"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. " ~ 2 Tim 1:7
We've gotten reading recommendation requests from several of our readers, and created this post to share what we believe to be our top ten reading recommendations as they relate to spiritual reading.
Spiritual reading it important because it helps us develop a Christian intellect.
Just fifteen minutes a day can change your outlook on life.
We develop a Christian intellect when the truths of Christianity are so deeply ingrained in our minds that we see everything through the lens of our faith. When we think about something, we reason according to what we know of our faith, and we don't make the slightest move without it.
For God did not give us a spirit of fear but a spirit of power and love. With sober discretion, prudence, and balance.
So we can see things in perspective.
Here are books we are proud to offer that no spiritual reading library should be without:
The Navarre Bible commentaries draw on a rich variety of sources - Church documents, the writings of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and the work of prominent spiritual writers, particularly Saint Josemaria Escriva, who initiated the Navarre Bible project. The commentary appears on the same page as the Bible text, which is the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition. Each volume is self-contained with extensive introductions and notes to Old Testament prophecies. The Navarre Bible commentary is considered by many to be the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.
Daily meditations that follow the Church's liturgical calendar. Subjects relate to themes from the Mass readings for that day or the liturgical season. Each has a soft vinyl cover and slip case. Vol. 1- Advent & Christmas; Vol. 2- Lent & Eastertide; Vol. 3,4, & 5 - Ordinary Time; Vol.6 & 7- Special Feasts.
Author Francis Fernandez-Carvajal makes generous use of the writings of the great saints as he brings you focused and moving meditations on themes taken from the Mass readings for that day, the liturgical season, and more. This work is rich and extensive enough to serve as your spiritual reading for a lifetime, as it helps you relate the particulars of the message of Christ to the ordinary circumstances of your day.
The three best-loved works of St. Josemaría: now combined in one handsome gift book — to provide St. Josemaría’s guiding vision of holiness in everyday life.
This book combines St. Josemaría’s three beloved collections of spiritual guidance — The Way, Furrow, and The Forge — into one, with an expanded and combined index.
It offers you a starting-point for prayer and for finding Christ in all your life’s experiences. In all, this volume contains 3,054 short points—a few sentences each—for personal reflection and mental prayer.
The Faith Explained is an all-in-one handbook to help you understand, explain, and defend the great truths of the Catholic Faith. In brief and readable chapters, it explains the purpose of human existence, God and His perfections, the creation and fall of man, the Incarnation, the redemption, the sacraments, sacramentals, prayer, the importance of the Bible, and much more. Perfect for RCIA classes, this book is also a magnificent refresher course on the Faith for Catholics and an illuminating resource for non-Catholics with questions about the Church.
Bold and provides an easy read with a single column format. Each New Testament is well bound with reinforcement strips on the outside signatures to provide years of service without the binding splitting or weakening. Other features include: Gold foil stamping on cover and spine, Four-page end papers, Round spine with round cover corners, Head and tail bands, One ribbon marker, 672 pages.
Pope Francis has repeatedly encouraged everyone to carry always in their pockets the Gospels and to read them daily -even in the ordinary moments of the day such as waiting in line or on the bus. Our pocket New Testaments are a splendid way to put the words of the Pope into practice.
It's not always possible to control external events. There are so many things that are outside our control: the past, what others think of us, chronic health issues, other peoples' actions, the weather, unforeseen events. This list goes on and on.
It is possible, though, to gain more control over our interior life.
In his book "Interior Freedom" Fr. Jacques Phillipe shows us that we possess, each of us, inside of us a space of freedom that no-one can take away. Despite the most unfavorable outward circumstances, we can claim our freedom because God is its source and its guarantee. Without this, we will always be in search for something else to fulfill us, and we will never understand true happiness.
It's not always possible to control external events. There are so many things that are outside our control: the past, what others think of us, chronic health issues, other peoples' actions, the weather, unforeseen events. This list goes on and on.
It is possible, though, to gain more control over our interior life.
In his book "Interior Freedom" Fr. Jacques Phillipe shows us that we possess, each of us, inside of us a space of freedom that no-one can take away. Despite the most unfavorable outward circumstances, we can claim our freedom because God is its source and its guarantee. Without this, we will always be in search for something else to fulfill us, and we will never understand true happiness.
Drawing on the lives of some of the greatest political, intellectual and religious leaders of modern times, and the author’s personal experience, Virtuous Leadership demonstrates that leadership and virtue are not only compatible, they are actually synonymous.
Virtuous Leadership defines each of the classical human virtues most essential to leadership – magnanimity, humility, prudence, courage, self-control and justice. It demonstrates how these virtues promote personal transformation and the attainment of self-fulfillment. It also considers the Christian supernatural virtues of faith, hope and charity without which no study of leadership can be complete.
Helping young people to form their character is an exciting endeavor that God has entrusted first of all to parents. It requires delicacy and strength, patience and joy, and is not lacking in challenges. It means helping children develop a concern for others, teaching them to form relationships that are truly human, and overcoming the fear of commitment. Educating children involves preparing them for the future—a future that will always involve difficulties, but also joys. In the end, it means preparing each child to respond fully to God’s plan for his or her life.
Beloved by millions, The Way is St. Josemaría’s spiritually rich collection of points for meditation and prayer. Genial but pointed, The Way is born out of deep Christian experience and aims at encouraging people to love God and live for Him. Says St. Josemaría: The 999 points which make up The Way were written with yearnings to see Christ, the light of the world. Anyone who reads it with the same yearnings will not have opened this book in vain. This mini edition fits easily into the most jammed purse or pocket.
Those are our top ten reading recommendations. Did yours make the list?
What others would recommend? We'd like to know.
