Reddit mentions: The best christian saints

I think the key difference between Catholic and Lutheran soteriology is that Luther was an Ockhamist and thus you get forensic justification, whereas for the Catholic, it is the infusion of divine life. Because of this, Catholicism recognizes the necessity but insufficiency of works for salvation, but Lutheranism rejects even the necessity because of such a different understanding of the relationship between grace and nature. When I first read Luther, I thought he sounded basically Catholic, but the problem was his metaphysics were so different from my own that we really don't believe the same things.

St. Thérèse is a Doctor of the Church and anyway her key contribution was her articulation of "the Little Way", which (put simply) is her teaching that to be a saint doesn't mean accomplishing great works but rather that all of your works be animated by God's love. In her case, she lived a humble life in the convent never accomplishing anything of particular note but simply living the Gospel to its fullness

The key to her spirituality is the Act of Oblation to Merciful Love:

>O MY GOD! Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love you and make you Loved,
To work for the glory of the Holy Church
By saving souls on earth and by liberating those suffering in purgatory.
I desire to accomplish your will perfectly
And to reach the degree of glory that you have prepared for me in Your Kingdom.
I desire, in a word, to be Holy, but I feel my powerlessness
And I beg you, O my God! to be yourself my Holiness!

>You loved me so much that you gave me your only Son
To be my Savior and my Spouse.
The infinite treasures of his merits are mine.
I offer them to you with gladness.
Look on me through the Face of Jesus and in his Heart burning with Love.

>I offer you, too, all the merits of the saints in Heaven and on earth,
Their acts of Love, and those of the Holy Angels.

>Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity!
The Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my cherished Mother.
To her, I entrust my offering completely, imploring her to present it to you.
Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, during his earthly life declared:
“Whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give to you!”
I am certain, therefore, that you will grant my desires; I know it, O my God!
The more you want to give, the more you make us desire.
I feel in my heart immense desires and
With confidence I ask you to come and take possession of my soul.
Ah! I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire,
But, Lord, are you not all-powerful?
Remain in me as in a tabernacle and never separate yourself from your little victim.

>I want to console you for the ingratitude of the wicked, and
I beg you to take my freedom to displease you away.
If through weakness I sometimes fall,
May your Divine Glance cleanse my soul immediately,
Consuming all my imperfections like fire that transforms everything into itself.

>I thank You, O my God! for all the graces that you have granted me,
Especially the grace of making me pass through the crucible of suffering.
With joy I shall contemplate you on the Last Day
Carrying the scepter of your Cross.
Since you have chosen to give me a share in this very precious Cross,
I hope in heaven to resemble you
and to see shining in my glorified body the sacred stigmata of your Passion.

>After earth’s Exile, I hope to go and enjoy you in the Fatherland,
But I do not want to lay up merits for heaven.
I want to work for your Love Alone with the one purpose of pleasing you:
To console your Sacred Heart, and to save souls who will love you forever.

>In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands.
Lord, I do not ask you to count my works.
All our justice is stained in your eyes.
I wish, then, to be clothed in your own Justice
And by your Love to receive you as my eternal possession.
No other Throne, no other Crown do I want but you, my Beloved!

>Time is nothing in your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years.
You can, then, in an instant prepare me to appear before You.

>Finally, in order to live in an act of perfect Love,
I offer myself as a victim of holocaust to your Merciful Love.
I beg you to consume me incessantly.
Allow the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within you to overflow into my soul.
In this way, make me become a Martyr of your Love, O my God!

>In the end, after it has prepared me to appear before you, may this martyrdom make me die.
May my soul take its flight without delay
Into the eternal embrace of your Merciful Love.

>I want, O my Beloved, with each beat of my heart
to renew this offering to you an infinite number of times,
until the shadows are no more, and
I am able tell you of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!

I would highly recommend giving Story of a Soul, her autobiography, a read.

> What's the point of attending mass if I don't understand it and can't participate in the sacraments?

The most important, and probably the least convincing, thing that I can say is that Jesus really is present in the Blessed Sacrament. When the priest says the words at the altar during the part of the Mass that my children find the most boring, something very interesting really does happen to the bread and wine. The tabernacle containing consecrated hosts really does have Jesus present in a different way than God is present in the world, in his creatures, in you and me. For a long time I was willing to believe this without evidence, in the usual "well I guess I'll try to believe it although it makes no sense" way, but within the past year I have become absolutely certain of it. So that is the point of attending. Because he is there (even when you don't understand the language) and because you love him. Just like you would visit a beloved relative (maybe a grandparent when you were a child, or a parent for those of us who are older), and spend time with them even though you could be doing something else, you are in the presence of someone who cares about you very much and who likes to see you. People ask "can't I just watch Mass on TV" and that is like "can't I just Skype with my grandma?" This is not a great metaphor (anything we use to describe God falls apart into nonsense almost immediately upon close inspection) but it is the best I can do to explain.

> I don't understand why I would ask their intercession when I could ask God directly

I was also pretty "meh" about saints. The missing piece is relationship. You do not usually ask strangers to pray for you. If a particular saint is very interesting to you and you are drawn to their life as something that you want to imitate (what we should want to imitate is Christ, but sometimes it is hard to see how to do that directly and so we look at other people who have done a very good job of it in slightly different ways to look for a way that "fits" us), then eventually you will just naturally start to ask them "hey give me a hand here, you were so good at this thing that I am having so much trouble with". This is not the only direction to come at it from, but I can mostly only give advice from my own experience. (Then you end up doing things that sound maybe a little silly or disrespectful like asking St Joseph to intercede for you when you are assembling IKEA furniture; but part of it is about not being too proud to ask for help with little things that other, more competent, people seem to not need any help with.) We can absolutely also ask God directly (a friend of mine pointed out that, you know, Jesus was a carpenter too and I was like "doh! I forgot".)

> The role of Mary. Once again, she was certainly blessed, but to say she was born without original sin seems too much for me. Likewise, although I know we don't worship her, Marian devotion feels hardly distinguishable. When I try to pray the rosary I feel like I'm committing a grave sin, but I may be praying it in the wrong spirit.

Defending the immaculate conception is above my pay grade (I need to understand it better myself.)

As for praying the rosary, what you are actually doing there is meditating on the events in the life of Jesus, and the reason (or "a" reason) to do this is to bring you to a greater love of God (everything else follows from having a very great love of God, as you know from reading about saints); meditating on the sorrowful mysteries in particular is something that I-forget-who recommended doing daily because it is so effective at that. I think that (confining ourselves to "how much does a creature love Jesus") Mary loves Jesus more than any of the rest of us do. The central part of a "Hail Mary" is Jesus. But also Jesus loves Mary, for various reasons (he loves all of us; and, imagine him when he was a little kid... every little kid who has a good mother loves their mother) and so even the last two mysteries (the assumption of Mary and her coronation as queen) are still about Jesus. If we died before our mother did, and we were in heaven, we would be glad when our mother joined us there, having done well in her earthly battles, so it is like that except more so. He brought her there and he crowned her, because he wanted to. If you would like to try having a greater love of his mother, then you can ask him for that and trust that God will not give you anything that is bad for you.

> Likewise, if someone can't access the sacraments, are they condemned despite their love for God and willingness to obey? I'm fine with the idea of God working through matter, but is it necessary? Shouldn't the Spirit in us be enough?

We are body and spirit. For some reason God thought it would be a cool idea to make us a body/spirit composite (he didn't have to). Knowledge comes to us through our senses. Matter, and our bodies, are not bad. I have the impression from reading the Ramona Quimby books (a children's series in which she takes off one rear wheel on her tricycle because she wanted a bicycle like her friend had) that it is possible to ride a two-wheeled tricycle, but I do not think I could do it... they work better with three wheels; and, I know that I function better when my senses are engaged.

