Lightning Meditations

By Ronald Knox Brevity is the soul of wit. On the evidence of Monsignor Ronald Knox’s Lightning Meditations, it is also the secret of effective preaching. Like its pre­decessor volume, Stimuli, this collection of meditations is compiled from the short sermons Knox contributed to The Sunday Times over a span of twelve years; also like Stimuli, its contents are to the point and pointed, ready to sting consciences out of complacency and into cooperation with the abundant graces on offer from almighty God. Drawing from the wisdom and tradition of the Church, the writings of saints and scholars, and—above all—Sacred Scriptures, Knox is able to illuminate in lightning fashion those favored recesses of mind, heart, and soul in which one attempts to hide from God and his commandments. God sees the grace he gave that man, perhaps not as a flame that burns his brow, but as a spark creeping among the embers of a difficult nature. (Ronald Knox) These seventy-eight meditations are timely reflections for the seasons of the Church year and topical considerations on the mysteries of the Kingdom, the cultivation of virtues, and the rooting out of vice. Marked by Knox’s admirable talent for extracting fresh meaning from familiar notions, Lightning Meditations is a reliable source of the scoldings and the comforts needed to walk in the way of the Lord.   Ronald Knox (1888–1957) was an English Catholic priest, theologian, and author, and one of the most prominent twentieth-century converts from Anglicanism to Catholicism. Best known for his contemporary English translation of the Scriptures (the “Knox Bible”), he wrote numerous works of apologetics and collections of ser­mons, retreat conferences, and lectures, as well as six detective novels.  * * * Paperback: 178pp. ISBN: 978-1685953782