New: "Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours"

Now available from Ignatius Press:

Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours

by Milton Walsh

• Also available in Electronic Book Format

The writings of the Fathers of the Church have never been more widely
available, yet obtaining an exhaustive and user-friendly volume of
patristics can still be a daunting task. Without realizing it, many
priests, seminarians, members of religious communities, and even laity
already own a patristic library-their Liturgy of the Hours.

In the four volumes of the Liturgy of the Hours, the official daily
prayer of the Catholic Church, there are nearly 600 selections from the
writings of Fathers and saints. Seeing the potential of this vast
collection as a theological resource, Milton Walsh has organized these
selections by topics according to the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
This topical concordance allows the reader to compare what the various
authors have written on the same themes, while a chronological timeline
of the readings shows their relationship to each other in time.

Walsh has also provided background on the liturgical celebrations of the
Church, as well as historical information on each author. In addition,
there is a chapter on how patristic readings can assist in understanding
the Bible.

This fresh and original presentation of material that is literally at
the fingertips of anyone praying the Liturgy of the Hours can be a
tremendous aid to both religious devotion and theological study.

Milton Walsh holds a doctorate in Sacred Theology from
the Gregorian University in Rome. For many years he taught theology at
St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California, and from 1989 to 1997
was pastor of St. Mary's Cathedral, San Francisco. He is the author of In Memory of Me: A Meditation on the Roman Canon and Second Friends: C. S. Lewis and Ronald Knox in Conversation. 

"Recently the Holy Father devoted time in each of his Wednesday
audiences to explaining to the pilgrims who came to Rome the importance
of the writings of the Fathers of the Church and the saints in the life
of each believer today. Pope Benedict taught them that the true teaching
of the Church is not "invented by intellectuals," it is not something
that "goes beyond the Church's simple faith." No. The true Gospel is
the one imparted by the Bishops, in communion with the Bishop of Rome,
who have received this teaching in an uninterrupted line from the
apostles. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Milton Walsh who, in his
collection Witness of the Saints, has painstakingly arranged
important quotations from the patristic lectionary of the Prayer of the
Hours (Office of Readings) in such a way that this treasure of the
writings of the Fathers and saints that both inspires and informs is now
conveniently and immediately accessible to all. Preachers, teachers,
parents - all of the faithful who desire to drink from the fountain of
true wisdom and to share this life giving nourishment with others will
want to keep this volume close at hand. Witness of the Saints
is a valuable tool to help all of us "think with the Church" (sentire
cum Ecclesia), after the heart and mind of our Holy Father, Pope
Benedict XVI."

- Father Samuel F. Weber, O.S.B.

"As usage of the Liturgy of the Hours increases among members of the Church, Witness of the Saints: Patristic Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours
provides a timely exposition of the rich heritage available in the
Church's Prayer. A concise, informative, and well written history of the
Liturgy of the Hours serves as introduction to a valuable selection of
passages from the Fathers and the saints, taken from the Office of
Readings and arranged in accordance with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
We can be most grateful to Milton Walsh for this outstanding volume of
invaluable resources that will enlighten and inspire readers for years
to come."

- Abbot Gregory J. Polan, O.S.B.

"We never pray alone. When we pray, we are in heaven with the Fathers
and the saints. They are our contemporaries and our close companions.
This book opens our eyes, hour after hour, to that splendid reality.
Working with the saints, Milton Walsh can change the way you experience
the Church's prayer."

- Mike Aquilina

"The Office of Readings is one of the deepest treasures in the Church's
liturgical prayer, but one of the least appreciated. Who are the people
who wrote these reflections? Didymus the Blind? Faustinus Luciferanus?
John the Serene of Naples? Hedwig? Gertrude? Milton Walsh introduces you
to these people as if he has been friends with them for years. He has.
And now so can you."

- Fr. Paul Turner, Former President of the North American Academy of Liturgy