If someone loves God and desires to obey him, remember that God loves them so much more that I don't have words for it, and in difficult "edge cases" I expect he would work something out (also the Catechism says some stuff about people who do not have the opportunity for baptism but have the desire, and also about people who have perfect contrition).

But...

sometimes things aren't impossible for us to access; they are just very hard for us to access, or sometimes just inconvenient or embarrassing for us to access. We should be aware of the distinction. People here talked about going to daily Mass, and at first I was like "I can't possibly go to daily Mass; too bad." Then after a while it became important enough to me to go that I discovered that, after all, it was not impossible; it just hadn't been important enough to me, something else had been more important.

> My biggest example is confession.

Without a priest you would need perfect contrition (you can also have imperfect contrition at the same time, which is fear of punishment / desire for reward.) It's kind of hard to know for sure whether we have that. If I go to confession, I do not need to second-guess myself and assess what kind of contrite I am (imperfect contrition, and an intention to amend my life, would be enough.) I have, through my senses, heard the words of absolution, so I know that I am absolved regardless of how I feel.

There are other aspects to confession that are overlooked whenever people start talking about types of contrition and whether it is "necessary".

First, I would assert that Jesus is there in a particular way. (Now we are back to the territory where I talk about things I am convinced of that do not sound compelling to anyone else.) So if we like to be with him because we love him, then actually we should like to go to confession every so often, whether we have mortal sins on our conscience or not.

Second, this sacrament gives you grace to better resist temptation. Personally, I consider that worth the price of admission (the price is, essentially, humility.)

yeah I should probably say two words about humility. There is a big difference internally between saying "oh my Lord and Savior I am really sorry for what I did and I trust that you will forgive me and I will try never to do it again", versus having to list our sins to another human being. A BIG difference. It makes more of an impression on us about the gravity of what we have done. It humbles us. It is a deterrent to succumbing to the same temptation repeatedly (because we imagine that the priest is going to remember what we confessed two weeks ago or something. We only imagine this because we are incredibly self-centered and think the world revolves around us, incidentally; it does not.) These are all things that keep people from going to confession, because wow scary. But they are exactly reasons why we should go to confession.

Apropos of nothing, I will also recommend reading Fire Within (Dubay) https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Teresa-Gospel-Prayer/dp/0898702631

First of all, welcome back, brother. I am especially touched that your fiancée would even suggest to find a Catholic Church. (As an aside, you're not a convert; you're a revert since you're already baptized into the Church. I thought maybe you'd appreciate that factoid.)

​

>I am looking for information about your Church, whatever you think is important to know.

There is a lot to know and many here would recommend a million and one things to study, especially since it sounds like you enjoy a good intellectual pursuit. I'm not going to discount others' recommendations, but I do want to highlight one thing: learn more about Jesus first. Find out what He taught, who He is, what His disciples and closest friends said about Him, what the Old Testament said about Him, etc. To that end...

​

>I am looking for recommendations for a Catholic-approved version of the Bible, geared towards someone who appreciates philosophy and prefers something close to the original translations, or the most accepted by the Church.

First thing to note, all Catholic Bibles have 72 books. Protestants have 66. If you can't get a hold of a Catholic Bible, a Protestant one will do for now until you do get around to buying a Catholic one. Now, as for Catholic Bibles, if you speak/read Latin you can't go wrong with the Vulgate Bible. It's a Bible that was translated by St. Jerome who was fluent in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; he had the original manuscripts -- some of which are lost to us today -- so his translations are widely accepted as authentic and faithful.

There's also the English version of the Vulgate Bible known as the Douay-Rheims. It's an almost word-for-word translation of the Latin so the English will sound archaic to our modern ears. It's not as frustrating as, say, reading Shakespeare but it's pretty close. I personally prefer (and currently use) a Douay-Rheims Bible that has the Clementina Vulgata beside it. It's essentially Latin and English side by side. You can find one here.

If want one with plain English, the New American Bible Revised Edition would suffice. (If you use this website, let me know. I have a discount code from my last purchase.)

​

>I know nothing of the culture or norms of the Church, or what to expect as a new member.

One major rule to remember is that you can't receive Holy Communion until after you've gone to Confession. Given your situation, I would recommend setting up an appointment with a parish priest so he can give his full attention to you and your needs.

​

>I do not know how to introduce myself to the congregation

There's usually no need to introduce yourself to the congregation since parishes tend to be big. If you would like to formally introduce yourself, however, give the parish priest a call and set up a meeting with him. It would also be a great chance to speak with him about your situation and get some pastoral guidance.

​

>or tell a good Catholic church from a lesser one

Many here would recommend a more traditional parish. If that's not available, I'd say any Catholic church would do. If you're unsure about a particular church's standing, just give us the details on this sub. I'm sure someone here would be able to double check for you.

​

>I know nothing of the Saints or the miracles, or what has been confirmed by the Church and what hasn't.

These are things you can learn later on. Focus on Jesus first. Rebuild your relationship with Him. Start with the basics; if you don't, you might burn yourself out. There is A LOT to learn about the Faith. Some say it's a lifelong endeavour. :P

​

>I am also looking for a reading list to explore Catholic philosophy beyond those you typically encounter in standard philosophical reading, such as Aquinas or Pascal.

Hmmm... this depends on what sorts of things interest you. A good one that lightly touches on philosophy is Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft (anything by this guy is pretty good, by the way).

A book that may be more pressing to your current situation is Why Be Catholic? by Patrick Madrid and Abraham Skorka, Why We're Catholic by Trent Horn, as well as Why I am a Catholic by Brandon Vogt. (They might need to work on a more original title, though :P) Since you have an Evangelical background, Crossing the Tiber by Steve Ray might be helpful (although it can be a bit dry; also, it mostly deals with the Church's teaching on Baptism and the Eucharist) as well as Rome Sweet Home by Scott and Kimberly Hahn.

You can never go wrong with classics such as a collection of C. S. Lewis' works, The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, The Seven Story Mountain by Thomas Merton, and Confessions by St. Augustine.

If you want a historical examination of Jesus and the Early Church, a good place to start is The Case for Christ by Brant Pitre, The History of the Church: From Christ to Constantine by St. Eusebius, and The Fathers Know Best by Jimmy Akin. I'd like to thrown in Jesus, Peter, and the Keys by Scott Butler, Norman Dahlgren, and David J. Hess. This last one pertains to the Catholic claim regarding the papacy (and which I think is one of the strongest arguments in favour of the Catholic Church being the original one that the Lord founded).

Finally, there are YouTube channels you can follow/binge watch such as Bishop Robert Barron and Ascension Presents. Also, an amazing video about the Catholic Faith is a series made by Bishop Barron when he was "just" a priest called Catholicism.

I'm sorry if that's overwhelming but you raised some good questions. :P Anyway, I imagine it may be a lot right now so take it slowly, don't dive in through all of it at once. Find a local Catholic church, call up the priest, set up a meeting, then take it from there. And remember, you can always pray; God's always willing to talk with you.

> I have no idea if this post contains anything insulting/against the rules/breaking some secret taboo. I just want to become closer to the family of the man I love.

This last sentence just made me smile so big today. We're a pretty thick skinned bunch, and hearing that you want to come into this with an open heart and mind, prompted by a man and family whom you love, is an occasion for joy. Welcome! We're happy to have you here. Please stick around and ask as many questions as you wish!

I want to make this offer at the beginning of this post, so it doesn't get buried. As you embark upon this journey, please feel free to keep my username handy and DM with any specific questions that trip you up or pique your curiosity. I mean that, I'm happy to be a resource in addition to all the wonderful folks who help this subreddit tick.

I'm a cradle Catholic, 28 years old, and I, too, feel like there's an eternity's worth of stuff to discover about the faith. It's always overwhelming.

