Catholic Classics

p.88 If we see and love the will of God in all things, whether good or bad, and in all simplicity, we will overcome everything

p.91 The true heroes of history seem like the weak and powerless, until they inevitably win because they are on God’s side

p.n38 The Fathers of the Church on the healing of Simon Peter’s mother-in-law

p.n40 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus healing many sick and possessed at the Sabbath’s sunset

p.n43 The Fathers of the Church on the healing of the leper

p.n74 The Fathers of the Church on those who thought Jesus was insane or possessed

p.142 The Fathers of the Church on the Spring of Living Water

p.242 The Fathers of the Church on living forever by Eating the Flesh and Drinking the Blood of Jesus Christ

p.394 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus bringing not Peace but the Sword

p.397 The Fathers of the Church on Loving Jesus more than relatives, and Carrying our Cross and Following Him

p.415 The Church Fathers on John 7:44-50

p.466 The Fathers of the Church on the Five Divided in One House

p.516 The Church Fathers on Hating our Relatives

p.598 Mary Magdalene sees Jesus first after the Resurrection

p.885 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus making arrangements for the Last Supper

p.104 Souls are often purged painfully from false peace, to turn them towards true peace

p.71 Exhortation to humbly make peace with God

p.85 Our hearts must not rest in this world but in God

p.111 God consoles us to strength us for our trials

p.141 A prayer of thanksgiving to God for his mercy

p.148 The devil tries to frighten us into submission, but God will protect us

p.182 Of supporting injuries; and who is proved to be truly patient.

p.187 A prayer to God in our weakness and temptations

p.211 A prayer for heavenly Wisdom in our trials

p.232 We must love and thank Jesus even in suffering

p.232 Patience in suffering will purchase us eternal rest

p.246 Our peace cannot be found in others

p.246 The love of friends must only depend on and exist in the Love of God

p.247 The more we preserve our hearts for God, the more will he fill us with Divine Love and Grace

p.256 Humility will protect our hearts from the accusations of the world

p.328 God’s goodness in giving Himself to us sinners should inspire us with even greater humility, trust and love

p.331 Prayer of praise and longing for the Eucharist

p.n8 This Book presents Catholic Teachings simply Rearranged as a Bouquet

p.n9 The Devout Life is for Everyone, Without Exception

p.n10 The Origin of This Book

p.n11 The Structure and Purpose of This Book

p.n13 This Book is Written with Fatherly Love and Attention

p.n15 This Book Written that Both He and We May Become Devout

p.2 The relationship between Charity and Devotion

p.2 We must distinguish True from False Devotion

p.3 Devotion is not only not unpleasant, but most pleasant

p.6 True devotion is never incompatible with our state of life, but enriches it

p.6 Devotion should be practiced differently in each vocation

p.7 Examples of the Devotion of Saints in various States of Life

p.8 The necessity of a Guide to conduct us on the way of Devotion

p.9 How to well choose and to entrust yourself to a Spiritual Director

p.10 We must begin the Spiritual Life with Purification and Courage

p.12 The How and Why of General Confessions

p.14 We must purify our hearts from love of sin

p.15 How to purify ourselves from love of sin

p.17 First Meditation: The Creation

p.19 Second Meditation: On the end for which we were created

p.21 Third Meditation: On the Benefits of God

p.23 Fourth Meditation: On Sin

p.25 Fifth Meditation: On Death

p.27 Sixth Meditation: On Judgment

p.29 Seventh Meditation: On Hell

p.30 Eighth Meditation: On Heaven

p.32 Ninth Meditation: On the choice of Heaven

p.34 Tenth Meditation: Choice between the life of the World and the Devout Life

p.36 Confession turns the Ugliness of Sin into the Beauty of Humility

p.38 A profession of renewed loyalty toward God, to be made after a General Confession

p.40 The Effects of this Profession of Renewed Loyalty toward God

p.41 We must purify ourselves from all affection to venial sins

p.43 We ought to purify ourselves from an affection for useless and dangerous things

p.45 We must purify ourselves from our natural imperfections

p.46 On prayer, and meditation on the Life and Passion of Jesus

p.47 General Instructions on Prayer

p.49 How to Place Ourselves in the Presence of God

p.52 How to Consider the Mystery of a Meditation

p.52 How to Beseech God’s Inspirations during Meditation

p.54 Affections and Resolutions: the third part of the Meditation

p.54 On Considerations: the second part of the Meditation

p.55 The Conclusion of each Meditation, and the Spiritual Nosegay

p.56 Profitable advice on the practice of Meditation

p.59 The dryness which we sometimes experience in Meditation

p.60 The Morning Exercise

p.62 The Evening Exercise and Examination of Conscience

p.63 Spiritual Recollection

p.66 Aspirations, prayers, and good thoughts.

