What do you think?
Rate this book
Season of Beauty: A Lent and Easter Treasury of Readings, Poems, and Prayers
Experience the deep solemnity and joy of the sacred seasons of Lent and Easter Each year Christians across the globe observe Lent and Easter, the holiest seasons of the church year. In this collection, the editors of Paraclete Press have gathered Scriptures and beloved writings by authors, poets, and saints, combined with reproductions of great works of Christian art. From the ancient words of the Bible, to works of Dostoyevsky, Louisa May Alcott, Henry Van Dyke, Oscar Wilde, Kierkegaard, and Gerard Manley Hopkins, to contemporary voices such as SAID, Scott Cairns, and Nikki Grimes, it is our prayer that these words and images will capture your heart, mind, and spirit, and help you to contemplate the love of Christ during these holy days of mystery and miracles.
- GenresTheology
144 pages, Hardcover
Published January 9, 2024
7 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 5, 2024
I slowly made my way through this book during Lent and this first week of Easter. It is filled with poetry, short missives and beautiful art. It is a beautiful book inside and out. I loved it so much when I got it, that I also gave it to friends for the Lenten season. I can't wait to get the one for Advent.
The theme may be Easter, but this is a book that could be enjoyed not matter what Liturgical season we are in.
The theme may be Easter, but this is a book that could be enjoyed not matter what Liturgical season we are in.
January 19, 2024
Season of Beauty provides a beautiful and peaceful resource for remembering and reflecting on Love incarnate, the gift of Christ’s cross and resurrection. Through artful prose, poetry, Scripture, poignant quotes, and reproductions of Christian Art, readers are invited into contemplation of the hope we have in the light that dawns in these holy days between Lent and Easter.
February 7, 2024
The editors of Paraclete Press have gathered a collection of poetry, prose, and prayers designed to carry you with beauty through the days of Lent and Easter. Excerpts from classic works are an invitation to dive deeper, to carve out time for a slow pondering of God’s grace.
Reproductions of great works of Christian art support the reader’s contemplative work. Joy springs from every page as we are reminded that the pathway of Lent leads to Easter and resurrection in this Season of Beauty. In the words of Thomas Merton, “This is a day of mercy, and the just do not need a savior.”
Many thanks to Paraclete Press for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.
Reproductions of great works of Christian art support the reader’s contemplative work. Joy springs from every page as we are reminded that the pathway of Lent leads to Easter and resurrection in this Season of Beauty. In the words of Thomas Merton, “This is a day of mercy, and the just do not need a savior.”
Many thanks to Paraclete Press for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.
February 14, 2024
Summary: A collection of scriptures and reflections of great Christian writers along with reproductions of great works of art for Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide.
While we often think of Lent as the season of fasting, of abstaining culminating in Holy Week and the horror of the cross, there is also beauty in contemplating the way of the Savior, the life to which we are called as followers, and the glory of the resurrection.
Paraclete Press has just published a wonderful collection of readings from scripture, from saints of old and contemporary writers and poets accompanied by an extraordinary number of art reproductions printed on quality paper and a sewn in ribbon bookmark. The readings span Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide with over half the book devoted to the latter two.
There are a number of Gerard Manley Hopkins (my favorite poet) and Christina Rosetti poems. reflections from The Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, Emilie Griffin’s “He Kept On Walking,” Kathleen Norris’s “Hints of Resurrection Abound” and a long version of “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate.”
All of this is accompanied by gorgeous reproductions of art. I appreciated the inclusion of Briton Riviere’s The Temptation in the Wilderness. an El Greco of Mary Magdalene, Ilya Repin’s Last Supper, Thomas Cole’s The Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey., and Jan Cossiers, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene.
I could go on. But the beauty of the design of this book, tastefully laid out with texts and images, is to invite our quiet contemplation, our personal pilgrimage through Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide (including Hopkins “May Magnificat”).