I'm going to first echo /u/Trubea's sentiments, Catholicism For Dummies is an excellent resource book and worth picking up.

Given that your SO has been sharing lots of biblical stories with you it would also make sense to buy a Bible. I'd recommend the following for a very readable Bible with awesome footnotes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a teaching companion to reference against. It may take time to dig really deeply into those, but eventually you'll want them.

• Bible
  
• Catechism
  
  Two YouTube channels (finally I'm recommending something free, right?) where you'll find great short videos on what the Church teaches, pop culture, and everything in between are found here:
  
  
• Bishop Robert Barron's "Word On Fire" Channel
  
• Father Mike Schmitz on "Ascension Presents"
  
  Also, I've noticed you seem to be drawn to the "beauty" of the faith. The aforementioned Bishop Barron has some great media that I think you'd really enjoy.
  
  
• The Catholicism Video Series - A 10 episode documentary with some great cinematic work and soundtrack that break down some of the basics of the faith. A bit pricey for the whole thing, but something to consider. A trailer for the whole series can be found here and they did post a free, 53 min long episode on YouTube which can be found here.
  
  
• Bishop Barron's book that covers some of the same info as the video series, aptly named Catholicism.
  
  Before I recommend too many more options that break the bank, I'll leave you with that. :) There are lots of free resources to learn about the Catholic Church online, as well. The teachings, the stories, the lives of the saints, the miracles, you name it! Just let us know what is piquing your interest the most, and we'll do our best to direct you to something awesome on it.
  
  In the present, will say a prayer for your journey. Peace to you!
  
  

I have no interest in debating with you. I have limited time and only save my efforts for posts that I think really need to be responded to, or for people who, despite having opposing views, are reasonable and open-minded (because in this case, discussions can actually be fruitful). Frankly, I'm tired of atheists mindlessly parroting the same objections over and over again saying that there is "no evidence for God" or that "there is nothing unique/special about", or that there is "no evidence for", "Christianity". I'm also tired of atheists getting history wrong (and I thank God supremely for atheist Tim O Neil here), just like they do with the conflict thesis, and just like you're currently doing with Joan of Arc. Anyway, with regard to atheists parroting the same baseless objections all over again (i.e. no evidence, etc) despite the evidence being clearly out there -- it shows a serious intellectual bias, stubbornness and in other cases, even dishonesty on their part. I will reply to you this once and you may have the last word.

>How do you figure? Christianity isn't any more special in its claims and lack of proof of its claims than any other religion.

Mmm, I did point out quite a few things in my last post. :P Did you not see it? In any case, I'd also like to leave you with a video from Fr. Barron on the uniqueness of Jesus.

>and claimed it all as a historical fact.

When I say that the case for the Resurrection is very strong, I am not doing so without any basis/evidence. I believe in the Resurrection because that is where the evidence leads. I've studied Christianity, as well as the possibility of atheism very seriously. In the end, I came out a devout Catholic. My intention in my previous post was just not to write down "my full case" but to give a good but brief answer to the OP (with a number of good links for him to check out and chew on).

In any case, I will leave you with the thoughts of Anthony Flew himself, the world's most influential atheist in the 20th century who converted to deism in 2004 (particularly, he came to believe in the God of Aristotle) and ended up developing a great respect for the Christian religion.

>I think that the Christian religion is the one religion that most clearly deserves to be honoured and respected whether or not its claim to be a divine revelation is true. There is nothing like the combination of a charismatic figure like Jesus and a first-class intellectual like St. Paul…If you’re wanting Omnipotence to set up a religion, this is the one to beat (There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed his Mind, 185-186).

and on the Resurrection...

>The evidence for the resurrection is better than for claimed miracles in any other religion. It's outstandingly different in quality and quantity (Flew Interview with Gary Habermas, 2004).


A lot of people have done great work detailing the historical case for the Resurrection and they have won over many people. I really hope that you'll stop parroting the same objections in the future. If there was no case, no evidence, then it should not have considerable persuasive power as Flew admits, and as former atheists Lee Strobel, Warner Wallace and Albert Henry Ross (Frank Morrison) know so well.


>Also please don't bring Joan of Arc into this. What Christians have done to her is a travesty.

I will gladly. Unlike you, I actually know what happened. Her trial was a kangaroo court driven by English political agenda. This is not on the Church but on the English and a small group of Catholic clergy like Cauchon who were strong English partisans. Joan's appeals to the Pope were denied. This would have stopped trial but she was in the hands of the English, who would not let anyone interfere with the outcome they so desperately needed and wanted. Later on, the Church gave her the retrial she deserved.

You should read up on Joan, say Pernoud's Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses. It's a great book. She truly was an incredible, saintly woman who carried out what God wanted her to do. It's no wonder, that even Mark Twain fell in love with her as a person and even wrote what he believed was his greatest book on her.

*edited to fix grammar and word things better

What I described is the perspective of Christian Mysticism, not my own philosophy. It is a real and important part of the Christian tradition that mainstream Christianity ignores. Therefore, it needs to be shared so that people can choose for themselves. If Christian Mysticism is a topic you're interested in, I recommend a book called The Mountain of Silence.

The Bible is a symbolic book and we can't read it literally. The mystical perspective is that real faith in Christ happens through the death and resurrection of Christ within us. Therefore, Jesus was demonstrating the drama of the Cosmic Christ, because his death and resurrection don't make a difference if they don't take place inside us. As the greatest example of this drama and the highest incarnation of the Christ, he is the Christ. However, his sacrifice means nothing if we don't have faith in it. Again, faith is not a belief in an idea.

>Also, belief in the right idea (truth) is of paramount importance, my friend. The fact you said otherwise is a huge red flag.

Come on, I never said it's not important. Belief is part of faith, but faith is a lot more than just belief. I can say I believe that cruelty to animals is not a good thing and really feel bad when I watch Sarah McLachlan commercials, but if I buy products that are tested on animals and eat meat from animals who live in cruel conditions, my faith doesn't mean much. I can say I believe that demonstrating the heart of God to humanity through love and compassion is good, but if I'm absorbed in career, family, etc., and I'm cold to everyone else, I'm just being a hypocrite. This is why Jesus says that we must love God with all our faculties. To do so requires self-knowledge because we are all asleep to what's really in our minds and hearts and we don't even know it. We don't love God, we're obsessed with ourselves. We're obsessed with work, with the news, with other people, with showing up to church on time, with feeling good in church, with banking on the right religion to be saved from hell, etc. So to be saved through faith doesn't mean believing in the right idea. It means to change our way of Being. It means to be in a state where we remember God at all times. Ceaseless prayer, if you will.

>You realize you're essentially saying, "Those other religions may not have Jesus - y'know, God's Son, the ONLY One with the power to save you - but that's okay, because they've got Christic values." -- Huh? You don't achieve salvation through adherence to values, principles, or rules -- that's part of what Jesus came to save us from.

You're rewording what I said. Let me see if I can explain myself better. All religions have the Christ, not Christic values. The Christ is not just a historical personality. The Christ is the part of God that descends into creation and suffers for its redemption. Christ is innocent but suffers in the process of saving us from our sinful nature. He can only save us if we have faith in him. Faith starts with belief in the particular Christ of our religious upbringing, but ends in action and a transformation of our heart. Faith is a process.

>Matthew 7:21-25 "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."

I'd recommend against Barth's Church Dogmatics unless you are quite well versed in theology, and like reading long and sometimes confusing sentences.

Interested in Church Fathers?

Oden's Classical Christianity is pretty decent. It tries to break down the typical "systematic theology" headings using the early church (and some later ones). Not perfect, but there isn't one I've read yet that beats it.