p.72 How to benefit from the Holy Mass

p.74 Devotions, Angels, and Saints

p.77 How we should do Holy Reading

p.78 How we ought to receive Inspirations

p.81 How to make a good Confession

p.84 Frequent Communion

p.87 How to receive Holy Communion well

p.90 How to practice a variety of virtues

p.95 Using prudence when discerning virtues to practice

p.97 Gifts of God are not virtues, nor to be aspired to

p.98 Enduring with Patience everything that befalls us

p.100 How to practice Patience amidst various problems

p.103 Examples and Folly of Vanity

p.104 Being careful but not anxious for our own honor

p.106 Obtaining Humility by Considering God’s Benefits

p.107 Avoiding False Humility, with Examples

p.108 True devotion does not reject God’s gifts and graces

p.110 Humility allows charity to reveal our gifts

p.111 Examples and explanations of practicing humility

p.115 Humility and our Reputation or Good Name

p.119 Meekness Towards our Neighbor, and Remedies for Anger

p.123 Meekness Towards Ourselves

p.126 We must treat of our affairs with diligence, but without eagerness or solicitude.

p.128 Obedience, Chastity, and Poverty

p.129 Practicing Necessary Obedience

p.130 Practicing Voluntary Obedience

p.131 The Necessity of Chastity

p.133 How to preserve Chastity

p.135 Poverty of Spirit to be observed by the Rich

p.138 How to practice Poverty amidst Riches

p.143 How to practice Richness of Spirit in real Poverty

p.145 Concerning evil and frivolous friendships

p.147 Concerning sensual friendships

p.151 Concerning true friendship

p.154 True vs vain friendships

p.156 Remedies against evil friendships

p.159 More advice on friendship

p.162 The Exercise of Exterior Mortification

p.168 Conversation and Solitude

p.173 How we must speak of God

p.175 Modesty in words, and respect towards others

p.176 Rash judgments

p.182 Of detraction

p.188 Other counsels touching Discourse

p.190 Lawful and Commendable Pastimes and Recreations

p.191 Prohibited Games

p.192 Lawful but dangerous Pastimes

p.196 Being faithful in things great and small

p.199 How to keep your mind just and reasonable

p.202 Regulating all our desires

p.204 Instructions for Married People

p.212 Widows must be Firm in their Resolve to Remain Widows

p.214 The True Widow must Give Herself Entirely to God

p.215 How True Widows must Live in Devotion

p.217 A Word to Virgins.

p.219 Don’t mind what the children of the world say

p.222 Have courage when abandoning follies and vanities

p.224 The nature and discernment of temptations

p.229 Encouragement to souls under temptation

p.230 How temptations begin to become sinful

p.232 Remedies against temptations

p.234 Dealing with small temptations

p.237 How to fortify our hearts against temptations

p.238 Of ungodly fear of evil

p.241 Of sadness

p.243 Our holy anchor in all things

p.245 True devotion must penetrate the heart

p.247 Heavenly consolations sometimes draw us to God

p.248 How to properly respond to heavenly consolations

p.248 Discerning true from false consolations

p.250 Spiritual dryness, and its various causes

p.252 How to properly handle spiritual drynesses

p.256 Further instructions on spiritual dryness

p.262 Annual Retreat: We ought every year to renew our good resolutions by the following exercises

p.263 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: This protestation is noble and much to be desired

p.264 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: God in his goodness and sweet love called us to repentance

p.264 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: God in his generous mercy called us to him before it was too late

p.264 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: How all Heaven rejoices at our renewed pledge to God

p.265 Annual Retreat Exercise #1: The effects of God’s grace in our souls should make us more grateful and loving of God

p.266 Annual Retreat Exercise #2: How and when to do the second part of the annual spiritual exercises

p.267 Annual Retreat Exercise #2: How to begin the self-examination of the annual spiritual exercises

p.268 Annual Retreat Exercise #3: An examination of the state of your soul towards God

p.270 Annual Retreat Exercise #4: An examination of our state with regard to ourselves

p.271 Annual Retreat Exercise #5: An examination of the state of our soul towards our neighbour

p.272 Annual Retreat Exercise #6:An examination of the affections of your soul

p.273 Annual Retreat Exercise #7: Affections to be exercised after this examination

p.274 Annual Retreat Exercise #8: Consideration of the excellence of our soul

p.275 Annual Retreat Exercise #9: Consideration of the excellence of virtue

p.276 Annual Retreat Exercise #10: Consideration of the example of the Saints

p.278 Annual Retreat Exercise #11: Consideration of the love that Jesus Christ bears us

p.279 Annual Retreat Exercise #12: Consideration of the eternal love of God towards us

p.280 Annual Retreat Exercise #13: General affections on the preceding considerations

p.281 Annual Retreat Exercise #14: Conclusion of these exercises

p.282 The advice in this book are not too numerous in practice

p.282 Annual Retreat Exercise #15: The sentiments we must preserve after the conclusion

p.283 The exercises in this book are suitable even for those not accustomed to prayer

p.284 We must cling closely to God through our Protestation, which will protect us from the world, the devil, and the flesh

p.285 We must keep our eyes on eternal bliss, and not forsake it for anything at all

p.1 St. Teresa of Avila’s purpose for writing her autobiography

p.2 St. Teresa of Avila’s brief portrait of her holy parents

p.3 A portrait of the hearts of St. Teresa of Avila and her brother as children

p.5 The humility of St. Teresa of Avila in retrospect to her childhood

p.6 St. Teresa of Avila cautions parents about bad books and dressing up

p.8 St. Teresa of Avila’s advice to parents about their children’s companions from her own childhood experiences