This indeed is a “treasury” I hope to return to year after year, so rich are the works within.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
While we often think of Lent as the season of fasting, of abstaining culminating in Holy Week and the horror of the cross, there is also beauty in contemplating the way of the Savior, the life to which we are called as followers, and the glory of the resurrection.
Paraclete Press has just published a wonderful collection of readings from scripture, from saints of old and contemporary writers and poets accompanied by an extraordinary number of art reproductions printed on quality paper and a sewn in ribbon bookmark. The readings span Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide with over half the book devoted to the latter two.
There are a number of Gerard Manley Hopkins (my favorite poet) and Christina Rosetti poems. reflections from The Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich, Emilie Griffin’s “He Kept On Walking,” Kathleen Norris’s “Hints of Resurrection Abound” and a long version of “Saint Patrick’s Breastplate.”
All of this is accompanied by gorgeous reproductions of art. I appreciated the inclusion of Briton Riviere’s The Temptation in the Wilderness. an El Greco of Mary Magdalene, Ilya Repin’s Last Supper, Thomas Cole’s The Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey., and Jan Cossiers, Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene.
I could go on. But the beauty of the design of this book, tastefully laid out with texts and images, is to invite our quiet contemplation, our personal pilgrimage through Lent, Holy Week, and Eastertide (including Hopkins “May Magnificat”).
This indeed is a “treasury” I hope to return to year after year, so rich are the works within.
____________________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
March 3, 2024
This book reminds me of the seasonal “Ideals” magazines my mom and grandmother used to read, except much finer quality, of course. It’s a collection of lovely art and artful writing that helps heart and mind slow down and reflect on the passion of our Lord. The hardcover book, complete with an attached ribbon for place-marking ease, is broken down into three sections: Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, and each has poetry (from many centuries), hymns (as poetry), meditations, a few select scripture passages, and a variety of artwork from various centuries, dating back to early Christendom.
There is such an array of well-written material to contemplate and meditate on, much of it new to me, though I (as another reviewer mentioned) would not consider its material “devotional” in nature, in that the readings do not progress sequentially throughout the days of Lent, nor does each offer the same depth or focus. (Some readings focus just as much on the change of seasons and the joys of spring, which I still found to be beautiful reading, just not as Christ-centered as one might hope for in a devotional book.) It does, however, make a nice coffee table or bedside book to read and re-read throughout the season.
There is such an array of well-written material to contemplate and meditate on, much of it new to me, though I (as another reviewer mentioned) would not consider its material “devotional” in nature, in that the readings do not progress sequentially throughout the days of Lent, nor does each offer the same depth or focus. (Some readings focus just as much on the change of seasons and the joys of spring, which I still found to be beautiful reading, just not as Christ-centered as one might hope for in a devotional book.) It does, however, make a nice coffee table or bedside book to read and re-read throughout the season.
March 28, 2024
I'm really glad I read Bob on Books review of this and decided to purchase it. I did not want or need a devotional for this season. I just wanted a book to honor this special calendar time. The poetry and artwork inside are lovely choices.
It was also nice that this was not a small book in terms of bookshelf size-one of those little 5 x 7's; which I don't really like on my shelf.
I think I will be satisfied with this book Lenten/Easter season year after year.
It was also nice that this was not a small book in terms of bookshelf size-one of those little 5 x 7's; which I don't really like on my shelf.
I think I will be satisfied with this book Lenten/Easter season year after year.
April 8, 2024
Pretty book, half of which is devoted to Lent and Holy Week and the other half to Easter. It contains a lot of poetry and writing primarily by people from centuries ago. I would have preferred more poetry and essays from contemporary writers. The quality of the art included is not as good as I would have liked.
January 24, 2024
This isn't a daily meditation for Lent, it's more a mash up of homilies, poems, and artwork about Easter.
April 30, 2025
A beautiful book to hold in one’s hand. The art selections are arresting. I have mixed feelings about the prose and poetry selections. Leans toward medieval and Catholic expressions of faith. So sometimes meaningful for me and sometimes not.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews