Festivals of Faith: Sermons for the Liturgical Year
John Henry Newman “alone could be considered a Doctor of the Church of the Modern Era,” Erich Przywara wrote in 1955 when Newman’s cause for canonization was first opened. Yet Newman’s sermons, delivered over half a century of public ministry, present a unique opportunity to enter into the mind and soul of the saint. Whether addressing Anglican farmers, Oxford scholars, or Irish priests, Newman unites wisdom with simplicity, timeless doctrine with practicality, and eloquence with deep feeling.
Edited by Dr Melinda Nielsen, this volume presents twenty-two of Newman’s most striking sermons, following the great feasts and seasons of the liturgical year. Perfect for Sunday reading or meditation throughout the week, here Newman tirelessly directs his audience toward the face of Christ. Brief notes accompany each sermon, opening up Newman’s life, relevant scripture, and the day’s liturgy for readers of all levels. With unflagging confidence in the power of the Gospel to transform lives, Newman offers both milk and meat that will strengthens souls on their own path to becoming a saint today.
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"Few sermons can equal those of St. John Henry Newman for their penetrating insight and comprehensive reach. In noble yet lucid prose, Newman presents religious truths not as elegant abstractions but as Christ Himself, present in the Church and in the ever-deepening life of the soul. Dr. Melinda Nielsen has collected here some of the greatest of these sermons. Arranged in accord with the liturgical year, they illuminate what Newman understood so well: the cycle of feasts and seasons is not just a reminder of God’s redemptive work in the world, but an occasion of it. Nielsen’s brief introductory remarks for each sermon, and spare but essential footnotes, illuminate Newman’s thought without obscuring his voice or cluttering the text. Happily, this volume brings to us an excellent selection of spiritual classics from a great writer, thinker, and saint."
Editor: David M. Whalen, Associate Vice President for Curriculum and Professor of English, Hillsdale College.