"The book fills a void in the Orthodox Church. It provides younger teenagers and young adults an opportunity to understand, in a simple and live language, the meanings embedded in the "good news" that is the Gospel and how that good news can be lived in daily experiences. Also, the book provide support for pastors from all denominations as it provides reflections that might be used in sermons. Finally, the book provide support for parents, especially immigrant parents, in their discussions with their children about matters of faith in a fast-changing new world." (Christo El Morr) "Christo El Morr's book that aims at helping the reader discover how rich God's word is and how much relevant it is to our current daily experiences in this era, cannot but be deeply appreciated. Meticulously, El Morr explains the texts in question, clarifies terms and expressions, and wraps up each commentary in a message to the readers based on the text, which addresses them in their daily lives and challenges they face therein.
The book comes at a time when the need of such manuals is big. Both preachers and believers as well as Sunday schools' leaders can benefit from it. The valuable commentaries and explanations contained in the book facilitate the task of preachers, for example, in preparing their Sunday sermons, by providing the main lines of thought embedded in the texts of the readings, and by clarifying difficult passages. It is worth noting that the author establishes links and cross references between the readings and other passages from Old and New Testaments, which can help the readers understand the context of each of the readings in its original setting. This becomes all the more important if one takes into consideration that the reading of the Bible is a continuous one, and that this cannot be possible in the actual practice of the liturgical gatherings, since the daily services are not kept in most parishes.
The simplicity of the style coupled with the depth of the ideas and thoughts make this book an easily accessible one, which does not require from the reader to have an academic background in theological education. It is a word addressed to the community of believers as believers in the first place, who are invited to hear and act in accordance with their baptismal call." (Nicolas Abou Mrad, PhD, Professor of Biblical Studies)