p.10 St. Teresa of Avila recounting being sent to a monastery at about age 16

p.12 St. Teresa of Avila’s lost devotion begins to return during her stay in the monastery

p.14 St. Teresa of Avila begins to see the vanity of the world, and to resolve to be a nun

p.15 St. Teresa of Avila’s various struggles in her resolve to become a nun

p.16 St. Teresa of Avila is filled with an everlasting joy the moment she becomes a nun

p.18 St. Teresa of Avila admits how little she deserves God’s mercy and grace for having so long wasted them

p.19 St. Teresa of Avila’s illness leads her to a Book on Prayer and Recollection

p.21 St. Teresa of Avila begins, at 23 years old, to learn and profit from mental prayer

p.22 St. Teresa of Avila’s experience as a beginner in mental prayer, and how good books helped her through it

p.23 How God rewarded St. Teresa of Avila’s holy reading and good desires in the beginning of her devout life

p.24 St. Teresa of Avila’s interior life during her novitiate

p.25 St. Teresa of Avila prays for patience in illness and receives both

p.26 St. Teresa of Avila’s harmful experiences with imprudent and unknowledgeable confessors

p.27 St. Teresa of Avila and a Priest who both needed prudence and purity

p.30 St. Teresa of Avila suffers immensely from an illness and lets it conform her will to God’s

p.31 St. Teresa of Avila nearly falls into Hell during a dangerous illness

p.33 St. Teresa of Avila increases her resignation to God’s will through intense suffering and a long paralysis

p.35 St. Teresa of Avila strives earnestly to correct the path of her soul, but has no good confessors to help her avoid sin

p.35 St. Teresa of Avila avoids the sin of detraction and encourages others to do the same

p.36 St. Teresa of Avila lacks resignation to God, and takes St. Joseph as her patron

p.39 St. Teresa of Avila’s many sad experiences convinces her to humbly remain very close to God always, lest she fall into sin again

p.41 St. Teresa of Avila begins to fall through false humility

p.43 St. Teresa of Avila strongly warns of the dangers of lax monasteries and cloisters

p.45 St. Teresa of Avila ignores God’s strong desire that she quit a certain friendship, because she so much wanted to keep it

p.47 St. Teresa convinces her father to pray, though she does not pray herself

p.50 St. Teresa of Avila’s father dies

p.52 St. Teresa of Avila struggles internally because refuses to let go of either love of the world or love of God

p.53 St. Teresa of Avila recommends befriending those earnestly seeking God also

p.55 St. Teresa of Avila stresses the importance of befriending people who are also earnestly striving to be holy

p.57 St. Teresa of Avila begins to pray after many years of avoiding it

p.58 St. Teresa of Avila explains the benefit and nature of Prayer and how it comes from God’s mercy and love

p.60 St. Teresa of Avila reassures us that it’s far better to pray, even when we really don’t want to

p.63 St. Teresa of Avila alone begins to see, through persistence in prayer and spiritual reading, that she must withdraw her heart from the world

p.64 St. Teresa of Avila wrestles with the shadow of death

p.65 St. Teresa of Avila finally sees how much she wounds Jesus, and places all her confidence in Him and leaves none in herself

p.66 St. Teresa of Avila describes her simple methods of meditation

p.68 St. Teresa of Avila begins to read the Confessions of St. Augustine and grows closer to him and to God through it

p.69 St. Teresa of Avila describes being drawn by God away from spiritual dangers

p.70 St. Teresa of Avila explains the mercy of God’s gifts and our true humility in admitting them

p.73 St. Teresa of Avila explains the importance of striving for humility and to serve God in gratitude of His gifts

p.75 St. Teresa of Avila wishes out of true humility for her writings not to be published except her sins

p.77 St. Teresa of Avila explains how people don’t fully give themselves to God and yet expect to have Him fully

p.n45 An example of St. Ignatius’s early struggles with discernment

p.23 St. Ignatius of Loyola begins to read holy books, which for the first time gives him true peace

p.95 The fruits of Avarice

p.142 Loving God selflessly

p.145 God reveals himself to a soul that loves God only for God’s sake

p.146 Ways that God manifests Himself to a soul who loves Him

p.148 That the Father and the Son are One Thing Together

p.150 Progressing from fear of God to a selfish love of God

p.152 When God withdraws good feelings of devotion, it’s only to free us closer to Him through our humility

p.155 However perfectly we love God will be shown in how selflessly we love our neighbor

p.158 By humility and a desire to love God, we begin to pray, which is so effective against the devil that he tries to convince us not to

p.101 Mary is a true friend and helper at the hour of our death

p.102 Examples of Mary helping Saints in the hour of death

p.337 It was not fitting that Mary, the first-born daughter of God, should ever be the slave of Lucifer

p.337 The Three Persons of the Holy Trinity preserved the Blessed Virgin from All Sin

p.338 It was fitting that Mary be preserved from sin so she could be a peacemaker between God and Man

p.340 It was fitting that Mary be preserved from sin so she could conquer the devil

p.341 It was fitting that Mary should be free from sin so she could become a worthy habitation of the Son of God

p.342 It was fitting that Jesus should be born of a woman always free from sin, so he could not be reproached by Lucifer with having dishonorable parentage

p.343 If God could create the Angels and even Eve free from sin, could he not do the same with Mary?

