A Book Launch in preparation for Advent.

Fr Russell Pollitt addresses us.

On Thursday 17th November  I attended the launch of “Rejoice Mountains and Hills”  at Holy Trinity. 


 The book contains weekday reflections for the Season of Advent and was written by Fr Russell Pollitt SJ & Dr Annemarie Paulin-Campbell of the Jesuit Institute. We heard about the book from Annemarie and Fr Russell mainly thanked people their help in producing the book but what was particularly interesting was an appreciation of the book by Nonthando Hadebi of St Augustine's College, our Catholic University and comments on the prayers by Fr  Jacques Pretorius, the Anglican chaplain to St John's College.  

Dr Annemarie Paulin-Campbell

We the piled into the food and wine afterwards!  Funny, at most book launches they come first.


Advent as a period of Preparation for Christmas seems to have fallen away.  It's not punted as a period of selfdenial or fasting and abstinence though the Eastern Churches certainly commemorate Advent in that way but then their Lent is also much more rigorous. 


 I think it  should be more recognised particularly as in the secular world Christmas begins somewhere towards the end of  October and finishes on the 23rd or 24th December!  


I really like this little book because it has its feet firmly on the ground when it comes to devotion during what is a particularly busy time for everyone.  In fact the book uses that business as a platform for prayer & meditation.  


Each day begins with a prayer to help focus on the theme for the day.  Then there is a text and reflection on the text.  It' need only take a few minutes or it can take longer depending on your situation at that particular time of day.  Congratulations to Fr Russell and to Annemarie  for providing such a user-friendly little book that I will certainly use during Advent.   


Copies of the book can be purchased from The Catholic Bookshop (Cape Town), Paulines (Johannesburg/Durban) and Holy Trinity Braamfontein. It costs R35.