THESE titles have been published for Advent and the new liturgical year:
A Calendar of Carols: Christmas reflections, prayers and songs of praise by Gordon Giles, Canon Chancellor of Rochester Cathedral, discusses a carol for each day of Advent, telling its story and drawing out a message (BRF, £12.99 (£11.69); 978-1-80039-279-3).
In Rediscovering the Magic of Christmas: An Advent adventure from Genesis to Revelation, John Hayward, a former director of the Jubilee Centre, seeks to feast “richly” on passages of scripture that are less commonly associated with Christmas. His “in-depth reflections” were originally written for his adult children while they were away at university. The book includes a shorter “quick glance”, too, as an alternative on days when the reader has less time (IVP, £14.99 (£11.99); 978-1-78974-514-6).
The Life in the Comma: Deepening our understanding of Jesus (York Courses) by John L. Bell of the Iona Community (SPCK, £14.99; 978-1-915843-41-8) is an ecumenical course in four sessions. It originates in the author’s “dissatisfaction” with the Apostles’ Creed, in that nothing appears between “Born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate” except a comma, and it seeks to redress the balance by reflecting on “the life omitted” in both the creed and the majority of hymns. The course book includes a transcript of the video and access to video/audio downloads (and more information on course formats is at www.spckpublishing.co.uk).
Reflections for Daily Prayer: Advent 2024 to Eve of Advent 2025 (CHP, £17.99 (£16.19); 978-1-78140-457-7) is the latest edition of an annual publication that offers reflections on the Common Worship daily readings for Morning Prayer. Holy Week and Easter meditations are provided by David Ford. Other contributors include Justine Allain Chapman, Kate Bruce, Luigi Gioia, Paula Gooder, Malcolm Guite, Mark Oakley, and John Perumbalath. There is also a short form of Night Prayer; and Rachel Treweek advises on daily prayer.
From the Irish Jesuits, Sacred Space: The prayerbook 2025 (Messenger, £12.95 (£11.65); 978-1-78812-698-4) provides a year’s worth of daily scripture readings, weekly reflections, and pointers to six steps of prayer in the Ignatian tradition. Sacred Space: Advent and Christmas 2024 provides the same kind of resources, with an Advent retreat, for this period (Messenger, £6.95 (£6.25); 978-1-78812-701-1).
Waiting in Joyful Hope 2024-2025: Daily reflections for Advent and Christmas by Jessica L. Bazan (Liturgical Press, £2.99 (£2.69); 978-0-8146-6717-0) is another annual publication. It is also available in a large-print edition (Liturgical Press, £6.99 (£6.29); 978-0-8146-6718-7).