An English edition of a book of Pope Benedict XVI's previously unpublished homilies has been released by the Vatican.

"The Lord Holds Us by the Hand” offers readers a collection of Pope Benedict's homilies, allowing them to hear once again the voice of Joseph Ratzinger as preacher, theologian and pastor.

The volume, originally published in Italian by the Vatican Publishing House, is titled, "The Lord Holds Us by the Hand." It is a compilation of homilies delivered between 2005 and 2017 during the liturgical seasons of Advent, Lent and Easter.

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The book includes a preface by Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict's former personal secretary, and an introduction by Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, president of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.

The homilies were delivered during private Masses celebrated by Pope Benedict with the papal household and occasional guests, both while he was pope and later as pope emeritus.

Some were preached in the chapel of the Apostolic Palace, while others were given at the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican, where Benedict lived after his resignation.

Although spoken in private settings, the texts open a window onto the depth and simplicity of Pope Benedict's preaching. They reveal his ability to read sacred Scripture in an ever-new way, drawing from it light for faith, prayer and daily Christian life.

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The pages of the book also show how Joseph Ratzinger kept a personal relationship with Christ at the center of his faith.

In the homilies, Pope Benedict returns again and again to the mystery of the Lord who accompanies his people, sustains them and holds them by the hand.

The title itself expresses this central intuition: the Christian life is not a solitary path, but a journey guided by the presence and mercy of God.

The collection also highlights the continuity between Pope Benedict's theological work and his pastoral ministry. His reflections are marked by the clarity, spiritual depth and Christ-centred focus that characterized his pontificate.

"The Lord Holds Us by the Hand" is the first volume of Pope Benedict's unpublished homilies. A second volume, dedicated to homilies in Ordinary Time, is expected to follow. The Italian edition of the first volume was presented at the Turin International Book Fair May 17.

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With the publication of the English edition, these previously unpublished texts are now available to a wider readership, offering a renewed encounter with Pope Benedict's preaching and with his lifelong invitation to place Christ at the heart of faith and history.

This story was originally published by Vatican News and is distributed through a partnership with OSV News.