In these modern days of the six-minute homilette, some may question the use of translating musty old sermons. Why bother with the past? Yet if we want to be whole Catholics, we need to know what went before us, as well as our present. In these confusing times where some in the Church are trying to erase any reminder of the past, it becomes all the more necessary to be familiar with the Faith as handed down through the centuries, in order to better explain what we believe, and why, especially to the younger generation which is (re)discovering its Catholic inheritance. These sermons can help us in our quest. Written during a time when the Catholic Church was under siege from Protestantism, the sermons are clear examples of Catholic doctrine, which we can use to strengthen our faith in the face of adversity.

The author, Joseph Rivius (1607-1666), was a Premonstratensian canon regular from the abbey of Tongerlo in Belgium. He was a faithful religious, a zealous prior, and a dedicated pastor of several parishes in northern Flanders. After his death his notes were published in 1668 as a book of sermons for the entire year. The 113 sermons follow the usus antiquior of the Missal and comprise sermons for Sundays, feasts, and saint’s days.

Because of the size of Rivius’ original book, the translation has been published in five volumes for ease of reading: Volume I: Advent, Christmas, Epiphany; Volume II: Septuagesima, Lent, Eastertide; Volume III: Pentecost and Time after Pentecost; Volume IV: Sanctoral cycle I; Volume V: Sanctoral cycle II.