A Fierce and Tender Love

by Timothy P. O'Malley, McGrath Institute for Church Life

2025 · Ave Maria Press

In A Fierce and Tender Love, bestselling author, speaker, and theologian Timothy P. O’Malley invites us to contemplate Mary, as a model of tenderness, hope, and renewal, and as the Church’s first and preeminent disciple. As O’Malley writes, “Mary’s vocation is also to be ours. Like her, we are called to find our meaning and our identity most completely in the tender mercy of God revealed in the face of the Son.” Through personal stories, spiritual reflections, and deep theological insights, O’Malley shows us how Mary, as the Mother of God, Mother of the Church, and Queen of All Saints, guides us to Christ, teaching us how to live as true disciples. Along the way, we learn what it means to belong to the Church, to journey together through history as a pilgrim people, and to play our part in the “revolution of tenderness” that Pope Francis speaks of—a movement rooted in the mystery of God becoming human in a virgin named Mary. O’Malley helps us to see that in this time of renewal and hope, Mary offers us the key to unlocking both. The book offers seven thoughtful meditations on Mary’s life, including: The Immaculate Conception as a model of true freedom The Annunciation as the wisdom to trust God The Visitation as a source of enduring hope The Incarnation as the revolution of tenderness that changes everything The Seven Sorrows of Mary, showing us how she walks with us in suffering Mary’s motherhood of the Church, calling us to deeper discipleship The Assumption as a glimpse of our own future victory in Christ These meditations help us to walk with Mary, aligning our lives with hers and discovering renewed hope in Christ and in his Church. Through O’Malley’s guidance, readers will see how Mary’s life offers a sure path for navigating times of uncertainty, suffering, and our world’s profound need for spiritual renewal. Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us! This book is part of the Engaging Catholicism series from the McGrath Institute for Church Life.

Becoming Eucharistic People

by Timothy P. O'Malley, McGrath Institute for Church Life

2022 · Ave Maria Press

Winner of a first-place award in the future church category from the Catholic Media Association. We can’t just talk about Christ’s presence in the Eucharist; we have to believe it, celebrate it, and live it both individually and as a community of the faithful. And we must cultivate a culture in our parishes that treats Real Presence not only as an important Catholic doctrine, but also as the most important part of parish identity. In Becoming Eucharistic People, theologian Timothy P. O’Malley, author of Real Presence, outlines four essential dimensions of a Eucharistic culture in a parish—one that fosters reverence and unity among the faithful, includes every dimension of human life in the mystery of Christ’s Body and Blood, and invites people back to parish life or to become Catholic for the first time. O’Malley—director of education at the McGrath Institute of Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, academic director of the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy, and a member of the executive planning team for the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Eucharistic Revival—shows what it means to foster a parish culture where the Eucharist infuses the worldview, priorities, and practices of its members. O’Malley leads you through discovery and discernment about how to create a parish culture where each person is called to holiness and receives the spiritual, theological, and pastoral help they need to meet Christ fully present in the Eucharist and to become a witness to him in the world. O’Malley will help you reflect on four essential facets of a Eucharistic parish culture: liturgies of joyful reverence that celebrate the gifts of diversity; formation that engages the mind, imagination, understanding, and will; a rich life of popular piety and the vibrancy of the domestic Church; and a commitment to solidarity with your neighbor. O’Malley says that when we reflect Christ’s Real Presence to others, our parishes will become sacred spaces in which every person is led to deeper communion with God and with their neighbors. Online resources, including ideas for parish retreats, teaching resources, and videos based on this book and the US bishops Eucharistic Revival are available from the McGrath Institute for Church Life. Books in the Engaging Catholicism series from the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame help readers discover the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith through a concise exploration of the Church’s most important but often difficult-to-grasp doctrines as well as crucial pastoral and spiritual practices. Perfect for seekers and new Catholics, clergy and catechetical leaders, and everyone in between, the series expands the McGrath Institute’s mission to connect the Catholic intellectual life at Notre Dame to the pastoral life of the Church and the spiritual needs of her people.