Title: Walk in the Light of the Lord: A Thought a Day for Advent and Christmastide  Author: Harold A. Buetow, PhD, JD ISBN: 0-8189-0964-1  Paperback: xxviii + 164 pp.  Price: $12.95 + shipping  To Order call: 1 800-343-ALBA (2522) Please have your Master, Visa or American Express card ready To order online click here.

As these reflections point out, we will find it spiritually advantageous at the beginning of the liturgical year to ask ourselves some questions that are pertinent to the seasons of Advent and Christmas. In the year just ended have I become cold, indifferent or lazy toward God and the needs of others? Have I been reverent? Do I try to recognize the presence of God in the Eucharist, in the Scriptures, and in other people, especially the poor? Am I generous in sharing my time, talents, and resources? Do I rejoice in the light of Christ, or in the deceiving lights offered by the world? Do I let my light shine before the world for God's glory? Taking his cue from the liturgical readings of the day, Father Buetow guides us through our deliberations and helps us find some answers.

 

Harold A. Buetow, PhD, JD is the author of Pastoral Talks for Special Ocassions (Alba House, 1994), along with two very highly-acclaimed trilogies of homily reflections: one on the Readings for the Sundays and Holy Days of the Liturgical Year (Alba House, 1997) : God Still Speaks: Listen! (Cycle A), All Things Made New (Cycle B), and Ode to Joy (Cycle C); and another on the Weekdays in Ordinary Time (Alba House, 2002): Thirst for Life (Weeks 1-9), The New Out of the Old (Weeks 10-21), and Rejoicing in Hope; and another on the Weekdays of Lent: Embrace Your Renewal. A priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn, he spent thirty years at Catholic University where he taught and was Senior Staff Editor on The New Catholic Encyclopedia. Reviews Father Buetow is known for his many homily books. Walk in the Light of the Lord is a collection of reflections on the readings for the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Father Buetow begins his book with the first Monday of Advent and gives us material for thought for each day. He prefaces his reflections in an introduction in which he writes about the historical and liturgical significance of Advent and Christmas. He touches on themes, customs and traditions from which the homilist can draw inspiration. Each two page reflection begins with a theme referencing the Scripture readings of the day followed by his insightful meditation on the readings. Each brief reflection is conversational in style and gives the opportunity for personal response by offering questions and drawing practical conclusions for the reader. Buetow's writing reveals his keen knowledge of biblical history and customs and well as his ability to utilize contemporary stories and references. Although Buetow writes for the homilist, these brief reflections make wonderful reading for anyone preparing to fully appreciate the beginning of the new liturgical year. Taking the time from mundane concerns to read the Scriptures and reflect on the words of Father Buetow can only make the season more meaningful. --Arnold Rzepecki in Catholic Library World, Vol 76, #2, Dec. 2005 Top of Page