Augustine's Confessions is a must if you haven't read it yet. Its autobiographical yet very spiritual and insightful at the same time.

Chrysostom's On the Priesthood is a great writing that can apply to anyone, not just those seeking ordination.

Athanasius' On the Incarnation focuses on the person of Christ, and what it meant for God to become man.

Basil's On the Holy Spirit is a great exposition on not just how the Holy Spirit is argued to be part of the Trinity, but also Christ. Very great reading for people questioning it or curious about it.

Reformation Fathers?

Peter Martyr Vermigli's Predestination and Justification is great. John Calvin in a letter said Vermigli had a better understanding of Predestination than he did, which is funny since Calvin is known for predestination today.

Martin Luther's Theological Works has most of his important works, including Bondage of the Will.

Richard Muller's Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, 4 vol. but try not to pay $325 for it. Its out of print so might be a bit hard to find for a reasonable price. If you are able to find it though, it's a gold mine. Also check out other of his books.

More contemporary?

Abraham Kuyper's Lectures on Calvinism is a classic on the Reformed faith.

Herman Bavinck's Abridged Reformed Dogmatics is great, and in my opinion one of the best Systematic Theologies available. More of a Dutch Reformed than Presby bent, but essentially the same.

Karl Barth's Dogmatics in Outline is a very abridged version of Church Dogmatics, and would recommend it over the original source unless you have a lot of free time or want to be a Barth scholar.

Thats what I can think of off the top of my head. If you have other specific ones I can find other stuff.

[Credo in Deum] (http://www.ourladyswarriors.org/indulge/g16.htm) is the most concise reason in words other than my own.

In my own words I would need to frame my response and ask rhetorically why we believe anything. When I went to middle school black holes were taught to be scientific myth and now they are said to be at the center of every galaxy in the Universe to include our own.

Mathematics is spiritual in a way and constitute a unique realm in and of itself as I have come to understand things. Numbers and calculations are as real as the distances or temperatures (as example) they describe yet no one has ever seen the number 4 (as example) in the same way we can 'see' a magnetic field or measure a billion miles, or feel the heat of a star.

If the less than tangible realm of numbers and geometry is accepted to coexist/embedded with the immense diversity of the physical Universe; other less than tangible realms would be seem likely to exist as well.

Finally, we have life itself and the unique human ability to contemplate the mysteries and secrets of the Universe. Life that lives in the water realm, or the realm of the air, and/or the underground realm.

There is a life after death realm for plants as they become nutrients for the next generation of plants due to the change of decay. There is the realm of imagination that can similarly be a seed that grows into ambition and action.

I think there are many realms we often do not recognize what is right in front of us and I gave a few examples. Why a spiritual realm? Why not. There is reasonable evidence for it and to think it is as diverse as the physical and life realms. Why wouldn't there be as many different kinds of spirits as there are bugs?

Pliny the Younger wrote about the devastation of the 79 AD Mount Vesuvius eruption in terms that seemed unbelievable until the eruption of Mount Saint Helens were witnessed.

I wrote enough...too much probably. In conclusion I think there is good reason to trust the Gospel accounts were written in the sme good faith of honesty that Pliny wrote about the volcano or Plato wrote about Socrates centuries earlier.

The 72 books of the Bible tell one true story. That story literally starts at the beginning of recorded human history and took nearly 2000 years to tell as we know it today. It isn't a science or history book; but a spiritual book. The story does more than just suggest at an afterlife in more than just the New Testament. Other books like this one give a strange kind of confirmation to the spiritual realm. Written in the mid 1930's but not widely published until the early 1980's it is one among many testimonies over the centuries.

> 1146 Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice…..

Read paragraphs 424 through 428, and 741 as other examples to that spirit realm. 1732 is somewhat prophetic more than spiritual.

https://liturgicalyear.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/divine-mercy-in-my-soul.pdf

Awesome!!!

>As I am very new to the faith, I was wondering if I could receive some advice/answers from people here. What would the best writing be to look at for talks through various denominations. Do I need a specific denomination? What other Christian works would be good to read in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship with God and general Christian concepts (I have already ordered a collection of C. S. Lewis’s works as a start).

Well, I would of course want you to join the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Some great resources, in general, include Bishop Barron (anything by him, he's fantastic), Peter Kreeft's works, and Scott Hahn's works. C.S. Lewis, who was highly influenced by Tolkien and Chesterton, both Catholic, is a fantastic starting point. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/Why-Be-Catholic-Important-Question/dp/0307986438) book, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591) book, and [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-Complete-Updated/dp/0385479670) Catechism aregreat reading resources. I'd recommend getting a kindle if you don't have one so you can do what I did and just pour through tons of books. If you have a past with Orthodoxy, check out the Orthodox Way by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware as well as the Eastern Catholic Churches. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/057803834X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493667291&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=origins+of+catholic+christianity&dpPl=1&dpID=41bsQ2nPSxL&ref=plSrch) book, as well as the other two parts of it, are very interesting as well, and include part I, the Crucified Rabbi, part II, the Catholic Paul, and part III, the Eternal City. Sorry for the boatload of information; Bishop Barron, overall, is the best place to start. You can find him on YouTube.

I'd also recommend that you go on the sidebar to each and every denominational subreddit and ask them why they think they are the True Church. The one thing I can't recommend enough is to not make a grocery list of doctrines you like and then pick the denomination that suits you best. That isn't how Christianity works; there is one Pillar and Bulwark of Truth, one Body of Christ, and one Church-- the next step for you is figuring out which one it is. You'd probably want to start with Catholicism or Orthodoxy, the two Churches that can directly trace their roots back to the Apostles, yet sadly one split from the other in 1054.

If you haven't yet, get a good, solid Bible (preferably one with the original canon, not the Lutheran one) and start reading the Gospels prayerfully, as well as the Epistles. For the epistles especially, keep in mind the audience of the letter and the context. For the New Testament, the Ignatius Study Bible is incredible; however, the Old Testament has yet to come out. You can get a bundle deal on Amazon with the Catechism and a Study Bible.

God bless, and we'll keep praying for you on your journey!

This is a good list. Quick suggestions...

As others are saying, Athanasius' On the Incarnation is a must-read if you're looking at the great theological works of the tradition. I have the edition from the Popular Patristics series sitting on my shelf. It's a good translation. You can also find it here online.

For Augustine, read his Confessions. It's the first autobiography in the West. That's pretty wild. I read the Oxford edition; that's what I usually see people point to. His City of God is also very important.

For Aquinas, his great work is the Summa. It's massive. And in order to really understand Aquinas, you should understand Aristotle first. Your reading list is getting quite long now—but there are abridgments and reading guides to Aquinas out there if you're interested. Peter Kreeft's Summa of the Summa has often been recommended to me.

John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion should be added. It's hard to overstate the significance of this work. Many would call this the greatest theological work that came out of the Reformation. The Battles edition of the Institutes is more expensive but far more readable than the older Beveridge edition.

Jonathan Edwards is one of the greatest minds in American history. He's certainly not as important as Calvin, but his End for which God Created the World and his Religious Affections are both very good works by, like I said, one of America's greatest minds.

God bless you if you can make it through 14 volumes of Barth's Church Dogmatics. They say Barth's exceedingly important, and I believe them—but frankly I'd put him at a much lower priority than anyone else here. Because Barth stands in the Reformed tradition, I doubt one is able to fully appreciate him without first reading Calvin anyway.

When someone asks about the greatest theological works, some will always recommend works by contemporary writers. Some very good stuff has been written by folks who are still alive; N. T. Wright comes to mind, though I think he's too verbose for his own good. But I'm of the opinion that we don't yet have the historical distance to discern whether works by contemporary authors ought to be placed among the undisputed greats of the tradition.

