As I mentioned in another thread, the [url=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RDB7YA8/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00RDB7YA8&linkCode=as2&tag=httpwwwchanco-20 of John Vianney. He has a sermon for every week of the year and they are all wonderful.

My Daily Bread by Fr. Anthony Paone published now by Tan Books.  I like it because it is so similar to the Imitation of Christ but has brief reflections.

Marsha

Hi 2Vermont!  You've brought up one of my favorite subjects:  books!  Unfortunately, yours is a broad question!  There is so very much about our Faith to read!  

Do you feel drawn to read about anything in particular?  -- Perhaps a bio of Our Lord, books about Our Lady, the saints, the angels, dogmas, devotions,  the sacraments, meditations, sermons, the mysteries of our Faith, the Passion (Lent is coming up!), the sorrows of Our Lady, books about reparation, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, how to live a Christian life, the spiritual life (aka life of the soul), how to pray, the Mass, the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, the virtues, scholarly works like the Summa, autobiographies and writings of the saints, inspirational, short works or long books....  The categories are many.   :shocked:

I can suggest a lot of books I and others have found helpful, but I'd need to know a little more of what you're looking for to really be of most help.  There are literally hundreds of free PDF books written before Vatican II available on the Internet.  Maybe you'd like to look at some sites and get some ideas.  I can refer you to a number of them, all free.  There are also audio books but not nearly as many as PDFs.  

A clue to profitable reading:  If you start reading something that "grabs you," you'll usually profit from it.  If it leaves you dry, try something else.  That's why it's a good idea to have many to choose from in some form of a personal library be it actual books or PDFs or a combination of both.  I personally prefer the actual book because I can look at my bookcase and decide what to read more easily than opening and closing PDFs, but many of the best books are no longer available in book form or are prohibitively expensive BUT they ARE available in download form.  

Keep in mind that what may not appeal to you now might come in handy in the future as you progress along the way of the spiritual life.  Pray about this and ask God to guide you in what you should read.  With all the old books available now on the Internet, we have the best theologians and Catholic writers right at our fingertips ready for download and many can be read on mobile devices as well.

And yes, read when you can really pay attention and allow the Holy Spirit to work in your soul.  Find a quiet time when you can really devote yourself to it and your imagination is quiet.  God often gives inspirations and an indication of His Will for you when you read (Lehodey, "Abandonment").  One of the books I'm reading now calls spiritual reading a form of prayer (Grou, "Manual for Interior Souls") and I've "heard" this said in other books too.  

Also, what any of us finds "good" may not be so for you -- God leads souls by different paths.  It's kind of like buying shoes -- what may be comfortable for one person may not fit another.  Of course, the old classics like The Imitation of Christ seem to fit everyone.

I'd advise anyone to start collecting your library NOW.  Some books are disappearing off the Internet while others are being added. I've lost the opportunity to get quite a few I wanted simply because I procrastinated and didn't download them right when I saw them.  Some are being replaced by "new and improved" editions which may or may not be altered in some fashion.  Catch the PDFs (or other forms) of the pre-Vatican II editions while you can and even print out the ones you like the best.  That way you'll always have them and you can mark them up as you please.

I like to do "condensed" versions -- read a book and take notes while doing so.  It helps me get the real gist of the book and remember what appealed to me the most.  I keep the notes in a separate file, a sort of sub-library.  It's helpful to do when reading many books at one time.  (Some of my reading is "heavy" and other books are "light" reading, and I have a few projects in the works.)

If you're looking for some author or book in particular, you may have to try several search engines but it's well worth the time and effort if you want the best in spiritual advice and inspiration for you and your family.  Every chapter is a great sermon even if it's not technically a "sermon"!!

Whew!  So, any idea what appeals to you?   :dancing:
nipr

2vermont - There are two important things for successful spiritual reading in my opinion.  The two are, what you are reading, and the way that you devote yourself to reading.  I won't address what to read and why, because that is situational.  But, I will mention the importance of the devotion/practice in itself.   Spiritual reading is a prayer.  Treat it as such.  Don't plop down and put your feet up; catholics don't pray that way(except with their eyes closed  ).  Commit, be intelligible, and be spiritual about it.  Dignify it, and value it.  Make it a worthy devotion, and God will visit you.  

