Brendan Byrne

These profound and inspiring reflections on the Gospel of John will open to preachers, religious, and parish groups interested in Scripture, the treasures that the Fourth Gospel contains for the life of the world.Brendan Byrne draws on the insights in Life Abounding, his academic commentary on the Fourth Gospel, to enrich the understanding of non-scholars in Come to the Light. Discussion questions provided at the end of each talk serve as a starting point for the reader’s personal contemplation.

Christmas is celebrated differently all around the world. Some people celebrate it in the cold of Winter by making snow angels and snowmen, before snuggling up in front of a roaring fire and sipping eggnog to stay warm. Others celebrate it in the heat of Summer, at the beach or pool, and cooking up a feast on the BBQ. Some enjoy decorating their home and Christmas tree with lots of lights and ornaments, and some simply fill the house with the beautiful aroma of freshly baked cookies and singing Christmas carols. 'Christmas is Here' is a fun story that can be added to your tradition and read to the kids at bedtime (or anytime) in the lead up to Christmas Day.

Christmas is celebrated differently all around the world. Some people celebrate it in the cold of Winter by making snow angels and snowmen, before snuggling up in front of a roaring fire and sipping eggnog to stay warm. Others celebrate it in the heat of Summer, at the beach or pool, and cooking up a feast on the BBQ. Some enjoy decorating their home and Christmas tree with lots of lights and ornaments, and some simply fill the house with the beautiful aroma of freshly baked cookies and singing Christmas carols. 'Christmas is Here' is a fun story that can be added to your tradition and read to the kids at bedtime (or anytime) in the lead up to Christmas Day.

This is a collection of verse modelled on the traditional Japanese tanka and haiku poetic forms. Covering themes ranging from love and parenthood, to the passing seasons and scenes from daily life, this collection seeks to use these ancient forms to speak into contemporary, yet universally human, experience. The collection is preceded by a brief introduction to tanka and haiku, their history, and literary significance.

This work offers a theological and pastoral discussion of key Pauline texts and topics, arranged in a format for an 8-day retreat along the lines of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius Loyola. While the format is that of two talks a day for eight days of retreat, the collection is designed to serve as an introduction to Paul’s theology and spirituality more generally, with a particular focus upon those aspects that appear to be matched and stressed in Ignatian spirituality, as currently understood and practiced. Notable emphases include: Paul’s sense of the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus as the outreach of divine self-sacrificial love to the world; the sense of Christ as New Adam, inaugurating in a graced “new creation” the original divine plan for human beings and the other-than-human world; the rich Pauline sense of as “life in the body,” including the Eucharistic body, in all its aspects both individual and communal; the transition from the limitations (spiritual and pastoral) of “life under the law” to freedom and responsibility “in the Spirit”; the hope for the future of humanity and the world represented by the resurrection of Jesus and the triumph of grace and self-sacrificial love. While designed in first instance for individual instruction and reflection, the talks would also serve for communal reading and discussion. Each is concluded by a series of questions designed, in either context, to promote this end. †

Luke portrays the life and ministry of Jesus as a divine "visitation" to the world, seeking hospitality. The One who comes as visitor and guest becomes host and offers a hospitality in which the entire world can become truly human, be at home, and know salvation in the depths of their hearts. In this new edition of The Hospitality of God, Brendan Byrne, SJ, provides to-the-point commentary on those parts of Luke's gospel that bring home to people a sense of the extravagance of God's love for them.The Hospitality of God approaches Luke's gospel through the interpretive key of "hospitality." It looks at the gospel as a whole, yet lingers upon scenes where the theme of hospitality is particularly prominent, such as the infancy stories, Jesus at Nazareth, Jesus in the house of Simon, the Good Samaritan, Martha and Mary, the banquet in 14:1-35, the Prodigal Son, Jesus' visit to the tax collector Zacchaeus, the institution of the Eucharist, and the Emmaus event. This revised edition includes a new introductory chapter titled “Features of Luke,” which includes distinctive themes and motifs of the gospel that invite all to join in the life-giving hospitality of God. This revised edition is an excellent resource for students, teachers, and pastors interested in Luke’s gospel or in search of a helpful perspective for pastoral and homiletic reflection and preparation.

