Mixing personal anecdotes and theological reflections, Father Donald Anyagwa presents a series of 60 homilies that follow cycle B of the Catholic Church’s liturgical year.
At the heart of Father Anyagwa’s writing is a simple message: Stay aware, be vigilant in your faith. It’s very easy, he contends in many of his pieces, to get distracted in our day-to-day lives, to be tricked by false appearances. In one particularly powerful homily, the author likens the image of a bright and colorful leaf on the ground to our spiritual lives. The leaf may look alive, but disconnected from the tree, it will soon wither: “It is tempting to think of ourselves connected [to God] when in actuality our prayer life has fallen, our sacramental union with the Lord is only a routine, and our relationship with one another becomes formalized, regulated, and regimented.”
Moreover, he contends that we need to put more attention on God and less on the material goods: “How unfortunate [the people of today] have trusted so much what human hands have invented and mistrusted the one who authored both man and woman and everything they have in their fancified world!”
Overall, Father Anyagwa’s advice is practical, Jesus-focused, and presented in simple terms. Unfortunately, the author sometimes uses strange syntax that can make for difficult reading (the author doesn’t appear to be a native English writer or speaker). For example: “Others would bet on Advent opportunity to engage on decorations and beautification of their buildings and surroundings with unimaginable artefacts [sic]…” Such challenging sentences make it hard to discern the author’s meaning.
That said, there are many passages that are easy to read and follow, and while the execution of the priest’s intention might seem awkard at times, readers will understand that the spirit of his message—to be the good shepherd and lead his flock to God—is right on target.
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