Growing in Devotion
This page contains a selection of books geared towards helping us grow in our devotion and piety towards God, and encouraging us on the path of virtue and the love of God.
This page contains a selection of books geared towards helping us grow in our devotion and piety towards God, and encouraging us on the path of virtue and the love of God.
Latin for “golden chain”, the Catena Aurea is St. Thomas Aquinas’s masterful weaving together of the commentary of the Fathers of the Church on all four Gospels. This edition was translated by St. John Henry Newman into English.
From the preface: “[Fr. Cochem] devoted himself, in addition to his pastoral duties, to the writing of pious books in a popular style. … His best and most popular work was the ‘Life and Sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ and His Mother Mary,’ of which this volume is an abridgment and rearrangement.”
This book is included because it has good approbations, and quotes several other approved authors, and seems useful and good based on its contents.
The world-renowned and universally recommended devotional / prayer book. Read often by St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Thomas More, St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Down to earth explanations of a wide variety of Catholic truths, principles, concepts, and devotions, without watering them down.
Also contains a short account of the Saint’s death and canonization, etc., by the translator
An explanation of the Song of Songs by a saint, the bride being the Church Militant (or the soul). From this version “This book treats of the way to arrive at a perfect form of mental prayer”.
Recommended by the authors of With God and Henry Edward Cardinal Manning as a continuation of the mission of his books The Temporal Mission of the Holy Ghost and The Internal Mission of the Holy Ghost.
This book is included because it has good approbations, and generally looks interesting and useful.
This book, also known as “The Book of Divine Doctrine”, was dictated by God to the Saint while in an ecstasy. It consists of four treatises, on Providence, Discretion, Prayer, & Obedience.
Excellent treatise on human destinies that doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable and sometimes horrifying. Inspires a lively fear of eternity, and can be effective at making the reader change their life.
This work has no approbations, but is by Henry Edward Cardinal Manning, who was very zealous in Catholic doctrine, having converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism along with St. John Henry Edward Manning. That said, this book may contain opinions of his which are not necessarily doctrines of the Catholic Church. It is included in this library because of its historical and theological interest.
Note: This is not the same as “The Imitation of Mary” sold by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. The content is entirely different.
See also The Temporal Mission of The Holy Ghost.
This is an abridged version of True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
A masterpiece of spiritual writing. Highly recommended by St. Francis de Sales. According to St. Teresa of Avila, it converted over a million souls. Read the 1883 Introduction for more info.
This book does not have approbations, but was written by a priest and edited (and probably translated) by another priest. It also says “Authorised Translation” on the title page. It’s also published by Burns, Lambert, and Oates, which are generally safe publishers. So it’s probably safe to read.
St. Catherine of Genoa is often known mostly for this book.
This saint’s theological and devotional masterpiece. Very heavy on theological and philosophical terms, which can be difficult for some. (e.g. goes into the subject of the Trinity)
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.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.394 The Fathers of the Church on Jesus bringing not Peace but the Sword
p.466 The Fathers of the Church on the Five Divided in One House
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.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.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.176 The Method of Prayer
p.n306 Who can love a world that has the devil as its governor?
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.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.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.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.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.52 God’s immense love for us, especially on the Cross, should draw us away from sin
p.56 The benefit of no longer being God’s enemy, but rather his own dear child
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.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.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.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.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.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.137 Studying the various titles of God will comfort and encourage us
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.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 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.162 God is generous even to those beginning in virtue, so why should we wait to begin?
p.164 Conscience
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.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.181 Slavery to Sin
p.182 How degrading and yet common it is to hand our reason over to our instinct!
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.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.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.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.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.232 The virtuous Christian soul does not fear death, but embraces it with joy
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.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.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.264 The foolishness of continuing 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.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.293 The happiness of this life is subject to innumerable sudden changes
p.296 The happiness of this life is ruined even by our own passions
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.305 The happiness of this world is false, and it resembles Hell
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.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.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.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.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.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.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 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.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.355 Envy makes us resemble demons, and actually profits us nothing
p.358 Gluttony attempts to conquer us from within, and Jesus gave us an example of conquering it
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.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.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.380 Speaking evil against virtuous souls, or against consecrated persons, is especially evil
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.395 Virtuous persons should have an outward bearing of gravity, humility, and sweetness
p.401 Considerations against Temptations of Taste and Feeling
p.407 How to govern the Tongue
p.424 How much charity is praised and recommended in the New Testament Letters
p.426 How we can love our neighbor even though they’re not relatives
p.430 The Fear of God
p.432 Confidence in God
p.434 Purity of Intention
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.451 How Mothers and Fathers should discharge their duties to God and to their family
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.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.464 God hates virtues and sacrifices not motivated by Love of God
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.471 Devotions and virtues are only greater than each other within a subject, not objectively
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.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