Books on the Spiritual Life

Saint Benedict's Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem Saint Benedict's fifth-century guide to humility offers the antidote to the epidemic of stress and depression overwhelming modern young adults. But the language of The Rule by Saint Benedict is medieval, and its most passionate advocates are cloistered monks and nuns. How then does this ancient wisdom translate into advice for ordinary people? With candor, humor, and a unique approach to classical art, Father Augustine, a high school t...

"O my soul, contemplate the surpassing beauty of these citizens of paradise! They shine like a vast constellation of radiant stars, or even like the sun itself, in the splendid city of God."--St. Aloysius Gonzaga In the history of the Church, there are few saints who wrote with such angelic purity and devotion on the subject of angels as Saint Aloysius Gonzaga. Much has been written on this Jesuit novice who died at the young age of twenty-three while caring for plague victims, but little has...

Imagine if you were privileged enough to sit beside Our Lady and hear from her very lips the story of Jesus' birth and suffering. In these short, moving reflections, told from the perspective of the Blessed Mother to a child, readers young and old will experience a depth of love for God and closeness to Mary's tender heart such as they have never felt before. Patrick O' Hearn masterfully guides you through Our Lady's Seven Sorrows with brief Scripture passages, meditations, and prayers for ea...

First published in 1944 and now a spiritual classic for Catholics across the globe, The Reed of God contains meditations on the humanity of Mary, Mother of God. British Catholic writer and artist Caryll Houselander lovingly explores Mary's intimately human side, depicting Our Lady as a musical instrument who makes divine love known to the world. This refreshed edition is rich and rewarding reading for all Christians who wonder what Mary was really like. While the Second Vatican Council led t...

Straightforward Solutions to Life's Puzzling Problems From the founder of EWTN Global Catholic Network comes this profoundly practical, humorous, and common-sense approach to answering life's most vexing questions. Mother Angelica gently confronts your real-life struggles, lifting your heart to God and leading your soul to heaven as she provides answers from a life dedicated to God not the promises of a world entrenched in vice. Mother Angelica will become your trusted companion in the battle...

Our priests give of themselves daily and work tirelessly for God and our Church. As members of the same family, the Body of Christ, it is our duty to pray for our shepherds as they navigate the peaks and valleys of daily life.One Hour for My Priest provides clear instruction on how to pray a holy hour asking our Lord Jesus Christ to bless, heal, and have mercy on the soul of one of our beloved priests. By entering into the divine moments of Jesus' life, the reader prays for one particular pri...

Reflecting Josemaría Escrivá's belief that God can be found in professional and everyday settings, The Way blends passages from sacred Scripture with anecdotes drawn from Escrivá's life and work, snatches of conversation, and selections from his personal letters. The direct, conversational writing style and its deeply felt humanity are among the book's main attractions and beautifully convey the belief that the human is not foreign to the divine and that the fully Christian spiritual attitude...

Before being published as a small book, these "counsels of perfection" and spiritual notes by Blessed Edward Poppe (1890-1924), a Belgian priest whose cause for canonization is underway, had been transcribed a hundred times by hand by those who had tasted their flavor, vigor, and supernatural wisdom. Fresh and luminous, this little book has been a tremendous success in Dutch, French, Italian, and German; it now appears at last in English. Responding well to the needs of the faithful, it will ...

Venerable Louis of Granada was the favorite author of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John on the Cross, St. Francis de Sales and many others. Among the hundreds of eminent ascetical writers of Spain, Louis of Granada remains unsurpassed in the beauty and purity of his style, the solidity of his doctrine, and the popularity and influence of his writings. Besides ascetical theology, his published works treat of Scripture, dogma, ethics, biography, and history. He is best known, however, for his ascet...

This is a new edition of Fr. Paul de Jaegher's classic work on the interior life. In these few simple pages we aim at expounding a conception of the spiritual life, which, of its very nature, seems well adapted to help the soul in its progress through these two stages on the road to sanctity. Founded on a fundamental dogma of the spiritual life, the dogma of sanctifying grace and of the divine indwelling, it helps us singularly to esteem and practice this precious intimacy with Christ, which...

The resurgence of interest in the Charismata, or Charismatic graces, in the last 40 years has given rise to differences of theological outlook arising from Catholic and Protestant sources. This text addresses those various topics and differences and is divided into three parts. The first part is a translation of Fr. Hagen's authoritative text on the nature of the charismatic graces by Ryan Grant. The second part is the original Latin text of Fr. Hagen, which is provided here for the sake of s...