p.345 Reasons it was befitting the Mother of God to be created free from all sin

p.347 Some Saints attesting to Mary being conceived without sin to be a worthy vessel of the Son of God

p.348 It was not fitting that the Son of God be united to flesh previously infected by guilt

p.349 Many Doctors of the Church on the reasons Mary was always without sin

p.351 More reasons given by Saints that Jesus should not have been born of a woman once a slave to Lucifer

p.352 Proofs from the Bible and Saints that Mary was conceived without sin

p.353 Jesus would not have honored the Mother of Purity if he failed to preserve her from original sin

p.355 It was more noble and fitting that Mary be preserved from sin than redeemed from it

p.357 The Holy Spirit preserved His Spouse the Blessed Virgin from all sin

p.359 The Bible and the Saints on Mary’s being Immaculately Conceived

p.393 Mary’s consecration was prompt and without delay

p.398 Mary’s consecration was entire and without reserve

p.407 How Jesus and Mary reward the love of them

p.410 Mary could not have humbled herself more

p.422 God could not have exalted Mary more

p.432 How Mary protects those souls devoted to her

p.434 Elaborated “Hail Mary” by St. Alphonsus de Liguori

p.436 The Visitation of Mary is a source of blessings

p.437 He who desires graces must have recourse to Mary

p.442 Mary always obtains what is asked of her

p.453 The Lady’s Mansion in the Woods

p.457 Mary uniquely offered up Jesus in the Presentation

p.459 Mary offered up both her own Son and her own Heart

p.464 Mary surpassed the Martyrs in offering Jesus

p.467 Mary’s sacrifice co-redeemed us with Jesus

p.471 Hopeless evildoer saved by the Blessed Virgin’s intercession

p.474 Prayer to the Blessed Virgin who offered her own Son

p.475 The Blessed Virgin died to imitate Our Lord Jesus

p.476 Mary died entirely detached from the world

p.478 Mary died with complete peace of conscience

p.480 Mary died happily with full assurance of hope

p.482 Mary’s death merely united her body with her heart

p.484 The days leading up to Mary’s death

p.490 The precious death of the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.492 The death of St. Stanislas Kostka

p.495 Prayer to the Blessed Virgin from her Assumption

p.496 Mary’s Assumption is a cause for Joy and Celebration

p.497 Not only the Glorious Angels but also The Lord of Glory Himself came to glorify Mary’s Glorious Entrance into Heaven

p.499 The Glorious Entry of Mary into Heaven Accompanied by Angels

p.502 How the Saints, Prophets, and Patriarchs greeted Mary at her Glorious Entrance into Heaven

p.503 How the Gospel’s Saints and her Most Chaste Spouse St. Joseph greeted Mary at her Glorious Entrance into Heaven

p.504 Mary is Crowned by the the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Queen of Heaven and Earth

p.505 Mary was raised incomparably higher than all angels and saints

p.506 Mary’s glory is not dimmed by sin or lacking in potential merit

p.508 The Glory of Mary surpasses the Glory of all the other Saints combined

p.509 The Writings of some Saints on the Heavenly Glory of Mary

p.511 Let us rejoice that we have Mary as our Queen

p.512 A short story and prayer to give us more confidence in the goodness and love of Mary

p.515 Mary was Queen of Martyrs

p.516 Mary’s suffering was strong enough to cause a death of martyrdom

p.623 Of the Chastity of Mary

p.629 Of the Poverty of Mary

p.632 Of the Obedience of Mary

p.636 Mary and the Martyrdom of Patience

p.639 Mary and the love of Prayer and Solitude

p.643 Practicing Devotion to the Divine Mother

p.646 Marian Devotion - the Hail Mary

p.650 Marian Devotion - Novenas

p.653 Marian Devotion - The Rosary and Office

p.656 Marian Devotion - Fasting

p.682 Mary and the demons

p.683 The Rosary and the reformed abbey

p.684 Catherine the beautiful, and the Rosary

p.686 Monster converted by Rosary

p.692 Spared Hell by Hail Marys

p.695 Acquitted murder by miracle of Mary

p.708 Priest spared death through love of Mary

p.716 Seven stories of being saved by the Rosary

p.722 Bandit rewarded by Mary for honoring her

p.723 Three visions, two crowns, and a holy death

p.n306 Who can love a world that has the devil as its governor?

