Ahhh, a great read – both volume 1 and volume 2.
Yes, today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. And many people do try and do some serious spiritual reading during the 40 day period.
Here was my review of the first Volume Latest Read: Jesus of Nazareth which I read right after it came out, in the summer of 2007. The Pope examines the biblical Jesus from the Baptism in the Jordan, to the Transfiguration.
The second volume Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week: From the Entrance Into Jerusalem To The Resurrection came out in March 2011, and I read it during Lent last year.
As the subtitle indicates, Benedict takes you from Holy Week through the Resurrection, along with an Epilogue regarding the Ascension and the coming return(!) of Jesus.
The books are not light reading – you have to engage the text. I found that 8-12 pages at a time was about right/all I could handle. But with 40 days, it's quite doable.
Pope Benedict says he is not writing doctrinally or dogmatically, but giving his opinion ofthe biblical texts – and he is a great scholar.
For a shorter taste of Pope Benedict, Behold the Pierced One, a book of four essays (128 pages), is wonderful. It was first published in 1986 – I believe they were actually talks he gave – and I've read it twice. Hit the link for the two reviews on Amazon. It costs less than ten dollars and is available on Kindle for $8.99 (I just bought it for my Kindle Fire; guess I'll be reading it a third time… I could do worse!).
Pope Benedict/Cardinal Ratzinger not your cup of tea? Here's a fine work by the late Fr. Richard John Neuhaus Death on a Friday Afteroon which combines spirituality, with a bit of theology.
Get off the sports page and the television -it's Lent!
Leave a Reply