Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Summer spiritual reading

Yesterday officially commenced summer "projects" at the Newman Center.  The first project underway is the re-filing of both offices - mine and Amy's (campus minister).  When it is finished, it will be sweet to actually be properly organized (thanks in large part to Michael Russo)!  But, that seems so far away with tons of files and years of paperwork piled up in each of our offices.  One good result from going through years and years of paperwork is finding some really cool stuff from prior chaplains and campus ministers.  Below is a spiritual reading list from over ten years ago...a timeless gem!

Every GW Catholic should be doing some spiritual reading this summer; 5-10 minutes a day, at least. Sacred Scripture is most preferred; reading a chapter of one of the Gospels each day might work well for you. The suggestions below are some of the most common in the Church for spiritual reading because they are the best for any Catholic.  They are mostly in the first category of books.  Things get a little more advanced as you go through this list, but I know GW Catholics who have read some in each category. The last category is more along the intellectual and cultural lines of Catholicism.  This is a good find!



Spiritual reading

Initial text: I Believe in Love, Pere Jean D'Elbee


I. Confessions, St. Augustine of Hippo

    Introduction to the Devout Life, St Francis de Sales

   The Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius of Loyola

   The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

   The Imitation of Christ, Thomas a Kempis



II. On Spiritual Friendship, Br. Aelred of Rievaulx

     Spiritual Passages and The Courage to be Chaste, Fr. Benedict Groeschel

    Transcending All Understanding, Walter Kasper

    New Seeds of Contemplation, Spiritual Direction and Meditation, and the Seven Storey Mountain, Thomas Merton

    To Know Christ Jesus, Frank Sheed

 

III. The Eucharist, St Alphonsus Ligouri

      The Dialogues, St Catherine of Siena

      Apologia pro Vita Sua, John Henry Newman

     The Way of Perfection, Interior Castle, St. Theresa of Avila

      The Cure de Ars, The Life of St. John Vianney, Trochu



IV.  Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy, and Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

      Short Stories, Flannery O'Connor

      Orthodoxy, The Father Brown Stories, G.K. Chesterton

      The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene

     

1 comment:

Christina said...

Whoops, I appear to be going backward. I picked up C.S. Lewis to read this summer along with finishing St. Therese.