Pope Benedict XVI memorably remarked that the Christian faith is a lot like a Gothic cathedral with its stained-glass windows. From the outside, the Church can appear dark, dreary, and worn with age—the crumbling relic of an institution that no longer speaks to men and women living in our modern world. Indeed, for many people today, Christian morality with all of its commandments appears to be a source not of life and joy but instead of suffering and oppression. Even within the Church, many wonder: why should I submit to ancient doctrines and outdated practices that restrict my freedom and impede my happiness? In this timely and original book, his third exploring the riches of Benedict XVI’s vast corpus, theologian Matthew Ramage sets out to meet this challenge with an in-depth study of the emeritus pontiff’s wisdom on how to live Christian discipleship in today’s increasingly secularized world. Taking as his starting point Benedict’s conviction that the truth of Christianity—like the beauty of a cathedral’s glorious windows—can be grasped only from the inside, Ramage draws on Benedict’s insights to show how all Christians can make the “experiment of faith” by living the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity in daily life. Along the way, he shares his personal reflections on how Benedict’s wisdom has helped him to navigate difficulties in embracing the faith and provides a way forward to those struggling to live as disciples in a way that is intellectually serious without remaining merely intellectual. In so doing, he also presents a highly nuanced yet accessible approach to defending the truth of the gospel in a world where life in Jesus Christ tends to be seen as unfulfilling, irrelevant, or just one lifestyle choice among others.

Pope Benedict XVI was known for his brilliant mind, but he also had a heart in love with the Lord. In this careful selection from his papal homilies, readers can not only learn from his encyclopedic knowledge of the Christian tradition, but grow in their own love for God as they journey with Benedict through the seasons and feasts of the liturgical year. Lord I Love You! Volume 1 includes the holiest days of Lent and Easter as well as other important solemnities such as Trinity Sunday and Corpus Christi, making it an excellent choice for spiritual reading and a great Lenten gift idea for those who appreciated the late pope's message of the centrality of Christ and the reliability of the Catholic tradition. Pope Benedict was not a charismatic preacher in the mold of his predecessor John Paul II, but the texts themselves are gems of Christian exhortation and reflection that are best appreciated on one's knees in a chapel or held in one's hands in a quiet place in one's home--that is, in a book like this and not scrolling through a website. For scholars and students of the late pope, the collection also provides a helpful distillation of his main themes and principal concerns into short, easily digestible pieces. The editor, Fr. Pietro Rossotti, uses the official Vatican translation with only minor spelling modifications and added footnotes with bibliographical references whenever possible.

Pope Benedict XVI was known for his brilliant mind, but he also had a heart in love with the Lord. In this careful selection from his papal homilies, read­ers can not only learn from his encyclopedic knowledge of the Christian tra­dition, but grow in their own love for God as they journey with Benedict through the seasons and feasts of the liturgical year. Lord I Love You! Volume 2 includes the joyful seasons of Advent and Christmas as well as important Marian feasts and other saints’ days throughout the year, making it an excel­lent choice for spiritual reading and a great Advent/Christmas gift idea for those who appreciate the late pope’s message of the centrality of Christ and the reliability of the Catholic tradition. Pope Benedict was not a charismatic preacher in the mold of his predecessor John Paul II, but the texts themselves are gems of Christian exhortation and reflection that are best appreciated on one’s knees in a chapel or held in one’s hands in a quiet place in one’s home—that is, in a book like this and not scrolling through a website. For scholars and students of the late pope, the collection also provides a helpful distillation of his main themes and princi­pal concerns into short, easily digestible pieces. The editor, Fr. Pietro Rossot­ti, uses the official Vatican translation with only minor spelling modifications and added footnotes with bibliographical references whenever possible.