Man cannot live without love.... His life is senseless if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it.

-- John Paul II, Redemptor Hominis

If you were asked what immediately comes to mind when you hear the words Catholic Church, would you answer "an intimate relationship with the God who loves me"?

If not, you would do well to read this engaging and thought-provoking book which explains why such a relationship is the reason for everything the Church does and teaches. Professor Edward Sri will show you how all the pieces of the Catholic faith, including the most baffling ones, fit together to make one beautiful mosaic of God's love for us and our own participation in that all-encompassing love.

Using the Catechism of the Catholic Church as his itinerary, Sri will walk you through all the important aspects of the Catholic Church--what Catholics believe about God and the difference it should make in life. Along the way he addresses such often-heard questions as:

• Why do I need the Church--can't I be spiritual on my own?
• Isn't one religion just as good as another?
• How is the death of a man two thousand years ago relevant for my life today?
• Why does the Church talk so much about morality? Can't I make up my own morals?
• Is it really our responsibility to care for the poor-- doesn't God help those who help themselves?
• Why do Catholics and Protestants disagree? Must Catholics worship Mary and always obey the pope?

More than an intellectual enterprise, this work is also a deep spiritual reflection and a practical guide to living out our faith in Christ. It aims to form both the head and the heart, not only helping us to understand Jesus and his plan of salvation, but inspiring us to love God and our neighbor better.