Popular Catholic speaker Meg Hunter-Kilmer has released the first volume of a new scripture series titled "Eyes Fixed on Jesus, Vol. 1: A Journey Into the Gospels." The book aims to help readers understand the Scriptures by presenting Jesus as the fulfillment of all prophecies, similar to Philip instructing the Ethiopian eunuch in the Acts of the Apostles. Volume 1 covers the infancy narratives up to the sending out of the disciples and is 272 pages long, priced at $24.95. The series will consist of three volumes, with the second volume expected in fall 2026 and the final volume the following spring. Hunter-Kilmer employs a chronological structure, offering reflections that combine spiritual insights, cultural context, word study, and church traditions in an accessible style.
2 months ago
"Eyes Fixed on Jesus, Vol. 1: A Journey Into the Gospels" by Meg Hunter-Kilmer is a new Scripture series published by OSV in 2025.1
This 272-page volume, priced at $24.95, launches a three-part set interweaving the four Gospel narratives chronologically.1
The book covers events from Jesus' infancy narratives through his sending of disciples to preach and pray.1
Future volumes are slated for fall 2026 and spring 2027.1
Hunter-Kilmer holds an advanced theology degree and has read the Bible daily since age 13, completing cover-to-cover readings annually for over 20 years.1
She preaches globally on Jesus and aims to help readers encounter the real person of Christ through the Gospels.1
Reflections blend spiritual insights, cultural context, word studies, and Church traditions in a conversational tone.1
Highlights include traditions like Simeon as the Septuagint scholar who saw the virgin birth prophecy fulfilled.1
Margin notes cite Scriptures extensively, with back-of-book topical and Scripture indices covering all 72 Bible books by series end.1
Each section prompts readers to open their own Bible for direct Gospel engagement.1
Ideal for straight reading, lectio divina, Mass preparation, or group Bible studies, with end-of-book reflection questions.1
It encourages slowing down amid modern distractions to savor God's Word.1
Investigate Catholic tradition of Christological interpretation in Scripture
Catholic tradition has long held that Jesus Christ is the unifying center of all Sacred Scripture, serving as the key to its interpretation. From the Church Fathers to the modern Magisterium, this Christological approach views the Bible as "one book of Christ," where the Old Testament prefigures him through typology, the New Testament reveals him fully, and every part finds coherence in his person and mission. This hermeneutic balances historical context with spiritual depth, guided by faith and the Holy Spirit, ensuring Scripture leads believers to communion with the Trinity.
Scripture itself witnesses to its Christocentric unity. The New Testament explicitly presents Christ as the fulfillment of the Old, with Jesus declaring on the road to Emmaus that "beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures" (Lk 24:27). The apostles echo this: "to him all the prophets bear witness" (Acts 10:43), affirming that Sacred Scripture reveals the incarnate Son of God. St. Paul describes how the veil is lifted from Moses' face in Christ, unveiling the Law's true meaning as pointing to him (2 Cor 3:14-16).
Dei Verbum underscores this: the Word made flesh dwells among us, manifesting the Father through deeds and words, completing divine revelation, and drawing all to himself (Jn 12:32). The New Testament writings stand as a "perpetual and divine witness" to these realities, with Christ establishing God's kingdom. Thus, interpreting Scripture without reference to Christ distorts its purpose, as it exists to reveal him for salvation.
St. Augustine exemplifies the patristic commitment to transcending the letter to reach the reality of Christ, the "one Word" who gives life. In De doctrina christiana, he distinguishes signs from the realities they signify, urging interpreters to approach Scripture with charity, a pure heart, good conscience, and unfeigned faith (1 Tim 1:5), so all understanding bears on these graces. For Augustine, this disposition opens the mind to Christ, making the literal sense credible and quenching the soul's thirst for truth.
Early Christians read Psalms and prophecies Christologically: Psalm 22 speaks of Christ's passion ("my God, my God" in Mk 15:34 and "they parted my garments" in Jn 19:24). Jesus accuses the Sadducees of ignorance of both God's power (his resurrection) and Scriptures, which portray God as conquering death as he did barrenness for the patriarchs. Tyconius's rule, adopted by Augustine—"about the Lord and his body"—extends this to the Church as Christ's members: "head and body, that is Christ and Church, constitute one person" (Gal 3:29). Thus, Scripture addresses believers therapeutically as part of the "whole Christ."
St. Thomas Aquinas integrates this tradition, treating Christ's life mystically in the Summa Theologiae (III, qq. 27-59), influencing Pope Benedict XVI's own Christocentric exegesis. Aquinas emphasizes the literal sense grounded in history and metaphysics, while spiritual senses reveal fuller realities in Christ. Typology discerns Old Testament "figures" prefiguring Christ's deeds: Noah's ark and Baptism, the Red Sea crossing, rock water and manna as Eucharist.
The Catechism affirms: "All Sacred Scripture is but one book, and that one book is Christ, because all divine Scripture speaks of Christ, and all divine Scripture is fulfilled in Christ" (Hugh of St. Victor). The Old Testament retains intrinsic value as revelation, yet Christians read it "in the light of Christ crucified and risen," unveiling its inexhaustible content without negating history. The New lies "hidden in the Old," the Old "unveiled in the New."
Vatican II's Dei Verbum entrusts authentic interpretation to the Church's living magisterium, which serves the Word, drawing from the deposit of faith. It calls for attentiveness to Scripture's content and unity, with Christ as "center and heart, open since his Passover" (Lk 24:25-27, 44-46). Catechesis reveals God's plan fulfilled in Christ, everything taught "with reference to him." His entire life—even hidden and public mysteries—shines in the light of Incarnation and Paschal mystery.
Pope Benedict XVI's Verbum Domini synthesizes this, advocating a "Christological hermeneutic" presupposing faith: Christ as "key to the whole," uniting diverse books into one coherent Word. It balances literal sense (historical truth) with typology, rejecting splits between senses or faith and reason. Modern exegesis fruits integrate with tradition, as Christ—the incarnate Logos—draws all truth, respecting history since "the Word has become Incarnate." The Bible is not a "dead letter" but living Word, opened by Christ through the Spirit (Lk 24:45). Liturgy harmonizes Testaments typologically, unveiling Christ's mystery.
This tradition demands a disposition of reverence: union with Christ via sacraments, especially Eucharist, where Scripture's realities become sensible signs. Prayer and the analogia fidei (analogy of faith) ensure coherence across the canon. Controversy arises in overemphasizing historical-critical methods without Christ, but the Church guards against this, prioritizing spiritual senses in the "Spirit of Truth." Recent sources like Verbum Domini (2010) take precedence, reaffirming patristic and medieval principles.
In summary, Catholic Christological interpretation forms a seamless tradition: Scripture's unity in Christ, typologically fulfilled, demands faith-filled reading under the Church's guidance. This approach not only illumines the Bible but transforms lives, drawing believers into Trinitarian communion.