Book Review: The Liturgical Year by Joan Chittister

Thomas Nelson recently sent me a copy of The Liturgical Year: The Spiraling Adventure of the Spiritual Life by Sr. Joan Chittister. I was excited to receive the next volume in the very helpful Ancient Practices Series. In The Liturgical Year , Chittister opens the reader to the beauty of the liturgical year as a spiritual formation practice. She begins with several chapters that explain how the cycles of the liturgical year form both individuals and faith communities in the fullness of the life of Christ. Through the remainder of the book Chittister walks the reader through the seasons of the liturgical year, mining the depth of meaning and spiritual formation present in each season.

I didn’t grow up in a church that followed the rhythm of the liturgical calendar, but have slowly been learning the beauty of the liturgical life. Sr. Joan Chittister, though, has lived a lifetime being formed by the rhythms of the liturgical year. Reading The Liturgical Year is like having a conversation with a friend who is sharing her love for following the intentional rhythms of the Christian calendar. I am glad to have this resource on my journey into allowing the rhythms of the liturgical year to shape me in the life of the Spirit.