p.3 Introduction to the Sinner’s Guide

p.13 Justice and Profit most help move the Will to good

p.14 Reasons why Justice demands we Love and Serve God

p.14 The Infinite Goodness and Perfection of God is the first and chief reason to Love and Serve Him

p.16 The love we owe to God will not move hearts that dwell upon the earth

p.17 Reasons and ways God is far superior to any created thing or being

p.18 God’s perfections are infinitely above our understanding

p.19 The perfections of God are infinitely beyond our senses

p.21 The order and beauty of creation gives us an idea of the power and greatness of God

p.22 St. Thomas Aquinas arguing the greatness of God

p.23 The madness of loving or serving anything more than God

p.24 Our obligates or offenses against God are infinitely more than those against men

p.26 The folly of those who live as though they created themselves for their own purposes

p.26 We are obliged to serve God because He created us

p.28 God demands for our own sake that we acknowledge his benefits, especially of our creation

p.30 If even pagans are grateful for their creation, how much more should a Christian be

p.31 God created us in need so we might humbly turn to him to finish the work of our creation

p.31 Whoever says they received life from nature is only giving God another name

p.33 We are only rich when we have God and always poor when we don’t

p.34 God also deserves our service because he continually sustains our existence

p.35 The pure madness of offending the All-Powerful Giver of Life, Breath, and Everything

p.36 All creation was given to us by God for our benefit, which we should be grateful to Him for

p.38 If pagan philosophers knew we should be grateful to God for everything, shouldn’t Christians be far more so?

p.39 Shall we be less grateful to God than wild beasts without even the light of reason are to us?

p.42 The extreme madness of using God’s own gifts against him

p.44 The benefit of our Redemption is almost beyond our ability to praise

p.46 God’s unfathomable compassion on humanity after the Fall led Him to reconcile us to himself in the greatest way possible

p.47 The manner of our redemption might be more marvelous than our redemption itself

p.48 Jesus underwent such excessive torture out of his abundantly excessive Love for us

p.50 The Passion of Jesus should move us to deepest gratitude and Love for God

p.51 St. Anselm on the gratitude we owe God

p.52 God’s immense love for us, especially on the Cross, should draw us away from sin

p.53 If God has given us everything and even Himself, how can we outrage him by using his benefits to crucify him by sin?

p.56 The benefit of no longer being God’s enemy, but rather his own dear child

p.56 The 7 degrees of our Justification by the Holy Spirit

p.58 By justifying us, God spared us from the many pains of Hell we deserved

p.59 How by justifying man, God recreates and restores him from the damage of sin

p.61 By justifying a soul, God not only imparts immeasurable beauty, strength and other gifts to it, but even dwells Himself within it

p.62 By justification, we are made living members of the Body of Christ, and may confidently ask for whatever we need for His sake and benefit

p.63 In justifying us, God also grants us the right to eternal life

p.64 The change in our lives from our continuous justification should make us ever more grateful to God

p.65 Some effects of the Holy Spirit in a just soul

p.66 We owe the Holy Spirit both for maintaining our virtues and being prevented from sins

p.68 The gratitude we ought to have for God for giving us Himself in the Sacraments

p.70 The benefit of being chosen by God should motivate us to gratitude and to practice virtue

p.72 We should be grateful if God has chosen us in his love from all eternity

p.73 The various circumstances of our being Chosen should move us to deep gratitude and joy

p.76 The Four Last Things are extremely powerful incentives to practice virtue and avoid sin

p.77 Reflecting on our death and judgement will help us avoid sin

p.78 Meditations on Death and its terrible circumstances

p.81 Meditations on the fear of Death and our Judgment before God

p.82 An example told by a Saint of the dreaded Judgment we will all have to face

p.84 St. Gregory on the dread Judgment after death

p.85 Now is the only time we have to prepare for the terrible Day of Judgment before God

p.87 The severity and rigor of the Final Judgment should make every soul tremble with fear

p.89 Some idea of the terror we will feel if condemned to Eternal Hell

p.91 Our riches, honors, and pleasures will not help us in Hell but only increase our eternal torments

p.93 If we continue to ignore God’s warnings, we forfeit our souls permanently to Hell

p.94 We should do everything to avoid Hell while we still can

p.96 We should practice virtue because the abode of the infinitely perfect God will be our reward

p.121 People continue to sin because they think there’s no punishment, and to avoid virtue thinking there’s no benefit

p.123 Virtue is not practiced because people think it’s difficult, but don’t know its secret beauty and hidden value

p.124 Even in this life, God rewards and provides for those who practice His Virtues

p.127 How Jesus rewards virtue a hundred-fold even in this life

p.128 A short story about spiritual riches vs worldly pleasures

p.130 God’s Fatherly Care for the Just is the greatest Privilege of Virtue

p.132 Proofs from the Bible of God’s Fatherly Care for the Just

p.133 God’s Fatherly care for the Just looks past our sins, and reaches even to our descendants

p.134 Biblical descriptions of God’s Paternal Care for the Just

p.136 God is the Good Shepherd of the Just

p.137 Studying the various titles of God will comfort and encourage us

p.139 Those who have God have everything

p.140 If we sin, God will withdraw his Fatherly Protection and Care

p.141 Those who Love Sin should be moved at least by Fear of God’s Providence being Armed Against Them

p.144 What Grace is and does

p.145 The many wonderful Effects of Grace in the Soul

p.148 Grace enables us to know what we ought to do and not to do, and to act accordingly

p.150 The Light of God can instruct our Understanding differently and better than Nature or Schools can

p.151 The Wisdom of God explained and extolled in the Old Testament

p.154 Those who love sin, live in thick darkness

p.154 Everyone must submit to the teachings of the Catholic Church

p.156 The Joyful Consolations of the Holy Spirit toward the Just

p.158 The sweetness of God overwhelms the souls of the Just with Joy

p.160 The Just enjoy the sweetest, loveliest joys especially during Prayer

p.161 God helps and encourages beginners in virtue, by sparing them many sufferings, and giving them many joys

p.162 God is generous even to those beginning in virtue, so why should we wait to begin?