When I converted, my wife was already Catholic, so I'm not a lot of help there. But I'll write a few things to consider, from my perspective with my extended family and my own experience with a Catholic spouse. Since you haven't actually converted yet, I hope this will be helpful for you, too, during that process.

• Rome Sweet Home is pretty good. But when I first read it as a Protestant, I hated it. From what I remember, it's primarily a conversion story and offers little in the way of argumentation or theology. Since my objections to the Catholic Church were primarily theological, it annoyed me more than helped me. You know your wife best; do you think that points of philosophy and theology will be a stumbling block to her conversion or simply misunderstandings about Catholicism? If she has specific objections, there's a good chance that no one book will answer them all, but if she just thinks Catholics aren't really Christian, Rome Sweet Home can go a long way to correcting that misapprehension.
  
  
• Don't force the conversation, much less the conversion. St. Paul's advice in [1 Corinthians 7:12-16] is valid when married to Protestants as well as unbelievers; live a faithful life, prove that you are a better man, a better husband, a better father as a Catholic than otherwise, and you will do more to convert her than the most persuasive argument.
  
  
• If she asks, be prepared to answer. This can be difficult, especially if you don't know what's bothering her until she asks about it. But the better you know the Catholic faith, the better you can address her concerns about it. If you don't know, promise to find out, and then come ask us on this sub or search the Catechism or call up Catholic Answers Live. The Church has been here for two thousand years; there is a 10 out of 10 chance that someone else has asked every question you and your wife can come up with and there's an answer that explains it.
  
  
• If she wants to hear conversion stories (how others have gone through this and dealt with it), a lot of folks on this sub are converts, and you can ask us. (Here's mine.)
  
  
• If she has specific theological concerns, there are a lot of resources available on those topics, even for free on the internet. (Here are mine.) There are also books on pretty much every subject out there somewhere.
  
  
• Remember that the Catholic Church, while the true Church of Christ and infallible in her magisterium, isn't perfect. Don't try to portray it as perfect, because it's easy to prove otherwise. The Church is a hospital for sinners, not a condo for saints, and most of her physicians are sick, too. Bad things have happened under the Church's watch. We don't sweep this under the rug; we learn from it and try never to do it again (just like we do individually with our sins).
  
  
• Finally, I can never recommend St. Francis de Sales' The Catholic Controversy enough. It's also available for free here. It was more persuasive and more effective than any modern work of apologetics I've read (with the sole exception of Marian doctrines, which it doesn't mention, because the first Protestants didn't disagree about Mary).

The necessary step to rejoining the Church in a juridical sense is to make a good confession. Start by reflecting on how you've lived since your teenage years with the aid of an examination of conscience. There is a good one published as a pamphlet by the Fathers of Mercy. When you are ready, do not feel limited to the regularly scheduled hours for confession. You can always call the rectory and ask for a priest to meet you in the confessional at a certain time.

A good reintroduction to the content of the faith is Father John Hardon's book The Catholic Catechism. It should refresh your memory of any important tenets of the faith you have forgotten, or were never taught. On the other hand, if you pretty well remember all the fundamentals of the faith and are asking how to learn more in a deeper sense, I recommend diving into the ancient writings of the Church Fathers. Two good books to start with are Augustine's Confessions and Athanasius' On the Incarnation.

For rekindling personal spiritual practice, Met. Anthony Bloom's book Beginning to Pray is a great book. And St Louis de Montfort's book The Secret of the Rosary is a good one on how to get the most out of a devotion commended to us by many great saints.

Wow haha! I didn't expect seeing a post like this on r/atheism. Like you, Joan of Arc has always been one of my heroes. She was an incredible woman - virtuous and intelligent. Of course, as a Catholic, I believe she was the real deal but anyway...from one Joan of Arc fan to another, I suggest reading Mark Twain's Joan of Arc (yes, Mark Twain) and Regine Pernoud's Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses (which also includes transcripts from her trial). These books are widely regarded to be the best books on Joan. They are both very well-written and researched; the authors even travelled to France to look into the archives and study the actual documents we have about her. Another book by Pernoud, The Retrial of Joan of Arc: The Evidence for her Vindication also covers her retrial. Also, if you do end up using that medal, I suggest getting it blessed even if you're a non-believer. If Catholicism is true, then you'll be under her care and who wouldn't want that? You have nothing to lose.

EDIT: Your friend should have given you a book instead. It's an obvious choice and makes much more sense!

Dr. Edward Sri's Men, Women, and the Mystery of Love is probably the best introduction to John Paul II's Theology of the Body. It's very accessible, while also giving a thorough explanation. Here it is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Men-Women-Mystery-Love-Responsibility/dp/0867168404

Augustine's autobiography, Confessions, is the great classic on finding forgiveness and allowing God to heal wounds. He's pretty theological about talking about his own life, though, which might be difficult for someone just getting in. Luckily, Louis de Wohl's The Restless Flame adapts the story into a modern novel, and it's super awesome. Here that is on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Restless-Flame-Novel-about-Augustine/dp/0898706033/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509815450&sr=1-1

The lives of the saints is a fantastic way to get a better understanding of what a Catholic's life looks like. St. Therese's autobiography, Story of a Soul, ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/0935216588/sr=1-1-spons/qid=1509815650/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1509815650&sr=1-1-spons ) is probably the easiest modern autobiography of a saint to read. Some other great biographies include St. Athanasius' Life of St. Anthony ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/1536859249/sr=1-1/qid=1509815706/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1509815706&sr=1-1 ), and G. K. Chesterton's St. Francis of Assisi ( https://archive.org/details/francisofassisi00chesuoft ).

What you have experienced is what is known as a Spiritual Consolation. I have personally experienced it myself in different ways in various levels of intensity. For example at times after saying the Rosary I have experienced then strong scent of roses. During Eucharistic Adoration I was felt an encompassing peace other time I have been brought to tears from experiencing the Lords passion. I am sure others can share similar instances.

St. Ignatius Of Loyola describes spiritual consolation in his third rule of discernment of spirits:

I call it consolation when some interior movement in the soul is caused, through which the soul comes to be inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord; and when it can, in consequence, love no created thing on the face of the earth in itself, but in the Creator of them all.

In other words, spiritual consolation gives us a palpable experience of God’s loveableness, and that experience acts like a magnet, drawing us to desire greater union with him and putting good order in our affections towards all other merely created realities.

I would like to suggest the following book to you that will help you to understand and to grow deeper into you faith

Check this out: Fire Within: St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and the Gospel on Prayer

Yes, I have struggled with this constantly.

Read St. Faustina's diary, called Divine Mercy in my Soul. Not sure if there's a free (legal) version online, but it's not an expensive book. I have been reading this for half a year now, and it is completely changing my understanding of love and grace and mercy and God.

Finally I am equipped to fight the self-hatred I've been plagued with for 25 years straight. Finally I am winning the battle with the help of God's grace, through the help of St. Faustina's diary.

An especially great thing about this book is that it's a bunch of bite-sized paragraphs, easy to read in only a few seconds on the toilet or whenever's most convenient for you.

My wife too came from a charismatic non-denominational church background. The process for her took a bit of time, and I think it was mostly accomplished through introduction to and then love of the liturgy. In college, we attended a non-denom church that did communion every week and did passing of the peace every week. After college, we were at a Presbyterian church for 7 years that had weekly communion, passing of the peace, confession of sin, and an OT reading. These were steps in a liturgical direction, which made the transition easier.

Have you guys been to mass yet? That definitely would be a good thing to do. I would read up about what goes on at the mass so you'll know what to expect, and then don't hesitate to participate (everything that's said and done is orthodox). Most of the responses should be in the front cover of the missal in the back of the pews. The order of the mass is also in the Missal, so you can follow along.

