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“This book is. . . my personal search ‘for the face of the Lord.’” —
Benedict XVI
In this bold, momentous work, the pope—in his first book written as
Benedict XVI—seeks to salvage the person of Jesus from the recent
“popular” depictions and to restore Jesus’ true identity as discovered in
the Gospels. Through his brilliance as a theologian and his personal
conviction as a believer, the pope shares a rich, compelling,
flesh-and-blood portrait of Jesus and incites us to encounter,
face-to-face, the central figure of the Christian faith.
From Jesus of Nazareth. . . “The great question that will be with us
throughout this entire book: But what has Jesus really brought, then, if
he has not brought world peace, universal prosperity, and a better world?
What has he brought? The answer is very simple: God. He has brought God!
He has brought the God who once gradually unveiled his countenance first
to Abraham, then to Moses and the prophets, and then in the wisdom
literature—the God who showed his face only in Israel, even though he was
also honored among the pagans in various shadowy guises. It is t s God,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Jacob, the true God, whom he has brought
to the peoples of the earth. He has brought God, and now we know his face,
now we can call upon him. Now we know the path that we human beings have
to take in this world. Jesus has brought God and with God the truth about
where we are going and where we come from: faith, hope, and love.” |
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Children need to know their new Pope not only as a great man of God but as
he was, a child and a teenager like themselves. Growing up in Germany was
for Joseph Ratzinger both a peaceful and a dangerous time. He had the
inner peace and stability of a devout Catholic family life, but all around
this family the evils of Nazism and World War II raged. The family lived
under this threat and had to struggle to remain Catholic in an
anti-Catholic state. In the midst of this, Joseph found his vocation and
suffered persecution because of his decision to become a Catholic priest.
Contains quotations from Benedict XVI, chronology, and glossary. |
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Cardinal Ratzinger masterfully weaves together
Scripture, history, literature and theology as he reflects on major feasts
of the liturgical calendar. What do the humble ox and ass at the manger of
the Christ Child tell us about Christmas? In an icon of Christ’s
Ascension, what do the Savior’s hands held in blessing promise us? In each
chapter, he examines works of sacred art that illustrate the hope we
celebrate in our most important Christian holy days. Several beautiful
colored images accompany the rich and detailed text. |
