The Word in and out of Season

In the fourth volume of his popular series, veteran pastor and educator Richard Viladesau has written a collection of homilies for the seasons of Christmas and Easter. These two seasons "pose particular difficulties for the preacher because these feasts-especially Christmas-have been adopted into our culture in a secularized form that has little to do with their original religious meaning," contends Viladesau.In addition to homilies for the Christmas and Easter seasons, there are homiletic reflections on the Christian significance of birth marriage and deaths. The homilies, of three to four pages in length, make an engaging connection between Christian faith and contemporary existence in a secularized world. As he has done in his previous volume Viladesau offers a invaluable resource for preachers, who will find in his work food for thought and inspiration for the construction of their own homilies. Lay persons will appreciate as well the author's intellectually honest reflection on faith issues.