In terms of books, my wife loved Evangelical is Not Enough. She also liked Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic. Both of those books really helped her overcome the Catholic prejudices she had from growing up (Catholics worship Mary, etc).

I've also heard good things, but have not read, Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future. The author, Elizabeth Esther, comes from a very fundamentalist upbringing. She also has a blog you might be interested in checking out.

Can't recommend any videos, but I've heard Fr Robert Barron's Catholicism series is good - but expensive. Maybe your local Catholic church has a DVD you could check out? Here a preview.

Don't hesitate to PM me if you have any questions! I did a ton of research and would be happy to point you toward resources I found helpful.

My first try didn't seem to go through, so here's a second.

Amazon reviews are an okay place to start. A lot of people offer helpful comments. But, as you said, getting into thinkers that appeal to other audiences outside of just philosophers gets a bit sticky. I wouldn't be so quick to denounce or dismiss the religious aspect. Keep in mind if you want to read Augustine you'll be reading a religious thinker, so he has to be translated as such. For example, you could get a more technical translation of the Confessions, or you could find one operating more in the poetic spirit of Augustine, but regardless you're going to be reading a deeply religious text. Both are good translations, and both capture something of Augustine that the other probably misses. In the end, you have to ask yourself what you want more and what fits your purposes more. Also with regard to religious thinkers, it's important to try to read them on their own terms without having made up your mind before getting into the book. Allow yourself to agree with the thinker as much as you can--get inside their heads, travel with them, dwell with them. At the end, you can make a judgement, but give them a fair trial. This is also where translations can help. Some are simply more engaging, even if they're not "word-for-word" translations. A great example of this is Coleman Barks' "translations" of the poems of Muslim mystic Rumi. He actually completely fails (intentionally so) to translate Rumi word-for-word. Instead, he tries to write a poem in English that captures the language, feeling, and ideas of Rumi himself. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it's a lot nicer than just reading a book of translated poems full of footnotes and technicalities. If I'm going to write a deeply researched paper on Rumi, perhaps I should find another translation, but if I want to really learn Rumi and try to gain from his knowledge, I might want to begin with Barks.

As for other reviews, you can often find them simply by Googling. For example, here's a review on Hannay's translation of a book by Kierkegaard that is done in a professional, scholarly way. I found it on the first page of Google searching "alastair hannay translation review."

It sounds like hard work, and it is, but it's worth it.

Also, if it makes you feel any better we used Penguin editions for many of my undergraduate classes as text books.

Moar rosary!

But really though, if you read the Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis De Montfort, what he recommends is to, when you begin meditating on a mystery, take some time to mediate on what that mystery is and ask the Holy Spirit to help you focus on <insert virtue> as exhibited by Our Lord and or Our Lady in the mystery. (or, ask the Holy Spirit to help you focus on the virtue you most need). Additionally, he says make sure you have an intention when you pray the rosary. A good intention is for an increase in virtue. Grab a copy of the Secret of the Rosary, read up, and then arm yourself with this spiritual sword and prepare for battle! https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Rosary-St-Louis-Monfort/dp/0895550563

Don't feel bad if you begin not finishing one every day. Do your best each day, even if it is just one decade. There is still fruit there. Prayer is like a muscle, keep exercising it and you will be able to pray more.

I also recommend, for humility specifically, reading Humility of Heart by Fr. Cajetan Mary Da Bergamo. https://www.amazon.com/Humility-Heart-Cajetan-Mary-Bergamo/dp/0895557665/

I would recommend that you read Deep Prayer/Deep Conversion by Fr. Thomas Dubay. He is an excellent writer on the spiritual life, and this is one of his lighter, more accessible books. (Fire Within is, in my opinion, his best, but it's hefty and can be a bit academic at times, which can be rough for some people.)

He talks about this very issue in one of the latter chapters. Very often, we will find ourselves confessing the same sins every confession, even if we are regular in devotionals, attending Mass, and even receiving communion daily. The spiritual life, to become deep and intimate, requires both prayer and conversion, and when both are actively pursued, each aids growth in the other. When we confess, God wipes our sins and gives us grace to persevere, but coming out of it, we must do our own part to grow.

How often do we confess, and then continue to allow ourselves to fall to the old habits, old routines, old vices, that enable those same sins? To truly grow, we must persist in prayer, avoid occasions of those sins, and also strive for the opposing virtue. Do we gossip? We should be mindful and cautious when we are with those we tend to gossip with, and should actively strive to speak words of charity. Do we act selfishly? We should take up little self-denials and actively seek out opportunities, even small ones, to freely act for the benefit of others.

That's a bit of the general idea in Deep Prayer/Deep Conversion, and I hope it benefits you in some way, but I would recommend you read the book to be better informed than from what few words I can give you.

Edit: Broke up my second paragraph, which was waaay too long, into three.

Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI)

This is a dense read and not nearly as "introductory" as the title would have you believe, but it's an extraordinary piece of work, taking the form of a 400-page commentary on the Apostles Creed and how it sums up all that's necessary for the Christian life.

Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

A wonderful book about how ordinary people can seek and find holiness in their lives.

The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola

The Spiritual Exercises are one of the world's greatest systems for drawing into an intimate and personal relationship with God.

The Cloud of Unknowing

This anonymous book is written for someone very far advanced in the mystical and contemplative life, but it's tremendously beneficial for even the novice reader.

The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross

St. John is one of the greatest of all mystics, and his writings offer tremendous consolation to those going through periods of spiritual desolation. He shows us that the love of God is present even in darkest nights of our souls.

Hi forthewar! Don't worry about asking a question. We don't bite here. Well, maybe when we're drunk. But we make sure go to confession right after. ;)

One of the advantages of being Catholic is that a lot of the history and documentation are available in primary sources. The disadvantage is that the sources are very tough reads. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC for short) is available online. It is comprehensive, and contains many links to sources, but it is a very dense read. (If you are really interested in these questions, want a reference, and/or are a glutton for long reads, then St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica - the foundation of Christian philosophy and metaphysics - is also available online.. It's even more dense than the CCC. These are essential references for specific questions, but straight reads are not recommended.

Besides Catholicism for Dummies suggested below (I don't know if that's funny or sad...), the best modern general overview of Catholic teaching is Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith by Fr. Robert Barron. It's comprehensive, but also very readable. There's a companion video series by the same name, and Fr. Barron is also very active in the online arena, frequently posting columns and videos on the Word on Fire site. Peter Kreeft's Catholic Christianity: A Complete Catechism is a condensed version of the CCC, but some people might find it a little too academic. Kreeft also did the same for Aquinas in A Shorter Summa.

If you're looking for a more specific and concise source on the history of the rites Catholic use during our masses, I'd recommend The Mass of the Early Christians by Mike Aquilina. The last chapter alone - a "you are there" description of a Christian Mass in Second Century North Africa - is worth the price of the book. It brought home to me just how ancient and constant our Catholic rites and traditions really are.

And of course, if you come across something in your explorations that doesn't make sense, come ask us. That's what the interwebs are for, no?

I am confused what 'fallen in'' means and what your grandparents have to do with your question about your step-brother (or brother?).

Regarding your question, it seems that since your brother(s) is already 16, it is too late to have your mom make them get the sacraments. The spiritual life is now something that he needs to take ownership. Obviously, the love and guidance of you and your mom may help him in this endeavor.

In any case, I would encourage you to live and love the faith. Nothing changes hearts better than example (with God's grace, of course).
It seems that your mother is not the spiritual type. Evangelizing one's own family is a very difficult thing to do. I would talk with your mother about the spiritual life. Help her see that while she may have provided things like food and shelter (which are very good things), that isn't enough. Tell her that you realize in your own life, that need more than just physical life, but spiritual life too. You can tactfully extend this to your brothers whom you love. Over the course of some time, along with your own example and prayers, maybe she will see her responsibility to nourish her children's spiritual lives. You can also lovingly talk to your brothers. Also some books might help, they helped me when I first starting thinking about the spiritual life. My Daily Bread, The Faith Explained, Story of a Soul

Well, it depends on how much these kids can handle.

