Pope Benedict XVI was known for his brilliant mind, but he also had a heart in love with the Lord. In this careful selection from his papal homilies, read­ers can not only learn from his encyclopedic knowledge of the Christian tra­dition, but grow in their own love for God as they journey with Benedict through the seasons and feasts of the liturgical year. Lord I Love You! Volume 2 includes the joyful seasons of Advent and Christmas as well as important Marian feasts and other saints’ days throughout the year, making it an excel­lent choice for spiritual reading and a great Advent/Christmas gift idea for those who appreciate the late pope’s message of the centrality of Christ and the reliability of the Catholic tradition.

Pope Benedict was not a charismatic preacher in the mold of his predecessor John Paul II, but the texts themselves are gems of Christian exhortation and reflection that are best appreciated on one’s knees in a chapel or held in one’s hands in a quiet place in one’s home—that is, in a book like this and not scrolling through a website. For scholars and students of the late pope, the collection also provides a helpful distillation of his main themes and princi­pal concerns into short, easily digestible pieces. The editor, Fr. Pietro Rossot­ti, uses the official Vatican translation with only minor spelling modifications and added footnotes with bibliographical references whenever possible.

Pietro Rossotti, FSCB, is adjunct professor of philosophy and theology at St. Paul Seminary, MN. Cardinal Seán Patrick O'Malley, OFM, Cap., served as Bishop of Boston from 2003-2024.