“The entire Scripture is only one book that speaks of Christ.” — St. Augustine
The Fathers of the Church are revered as the primary commentators on Sacred Scripture. Their wisdom, teachings, and witness have withstood the test of time and conveyed the Faith accessibly and universally. While Catholics worldwide are able to enjoy their insights on feasts and special seasons in the Church’s daily Office of Readings, the “ordinary” weekdays of the liturgical year — called
ferial
days — have historically not contained such reflections from the Fathers. Finally, here is a book to fill that gap, offering a concise catena of Patristic commentaries on the daily biblical readings for the hour of Matins in the traditional Roman Breviary.
In these profound pages, champion of the Faith and patristics scholar Bishop Athanasius Schneider presents a new arrangement of carefully selected readings from the writings of the Church Fathers of both East and West. Through their words, he seeks to help readers grow in prayer, contemplation, and fidelity to Christ’s teachings as reflected in the daily liturgical worship of the Church.
This volume is a spiritual and theological treasure that will benefit priests, religious, seminarians, and laity who use the traditional Breviary. Presented in a beautiful portable binding, the book includes both Latin and English texts for Advent, Christmastime, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, all handsomely typeset in facing columns. It is arranged by liturgical season and features brief biographies on each of the Fathers whose writings are contained in the book, and thus, it can serve as a compelling introduction to their other works.
His Excellency has entrusted this little work to Our Lady, whom he describes as the supreme example of “love for the Word of God.” Readers of the book will be well disposed to experience the intercession of the Mother of the Incarnate Word as they encounter the Word of God more deeply through the Fathers of the Church.