Bert Ghezzi - The Heart of Catholicism: Practicing the Everyday Habits That Shape Us

A wonderful book for newcomers and a great refresher for Catholics who seek to live solidly rooted, enthusiastic lives following Christ in the Church. Presenting daily habits that lead to a deep and joyful conversion to Christ, Bert Ghezzi inspires and motivates.

Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz

Archbishop of Louisville

The Heart of Catholicism is a welcome resource for any adult wanting the faith to permeate every aspect of life. It is a first-rate resource from a trusted author, perfect for the task of growing more deeply through study, reflection, and practicing just how we live our beautiful Catholic faith.

Cardinal Donald Wuerl

Archbishop of Washington

In a warm and accessible way, Bert Ghezzi offers the lifelong Catholic and the new convert a practical way of exploring and renewing their faith. Berts broad knowledge of and love for the faith is a wonderful guide for those who want to draw closer to Christ and the Church.

Most Reverend William E. Lori

Archbishop of Baltimore

Bert Ghezzi is a master at his craft and an obvious student of the classroom of silence. These pages are dripping not only with ageless wisdom but also with the hard-earned practical insights that come from a lifelong struggle to live in wisdom.

Matthew Kelly

Author of The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic

In this cohesive, pastoral compendium of Catholic teaching, Bert Ghezzi draws upon the spirit and teachings of Vatican II, the deep biblical and sacramental traditions of the Church, personal narratives, and probing theological reflection to persuade readers to discover, deepen, and live the call to holiness as Catholic Christians in the world.

Denise Morency Gannon

Founder and Director of the Roncalli Center

Like the scribe who brings out things old and new, Bert Ghezzi shares wisdom garnered from his years of experience as a faithful Catholic, along with an appreciation for what is essential to Catholics who live in this current moment. The Heart of Catholicism is simultaneously a classical and contemporary presentation of the beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith and an important resource for the New Evangelization.

Fr. Steve Grunow

CEO, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

Whether youre a lifelong Catholic, a convert to the faith, or a person who is pondering your relationship with Christ and his Church, treat yourself to The Heart of Catholicism by Bert Ghezzi. This is not a book youll read once and put on a shelf. Rather, it is a living invitation to more fully know and embrace Catholicism and its many gifts. Filled with resources, teachings, and reflection questions for individual or group study, Berts book belongs in every home and parish.

Lisa M. Hendey

Author of A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms

Bert Ghezzis book is a fantastic breath of fresh air! His language is thoughtful, simple, and clear, and his teaching is complemented with practical stories. He highlights the beauty of what it means to be Catholic. The entertaining anecdotes about challenges and opportunities invite individuals to reflect critically on their personal journeys of faith. His pastoral examples open doors for animated conversations with family, friends, and fellow parishioners. Once the book is in your hands you will not want to put it down!

Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, M.H.S.H.

Director, Institute for Pastoral Initiatives

University of Dayton

Unless otherwise noted, scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible , revised edition 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Scripture quotations marked (NJB) are taken from the New Jerusalem Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Excerpts from the English translation of Rite of Penance , copyright 1974, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. (ICEL); excerpts from the English translation of Rite of Confirmation , second edition, copyright 1975, ICEL. All rights reserved.

Veni Sancte Spiritus, translated by Rev. Dr. John Webster Grant, used by permission of Phyllis Airhart, the copyright holder. All rights reserved.

This Work was previously published as Being Catholic Today: Your Personal Guide by Bert Ghezzi, Ann Arbor: Servant Publications, copyright 1998.

____________________________________

1998, 2014 by Bert Ghezzi

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews, without written permission from Ave Maria Press, Inc., P.O. Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556, 1-800-282-1865.

Founded in 1865, Ave Maria Press is a ministry of the United States Province of Holy Cross.

www.avemariapress.com

Paperback: ISBN-13 978-1-59471-440-5

E-book: ISBN-13 978-1-59471-441-2

Cover image plainpicture/bobsairport.

Cover and text design by Katherine Robinson.

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ghezzi, Bert.
The heart of Catholicism : practicing the everyday habits that shape us / Bert Ghezzi. pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
Summary: Incorporates stories from the authors own life to show how Catholicism is contagious; spreading from person to person because of the things Catholics do that are distinctively Catholic-- Provided by publisher.
ISBN 1-59471-440-1 (978-1-59471-440-5)
1. Catholic Church--Doctrines. 2. Christian life--Catholic authors. 3. Catholic Church--Customs and practices. 4. Ghezzi, Bert. I. Title.
BX1754.G4155 2014
248.482--dc23
2013044592

In memory

of my parents

Josephine A. and William B. Ghezzi

Also by Bert Ghezzi

The Power of Daily Prayer

The Saints Devotional Bible , compiler/editor

Voices of the Saints

Discover Christ , coauthor

Saints at Heart

Everyday Encounters with God , coauthor

The Sign of the Cross

Mystics and Miracles

Living the Sacraments

Getting Free

Contents

Preface

Catholicism is contagious. We catch it from other Catholics who are living their faith with enthusiasm. Most often we catch it from Catholics banded together in some kind of communitya parish, a prayer group, a Bible study, or some other communal group whose committed relationships and obvious love for one another attract others like magnets.

I am a cradle Catholic, raised by a faithful, single-parent mother, and educated in Catholic schools from the earliest grades through graduate school. But I did not discover what it meant to live a fully Catholic life until I became a university student in my late teens.

Shortly after I enrolled at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the fall of 1959, I bumped into an informal community of professors and students who were living what I sometimes call the normal Catholic life. They invited me to join them for early-morning prayer. With them I learned to pray a laypersons version of the Liturgy of the Hours. That exposure to praying the psalms and reflecting on scripture shaped the way I pray to this day.