Mark A. Villano

Looking for a devotional which is accessible and theologically rich? One that explores liturgy, Scripture and the Spiritual life? Here is a good choice for Advent and Christmas and one I plan to spend a little bit of time with.

time-to-get-ready-an-advent-christmas-reader-to-wake-your-soul-6Mark Villano the Director of Mission and Ministry at Marymount California University. In Time to Get Ready: An Advent, Christmas Reader to Wake Your Soul, he combines scriptural insights, liturgical reflections with pop-culture and true-to-life illustrations. Villano guides us as we prepare to enter into the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany.

Villano has spent more than a decade in Catholic Campus ministry. He explores spiritual insights in a culturally relevant manner. However this isn’t just ‘a college devotional.’ Villano helps all of us enter into the true meaning of season–the coming of a Savior and the rhythm of God’s grace.

While Villano is deeply steeped in the Catholic tradition, this is a reader that all Christians can read fruitfully. He doesn’t speak of Marian devotion in ways that makes a Protestant like me uncomfortable. Instead he commends Mary’s response (week four of Advent) in a way that invites us to respond with similar openness to Gods movement in our lives. Each daily reading explores the Bible, Christian tradition and its meaning for us. On the whole, I found the entries I read orthodox and inspirational [typically I read every word of books I review, but I made an exception and skimmed this one as I plan to use it through out the holiday seasons].

I look forward to spending time with this devotional through Advent. Available at paracletepress.com, Amazon.com or wherever good books are sold. Preliminary rating: 4 stars.

Note: I received this book from Paraclete Press in exchange for my honest review.… (plus d'informations)