Story of a Soul (St. Therese of Lisieux)

Two and a half years before her death in 1897, Therese Martin began writing her childhood memories. A year after her death this “story of my soul” was published and instantly became a modern spiritual classic. In these pages readers discover the great themes of her spirituality which have endeared her to us: confidence and love, the “little way,” abandonment to God’s merciful love, and her “mission” in the church and world today. St. Therese has been called the greatest saint of modern times. Indeed, the thousands of copies of this title that are sold far outnumber the writings of any other saint. Her message of confidence and her little way are a message we especially long to hear today.   learn more<<

Holy Daring—The Fearless Trust of St. Therese of Lisieux

The author’s words about the purpose of this book are its best introduction: “The aim of this book is to offer everyone the opportunity to encounter Therese: that we may feel ga new current of confidence flooding our prayer, flowing into our relationships, promising to irrigate every area of our Christian experience. If we yield to the impact of this young woman, we may yet find ourselves among the many whose lives she has overtaken and overturned—decisively…. May she partner us in prayer through these pages.” John Uldris  learn more<<

Interior Castle (St. Therese of Avila)

A cornerstone book on mystical theology, Interior Castle describes the seven stages of union with God. Using everyday language to explain difficult theological concepts, Teresa of Avila compares the contemplative life to a castle with seven chambers. She traces the passage of the soul through each successive chamber, drawing a powerful picture of the path toward spiritual perfection. God resides in the very center chamber or mansion in our soul. For anyone wishing to understand how contemplative prayer begins and develops over the soul’s journey to the Center along with practical advice on the way, this is a great starter you’ll read over and over again.  learn more<<

Teresa of Avila—God Alone Suffices

This is more than a biography! I picked up this book and was immediately taken by Teresa’s own spiritual struggles and growth in prayer. For anyone who wants a practical understanding of spiritual and contemplative prayer, this is must reading. It will transform your prayer. No one has spoken of mental prayer as eloquently and as passionately as Teresa. Gives context and background for reading Interior Castle.  learn more<<

Dark Night of the Soul (St. John of the Cross)

The sixteenth-century mystic and Carmelite monk John of the Cross stands alongside St. Teresa of Avila as the West’s best known and most beloved Christian mystic. Dark Night follows the soul’s journey from a state of abandonment and darkness to a loving union with God. Offers support and encouragement to all who seek oneness with God. Much of John’s imagery and practical advice has entered into the main stream culture, but reading his original writing is a feast at which the reader is nourished by someone who knows the path to contemplation and has been a sure guide to others along this path for hundreds of years.   learn more<<

John of the Cross—Man and Mystic

This engaging biography is the perfect introduction—or an enjoyable reacquaintance—to a man whose life, writings, and spirituality have illuminated the Christian world. What makes this biography so helpful is that it includes a guide to reading the works of John of the Cross and an extensive bibliography. learn more<<

Introduction to the Devout Life (St. Francis de Sales)

Francis de Sales’s Introduction to the Devout Life has remained a uniquely accessible and relevant treasure of devotion for nearly four hundred years. It was written by the Bishop of Geneva for Christians in every walk of life and is a unique handbook of spiritual reflection. When it was first written it had great and immediate success. In the first 40 years the book had been translated into 17 languages!

This classic text offers meditations and counsel on every aspect of life with balance and originality. A perfect volume for someone wanting solid, balanced, compassionate Christian advice on living the Christian life today.  learn more<<

The Cloud of Unknowing and the Book of Privy Counselling (author unknown)

Written by an unknown fourteenth-century mystic, these two books are eminently practical guides on the path of contemplation. The author teaches a type of prayer that goes beyond thought and imagery into the “cloud of unknowing” as our love rises upward toward God. Centering prayer is a more contemporary popularization of the advice offered in The Cloud of Unknowing. learn more<<

New Seeds of Contemplation (Thomas Merton)

In print for more than forty years, New Seeds of Contemplation has served as a guide to the contemplative life for several generations of spiritual seekers. Merton reveals contemplation to be nothing other than “life itself, fully awake, fully active, fully aware that it is alive.” The thirty-nine short “seeds” that make up this book are intended to awaken and cultivate the contemplative, mystical dimension of the spiritual path for everyone. This will always be one of my favorites. Deeply down to earth and yet profoundly true it will help one know God and one’s own truest self, showing one how to shed the masks, fears, and ambitions that separate us from the God we seek. learn more<<

The Discernment of Spirits—An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living

In this book the author helps us understand the Rules of Discernment and how their insights are essential for our spiritual growth today. This is the only book I’ve found with such a lucid, complete, balanced, and systematic presentation of the first set of rules for discernment, including also contemporary examples of their application.  learn more<<

Spiritual Consolation—An Ignatian Guide for the Greater Discernment of Spirits

This book addresses the important question of how we are to understand a crucial issue in the spiritual life: When an undertaking awakens spiritual joy within us, is this joy, this happy sense of closeness to God, always a sign that God is calling us to the undertaking? If it is not, how may we distinguish when such joy is a sign of God’s call and when it is not? And if, in a particular situation, such joy is not an indication of God’s promptings, how are we to understand it. This book covers the second set of rules for discernment.  learn more<<

The Examen Prayer—Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today

The examen prayer, on the gifts of Ignatius to spiritual seekers, is a transforming and ever-growing practice in Christian spirituality. The author uses real-life stories and his experience as a spiritual director to explain the core principles of the examen prayer: what is the examen? How can we begin to pray it? How can we adapt it to our individual lives? If you are looking for a steady practice to help you grow spiritually and personally, the examen is a fruitful practice to incorporate into your daily prayer.  learn more<<

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