p.164 Conscience

p.165 The conscience is a torment to the wicked

p.166 The Book of Job describing the torments of an accusing conscience

p.167 The Fathers and other ancient teachers on the torment of a guilty conscience

p.169 The peace of a good conscience is already a taste of Heaven on earth

p.170 Even the pagan philosophers understood the value of a good conscience, and the torment of a guilty one

p.172 A clear conscience produces hope, which brings courage

p.173 The Bible and Saints on Hope and the Confidence it brings

p.175 The Just can rely on God, but Egypt will fail the guilty

p.177 Everyone hopes in something, but hope in anything but God will fail us

p.179 The True Liberty of the Just

p.181 Slavery to Sin

p.182 How degrading and yet common it is to hand our reason over to our instinct!

p.184 Examples of the Tyranny of Slavery to Sin

p.186 The effects of slavery to Lust

p.187 The effects of slavery to Honors and Riches

p.188 The state of those in Slavery to Sin

p.190 Jesus has freed us from the cruel tyranny of Satan

p.192 The grace of God frees us from slavery to sin

p.193 The liberty we gain by subduing the flesh to reason

p.193 A clear conscience and its effects helps free us from slavery to sin

p.194 The joy experienced by those freed from slavery to sin

p.195 Three kinds of peace that arise from Virtue

p.196 Those who run after the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, never know peace in this life

p.197 The prodigal son as an illustration of the tormenting anxieties of those without virtue

p.198 The gratifications of this life can never satisfy our hearts, but only increase our hunger

p.200 The peace of the virtuous in contrast with the torment and anxiety of the wicked

p.202 Peace comes from our virtue, mastery over our desires, the gift of spiritual consolations, and confidence in God’s loving protection

p.204 The sin of Adam and Eve left all humanity in deep misery

p.205 In our misery, we have recourse only to God, as the Prophets, Apostles, and Jesus teach us

p.207 The immeasurable promises of Jesus to the Just

p.208 How God hears the prayers of the Just and Virtuous

p.210 God consoles us in the hour of affliction

p.212 Examples from the Bible of how God protects the Just in the hour of trial

p.213 Virtue strengthens and encourages us under all tribulations

p.215 Without virtue, tribulations overwhelm us and we act even more self-destructively

p.218 God cares for the temporal needs of the Just

p.221 The Virtuous are always restful and have all their needs met to a healthy degree

p.222 God’s Curses on Sinful Nations, and Examples from the Bible and History

p.227 Some reasons why the death of sinners is most terrible

p.229 St. Peter Damian describes the Hour of Death

p.231 Neither Riches, Honors, Pleasures, or Friends can help us at the Hour of Death; only Virtues will avail us then

p.232 The virtuous Christian soul does not fear death, but embraces it with joy

p.234 The Pearl of Great Price is more than worth seeking

p.237 People who make excuses to continue in sin do so because they just want to sin

p.238 We should not wait to turn to God, since we can’t promise ourselves even one more moment of life

p.239 The many reasons why waiting to turn to God until later will be much harder

p.241 If we wait to turn to God until later, our sins will be even heavier

p.242 Lazarus’s Resurrection shows the strength of God’s grace needed to save us from strong habits of sin

p.243 Reasons against quitting our sins later instead of now

p.245 The foolishness of waiting until old age to quit sin

p.246 How gravely unjust it is to defer our conversion to God until some later time

p.247 The Bible exhorts us to give God our service in our youth, not to wait until old age

p.249 St. Augustine on deathbed conversions

p.251 Four Fathers and Doctors of the Church on deathbed penances

p.254 Four reasons given by Blessed Duns Scotus on the danger of deathbed conversions

p.257 Warnings from the Bible and Jesus against death-bed repentances

p.260 Reasons the Good Thief and Ninevites are not meant to encourage deferring our conversion

p.262 Although there’s not much hope in death-bed repentances, there is Hope now while we still have time to turn to God and away from sin

p.264 The foolishness of continuing in sin, trusting in God’s mercy

p.264 Of Those who Continue in Sin trusting in God’s Mercy

p.266 An Example of God’s Terrifying Justice in the Fall of the Angels

p.267 Examples of God’s Horrifying Justice in the Fall of Man

p.269 God’s Justice allows sinners to fall into deeper and deeper blindness and destruction

p.270 If we presume upon God’s Mercy without sight of His Justice, we may be lost to Hell

p.272 We are inclined against Virtue because of the Fall of Man

p.273 The Grace of God Encourages and Strengthens us to Practice Virtue

p.275 Our sinful nature should not discourage us, since God has promised to help us