"Ceremonial may be interpreted as a spiritual obeisance to the created beauty of the world." So writes Abbie Graham in the Foreword to her Ceremonials of Common Days. In this succinct yet surprisingly profound work, Graham demonstrates this same "obeisance to beauty" in her own artful writing on the special celebrations, festivities, and traditions accompanying the four seasons. Looking not with the modern eye (which views such things as little more than random, culturally produced rituals) b...

Alive to the role of material beauty in strengthening our perception of the invisible, Dom Perrin assists us in our understanding of Mary’s role in the divine plan. Those who already rejoice in fervent devotion to Mary will find their love for her here nourished and refreshed. For those who have not yet turned to Mary, these pages may prove truly liberating, inviting entry into a prayer life that is deeper, more confident, and more effective. A contemplative gaze at Mary Immaculate has the po...

St. Maximus the Confessor (c. 580–662), saint and martyr, might well be called the Saint of Synthesis. His thought, no less than his geographical wanderings, place him between Rome and Byzantium, between the theologies of East and West, and between the early Middle Ages and the ancient Church, whose representatives and traditions (which during his day had suffered much at the hands of imperial and ecclesial censure) he salvaged and brought back to the attention of his contemporaries. In this,...

In a world that is ever-changing and increasingly full of challenges, it is more important than ever to have a strong foundation on which to build our lives. For centuries, the Rule of Saint Benedict has been a source of wisdom and guidance for those seeking to live a joy-filled and meaningful life.André Gushurst-Moore's book, Glory in All Things: St Benedict & Catholic Education Today, shows us how even in the 21st century, the ancient wisdom of Saint Benedict can be applied to our lives...

Preliminaries to a Spirituality of Work In what way can human beings attain that Harmony whereby they become mediators between Heaven and Earth? In the mysterious language of symbols we can rediscover the sense of vocation that reflects Divine Activity. For God is, in reality, the sole Artisan. All the traditional crafts strive to imitate within their limitations the work of God, Who unceasingly creates and maintains the world. And in the end it is this that constitutes the sole foundation of...

These meditations and devotions by St. John Henry Newman, spanning poetry from his Anglican period (including his most famous and well-beloved poem, "Pillar of Cloud"/"Lead, Kindly Light"), to reflections on God’s Divine Providence from his later period as a Catholic and founder of the Oratory in England, expresses a profoundly confident but deeply human faith that resonates with the very real experiences of modern Christians from all walks of life. These poems intimately show a personal side...

The Marian Fathers and, more importantly, the magisterium of the Catholic Church teach that there is no contradiction or competition between the message of the Sacred Heart as revealed to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Divine Mercy message and devotion as revealed to St. Faustina Kowalska. Devout Catholics know this. After all, it's the same Jesus who revealed His Sacred Heart to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque and, centuries later, revealed the Divine Mercy message and devotion to St. Faustin...

The Practical Spirituality of St. Josemaria Escriva In this spiritual powerhouse of a book, Eric Sammons organizes the wisdom of St. Josemaría Escrivá into an action plan for living out holiness in your everyday life. The goal: to foster God's grace within you so that you can be transformed into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ. Declared "the saint of ordinary life" by Pope John Paul II, St. Josemaría Escrivá -- a twentieth-century Spanish saint and founder of Opus Dei -- did more than a...

Learning to Let Go with the Little Flower Do your possessions “spark joy”? In our materialistic society, we are often plagued with the slow torture of accumulated stuff, which creates disharmony, prevents us from living in the present moment, and keeps us from setting our eyes upon Heaven. The Little Way of Living with Less is a spiritual journey guided by St. Thérèse of Lisieux toward a “less is more” manner of living. It shares one couple’s effort to downsize, declutter, and detach― and the...

God's love is the subject of Peter Kreeft's imaginative and thoughtful book (a revised and updated version of his book Knowing the Truth of God's Love). With unusual clarity, Kreeft points out that the man or woman who begins to glimpse the God who is Creator, Redeemer, and Lover of our souls, will never be the same. He describes Scripture as God's love story and then tells why divine love is the answer to our deepest problems and the fulfillment of our deepest desires. Posing the hard questi...

Love, Peace and Joy: Devotion to the Sacred Heart is an insightful book inspired by the very words of Our Lord to Saint Gertrude as recorded in her famous Revelations. Based on Gertrude’s teachings, this book outlines ways to quickly receive great graces and attain divine love; methods that are simple and accessible for everyone. Learning how to offer up your own prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can bring about powerful transformation. This empowering guide helps readers understand the ex...