Duly noted, thank you.

Nipr - thanks for the post.  It is a good idea to get books and articles off the the internet.  But, if they are long articles, I think that it is then best to go to the library and print it(mine is 10 cents a page).  I would definitely do that with a downloadable book.  I don't like reading from computers.  Also, it is not stretching it to bind it up yourself into a book.  I would only do that for a real gem though.  A simple binder is ideal for most.

Hi + PG +,  Good advice!  Yes, reading from paper is much easier on the eyes and I do print out some books as is or make them into a text docuмent and print that.  I'm fortunate in that I have an old printer which prints pages at about 6 cents each (or less) and the cartridges print about 1,000 pages and cost very little.  But I've got literally hundreds of books in PDF format.  I print out sections or whatever I need for reference or study--one reason I do condensed versions.  I too use three-ring binders that I find at GoodWill for mere cents.  One advantage of PDFs is that you can get a "taste" of a book without spending the money first.  If you like it, then you can get a hard copy if available.  

2Vermont--I'd suggest a good life of Christ like Emmerich's because you get a good sense of the times in which He lived and what the living conditions were like, which helps one to understand the Scriptures better.  Her account of His Passion is wonderful for Lenten reading especially.  

Rev. Alban Goodier also has an excellent book, "The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ."  ABEbooks has it and it may be available on the Internet. It is a bio and takes you right into the events of the Gospels in a very engrossing way; brings out things you never considered or noticed.  He also wrote "Saints for Sinners" and "The Inner Life of the Catholic" which are very good.  Try www.archive.org for these.  

For Our Lady, I like "The Mystical City of God" by Ven. Mary of Agreda but it is deep reading and takes a lot of concentration at first.  You can get an abridged version.  In print and online.  I've been reading the whole four-volume set for the past 50 years and I still find something new to learn/think about each time I open it.  I've come to know and love Our Lady to a degree I never thought possible from reading this book.  

The works of St. Alphonsus de Liguori are excellent in themselves and also because he quotes many other authors and you may wish to read more of their works and build a library that way.  His works on Our Lady are excellent.  You can get his entire works online.  I recommend ALL his books.

The writings of St. Louis de Montforte inspire devotion to Our Lady especially.

Fr. Lasance has very good books on many aspects of the Catholic life like devotions, the Blessed Sacrament, etc.  You can find some online for free.

For a book on the spiritual life, I'd suggest Tanquerey's "The Spiritual Life" because it shows you where and how to begin to build your relationship with God, teaches about grace and all the other things involved with loving God.  It has been used in seminaries but is not so technical that a lay person cannot understand it.

A good catechism is basic.  I just heard of one today called "A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion" by Rev. John Fander.  I do not have the book but it is available on www.archive.org.  True Restoration Radio is doing a series of talks based on it.  They are free downloads.  (I get my material from various places.  I am not endorsing any particular place or organization.)

If you want to get into some serious studying, I'd highly suggest you read "The Intellectual Life" by A. G. Sertillanges.  It's available in paperback from Amazon and online if you're a member of Scribd.  Search "Collections" there.  This book is excellent also for anyone who is trying to live the contemplative lifestyle.  The advice given for how to live a life of study is applicable to both.  

The works of St. Peter Julian Eymard are wonderful.  He writes about devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.  There are many books in his series.  Very good for Holy Hours and general reading about the Blessed Sacrament.

All the books by Rev. Raoul Plus are excellent.  Check the Internet.  They are of a devotional nature.

For a good and comforting understanding of Divine Providence, I'd suggest "The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena" by Christian Classics.  There is a treatise in there on Divine Providence.  I find it especially comforting when the going gets tough.  

Along these lines, there is de Caussade's "Abandonment to Divine Providence" which is lengthy but well worth the read.  At the end there are letters which are very helpful.  (try www.archive.org or Gutenberg Project to get the older version.  Try to get the old version.)

I also like Lehody's "Holy Abandonment" because it is an excellent primer on how to know the Will of God, how to perceive and follow inspirations, how to make decisions, etc.  It is a real treasure.  (TAN)

St. Alphonsus's "Uniformity with God's Will" is excellent and not very long.