p.278 The number of our sins should not discourage us, for God can and will help us if only we are willing

p.279 Love of God makes virtue and self-sacrifice easy and pleasant

p.281 The hardship of Virtue is less than the suffering of Hell, or the efforts of the Saints

p.282 How the path of virtue is much easier than that of sin

p.284 The grace of God makes the yoke of virtue easy, light, and pleasant

p.285 Examples of changes in a soul by the grace of God

p.286 The effects of the grace of Baptism on St. Cyprian, in his own words

p.288 St. Augustine’s conversion shows us that God’s grace is within everyone’s reach

p.291 Six drawbacks of the illusory happiness found in this life

p.292 The happiness of this life is brief

p.293 The happiness of this life is subject to innumerable sudden changes

p.295 God’s Justice often punishes sin even in this life

p.296 The happiness of this life is ruined even by our own passions

p.298 The happiness of this life is full of snares and miseries caused by the darkness and blindness of the world

p.299 The happiness of this life is ruined by universal injustice and madness

p.302 The happiness of this world is delusive and treacherous

p.302 Further reasons worldly happiness should not be trusted

p.304 The sorrows of this life far outweigh its joys

p.305 The happiness of this world is false, and it resembles Hell

p.306 Reasons man’s happiness can only be found in God

p.308 True happiness is not found in corporal or sensible pleasures

p.309 An example of the emptiness of the happiness of this world from King Solomon

p.310 The happiness this life promises is vanity and lies

p.312 Virtue contains all the good we can desire in this world, and more perfectly

p.313 Virtue will obtain for us God as our reward, and every good thing with him

p.314 We ought to be persuaded by obligation, benefits, interest, and pursuit of happiness, to seek after God

p.315 To abandon sin is of the utmost importance, and the flesh, the world and the devil will wage war against those who attempt it

p.317 If we firmly resolve to abandon sin, the Angels, the Saints, and God Himself will be our defense

p.318 Victory begins by maintaining a firm resolution never to commit mortal sin

p.319 Examples from the Bible and Saints who refused to commit mortal sin

p.320 The aim of our prayers and devotions must be an absolute resolution never to sin

p.321 We must understand the true nature of virtue and sin if we would practice virtue and avoid sin

p.323 Summary of the 7 Deadly Sins and their sources

p.324 That Pride is the chief sin, and reflections on what it has done to Lucifer and his army

p.325 Considerations of the birth, life, and death of man, to combat Pride

p.327 The danger of vainglory, and considerations to remedy it

p.328 The danger of ambition, and considerations to remedy it

p.329 Pride makes us displeasing to everyone: the good, the bad, and even ourselves

p.329 Our good works are no cause for pride, since they are rarely perfect and pure

p.330 Humility comes from knowledge of ourselves, pride from ignorance of ourselves

p.331 Considerations to cure a pride that considers ourselves better than others

p.332 General considerations to cure pride and obtain humility

p.334 Against Covetousness in General

p.336 Worldly riches are far worse than spiritual riches, and they cannot both dwell in one heart

p.337 Riches cannot satisfy our hearts, and God will never fail our needs

p.338 We must part from our riches at death, so we might as well use them for our spiritual profit in this life

p.339 Whatever riches God has given us are meant to help others, and we will give account for it all

p.340 Not riches themselves, but our disposition to riches, is what profits or harms our souls

p.341 Theft also consists in unjustly keeping someone else’s things from them

p.342 Counsels against various types of covetousness

p.344 Lust is a most fierce enemy, that stains our souls, defiles our bodies, and ruins our neighbor

p.345 Lust catches souls easily and they only escape rarely and with great difficulty

p.346 Some of the many evil effects of Lust

p.346 Lust is insatiable, and its punishment far outweighs its pleasure

p.347 Lust destroys the purity of the soul which renders us as beautiful as the Angels

p.348 We must strive to maintain or at least restore our purity by resisting Lust

p.349 To protect ourselves from Lust, we must guard our hearts, eyes, ears, and tongue from Lustful objects

p.350 To guard against Lust, remember your Guardian Angel, the Devil, your final Judgment, and Hell

p.351 To guard against Lust, absolutely avoid unnecessary familiarities

p.351 A story from St. Gregory’s Dialogues to encourage us to guard against Lust

p.353 The general nature and history of Envy

p.355 Envy makes us resemble demons, and actually profits us nothing

p.356 Considerations to cure our Envy

p.358 Gluttony attempts to conquer us from within, and Jesus gave us an example of conquering it

p.359 Considerations to cure our Gluttony

p.360 Further considerations to remedy Gluttony

p.362 Anger is not found even among the animals, yet is fitting only for a wild beast

p.364 If we do not forgive others, God will neither forgive us nor accept any sacrifice we make

p.365 Anger and hatred are always self-defeating

p.366 We must not do or say anything wrong when angry, but wait until the anger goes away

p.368 As Jesus and the Saints were so diligent, we should also avoid Sloth

p.369 Examples of Diligence from Nature to encourage us to avoid Sloth and labor for Heaven

