Days of Devotion: Daily Meditations from the Good Shepherd

by Pope John XXIII, John P. Donnelly (Editor), Loris Capovilla (Preface)

Daily devotions are a treasured practice in the lives of many Christians - a time to pause and reflect on spiritual matters and often a prelude to prayer. This collection of a year's worth of daily devotions written by Pope John XXIII, arguably the greatest pope of the modern period and undoubtedly the most beloved, will be a valued source of inspiration for many. While readers savor the scope and penetration of Pope John's words, they will also cherish the memory of Pope John XXIII, whose landmark Second Vatican Council made him a world symbol of love and outreach to people of all faiths.
These selections from Pope John's daily prayers and devotions represent a wide range of his concerns, from doctrinal matters of spirit and belief to the more practical issues of living life as a true Christian. Beginning with reflections on the New Year and proceeding to the joyful celebration of Christmas, these devotions capture the Pontiff's thoughts over the course of the liturgical year, with special emphasis given to the most important seasons of the Christian calendar, Lent and Advent.
A gifted thinker, Pope John sought to engage the Church in the challenges posed to the faithful by modernity, with its unprecedented demands upon the family, belief, and morality. Perhaps this is why his words, though penned more than three decades ago, are still so meaningful to our lives. In these pages Pope John speaks familiarly to his readers, inspiring noble thoughts and arousing generous feelings in their hearts. Those who find that daily devotions are an important way to foster Christian growth and renewal will surely find that Pope John XXIII serves as a wise and good shepherd on the spiritual journey.

315 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1996

About the author

Pope Saint John XXIII (Latin: Ioannes XXIII), born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli reigned from 28 October 1958 to his death in 1963.

He was ordained a priest on 10 August 1904 and served in a number of posts, including papal nuncio in France and a delegate to Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey. In a consistory on 12 January 1953 Pope Pius XII made Roncalli a cardinal as the Cardinal-Priest of Santa Prisca in addition to naming him the Patriarch of Venice.

Roncalli was elected pope on 28 October 1958 at age 77 after 11 ballots. His selection was unexpected, and Roncalli himself had come to Rome with a return train ticket to Venice. He was the first pope to take the pontifical name of "John" upon election in more than 500 years, and his choice settled the complicated question of official numbering attached to this papal name due to the antipope of this name.

Pope John XXIII surprised those who expected him to be a caretaker pope by calling the historic Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the first session opening on 11 October 1962. He did not live to see it to completion. John died of stomach cancer on 3 June 1963, four and a half years after his election and two months after the completion of his final and famed encyclical, Pacem in Terris."


He was beatified on 3 September 2000 by Pope John Paul and declared a saint by Pope Francis on 5 July 2013, based on his merits of opening the Second Vatican Council. He was canonised on 27 April 2014. His feast day is 11 October, the day of the first session of the Second Vatican Council.

Reviews

[Alexandra Karr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but I didn't read the whole thing because I had a hard time focusing on his intellectual writings.