Over the last few years, I have read several of books by and about Pope Benedict XVI, many from the Catholic Truth Society. Of the popes in my lifetime, I find his writings of immense spiritual benefit. I would state that I underappreciated him until his resignation. And since then, I have read much. And with each piece I read I appreciate his wisdom, faith, and stand against modernism. And nearly every time I finish one, I find another I want to read. This one was hard to track down but it was well worth it. I tracked down a used out-of-copy that was in near perfect condition. This is another great read by Pope Benedict XVI’s.
The online descriptions of the book is:
“Each year Lent presents us with a providential opportunity to go deeper as Christians. Drawing on addresses and homilies, this booklet brings home Pope Benedict's urgent call to conversion of heart and therefore to happiness. The journey to Easter joy begins on Ash Wednesday and takes us through Lent. Palm Sunday, Holy Week, the Triduum and Easter Vigil, Eastertide and finally to Pentecost.”
The back of the cover states:
“Each year Lent presents us with a providential opportunity to go deeper as Christians.
Drawing on recent addresses and homilies, this booklet brings home Pope Benedict’s urgent call to conversion of heart and therefore to happiness. The Journey to Easter joy begins on Ash Wednesday and takes us through Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week, the Triduum and Easter Vigil, Eastertide and finally to Pentecost.
The Pilgrim could have no better spiritual guide than Benedict XVI.”
The chapters in this volume are:
Rediccovering our Baptism
Streghten our desire to change – Ash Wednesday
Authentic conversion to God
Walking in Lent
Road that leads to the living God – Palm Sunday
He Makes us all one – the Lord’s Supper
Way of the Cross – Good Friday
Reason and Freedom in creation – Easter Vigil
Continious resurrection within us – Octive of Easter
The gift of joy itself - Pentacost
I highlighted numerous passages while reading this booklet, and could have easily doubled the number. Here are some of them:
“The Lenten period, which leads us to the celebration of Holy Easter, is for the Church a most valuable and important liturgical time, in view of which I am pleased to offer a specific word in order that it may be lived with due diligence.”
“The fact that, in most cases, Baptism is received in infancy highlights how it is a gift of God: no one earns eternal life through their own efforts.”
“In fact, the Church has always associated the Easter Vigil with the celebration of Baptism: this Sacrament realizes the great mystery in which man dies to sin, is made a sharer in the new life of the Risen Christ and receives the same Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead (cf. Rm 8:11).”
“This free gift must always be rekindled in each one of us, and Lent offers us a path like that of the catechumenate, which, for the Christians of the early Church, just as for catechumens today, is an irreplaceable school of faith and Christian life.”
“The Sunday of the man born blind presents Christ as the light of the world. The Gospel confronts each one of us with the question: "Do you believe in the Son of man?" "Lord, I believe!" (Jn 9:35. 38), the man born blind joyfully exclaims, giving voice to all believers.”
“Communion with Christ in this life prepares us to overcome the barrier of death, so that we may live eternally with him. Faith in the resurrection of the dead and hope in eternal life open our eyes to the ultimate meaning of our existence: God created men and women for resurrection and life, and this truth gives an authentic and definitive meaning to human history, to the personal and social lives of men and women, to culture, politics and the economy.”
“The Lenten journey finds its fulfillment in the Paschal Triduum, especially in the Great Vigil of the Holy Night: renewing our baptismal promises, we reaffirm that Christ is the Lord of our life, that life which God bestowed upon us when we were reborn of "water and Holy Spirit", and we profess again our firm commitment to respond to the action of the Grace in order to be his disciples.”
“Through the traditional practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer, which are an expression of our commitment to conversion, Lent teaches us how to live the love of Christ in an ever more radical way.”
“In synthesis, the Lenten journey. in which we are invited Lo contemplate the Mystery of the Cross, is meant to reproduce within us "the pattern of his death" (Ph 3: 10), so as to effect a deep conversion in our lives; that we may be transformed by the action of the Holy Spirit, like St Paul on the road to Damascus; that we may firm ly orient our existence according to the will of God;”
“Lenten period is a favorable time to recognize our weakness and to accept, through a sincere inventory of our life, the renewing Grace of the Sacrament of Penance, and walk resolutely towards Christ.”
