The author, Joseph Rivius (1607-1666), was a Norbertine 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. His sermons were written up as notes and later published in 1668 as a book of sermons for the entire year by his good friend and confrere Ludolphus van Craywinckel, himself a writer. The 113 sermons follow the of the Missal and comprise sermons for the Sundays of the liturgical year, as well as some for Saints' feast days and one for the Dedication of a Church. Because of the size of Rivius' original book, the translation has been published in five volumes for ease of reading: Volume I: ; Volume II: ; Volume III: ; Volume IV: ; Volume V: .