Every Catholic should read The Imitation of Christ

The Lamb's Supper really gives a fantastic understanding of the Mass. You'll never look at it the same again. There's even a study guide for it!

I stumbled across Aquinas in middle school and I thank God every day. He's the reason I stayed a Catholic. I understand the Summa Theologica is hard to read, but perhaps Peter Kreeft's A Shorter Summa will do.

For the younger guys, I think Patrick Madrid is an ok choice. I think his classical Where's that in the Bible? will do.

For your older middle school kids (7th to 9th grade), please, please read Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body. Here's a beginner version. Teenagers are teenagers, ya know? They need to be aware of these things if their parents aren't discussing it with them. We live in a sex-driven society and we need to make sure they don't get off track :)

Good luck with your classes!

Awww yeah!

• The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn. Excellent read to learn about the Biblical foundations of the Mass and an explanation of the Church's understanding of the oft-misunderstood Book of Revelation of John.
  
  
• The Soul of the Apostoalte. Words can't really express the spiritual treasury in this book. It basically describes how rooted we must be in prayer for any apostolate to survive.
  
  
• Introduction to the Devout Life. Another spiritual classic by St. Francis de Sales. A classic piece of literature that EVERY faithful Catholic should have in their home! St. Francis teaches us how to pray and meditate in very simple, accessible ways.
  
  
• The Confessions of St. Augustine. This isn't a novel about a saint airing his dirty laundry, this is entire piece of literature is a prayer and an introspective, philosophical examination of why we tend to choose evil over good. It may be a challenge for new readers, but it's an incredible work.
  
  
• An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories by Fr. Gabriel Amorth, chief exorcist of Rome. Two excellent works on demonic activity, spiritual warfare, and the Rite of Exorcism. More Stories has a better format than the first work, but both are worth reading.
  
  
• The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist. Though told from the perspective of a journalist, and including a ridiculous armchair psychological examination that attempts to disprove demonic activity (chapter 13 I believe), it's a good book worth reading on spiritual warfare. NOT at all similar to the movie, and a good read.
  
  There are more books, but I'll have to go into my memory-vault to remember what I would recommend.

She was a ~17 year old peasant girl from a backwards part of France. She lived during the 100 years war, when the king of England claimed the French crown and invaded to enforce that claim.

She was a pious girl who attended Mass daily and received Communion and Confession weekly (this was before daily communion for laity was prevalent). She often took pilgrimages to a nearby shrine and used all of her earnings from selling her needlework and whatnot to pay for food, alms, or to give to the Church.

She eventually began to hear her Voices: St. Michael, and two other saints (I forget whom at the moment). They told her that she was to save France by raising the siege of Orleans and then having the crown prince of France crowned king (this hadn't happened because the traditional place of coronation was in English hands).

She managed to convince the local governor of her divine mission (one purported sign is that she managed, with no horse-training whatsoever, to ride a feisty charger on her first try). He sent her with a handful of men to the prince. This required going through enemy territory, but they were never detected and reached the prince in safety.

There, she was able to identify the prince, despite him disguising himself as a courtier and placing another man on the throne (she had never seen the prince or his painting before). This convinced him enough to have her investigated by the Church. Various prelates investigated her and found her to be of good character, a virgin, and in good standing with the Church. She then proceeded to identify where a sword was hidden in a nearby church, and claimed it as hers. She also had a banner made that she would subsequently carry into battle.

The prince raised a very small relief force and she led it to Orleans. Despite the intrigues of her commanders (who didn't think they could lift the siege and only wanted to smuggle food and supplies in), she managed to get into Orleans with some of the force. Within a week, the siege was lifted. Several top military generals at the time said that it was impossible, without a miracle of God, for it to be lifted in that time given the number of French vs. English and their respective strongholds.

After the miraculous lifting of the siege, the Maid (as she called herself and came to be called by others), took part in some minor skirmishes. She then convinced the prince to march on Rhiems (the coronation site). They managed to get all the way there without having to fight a single battle; every city opened it's gates peacefully and surrendered to the French. At Rhiems, the prince was crowned.

A little later, Joan was captured by the English. They quickly got some priests and bishops together and tried her for heresy. This trial was invalid, as the presider did not have standing to run a trial in that diocese.

However, she was found guilty and was executed by burning. It is said that her heart could not be burned, despite several attempts.

Years later, when the French finally won the war, the king of France sponsored a case from Joan's mother basically suing the Church for a mis-trial. A new trial was held and the previous trial was found to be faulty and the sentence was lifted. During this time, much evidence was brought forward not only discrediting the first trial, but supported the holiness of Joan's life. This material was eventually to be used in her case for canonization.

You can read about the retrial and some eyewitness testimonies about Joan in this book.

Some fun stories:

Joan hated the prostitutes who made up some of the camp-followers of the army. One man remembers her chasing a prostitute with her bared sword, using it as a paddle to spank her as the prostitute was driven out of the camp.

Joan had a male page who, because he dressed her, saw her naked. Despite the fact that he was a healthy young man (who later got married) and he flat-out said she was extremely attractive, he (and any other men who were near her) never lusted for her. Whenever their thoughts would turn in that direction, the idea simply became unthinkable to them, as she was just too pure and holy for her to be sullied in that way, even in thought.

Joan was wounded during a battle fairly early in the day by an arrow to her shoulder. Despite that, she managed to recover and lead the assault again a few hours later.

Joan could not read nor write and she was uneducated. However, she managed to stump various highly intelligent men trained in canon law, theology, and philosophy with her answers during her first trial. She had an excellent memory and would often refer them to previous answers given days earlier when they would try to re-do a line of questioning to catch her in a contradiction. She also would correct the judges when they accidentally contradicted themselves.

I think the book recommendations are solid throughout, so I'll go a slightly different route, though I will still make a book recommendation or two.

First, the book I recommend is Song of Songs. You'll need to read it as the Church reads it, which is prayerfully and mystically. The Church Fathers and the saints offer the best commentary. Dominican priest Juan Gonzalez Arintero's Song of Songs utilizes the tradition; it's hard to find and expensive, but I found a copy in my Church's library. I recommend the Song because it is the book that delves into the inner relationship of Christ and His bride, the Catholic Church; and that relationship is the model between husband and wife.

If you haven't selected the readings for your wedding, do so and use them as aids to meditate and pray.

According to the Catechism, the Sacrament of Matrimony is a Sacrament of Service. Find ways to serve others as a couple as well as individually. You may already be doing something like this through the four pillars of Dominican life, but now is the time to deepen that service. Personal sacrifice, which the world calls compromise, is learned through the sacrament of matrimony.

And, well ... one more book recommendation, I hope you won't mind: Fr Catejan Mary da Bergamo's Humility of Heart. Not about matrimony per se, but humility is the yoke in matrimony.

> So why not this one? And how many miracles have been rigorously verified by outside sources as having not even the possibility of a natural explanation?

Analysis on sealed containers is not allowed by the church, as it might cause irreplacable damage to the relic inside. Spectroscopic analysis of the vial and its contents were performed first in 1901 and again in 1989, which claims that hemoglobin is indeed present inside. These results [were put into question] (http://www.cicap.org/new/articolo.php?id=101014) in 1994, but the exact same paper still discounts the phenomenon as unexplained. Interestingly, the Catholic Church has not issued this particular miracle as a [genuine miracle] (http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/90841) (link in Italian) in light of lack of scientific analysis, which again, it cannot do. The Church says anyone is allowed to believe what they want on this particular issue.

