Bishop Harold’s suggested reading for Lent
I was asked a couple of weeks ago, by the Diocesan Communications Officer, if there was a book I would like to recommend to the Christians of Down and Dromore for their Lenten reading and study. To be honest, it felt like one of those questions: ‘What is your favourite song, food, team, holiday resort! – the kind of question to which I never have an immediate answer. But today it became clear. There is a book, in fact three books, I would love everyone to at least begin reading, and my choice may be surprising, because their author is Joseph Ratzinger: Pope Benedict XVI, who is to resign his office very shortly –news which has surprised most of us, because no pope has ever left his role other than through death in the last six hundred years.
I simply thank the Lord that he gave Benedict the time and faculties to finish his trilogy Jesus of Nazareth. In all honesty when I read the first part of this trilogy, I felt I had never in my entire life read anything so inspiring about the life of Jesus. It was insightful, beautifully written (and translated), deep, and came from the pen of one who truly knows and loves the Lord. What a wonderful thing it would be here in Northern Ireland where there is so much misunderstanding and ignorance about what we believe between protestants and catholics, if we were to take time to read at least some of Benedict’s work on the Lord we have in common, the one we all declare to be the incarnate Son of God.
These books will be a major part of the legacy of Benedict XVI. People will cherish them, come to faith through them, and have their love of Christ rekindled as they meditate on them. What better legacy can there be than that?
Bishop HaroldShrove Tuesday 2013