Every year on the first Sunday of Lent, the Gospel reading is about Jesus going off to the wilderness, or desert, for 40 days. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our own 40 days in the desert. This penitential season is an intense time of spiritual renewal. The Church especially invites us to pray, fast, and give alms as means of expressing our utter dependence on God who through the waters of baptism shares his very life with us.

Providing spiritually rich material for small group or individual instruction, the Catholic Scripture Study International (CSSI) program brings together some of the best Catholic scholarship for lay instruction. Authored by Scott Hahn, Mark Shea, Cindy Morales, Steve Ray, and others, these commentaries and guides lead you through the inspiring Bible stories and provide topical studies faithful to Catholic teaching.

The Book of Ruth—while only four chapters in length—is one of the most moving accounts in the Bible. A story of love and loyalty, you will be amazed by the many layers and depths of meaning packed into this little love story!

The four weeks leading up to Christmas mark the beginning of the Western Church’s liturgical year. The Church stresses that Advent is a time of reflection, meditation, and preparation. This study will follow the Catholic Scripture Study format but will concentrate on the Sunday lectionary readings and incorporate the ancient method of Lectio Divina (praying the Scriptures). To prepare, each participant will read the Sunday readings along with the “Points to Ponder” commentary, answer the study questions, and “pray the Scriptures.” During Advent, we should be focused on preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ. Are we ready for the King? Are our hearts ready to receive our Savior?

In 1968, Pope Paul VI issued an encyclical on the regulation of birth, called Humanae Vitae. This document was very controversial since many people were apparently expecting the Catholic Church to change her teaching and accept birth control. In this study, you will see how the Holy Father’s words concerning the consequences of accepting birth control turned out to be prophetic. This book has four chapters/lessons and includes answers.

The last book of the New Testament is also probably the most difficult and misunderstood book of the Bible. With these 30 guided lessons and commentary on the biblical text, discover the timeless messages of the mysterious Book of Revelation, and learn to distinguish between the popular false notions of the end times and the truth God intended by this apocalyptic yet canonical text.

John is known as “the apostle whom Jesus loved” (John 20:2), and one of the three considered to be in the inner circle of Jesus’ friends, along with Peter and James. His tenacity showed as he was the only apostle who was present at the foot of the cross when our Lord was crucified. Through the expert exegesis of Scott Hahn and Mark Shea, you will be led through the multi-layered writings of St. John and discover much more than you ever realized about this Gospel.

The four weeks leading up to Christmas mark the beginning of the Western Church’s liturgical year. The Church stresses that Advent is a time of reflection, meditation, and preparation. This study will follow the Catholic Scripture Study format but will concentrate on the Sunday lectionary readings and incorporate the ancient method of Lectio Divina (praying the Scriptures). To prepare, each participant will read the Sunday readings along with the “Points to Ponder” commentary, answer the study questions, and “pray the Scriptures.” During Advent, we should be focused on preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ. Are we ready for the King? Are our hearts ready to receive our Savior?

Men are rediscovering the importance of the spiritual life and Father Larry Richards is helping them do it. While some writers apply a one-size-fits-all approach to the Christian life, Father Richards draws on his many years of ministry and his own experience as a man to inspire other men. This is a 10-week study based on the book Be a Man by Father Larry Richards, by Ignatius Press. These lessons offer deeper reflection on how to imitate the greatest role model of true manhood.

The Epistle of James deals with a variety of themes, with an emphasis on practical aspects of the Christian life. Some topics covered in this epistle include how to handle trials and temptations, understanding the relation between faith and works, how to tame our tongues, being a friend of God rather than a friend of the world, and the value of humility, patience, and prayer.

Jesus’ Passion: The Story of Redemptive Suffering examines the scriptural basis of Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ, and looks at how this powerful portrayal of the suffering and death of Jesus relates to the Bible and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Designed to be used alone or in conjunction with the movie, Jesus’ Passion is suitable for individual or group study. If used in conjunction with the movie, the study book includes detailed instructions outlining where to stop the movie each week to correspond to the lesson.

Many say that there is no other New Testament epistle that expresses Christian truths in such a majestic way. The instructions to husbands and wives in Ephesians 5:21–33 is a topic of much confusion and consternation in modern times. Find out how this challenging teaching is not only liberating, but is a portrait of the Church’s participation in the life of the Blessed Trinity.

This is probably the most difficult of all St. Paul’s letters, as well as the single-most disputed biblical book between Catholics and Protestants. This book, written by St. Paul, is the book from which Martin Luther built his doctrine of “justification by faith alone.” This study shows how Luther twisted St. Paul’s words to fit his own teaching and even added (in his Lutheran Bible) the word “alone” to Romans 3:28 in his attempt to further enhance his doctrine of “Sola Fide.”

Discover and share the monumental modern teachings of the Catholic Church. With these study programs on select documents of Vatican II, you can take yourself or your small group into a deeper understanding of the spirituality of the Catholic Church. If you’ve ever wanted to lead your parish through the ever-important documents of Vatican II, these studies were made for you.

