Reflections on the Sunday Gospel: How to More Fully Live Out Your Relationship with God

This inspiring compendium of sermons by Francis (Against War) reflects on how to follow the word of God. He emphasizes the “value and significance of the Holy Mass” for teaching how to develop “our relationship with God ever more fully,” and to that end offers homilies for each Sunday and holiday of the liturgical calendar. Each reflection includes Francis’s meditation on a scriptural passage and a brief excerpt from an early church father, including the well-known Saints Augustine and Ambrose as well as such lesser-known figures as St. Irenaeus (women saints are unfortunately underrepresented). Francis weaves personal anecdotes into his exegesis, recounting in his Easter Sunday sermon a conversation he had with a severely ill young man who struggled to reconcile his suffering with his faith; Francis asserts that Christians must not let their faith waver even in the face of hardship. His contemplations for Ordinary Time are also stirring, as when he unpacks a verse from Matthew and contends that though many people are inclined to turn inward when life gets rough, readers must instead seek the counsel of Jesus. Catholic readers will enjoy the straightforward style and uplifting musings. These heartening sermons deliver. (Nov.)