For
centuries, there has existed a tradition for pilgrims who visit Rome
during Lent of visiting a different church each day - the station for
that day. The practice has waxed and waned over the course of time.
Currently it is apparently most popular amongst English-speaking
pilgrims. This book uses the structure of that tour as the basis for a
devotional covering the period from Ash Wednesday to Divine Mercy Sunday
(the second Sunday of Easter).
Each day has a three or four page reflection by papal biographer (
Witness to Hope and
The End and the Beginning) and public policy commentator (
The Final Revolution and
The Cube and the Cathedral)
George Weigel focusing on the liturgical readings of that day, and a
one or two page entry on the history, art, and architecture of the day's
church by Elizabeth Lev (
The Tigress of Forli). The book is
well illustrated with at least two photos (by Stephen Weigel) for each
station, and four full-color sections of eight pages each. There are
also eight pages of street maps of the Eternal City.
Overall, this book is excellent. I have two small personal
caveats. This book seems more ambitious in conception than it is in
practice - like some of Weigel's other works I was disappointed that,
though it was certainly good, it had the seeming potential to be
absolutely great. Obviously, the book is already over 400 pages long
and there is a limit as to marketability, especially with a work that
has a strong travel orientation. This is my other problem - the book
covers over seven weeks (five and a half weeks of Lent, Holy Week,
Easter Week) - but the checkout period at St Louis Public Library is, of
course, 3 weeks. It can be renewed, but not if, as happened to me,
someone else places a hold on it. This is a book to buy rather than one
to borrow.
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