What to read after Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word, Vol. 4?

To the unstudied eye, St. Matthew's gospel can seem a terse narrative, almost a historical document and not the tremendously spiritual (and doctrinal) storehouse that it is. In his fourth and final volume of meditations on Matthew (chapters 26-28), Erasmo Leiva continues to show Matthew's prose to be not terse so much as economical-astoundingly so given its depth. The lay reader can derive great profit from reading this. Each short meditation comments on a verse or two, pointing to some facet of the text not immediately apparent, but rich with meaning.

Leiva's work is scholarly but eminently approachable by the lay reader. The tone is very much of "taste and see how good the Lord is" and an invitation of "friend, come up higher!" The goal of the book is to help the reader experience the heat of the divine heart and the light of the divine Word, and aims at prayer as the final result of a fruitful encounter with the Word of God.

Leiva comments on the Greek text, demonstrating nuances in the text that defy translation. He uses numerous quotes from the Fathers and the Liturgy of the Church to demonstrate the way the Tradition has lived and read the Word of God. His theological reflection vivifies doctrine by seeking its roots in the words and actions of Jesus.

Points of Interest

• Long awaited final volume in a widely beloved and deeply rich series of scripture study and meditation

• Scholarly but eminently approachable by the lay reader

• Theological reflection that vivifies doctrine by seeking its roots in the words and actions of Jesus

• Aims at prayer as the final result of a fruitful encounter with the Word of God