The four weeks leading up to Christmas mark the beginning of the Western Church’s liturgical year. The Church stresses that Advent is a time of reflection, meditation, and preparation. This study will follow the Catholic Scripture Study format but will concentrate on the Sunday lectionary readings and incorporate the ancient method of Lectio Divina (praying the Scriptures). To prepare, each participant will read the Sunday readings along with the “Points to Ponder” commentary, answer the study questions, and “pray the Scriptures.” During Advent, we should be focused on preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ. Are we ready for the King? Are our hearts ready to receive our Savior?

Through this study, readers will discover the answer to those age-old questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? What is the purpose of my life? The answers to these questions and many more are found in this in-depth study. Genesis also sets the stage for God’s plan of redemption and plants the seeds of many important doctrines and Christian teachings that unfold in the rest of the Bible. Without Genesis, the Bible is incomprehensible, which makes this a “must” study!

One of the best-loved books of the Bible, the Gospel of Matthew focuses on the divine fatherhood of God, and it sets the stage for Jesus' establishment of the Church as the kingdom of heaven on earth.

This is the birth of the Church—the completion of the story of Jesus as manifested in the life of the early Church, Christ’s mystical body on Earth. Some highlights of this book include Jesus’ Ascension, the replacing of Judas; Pentecost; Peter’s primacy; the miracles of and the spread of the Gospel by the Apostles; growth of the first Christian community around Peter; Stephen, the first Christian martyr; Saul, the persecutor of Christians and his miraculous conversion; the first Church council; the mission.

Hebrews is written to Jewish converts, who, because of persecutions, as well as fear and doubts about their Christian faith, are tempted to revert back to traditional Judaism and its Temple-centered worship.

Carl Olson grew up with many misconceptions about the “end times.” This study is a thorough critique of the popular notion of the “Rapture”—the belief that Christians will be removed from earth prior to a time of Tribulation and the Second Coming. It examines the theological, historical, and biblical basis for premillennial dispensationalism, the belief system based around the Rapture, and popularized in the best-selling Left Behind books.

Through 28 lessons, study the essential teachings of Hebrews and James and learn the critical role they play in the teachings of the Catholic Church. You’ll be amazed by the depth of teaching and exegesis these studies contain, whether you are studying for yourself or leading a small group in your parish.

A detailed guide explaining everything from promoting the program, holding registration, forming a leadership team, scheduling classes and structuring class format, to navigating the Catholic Scripture Study International website. There are even “ice-breakers” games provided for the first class as well as tips for keeping discussions on track.

Exodus is an amazingly eye-opening book, especially for Catholics! Learn how the Eucharist is prefigured by the Passover, discover the symbolism of the parting of the Red Sea, and more. This book has it all—murder, betrayal, plagues, idolatry, miracles—and it’s all true! Best of all, it is life changing: it is the Word of God.

Discover the timeless narratives of the Old Testament through these thorough and applicable study sets. Each comes with lessons tailored for personal or group use, with insightful commentary and background information on the Scripture text itself.

The Book of Joshua is a historical account of how the Israelites conquered Canaan, the land God promised them in the covenant with Abraham. The book details Joshua’s obedience to God, the bloody-yet-miraculous battles, and the division of the land among the 12 tribes.

The four weeks leading up to Christmas mark the beginning of the Western Church’s liturgical year. The Church stresses that Advent is a time of reflection, meditation, and preparation. This study will follow the Catholic Scripture Study format but will concentrate on the Sunday lectionary readings and incorporate the ancient method of Lectio Divina (praying the Scriptures). To prepare, each participant will read the Sunday readings along with the “Points to Ponder” commentary, answer the study q...

A Juan se le conoce como «el discípulo a quien Jesús amaba» (Jn. 20, 2) y uno de los tres que eran considerados el círculo íntimo de los amigos de Jesús, al igual que Pedro y Santiago. Su tenacidad se puso de relieve al ser el único apóstol que estuvo presente al pie de la cruz cuando nuestro Señor fue crucificado. Mediante la experta exégesis de Scott Hahn y Mark Shea, será guiado por los múltiples niveles de los escritos de San Juan y descubrirá mucho más de lo que ha comprendido jamás sobre este Evangelio.

The Book of Judges records the Israelites’ descent into sin and the terrible consequences. The 12 heroes of the book seem larger than life but were imperfect, just as we are, which makes this book just as relevant today. Judges is a stern reminder that God punishes sin but is always ready to forgive the repentant sinner back.

Through 28 lessons, study Paul’s letters to Corinth on a detailed and in-depth level. Whether with a group or by yourself, these study notes, questions, and application principles are specifically designed to bring you and your community into a fuller understanding of Catholic spirituality and exegesis.

In Paul’s letters to Corinthians, he addresses ongoing problems experienced in the Church at Corinth. These problems included dissension, immorality, lawsuits, liturgical abuses, and their tendency to fall prey to “false teachers.” Paul tackles each of these problems with his typical spiritual zeal, strengthening their faith and their commitment to build up the Body of Christ.