See also "The Holy Will of God" by Fr. Leo Pyzalski, CSSR (TAN).  All these books on abandonment to and knowledge of God's Will approach it from a different way and each contain very good advice.  -- Finding God's Will for you and how to follow it is a foundation of the spiritual life.  

St. Francis de Sales's "Introduction to the Devout Life" is a good primer and his "Treatise on the Love of God" is excellent for inspiring devotion to Our Lord and how one should live.  He also discusses how to know and follow God's Will.  His sermons are excellent as well.

The writings of Fr. Jean Nicholas Grou are wonderful.  You can find them on www.archive.org.  They are from the late 1800's.  He talks about what really constitutes the spiritual life and how important it is to give oneself to the pursuit of holiness in order to follow Christ's command to "be holy as your heavenly Father is holy."  Look on www.archive.org for these.  Some are light reading while others go more deeply into the subject.  He was a master theologian and spiritual director.

The writings of the Doctors of the Church are always excellent.  

"Humility of Heart" by Fr. Cajetan Mary de Bergamo (1944 edition online) is an excellent work on humility in all its aspects.  

There are many more.  Some books are written to inspire, some to teach, some contain devotions or are about particular devotions, some are manuals on how to live the Catholic life...  It all depends on how deeply you want to go into a subject or if you want basic understanding of many things.  It's unfortunate that we don't have Catholic bookstores like we used to where one could peruse the books as one does in a library and see what appeals to you.  

If you're just starting out doing spiritual reading, I'd highly suggest you read the basics first: Learn about our Faith, how to know and do the Will of God, the life of Christ and Our Lady Who are our models in this, the saints who you have something in common with to encourage you and give you ideas and keep you from discouragement in difficult times.  

Meditating on the Passion of Our Lord is recommended by all the saints for advancing in virtue and growing closer to God.  I like Padre Pio's "Meditation on the Agony of Jesus."  It is small but powerful.  

Fr. Jean Croiset's book on "Devotion to the Sacred Heart" is another wonderful book.  He gives many ways to practice this devotion.  He was the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary, the saint to whom Jesus revealed this devotion.  It was made known to him by God that He approved of this work.

"The Four Last Things" by Fr. Martin von Cochem, OSFC will really get you thinking about your life and where it's headed.  "The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola" will also do the same.  

"The Devout Year" by Rev. Richard F. Clarke, S.J. from 1893 (check Google books) is great for meditations on the major feasts and seasons of the liturgical year.  

Speaking of which, "The Liturgical Year" by Guerarger (expensive in paper; online in complete volumes) is excellent for a greater understanding of each feast and Sunday/days of the liturgical year.  

I'll end my recommendations with one of the most excellent books ever printed:  "The Practice of Perfection and Christian Virtues" by Alphonsus Rodriguez, SJ, 2 Vols. Manresa Press 1929 online (try archive.org).  This is a real gem.  It covers everything about the life of the soul, how we should live, how to make a good examination of conscience....  I cannot recommend it highly enough.  It is indeed a basic that every library should have.  It goes into depth on every subject.  

The "why" of my reading all of these is simple:  They teach me and inspire devotion.  They just appeal to my soul and are in line with the way God is leading me.  They create an interest in me to look further into something else which they've mentioned and study IT more.  Some books I just can't "get into."  These, I can.  I prefer authors from the late 1800s or early 1900s.  I like material that I can think about for hours.  I like books that explain the "why" and the "how" of things spiritual.  I hope you can get a lot more suggestions from others.  There are good books on apologetics, liturgy, dogmatic theology, moral theology...  You'll find what you like most after you look around a bit.  

On line: www.Forgottenbooks.org   known as 1,000,000 Free E-Books.

Books of the Catholic church going back to the 1800's.  Very good reading.  I am reading "the Doctrine of the Holy Eucharist".  Deep explanations and how the protestants thinking is completely out of line and why, how and etc.  Very good!

www.JoyfulCatholic. com has books to buy that are books bought of over 100 years old and reprinted, catholic.  Love It!

Try St. Alphonsus Maria's 'The Way of Salvation and Perfection'

You can make meditation a day from each chapter, or as it suits you. For people who need books to make meditations it's perfect for that purpose, and it's strong enough to hold the attention and give plenty to think about and pray about.

Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence was recommended earlier, that one's tremendously great.