Catholic Review

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A crucifix and Bible on purple cloth
A crucifix and Bible are pictured on purple cloth during Lent at Jesus the Good Shepherd Church in Dunkirk, Md. (OSV News photo/Bob Roller, Reuters)

Scripture series by popular Catholic speaker offers deep dive into the person of Jesus


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OSV News Filed Under: Books, Commentary

In the Acts of the Apostles, Philip encounters an Ethiopian eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah as he was on a journey home from Jerusalem. He was trying to make sense of the Scriptures, but lamented, “How can I understand unless someone instructs me?”

Reading the Bible can be similarly confusing to most Christians, especially those who lack theological training. For the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip proclaimed that Jesus is the one who Isaiah was speaking about, recounting all of salvation history. For the rest of us, Meg Hunter-Kilmer breaks open the meaning of the Scriptures in light of Christ as the fulfillment of all prophecies in her latest book, “Eyes Fixed on Jesus.”

“Eyes Fixed on Jesus” is a series of three volumes walking the reader through the Gospels, interweaving the narratives of all four evangelists. Volume 1, which begins with the infancy narratives and goes through Jesus sending his disciples out to preach and pray in his name, is available now. The next volume is anticipated in fall of 2026, with the final volume planned for the following spring.

The book is broken up chronologically with reflections and insights on the events in the life of Jesus. Hunter-Kilmer writes substantially on each passage, combining spiritual insights, cultural context, translation and word study, traditions of the church and more. Her conversational writing style is easy to read and prepares the reader to enter into their own conversations about the person of Jesus Christ.

In one reflection, the author points to a little-known tradition about one of the scholars who determined the canon of Scripture in the Old Testament, also known as the Septuagint. The story goes that 70 scholars all agreed on the translation except one, who disagreed on a translation of the prophet Isaiah saying that the savior would be born of a virgin. The scholar argued that the translation should be “young woman” because it is impossible for a virgin to have a child. An angel appeared to that scholar, saying the translation should read “virgin” and that he would live to see the prophecy fulfilled.
Tradition holds that the scholar was Simeon, who met the child Jesus in the temple and who exclaimed in the prayer that is recited every day in night prayer, “Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled.” The book is filled with these “Aha!” moments, revealing the wisdom of Scripture and the tradition of the church.

The author’s background includes an advanced degree in theology, but she is not primarily a Scripture scholar. Hunter-Kilmer has been reading the Bible every day since she was 13 years old and began reading the Bible cover-to-cover annually over 20 years ago, including reading through the Gospels twice every year.

In that time, she has traveled the country and the world preaching about Jesus, writing multiple other books in the process. In her heartfelt introduction she shares that her motivation for writing this series is simple — she wants readers to come to know the real person of Jesus, whom she has met by reading the Gospels.

One of the most impressive features of “Eyes Fixed on Jesus” is the margin notes and indices. In the margins throughout the book, Scripture citations are abundantly present, pointing both to direct quotations from Scripture as well as to individual passages that are merely referenced in passing. At the back of the book, there is a topical index to point readers to passages that touch on various themes, along with an index of all referenced Scriptures to aid with study and research. By the time the three volumes are published, all 72 books of the Bible will be referenced.

While a reader could sit down and read the book straight through, “Eyes Fixed on Jesus” shines as a reference book and a companion to reading the Gospels directly. Each section begins with a citation of the passages in the Gospels, encouraging the reader to crack open their own Bible to get used to reading God’s Word.

The format lends itself to being a useful resource for lectio divina or preparing for Mass, giving the reader the opportunity to enter more deeply into the Gospel of the day. There are reflection questions at the end of the book to encourage further reflection and as a tool for small groups or Bible studies to use as an introduction to the Gospels.

In a time where sound bites and productivity tools are constantly inundating Christians, setting aside time for prayer and reading the Bible can seem impossible. Hunter-Kilmer invites readers to slow down, to consume and savor the Word of God, keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.

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