Description:

Fifty years of Jesuit spirituality and scholarship come to full expression in Fr. Harvey Egan’s 77 Great Catholic Homilies. Divided into five subsections—by feasts, family occasions, miscellaneous reflections, and Christ-focused subjects—this series telescopes from the general to the particular in fluid motions. You will find anecdotal wisdom in spades; Fr. Egan’s homilies approach topics in Christianity from a simultaneously creative and orthodox perspective, eschewing the tendency for homilies to become treatises on scriptural passages or mere platforms for political views. Instead, Fr. Egan strives to balance fidelity to the mass with attentiveness to his listeners’ interests. Drawing on his decades of pastoral experience and St. Ignatius of Loyola’s idea of “safe doctrine,” Fr. Egan offers you a glimpse of his process. When he sits down to prepare a homily, he begins by reading over the commentaries of some of his favorite scripture scholars. “Almost always,” says Fr. Egan, “they give me a few ideas, a jumping-off point.” In each powerful homily, you will find spiritually edifying nuggets of insight—easily consumed in the background of your daily commute or household chores. In the end, the tone of the series might be best illustrated by one of the many amusing anecdotes you will hear from Fr. Egan. He recalls a friend once saying that homilies were like good home-cooked meals: years later you might not remember what was actually cooked, but no doubt you were nourished. 77 Great Catholic Homilies follows from this analogy, hoping to nourish you spiritually.