Reflections for Daily Prayer 2022-2023

Author Steven Croft, Paula Gooder and others
Publisher CHP £16.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780715123966

Readers and LLMs are called to be regular and systematic in daily prayer, and this volume, published annually, will help to enrich their experience. Covering Monday to Saturday throughout the year (Advent 2022 to Advent Eve 2023), it provides a short but enlightening spiritual reflection for each Morning Prayer, based on the Anglican lectionary readings.

There is a distinguished range of authors, well known for their writings and/or broadcasts, including Paula Gooder who has produced the Holy Week reflections. I particularly liked the insights from some of the less well-known contributors such as Luigi Gioia and John Perumbalath (now newly appointed as Bishop of Liverpool).

Although the paperback is large, the price may deter some individual readers; perhaps the most effective use may come in ministries where several members of the team come together for Morning Prayer. A reading of the daily reflection may then generate useful discussion after the worship.

Reviewed by ELIZABETH HOGG

Advent

The Deep End – Year of Matthew.  

Author Triona Doherty & Jane Mellett
Publisher Messenger Publications €14.95
Format pbk
ISBN 9781788125642

Subtitled, ‘A journey with the Sunday Gospels in the year of Matthew’, this guide to reading the Gospel is a valuable resource. As well as a commentary on the texts used, it has a  variety of quotations that from many different sources that could be a treasury for  preparing preachers to plunder. Each reading comes with a section called ‘Go deeper’ which encourages the reader to think about the application of the passage to the world we live in now. Although from  a Roman Catholic source, this will be an aid to help for Year A Anglican lectionary readings throughout 2022-23.

Reviewed by CAVAN WOOD

Advent

Sacred Space:
The Prayerbook 2023

Author The Irish Jesuits
Publisher Messenger Publications €14.95
Format pbk
ISBN 9781788125543

The Irish Jesuits founded the Sacred Space website in 1999 [www.sacredspace.ie] and this initiative has developed into a popular and well-established prayer guide across the world, with millions of adherents from numerous Christian traditions and languages. Although the prayers are most widely used from mobile devices, many people prefer the tradition of using this annually produced printed prayerbook for every day of the year. This provides a daily scripture reading (based on the Eucharistic lectionary, which is for the most part common with Anglican readings), points for daily reflection, structured prayer and a weekly meditation. This is a gift for ecumenism, and its use generated in me a sense that many millions of Christians across the globe can be truly united through common prayer, whatever their background or tradition. I recommend both the website and the book if that is more comfortable.

Reviewed by ELIZABETH STEPHENSON

Advent, Nativity

Editor’s note: Sacred Space: Advent and Christmas (reviewed above) is essentially the same material with minor additions, but only covers the Advent-Christmas seasons; the Prayerbook covers the entire calendar year.

Your Word is a Lamp on my Path

Author Martin Hogan
Publisher Messenger publications €19.95
Format pbk
ISBN 9781788125901

I have great admiration for this book, and some astonishment at both the wisdom and the industry of the author, Martin Hogan, who has written an imaginative and helpful reflection for every weekday (Monday-Saturday) of the new liturgical year. By concentrating on the gospel readings (although he does not completely ignore the Old Testament) he covers all the key aspects of Jesus’ life and ministry. By delving carefully into these reflections, lay ministers will find many new insights – little gems for their own preaching or spiritual reflections. The only problem is that the readings used are those for the daily weekday Eucharist, not Morning Prayer, and therefore only completely relevant for those attending a daily Eucharist. Nonetheless, these reflections allow dedicated readers to understand the gospels in a fresh and interesting way.

Reviewed by ELIZABETH STEPHENSON

Advent