My newest new book, Fire of God’s Love: 120 Reflections on the Eucharist, has arrived!

It’s a collection of unusual (if I do say so myself), but entirely orthodox meditations from a diverse assortment of saints and thinkers. For example:

Marshall McLuhan

J.R.R. Tolkien

Maria Montessori

Blaise Pascal

Richard John Neuhaus

G.E.M. Anscombe

Plus the Fathers, of course: Augustine, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Ephrem, Caesarius of Arles, Cyril of Jerusalem, Balaeus, Irenaeus, Justin, Ignatius, Jacob of Sarugh, Maximus Confessor, Sechnall … And, as the folks at Ronco used to say, many more.

I’ve also invoked some names that were ubiquitous a century or a half ago, and should not be forgotten: Moritz Meschler, Nicholas Gihr, Maurice Zundel, April Oursler Armstrong, A.M. Roguet, Lawrence Lovasik … And, as the folks at Ronco used to say, many more.

And I’ve included my beloved friends Carl Sommer and Father Ronald Lawler — and Scott Hahn, to whom the book is dedicated.

I think you’ll like it. It’s a substantial book that sticks to your ribs. The readings I chose have stuck to mine, down the years.

BMCR posted a review of the new Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Studies.

My book The Grail Code: Quest for the Real Presence, co-authored with Chris Bailey, is now out in a second Portuguese edition — this one suitable for Portugal rather than Brazil. The cover’s really cool and spooky.

BMCR reviews Alden A. Mosshammer’s The Easter Computus and the Origins of the Christian Era (in the Oxford Early Christian Studies series). What’s it all about? It’s about …

… Dionysius Exiguus, the sixth-century putative inventor of Anno Domini dating. Skeptics … noted that Dionysius’ dating of the nativity was quite likely wrong … The Venerable Bede had observed back in the early eighth century that Dionysius’ dating of Christ’s birth contradicted biblical, annalistic, and patristic evidence, which favored the years BC 2/3. Most modern scholars thus have assumed that Dionysius willfully broke with tradition, and calculated his own (incorrect) nativity date.

Mosshammer effectively undermines this accusation in a lengthy, highly technical, and meticulously-argued study … That he largely succeeds is a testament to his clearly extensive knowledge of antique calendrical traditions.

Happy Catholic spreads much cheer hereabouts, as she reviews Praying the Psalms With the Early Christians: Ancient Songs for Modern Hearts, by Yours Truly and my good friend Chris Bailey. I love it when reviewers say that the book’s main problem was that the reviewer didn’t want it to end.

In today’s mail came J. Budziszewski’s new book, The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of Contradiction. I put it aside as interesting for future reading, but perhaps far afield for this blog. Then, tonight, while waiting for my wife to finish up on the computer, I opened to a random page and found the author defending the Fathers against charges of intolerance. “Nor do the patristic writers argue merely that God detests the persecution of Christians; they say that persecution as such is repugnant to faith and to the will of God. This argument is elaborated by diverse early Christian figures, just the sort of thinkers whom liberals assume to have been impossible before liberalism.” Then follows the abundant evidence, from Lactantius, Hilary, Isidore of Pelusium, Gregory Nazianzen, John Chrysostom, Athanasius, and Augustine. The quotes are generous. The argument covers many pages. As I glance through the index, I see many more familiar names from antiquity. Looks like I’ll be reading this sooner rather than later.

I’m a longtime fan of Budziszewski. I’ve used his Ask Me Anything: Provocative Answers for College Students and How to Stay Christian in College with my kids.

Chris Cash at Catholic Spotlight has podcasted our long conversation about my book Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts.

Also, dearest Maureen Wittmann has posted full text of David Mills’ review of the book.