who still considers funerals one of the best ways to evangelize families, this little book helps an adult Christian of any age to pray with courage about his or her eventual human death, and how to be more fully alive now. The book can, of course, be used by an individual. But experience suggests that it is much more fun in a group. The consensus of those in one parish after the four weeks was "We never laughed so much while sharing our faith!" Planning My Own Funeral? can also help the faithful Christian to follow the spiritual advice of St. Benedict: "Keep daily your death before you." It may not be appropriate for those under the age of 25, and those who struggle with conditions such as depression are especially advised to use the book in a group. Enjoy this little immersion in the paschal mystery of Jesus our Christ.

God's Money is written for everyone who has from time to time been consumed with either a lack or an excess of money, for all who seek to better understand why we do what we do with money, and how life can be simpler and more real. With 14 years experience as an accountant and 22 years as a parish priest, the author is a "retired" CPA and Personal Financial Specialist with an MBA and a former pastor with a Masters of Divinity. God's Money is the fruit of praying over, wrestling with, and preaching on countless passages on good use and misuse of money in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. He translates Deuteronomy 10:14 ("Think! The heavens, even the highest heavens, belong to the Lord, your God, as well as the earth and everything on it") as simply "It is all God's Money." The second of eight sons of Nashville's best TV repairman and church secretary, the author also draws on the blessed experience of growing up in a household with limited finances. God's Money is designed for faith sharing groups and for individual readers. With Being Spouses, it was one of the resources the author gave to engaged couples preparing for marriage.