“The blessed ashes imposed upon our forehead are a sign that reminds us of our condition as creatures, that invites us to repent, and to intensify our commitment to convert to follow the Lord ever more closely.”
“The First Sunday of Lent, known as the "Sunday of the Temptation" because it presents Jesus' temptations in the wilderness, invites us to renew our definitive adherence to God and, in order to remain faithful to him, to face courageously the struggle that awaits us.”
“In the Church's tradition, this journey we are asked to take in Lent is marked by certain practices: fasting, almsgiving and prayer. Fasting means abstinence from food but includes other forms of privation for a more modest life.”
“In other words, it is in practice a question of adopting an attitude of authentic conversion to God – of returning to him - recognizing his holiness, his power, his majesty.”
“Let us set out confidently and joyfully on the Lenten journey. Forty days separate us from Easter; this "strong" season of the liturgical year is a favourable time which is granted to us so that we may attend more closely to our conversion, listen more intensely to the word of God and intensify our prayer and penance.”
“Let us invoke the Virgin Mary so that he may help us always to listen to and follow the Lord Jesus, even to the Passion and the Cross, in order to also participate in his glory.”
“God the Father sent him to quench our thirst for eternal life, giving us his love, but to give us this gift Jesus asks for our faith.”
“Each one of us can identify himself with the Samaritan woman: Jesus is waiting for us, especially in this Season of Lent, to speak to our hearts, to my heart. Let us pause a moment in silence, in our room or in a church or in a separate place.”
“Sin wounded humanity and destined it to the darkness of death, but the newness of life shines out in Christ, as well as the destination to which we are called. In him, reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit, we receive the strength to defeat evil and to do good.”
“We need God: he draws us upwards; letting ourselves be upheld by his hands - by faith in other words – sets us aright and gives us the inner strength that raises us on high. We need the humility of a faith which seeks the face of God and trusts in the truth of his love.”
“This evening in faith we have accompanied Jesus as he takes the final steps of his earthly journey the most painful steps, the steps that lead to Calvary. We have heard the cries of the crowd, the words of condemnation, the insults of the soldiers, the lamentation of the Virgin Mary and of the women. Now we are immersed in the silence of this night, in the silence of the cross, the silence of death.”
“Let us gaze on the crucified Jesus, and let us ask in prayer: Enlighten our hearts, Lord, that we may follow you along the way of the cross.”
“In these first clays of the Easter Season - which lasts until Pentecost - we are still filled with the freshness and new joy that the liturgical celebrations have brought to our hearts.”
“The expectations of our time are so numerous: we Christians, firmly believing that Christ's Resurrection has renewed man without taking him from the world in which he builds his history, we must be luminous witnesses of this new life that Easter has brought.”
“This is what the Church wants to tell us: the Spirit Creator of all things and the Holy Spirit whom the Lord caused to come down from the Father upon the community of the disciples are one and the same. Creation and redemption belong to each other and constitute, in depth, one mystery of love and of salvation.”
“All the sacraments, each in its own way, communicate divine life to human beings, thanks to the Holy Spirit who works within them.”
“Therefore let us pray: Lord, show yourself! Make us the gift of your presence and we shall have the most beautiful gift: your joy.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. The number of times Benedict concludes a section with “Let us entrust our Lenten journey to the Virgin Mary, …” brings home the centrality of seeking her guidance, through Lent and the whole year. This volume was built from 10 pieces given in 2010 and 2011. This is another excellent little volume on Lent from the talks and homilies of Pope Benedict XVI. It was wonderful to work through this book, I was blessed to track it down and you will if you do as well.
This volume was a wonderful little volume and easy to engage with. It is well worth a read. Another excellent volume based on the writings and teachings of Pope Benedict. I can easily recommend it.
