When we read the Gospels, we learn about what Jesus did and how He reveals God the Father to us. We read about His interactions with tax collectors, fishermen, or hospitable women and take away lessons on how to act (or not act). Yet the Gospel encounters also reveal how Jesus longs to speak directly to our hearts.

Follow Me: Walking with Jesus through the Gospel serves as an invitation to deepen our relationship with the living God by providing imaginative access to various characters’ encounters with Jesus. Drawing from Scripture and supplementing with questions for further reflection and study, Follow Me will deepen a reader’s understanding of who Jesus is and how He sees His beloved sons and daughters—not just those recalled in Scripture but each of us in the present day.

William C. Mattison III is the Wilsey Professor in Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He also serves in Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program, preparing K-12 Catholic school teachers of religion and helping form Catholic school leaders in how mission informs all aspects of schools. He is the author of the popular undergraduate ethics text Introducing Moral Theology: True Happiness and the Virtues and the recent scholarly monographs The Sermon on the Mount and Moral Theology: A Virtue Perspective and Growing in Virtue: Aquinas on Habit.

“Spending time with Scripture can seem intimidating. Follow Me brings the Gospel alive in a way that invites, challenges, consoles, and inspires readers.”

Scott Hahn, Bestselling Author and Founder and President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology

“The imaginative retelling of Jesus’s encounters in the Gospel teaches us how to reverence those we meet—in particular the poor and marginalized. Read, reflect, and expand your heart.”

Sr. Helen Prejean, Author of Dead Man Walking, and Founder of Ministry Against the Death Penalty

“Mattison uses the techniques of lectio divina and imaginative prayer to bring the Gospels to life in a new and profound way. Imagining the life of Jesus through those closest to Him allows us to reflect on the familiar stories of His life through a new lens and, as a result, deepen our personal relationship with Him.”

Erich Kerekes, Co-Founder of the Hallow App

“Many classrooms and reading groups will benefit from the opportunity this book presents to be formed to the life and invitations of Christ.”

Charlie Camosy, Professor, Creighton School of Medicine, and Moral Theology Fellow, St. Joseph Seminary

“Follow Me shares thoughtful and creative stories to help us encounter and experience Jesus in the Gospel. After each story are reflections to help us have our own Emmaus-like moments.”

Gloria Purvis, Author, Commentator, and Host and Executive Producer of The Gloria Purvis Podcast