Raniero Cantalamessa

These are not drunk, as you suppose… (Acts 2:15). —Peter preaching to the crowd after the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

We tend to overlook Peter's opening words to the crowd that first Pentecost morning, to our own peril. His denial of drunkenness in the wake of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit should stop us in our tracks. What was going on here? How did the apostles experience the Holy Spirit? What was he teaching them? How was he empowering them? What does this scene in the show more streets of Jerusalem mean for us today?

Father Raniero Cantalamessa offers pastoral advice and leads the reader through passages of Scripture and the Fathers of the Church to remind us of the incalculable power of the Spirit available to us. This spiritual "intoxication" is an infilling—through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, and the action of God—that purifies us of sin, renews the heart and enlightens the mind. As St. Augustine said of the Spirit, "He found you empty and he filled you…I like this kind of intoxication. The Spirit of God is both drink and light." show less

For over forty years, the Capuchin Father Raniero Cantalamessa, in his role as Preacher to the Papal Household, has delivered a yearly homily in St. Peter's Basilica during the Good Friday liturgy. He has offered his meditations in the presence of the last three popes: Pope John Paul II from 1980 to 2005, Pope Benedict XVI from 2006 to 2012, and Pope Francis from 2013 to 2022.

As in St. John’s Gospel and the early Church, Good Friday marks the hour of the death of Christ and at the same show more time of his exaltation and his victory over sin and suffering—a day of mourning but even more of rejoicing. The whole Paschal Mystery is commemorated in it.

These insightful and moving sermons not only illuminate the mystery of the Lord’s Passion; they are also a precious instrument in view of a New Evangelization in “Spirit and power.” Cardinal Cantalamessa gazes on the cross of Christ in the light of our modern world, and the modern world in the light of Christ's cross. show less

As one well accustomed to illuminating the Word to his audience, Father Cantalamessa bestows on readers an understanding of the Holy Spirit that is both practical and profound.?This slim volume contains rich meditations on the meaning and role of the Spirit as portrayed in the New Testament, particularly the Gospels.? The Bible Today

Just in time for the Holy Year of Mercy, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household, delves into the mystery of mercy, both human and divine. Jesus is "the mercy of God who became flesh", and it is his gaze of mercy that transforms us. Among the Gospel passages he explores are Jesus encounters with Zacchaeus and the woman caught in adultery as well as the passion of Jesus, "the height of God's mercy", and his resurrection, the "triumph of God's mercy". He also reminds us that show more just as we are recipients of God's mercy, we are called to be merciful to others. Insightful and inspiring! show less