Winner of a 2025 CMA Book Award from the Catholic Media Association: Religious Book Series (Honorable Mention). Born to Do This is a thirty-day personal retreat inspired by the courage and faith of St. Joan of Arc. Six centuries after her birth and one hundred years after her canonization, the Maid of Orléans continues to captivate believers as a model of conviction, obedience, and unwavering trust in God. In this devotional, readers will encounter St. Joan through her own words and the stori...

We all face moments when the weight of life feels unbearable. In times of doubt, fear, or hopelessness, finding the right words to pray can seem impossible. Lord, Save Me! offers wisdom, encouragement, and heartfelt prayers to guide you through life’s storms and lead you closer to the peace that only Christ can give. Bestselling author Gary Zimak, known for his practical, faith-filled approach to overcoming anxiety, offers a treasury of 120 original prayers drawn from scripture and grounded i...

In Common Sense for a World of Common Nonsense, Dr. Donald DeMarco examines modern moral confusion through sharp, philosophical essays that contrast virtue with ideology. Divided into “Common Nonsense” and “Common Sense,” the book critiques gender ideology, abortion, relativism, and other cultural errors while affirming tradition, rationality, and Christian moral wisdom. Drawing on Scripture, Church teaching, and the insights of classical thinkers, DeMarco argues for the indispensable role of...

In a world that often equates fulfillment with marriage and family, Going Solo: Encouraging Single Catholics offers a refreshing and faith-centered perspective on the joys, challenges, and spiritual purpose of living as a dedicated single Catholic. Drawing from her personal journey, Anne Stokes shares heartfelt reflections, scriptural insights, and practical wisdom to uplift those navigating life outside the traditional expectations of marriage. With warmth and honesty, she explores themes of...

The Ave Treasury of Catholic Prayers is an indispensable keepsake collection of classic and contemporary prayers that every Catholic should know. This timeless resource gathers a wide range of devotions, psalms, and litanies that reflect the beauty and diversity of the Church’s prayer tradition over more than two thousand years. The hardcover, full-color volume includes both beloved favorites and prayers that will become familiar through continued devotion, such as: Essential prayers, inclu...

Make Better Decisions with the Desert Fathers Father Augustine Wetta reaches back into monastic history to answer one of the most critical questions facing young people today: "How do I make up my mind?" With his characteristic wit and novel approach to classical art, Father Augustine looks to the wisdom of the Desert Fathers to unearth an ancient and highly efficient method for resolving life's most pressing dilemmas--even in the midst of distractions, temptations, and disruptions. Profoundl...

Donald DeMarco's Without God Nothing Makes Sense argues that removing God from public discourse leads to societal confusion and moral decay. DeMarco critiques ideologies like radical feminism, atheism, and the pro-abortion lobby, identifying their rejection of divine truths as sources of division and intellectual blindness. He emphasizes the importance of virtues such as lightheartedness, kindheartedness, and warmheartedness, which align with faith in God and serve as antidotes to societal fr...

For six years, before becoming a well-regarded retreat master, Fr. Wayne Sattler lived as a diocesan hermit in a one-room cabin on an abandoned farmstead in rural North Dakota, striving to avail himself of the mystery of what God can do in prayer, clinging to the wisdom of the sixteenth-century Carmelite saints John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila as his trusted guides.Fr. Sattler was asked many times to write a book sharing the fruits of his time in solitude to help others progress in the s...

The times are tough -- we need the help of St. Michael and all the holy angels more than ever! Award-winning author Marge Steinhage Fenelon has written an excellent introduction to devotion to St. Michael, especially by praying the Chaplet of St. Michael. The Archangel himself made three promises to all who faithfully pray the Chaplet in his honor: an escort of nine angels chosen from each of the nine choirs of angels when approaching Holy Communion; his continual assistance and that of all t...

In A Year with the Church Fathers, popular Patristics expert Mike Aquilina gathers the wisest, most practical teachings and exhortations from the Fathers of the Church, and presents them in a format perfect for daily meditation and inspiration. The Fathers were the immediate inheritors of the riches of the Apostolic Age, and their intimacy with the revelation of Jesus Christ is beautifully evident throughout their theological and pastoral writings: a profound patrimony that is ours to read an...

