Brightest and Best: A Companion to the Lesser Feasts and Fasts

by Sam Portaro

In these meditations on the lesser feasts and fasts of the church calendar Sam Portaro asks the question, “What do these saints and commemorations have to say to Christians today?” His answers are often surprising and always thought-provoking, with fresh insights into the lives and teachings of those who have gone before us in the Christian faith. The cycle of the year begins in Advent with St. Andrew and ends in late November with Kamehaneha and Emma of Hawaii. Each reflection looks at the scripture readings for the day and focuses on a distinctive attribute of the saint or feast in the light of contemporary questions of faith, mission, and community.

Saints of the distant past such as Columba and Agnes, Cyprian and Augustine, Thomas Becket and Catherine of Siena are included, as well as those closer to our own day―Charles Wesley and Julia Emery, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Evelyn Underhill and Jonathan Daniels. Following the calendar provided in Lesser Feasts and Fasts, meditations on the holy days of the church seasons are also included, such as All Saints and the Epiphany.”

Brightest and Best is designed for a variety of Christian education purposes, including adult forums, confirmation classes, seasonal presentations, clergy groups, and groups of students and young adults. It is equally useful for individuals seeking varied and interesting devotional reading. Although based on the church year, each chapter is discrete and readers can focus on any event or person and begin at any season. Since these pieces began as homilies in a college setting, they are useful as a preaching aid and could be the basis of a homily at a midweek service.

246 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 1998

Reviews

[Michael B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Portaro's book is, as the subtitle says, a "companion to the lesser feasts and fasts", which means it follows the memorials and feast days of the Episcopal Church. Here, you'll encounter familiar saints from the Bible and pre-Reformation, along with post-Reformation saints of the Anglican Communion and her sister churches. Generally, I craved more information on the actual saints. Portaro was very quick to move to the "takeaway" message applied to modern times. The messages are short and sweet, if you're a contemplative on the go.

[Megan Devlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I set myself the task of reading this gradually over the year, not quite exactly with each day noted, but within a week of them. It provides some thoughtful reflections connecting what we know of the lives of the saints (it is best accompanied by another compendium like Lesser Feasts and Fasts) with common struggles in our own lives.