A children's book based on
Pope's catecheses on the Apostles
Rome, Italy, Jul 21, 2010 (CNA/EWTN News).- A new children's book has been published under Pope Benedict XVI's name. It presents a collection of the Holy Father's descriptions of Jesus' relationship with his "first companions," taken from his catecheses at general audiences over the past five years.
The illustrated book titled "Gli Amici di Gesu" (The Friends of Jesus) was recently released by the Milanese publishing house "Piccola Casa Editrice" in Italian. Painted illustrations by artist Franco Vignazia accompany the stories of Jesus and 14 of his "friends."
The characters in the book include each of the original 12 apostles, including Judas Iscariot; Matthias, who replaced Judas after the betrayal, and St. Paul.
The 48-page volume produced for the youngest of readers is a "route that takes the reader to the origins of the Church, through the events of the first people who found Jesus and became his friends," according to the publishing house.
Fr. Julian Carron, president of the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation, says in the preface of book that, through the stories, "The Pope takes us by the hand and accompanies us to discover who were the first companions of Christ, how they found him and how they were conquered by him until they decided that they would never abandon him again."
Lorenzo Murnigotti, editorial coordinator of the Piccola Casa Editrice publishing house, told CNA that it reproduces Pope Benedict's perspective of the most significant moments between them and the Teacher, dedicating each of them three to four pages.
The publisher, he explained, came up with the idea to compile the Pope's descriptions for a young audience after they noticed that references to the apostles during his traditional Wednesday catecheses were also directed to children.
Through an agreement with the Vatican's publishing house, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, they were able to produce the book using the Pope's name as author on the cover.
Mr. Murnigotti hoped that English and Spanish versions would be published within the next year and added that, if given the opportunity, they will continue to print works by the Pope "very willingly".
Here is Carron's introduction to the book which appears in today's issue of the OR.
The Pope speaks
about the apostles
Translated from
the 7/21/10 issue of
The roads of Galilee constitute the background for the events described in the book Gli amici di Gesù (San Giuliano Milanese, Piccola casa editrice, 2010, 48 pp, euro 12), which outs together passages from the Wednesday catecheses given by Benedict XVI on the Apostles and St. Paul.
The book, intended for children and early teens, is illustrated by Franco Vignazia. Here is the Introduction written for the book by Julian Carron, president of Comunione e Liberazione.
A meeting that is life-changing:
Jesus tells his disciples
'Come and see'
by Julián Carrón
One day, 2000 years ago, a small group of men met, at different times, a young man walking the roads of Galilee in the Middle East. Each of them had their own work and family, but it was a moment that changed their whole life.
Their names were Andrew and Simon, John and James, Matthew, Thomas... There came to be twelve of them whom we know today as the Apostles. But one of them would later betray the master and Matthias would be chosen to take his place.
At that time, everyone in Galilee and in Jerusalem came to know these men who were the friends of Jesus of Nazareth. They saw them walk from village to village, always following their Master.
To them would be added Paul. His meeting with Jesus took place in a very strange way. While he was travelling to the city of Damascus, he heard the voice of Jesus asking him, "Why do you persecute me?"
He was so struck by the event
[and the apparition of the Risen Christ] that he fell from his horse. But from that moment on, his life changed totally - from being a persecutor of Christians, he became the greatest witness to Jesus in his time. He travelled a lot to tell everyone what had happened to him and to preach the message of Christ.
Benedict XVI is the successor of Peter, whom Jesus had entrusted with the task of leading the Church as its first Pope. This illustrated book puts together some stories from his Wednesday catecheses in Rome for pilgrims, at the so-called general audiences - these are from the lessons that he devoted to the twelve Apostles and St. Paul.
The Pope takes us by the hand and accompanies us in discovering who were these first companions of Christ, how they met him and how they were conquered by him to the point that they decided never to abandon him.
The Pope takes us 2,000 years back and makes us witness what Jesus said and did with these friends. We find ourselves on the bank of the Jordan river when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, after which Andrew and John asked Jesus where he lived, and he said to them, "Come and see".
And we are there on a spring morning, on the shore of the Lake of Galilee, when Jesus asks Peter three times, "Do you love me?", and we hear him answer, "Lord you know everything. You know I love you".
Benedict XVI, speaking of John, the youngest disciple called the Beloved, says, "May the Lord place us in the school of John so we may feel loved by Christ to the very end and be ready to give our life for him".
The opneing line of the OR editor's introduction above to Mr. Carron's piece immediately put me in mind of the beautiful illustration below, in the book edited by Amy Welborn and illustrated by Ann Kissane-Engelhart, presenting he Holy Father's totally engaging and repeatedly readable Q&A with First Communion children in Rome back in October 2006:
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 22/07/2010 01:47]