Customer Reviews

Biblical Meditations for the Easter Season

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I ordered this book out of deference to a brief friendship with the author, who has recently passed away. Reading it these past weeks renewed my admiration for the technical depth of Carroll Stuhlmueller, coupled with his exceptional grasp of pastoral priorities. It also enriched this past Easter Season as I read his reflections each day. I was reminded that I have yet to read one of his books or articles without a sense of renewal. The book is excellent for any Christian reader looking for a deeper relationship with Scripture, because it provides exceptional insights into the liturgical season of highest majesty, the Easter Season. These include many of the most important readings of the Christian Scriptures. Father Carroll's writings are sensitive to the entire Christian community, although the book is organized around the Lectionary used by Roman Catholics and several mainline Protestant groups. The author's particular depth with the Hebrew scriptures is evident, although most of the scriptural references are from the New Testament. As a Catholic Deacon, I found his insights helpful in preparing homilies, especially for weekday Masses. There is considerable overlap among the readings around Easter, I expect for greater emphasis. It can be challenging to add a dimension to homilies on similar scriptures compressed into a short time period. His ability to relate the Word to our current life settings gave me several "aha" moments, often the crux of an effective homily. I never heard Father Carroll preach. I knew him through his scholarship and through a unique experience in participating in a video program with him and his Catholic Theological Union associates. Having read this book, I feel I must have missed a powerful homilist. In testimony to my 5 star rating, I have ordered the entire series of Biblical Meditations that he authored for Paulist Press, covering the rest of the liturgical Year. I trust the community I serve will be much richer when I have added his insights to my future homilies.

I love the meditations by this writer! He is well-grounded in the Old Testament (according to the back of my book!) as well as the New Testament. I always read his work with fresh insight into the Holy Scriptures and how they apply to my life today.