The fourth gospel addresses the thirst for life that lies at the depth of every human heart. The life in question is not just physical life but the “more abundant life‘” (John 10:10) that is nothing less than a share in the “eternal life” of the divine communion of love. In Life Abounding, Brendan Byrne, SJ, facilitates a reading of John for readers today so that it may move them from mere existence to a conscious sense of sharing the divine eternal life—and the joy that goes with it.The reading of the Fourth Gospel offered here remains conscious of the difficulties John presents on several fronts for contemporary readers. Byrne explains the text in a way that is critical yet sensitive to the gospel’s distinctive character and the untapped treasures it may yet contain for theology and spirituality today. This volume represents the completion of Byrne’s highly successful series of books on the four gospels, which have proven to be rich resources for preachers, teachers, and all who desire a more profound understanding of the life of Jesus as it is presented in the gospels.

With this study of the Gospel of Mark, Brendan Byrne completes his trilogy of works on the Synoptic Gospels. Mark, the Cinderella gospel, as Byrne says, languished for millennia in the shadow of Matthew ("the first gospel") and Luke. Beginning in the nineteenth century, scholars uncovered what is now generally accepted as the more likely scenario: that Mark was the pioneer, creating a new literary genre ("gospel") in which to communicate the "Good News of Jesus Christ." This Good News according to Mark is essentially a message of freedom a freedom, however, that does "not come about without cost: a cost to Jesus, a cost to the Father, and a cost to those called to associate themselves with his life and mission." Mark holds out to us both the price and the promise of freedom.A Costly Freedom joins The Hospitality of God (on Luke) and Lifting the Burden (on Matthew) to make up a set of indispensable companions to the gospels for preachers, teachers, and those who simply want to read the gospels for understanding and a deepening of their spirituality and faith.Brendan Byrne, SJ, is professor of New Testament at Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. A member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (1990 '96) and Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities (2000 '), he is the author of nine books and editor in chief of the theological journal Pacifica.

This commentary adopts a literary-rhetorical approach, viewing the letter as an instrument of persuasion designed to transform readers through a celebratory presentation of the Gospel. Reflecting upon the fate of Jews and Gentiles, Paul wins his audience to a vision of a God who always acts inclusively. The God who, in the person of Israel's Messiah (Jesus), has acted faithfully to include the Gentile peoples within the community of salvation, will not fail to see to the eventual inclusion of Israel as well. In the victory of grace displayed already in the risen humanity of Jesus, the original design of the Creator for human communities and for the world begins to come true.The interpretation of Paul's letter to Rome has accompanied and stimulated the path of Christian theology down to today. Romans touches upon virtually all main issues of Christian theology, as well as presenting a rewarding introduction to Paul. Byrne facilitates full access to Paul and his Gospel through the letter, allowing Christians today to hear his voice as intelligibly and powerfully as it has spoken to past generations.

This commentary adopts a literary-rhetorical approach, viewing the letter as an instrument of persuasion designed to transform readers through a celebratory presentation of the Gospel. Reflecting upon the fate of Jews and Gentiles, Paul wins his audience to a vision of a God who always acts inclusively. The God who, in the person of Israel's Messiah (Jesus), has acted faithfully to include the Gentile peoples within the community of salvation, will not fail to see to the eventual inclusion of Israel as well. In the victory of grace displayed already in the risen humanity of Jesus, the original design of the Creator for human communities and for the world begins to come true.The interpretation of Paul's letter to Rome has accompanied and stimulated the path of Christian theology down to today. Romans touches upon virtually all main issues of Christian theology, as well as presenting a rewarding introduction to Paul. Byrne facilitates full access to Paul and his Gospel through the letter, allowing Christians today to hear his voice as intelligibly and powerfully as it has spoken to past generations.