Lives Of The Saints 978-0-89942-870-3The Lives of the Saints contains for each day of the year, a short biography of a Saint or Blessed along with a prayer. This volume of Saints' lives is in accord with the 2004 Roman Martyrology and the United States liturgical calendar, while the second familiarizes the reader with the extraordinary and sometimes surprising lives of lesser-known Saints and 'Blesseds.'This companion to the classic Lives of the Saints, with over 60 beautiful illustrations an...

To help celebrate the fourth centenary of the birth of St. John of the Cross in 1542, Edith Stein received the task of preparing a study of his writings. She uses her skill as a philosopher to enter into an illuminating reflection on the difference between the two symbols of cross and night. Pointing out how entering the night is synonymous with carrying the cross, she provides a condensed presentation of John's thought on the active and passive nights, as discussed in The Ascent of Mount Car...

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES'S APPROACH TO HOLINESS Live Today Well is an essential guide for Christians looking for spiritual guidance to apply the teachings of St. Francis de Sales in their everyday lives. The book offers insights and practical advice on living a life of sanctity and holiness, even while managing commitments and tasks. Through this book, readers will be able to find balance between prayer and action with respect to their daily tasks.In Live Today Well, Fr. Thomas Dailey (an Oblate ...

Julian of Norwich is one of the subtlest writers and profoundest thinkers of the Middle Ages, and the earliest woman writer in English. Her Revelations describe a loving and merciful God and a positive vision of humanity. This sensitive new translation conveys the poise and serenity of her style, and includes the two versions of her text.

Wilderness Within invites you to journey with Sr. Josephine Garrett through the interior wilderness of your heart this Lent, allowing Jesus to heal you with his love and lead you to peace. Drawing on her experience as both a religious sister and a licensed mental health counselor, Sr. Josephine explores the wilderness not as a place of fear or desolation, but as a sacred space of encounter and renewal. She reflects on the belief that Jesus entered the wilderness to rescue us—transforming it i...

Meet a modern-day Joan of Arc. Whether in scrubs, camouflage, or a religious habit, Sr. Dede Byrne, in her threefold calling as a professed religious sister, renowned surgeon, and U.S. Army colonel, inspire us to both virtue and action.If the apostles had remained hidden in the Upper Room, we would never have a Church today. Similarly, Sister's inspirational life serves as a call to emerge from the safety of the Upper Room and enter the public square to courageously infuse culture with an una...

Carthusian spirituality and wisdom have a great attraction for our age. The goal of Carthusian life is union with God in Love. A union as profound and continual as is possible in this life. It has its source in God who is the first to call us to intimacy with Him. The Carthusian's life, the Carthusian's love, is a response to that Love - cultivating solitude, silence, poverty, chastity, obedience, fraternal charity, spiritual reading, study, work and, above all, prayer. Prayer of adoration, p...

If God is so good and so powerful, why is there suffering in our world? Why do good people suffer so much? How can we find value and meaning in the midst of the fallenness of the world? These questions--and many others--call for answers. The responses will determine our worldview and way of life. In the Manual for Suffering, the revealed, time-tested, and holistic answer from the depths of the Catholic faith is presented in all its beauty and power.  This manual will also provide spiritual ai...

Winner of a 2025 Excellence in Publishing Award from the Association of Catholic Publishers: General Interest (First Place).Winner of a 2025 CMA Book Award from the Catholic Media Association: Grief and Bereavement (Third Place). Losing a child before or shortly after birth is a heartbreak beyond words. For Catholic parents, this grief is often compounded by deep and difficult questions about faith, the Church, and their identity as parents. Why did God let this happen? Where is my baby now? ...

Prayer 101 serves both as an introduction to prayer and a full guide for anyone seeking a deeper, more intentional life of communion with God. Teresa A. Jones begins with fundamental questions—What is prayer? Why do we pray?—and gradually leads readers into a richer understanding of how and why we seek God’s mercy, strength, love, and guidance. Drawing on real-life examples, Jones connects biblical teaching with the practical challenges of daily prayer. She examines familiar prayers often rep...

This workbook invites readers to enter deeply into their personal history, thoughts, and emotions in order to encounter Christ in a living and transformative way. Through its guided reflections, structured exercises, and prayerful invitations, it leads believers toward a more intimate, honest, and healing communion with Jesus. Its purpose is simple but profound: to help Christians discover the truth of who they are, to surrender fully to Christ, and to embrace the joy He desires for His follo...