Weekday Saints

The Roman Catholic Church issued its first, modern, one-volume Lectionary--a book of biblical texts assigned for every day of the year--in 1970 in response to the Second Vatican Council's call for a greater fare of Scripture during Mass. By the time the Lectionary was revised and published between 1998 and 2002, it had grown to four volumes. Because of the revision, many weekday celebrations of saints were assigned texts that had not been so in the 1970 Lectionary.Because of the Lectionary's success, many other Christian denominations adopted and adapted the Lectionary to fit their own needs. Thus, Anglicans, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and many others began to use the Lectionary. In those churches that have weekday services, the same Scripture texts may be heard along with the same celebration of a saint. This volume provides reflections on the proper biblical passages for weekday saints. Any member of a Christian congregation marking the celebration of a saint on a weekday will find these reflections on the Scripture texts assigned to a particular saint very helpful.While weekend services and memorials have been part of the liturgical practices of many churches, the individuals or the events memorialized are often little known by the general laity. Boyer's new volume, Weekday Saints, pulls together a wealth of information taken from modern scholarship, theological reflections, prayers, and scriptural passages to make these events and persons come alive again. Anyone interested in church history, or simply personal reflection, will find this book extremely helpful. It is structured for use by both interested laity and clergy and should make a real difference for personal study, preaching, or meditation.--Victor H. Matthews, Dean, College of Humanities and Public Affairs, Missouri State University, Springfield, MOUnder the guise of an in-depth study of the biblical passages assigned for daily liturgy, the author demonstrates how we can live in the school of the holy spirit, allowing God's inspiration to direct, motivate, and sustain our Christian living. No flights of fancy or wishful pretense here--just earthy, practical, unpretentious advice for those who, under the guidance of the Spirit, bear everyday authentic witness to the joy of the gospel.--Pauline Nugent, Professor of Classics and Biblical Hebrew, Missouri State University, Springfield, MOMark G. Boyer--editor, author, priest, and college instructor--has been writing books on biblical spirituality for thirty years. As an editor, he won over twenty journalism awards; as an author, he has penned forty volumes; as a priest, he has served as pastor--even founding a new parish--and as a mission director; as college instructor, he has taught courses in Bible and film at Missouri State University, Springfield, for almost thirty years. This is his third Wipf and Stock title.