p.370 We must labor for our eternal reward

p.371 Have Courage on the Battle Field of Virtue vs Temptation

p.374 Against the sin of saying “I swear to God” and other such uses of God’s name in vain or falsely

p.376 How easy and common it is to seriously offend God when speaking of the faults of others

p.377 Many evil effects of speaking evil of others

p.378 Advice against the sin of speaking evil of others

p.380 Speaking evil against virtuous souls, or against consecrated persons, is especially evil

p.381 Some basics about making Rash Judgments

p.382 Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation

p.384 The dangers of Venial Sins

p.385 Short remedies against the 7 deadly sins during temptation

p.387 Short remedies against pride, vain-glory, and hypocrisy

p.388 Short remedies against rebellion, disobedience, envy, and hatred

p.390 Short remedies against detraction, anger, arrogance, and imprudence

p.391 Short remedies against sloth, covetousness, gluttony, talkativeness, and impurity

p.394 The threefold obligation to virtue

p.395 Virtuous persons should have an outward bearing of gravity, humility, and sweetness

p.397 Modesty preserves devotion and purity in the soul, and makes us fit for society; whereas immodesty ruins all these things

p.399 General advice against Temperance

p.401 Considerations against Temptations of Taste and Feeling

p.402 Advice for drinking alcohol and against using drugs

p.404 Advice against other forms gluttony and intemperance

p.405 Why we should especially guard our eyes and ears

p.407 How to govern the Tongue

p.409 The Mortification of the Passions

p.412 The Reformation of the Will

p.414 The Government of the Imagination

p.416 Some Hows and Whys of Prudence

p.419 Prudence in Temporal Affairs

p.421 Three Ways to Get More Prudence

p.423 Man’s Duty to his Neighbor is Charity and Mercy

p.424 How much charity is praised and recommended in the New Testament Letters

p.425 Practical proofs of charity

p.426 How we can love our neighbor even though they’re not relatives

p.429 Our duty to God, and how to generally fulfill it

p.430 The Fear of God

p.432 Confidence in God

p.433 Zeal for the Glory of God

p.434 Purity of Intention

p.436 Basics of Prayer and Gratitude

p.437 Obedience to God’s Counsels

p.438 Obedience to Divine Inspirations

p.441 Conforming ourselves to God’s will in all things, good or bad

p.441 If we prefer good deeds in secret, our souls will be safer and better rewarded by God

p.444 If sufferings are allowed by such a Good Father, why should we be afraid of it?

p.445 All the suffering God allows us, is for our own good, and comes from his Love and Mercy

p.445 The sufferings of this life are not worthy of comparing to the Rewards of Eternal Life

p.447 Some considerations to encourage us in our sufferings

p.449 The three degrees of Obedience

p.450 When we obey our superiors, we obey God

p.451 How Mothers and Fathers should discharge their duties to God and to their family

p.454 Some distinctions between types of virtues

p.455 The interior virtues serve God, and the exterior virtues serve the interior virtues

p.457 How to preserve Devotion, which will preserve the other Virtues

p.459 We need both the interior and exterior virtues

p.460 We must prefer the virtues more pleasing to God than to men

p.461 Virtues that are Less must sometimes yield to those that are Greater

p.462 True and False Justice before God

p.464 God hates virtues and sacrifices not motivated by Love of God

p.465 Some hypocrisy comes from self-deception

p.467 Those who are self-content are in more spiritual danger than others

p.468 Timeless examples of hypocrisy in a great many Catholics

p.469 Each person has their own spiritual needs

p.470 There are many forms of devotion

p.471 Devotions and virtues are only greater than each other within a subject, not objectively

p.472 The diversity of gifts and grace comes from God

p.473 Examples of God’s variety in vocation, grace, nature

p.475 Diversity in Virtue by analogy of diversity in the Church and the Human Body

p.477 The vigilance and care necessary in the practice of virtue

p.479 The courage necessary in the practice of virtue

p.482 Reasons why we should have courage in the pursuit of virtue

p.483 The lives of the Saints and Martyrs should give us courage in the practice of virtue

p.485 The sufferings of Christ and the Saints should encourage and inspire us

p.5 Differences between false and true devotion

p.8 Examples and Effects of False Devotion

p.10 What the Spiritual Life really is and consists of

p.95 How we are to govern the tongue

p.98 We must keep peace of soul admist spiritual battles

p.104 What to do after having fallen into sin

p.107 Some of the devil’s strategies

p.108 The bottomless pit of sin, and the way out

p.109 The devil often tempts us to defer our repentance to the unforeseen future

p.110 We must trust both in God’s goodness and our weakness

p.111 We must be Realistic, Selfless, and Courageous in the Pursuit of Virtue

p.113 The error of thinking we are saintly, and how to avoid it

p.115 The trap of falsely pious desires, and how to avoid it

p.140 We must accept opportunities to practice virtues

p.169 An Example of Meditating on Christ’s Passion

p.172 A method of Prayer grounded on the intercession of our Blessed Lady

p.302 The old man and the new man

p.100 27th Visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.103 28th Visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.106 29th Visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.110 30th Visit to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin Mary