I can't find a source on how many scientifically-verified miracles are in existence, but at least every saint who has been canonized since he 16th century has required at least three confirmed miracles (dropped to two since the 80's). This [book] (http://www.amazon.com/Medical-Miracles-Doctors-Saints-Healing/dp/019533650X/?tag=ththve-20) examines the case for 1400 such miracles in the span of 400 years. Then there are the ones that are not medical in nature, such as the Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano (confirmed in 1976). Again, St. Gennaro's blood is not a confirmed miracle... yet. We may hold out hope that they verify it, but I'm not seeing it anytime soon.

> If miracles were being verified on a routine basis, convincingly verified, I'd think it would be big news.

I disagree. Religious people think miracles happen every time. It would probably be big news in secular circles, but people are as ready to deny any "valid" miracles as there are those who'd readily accept them. It's too divisive to sensationalize in the media. The miracle that canonized St. John Paul II, for example, did not make waves in the media. Even if an atheist doctor testified that it was indeed unexplainable.

I don't know whether a catechism is the best kind of resource to provide. He should contact the priest nearest to him and establish a relationship - let the priest guide him. One way or another, he will need a spiritual father.

Depending on your friend's disposition, I might be more inclined to recommend Elder Cleopas' The Truth of Our Faith. Personally, I would definitely not recommend any of Clark Carleton's books. They are not inaccurate - I just think they are too polemical.

I would also strongly recommend Everyday Saints. The book is not any kind of catechism, but it gives a very strong sense of what an Orthodox life feels like, even though it is written from a Russian monastic perspective. The same holds true for Mountain of Silence, which is from the perspective of a Greek layperson.

Can I suggest reading something of the lives of the saints? Augustine's "Confessions" is pretty inocuous from a Protestant point of view. I really enjoyed Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux when I read it after my conversion.

Another good one to read, which I read before I re-converted (identified as a Christian again), was The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way.

Finally, I'm almost done with this book but it's awsome!!! If you can swing the price of the paperback it's probably better than the Kindle edition, but the Kindle edition is really affordable.

It's, Everyday Saints and Other Stories.

The Saints are the Gospel personified. They are they who the Church recognizes as having embodied Christ--lived the Gospel.

I also really got a lot out of this book: Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta

Hope some of this might help.

As Christians we have such a rich heritage.

I stayed at a monastery for the Royal, Celestial and Military Order of Our Lady of Mercy and the Redemption of the Captives for quite some time discerning.

It was wonderful. I loved all the friars, priests, and sisters that I met. I love working with children, and they were connected to a school which we visited on a few occasions to teach the very young children biblical stories. I enjoyed morning and evening prayer, and on Saturdays they would sing the Salve in community. I loved that they wore their habits, and the charisms of the Order. There was so many aspects to enjoy.

Though I loved it, I never took it further since I had a few hang-ups. The monastery was too loud and busy, I am drawn to something a little more contemplative, or at least with that as a partial focus. I also feel I may have a calling for fatherhood, so that had to be weighed in. The Order also celebrated the Ordinary Form in the monastery itself. I was drawn to the Mercedarians because of their more traditional aspects and the fact that they celebrated the Extraordinary Form at their nearby parish. The daily Mass in the monastery left me feeling profoundly sad and spiritually drained. I decided these factors were enough to discontinue my stay and discernment there.

Books I have found helpful in discernment:

• Divine Intimacy
  
  
• A Year With the Church Fathers
  
  
• My Imitation of Christ
  
  
• Story of a Soul
  
  And books I could not live without:
  
  
• My Daily Missal
  
  
• Monastic Dirunal
  
  
• The Blessed Sacrament Prayer Book
  
  Books that have helped me come to a deeper understanding of the faith, and help me, not only grow as a Catholic, but orient my mind as one living in the modern world:
  
  
• The Mass
  
  
• The Holy Mass Explained
  
  
• Turning Toward the Lord

> If you want to know what me following exoteric Catholicism would be like, would be spending all day being bored, attending church and maybe following the Law just because I have to, hoping I die and am over with it since I don't want to live this way.

Faith is gift. We can't force it. But there is a strong tradition of Catholic mysticism which firmly believes that attending church and following the law is just a prerequisite for a deeper connection with God: a burning love, which enriches your deepest self and changes your outlook on those mundane tasks. Since you have expressed interest into Vajrayana meditation, and since you haven't just quit this sub for greener pastures, let me recommend the fantastic book Fire Within from Thomas DuBay on Carmelite contemplation. Maybe that's something for you.

I felt the same way after I first rediscovered my Catholic faith. I read a lot by the Carmelite mystics, and I even thought about the Carthusians. As I continued to discern my vocation, I eventually saw my attraction to those orders as God growing my interior life rather than a vocation (I'm now happily married with my first child on the way!). Before diving right into St. John of the Cross or St. Theresa of Avila, I recommend reading Fr. Thomas Dubay.

Or better yet, if you have some theology or philosophy background already, read Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange or Fr. Adolph Tanqueray.

Carthusians: http://transfiguration.chartreux.org/
Benedictines in Norcia: https://en.nursia.org/
More Benedictines (I think): https://clearcreekmonks.org/
Fire Within by Thomas Dubay https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Teresa-Gospel-Prayer/dp/0898702631/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486491394&sr=8-1&keywords=thomas+dubay+fire+within
Three Ages of the Interior Life by Fr. Garrigou Lagrange https://www.amazon.com/Three-Ages-Interior-Life/dp/1492390976/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486491194&sr=8-3&keywords=garrigou+lagrange
The Spiritual Life by Adolphe Tanquerey https://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Life-Adolphe-Tanquerey/dp/0895556596
Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Night-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486426939/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486491335&sr=8-1&keywords=dark+night+of+the+soul
The Way of Perfection by St. Theresa of Avila https://www.amazon.com/Way-Perfection-Image-Classics/dp/0385065396

It's not a Catholic book, but if you want to go the 'not pushy' route, I would suggest something like C.S. Lewis' The Great Divorce—something that gives a little bit of a taste of broader Christian theology, but that isn't itself overwhelmingly doctrinal (since I know that many non-believers tend to react quite forcefully against that kind of thing).

If you want to be more explicitly doctrinal but still just want to give a kind of inviting teaser into greater mysteries, I would recommend picking up a short topical work in theology. Something, perhaps, like Ratzinger's 'In the Beginning…': A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall.

Otherwise there's always Bishop Barron's Catholicism.

I think I'd suggest something like The Mountain of Silence. It isn't an apologetics work per se, but I think it goes a fair ways into the "why bother?" question. One of the things that really bugs me about a lot of Christianity these days is that it treats the Faith as a set of intellectual propositions that must be evaluated and assented to, but otherwise has little overall impact beyond that. This book documents the experience of a secular sociology professor who comes to realize the value of all this religion stuff beyond that rationalist approach to faith.

>Very few people know that Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) wrote a major work on Joan of Arc. Still fewer know that he considered it not only his most important but also his best work. He spent twelve years in research and many months in France doing archival work and then made several attempts until he felt he finally had the story he wanted to tell. He reached his conclusion about Joan's unique place in history only after studying in detail accounts written by both sides, the French and the English.

Because of Mark Twain's antipathy to institutional religion, one might expect an anti-Catholic bias toward Joan or at least toward the bishops and theologians who condemned her. Instead one finds a remarkably accurate biography of the life and mission of Joan of Arc told by one of this country's greatest storytellers. The very fact that Mark Twain wrote this book and wrote it the way he did is a powerful testimony to the attractive power of the Catholic Church's saints. This is a book that really will inform and inspire.


http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Mark-Twain/dp/0898702682/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421281959&sr=8-2&keywords=joan+of+arc


>Using historical documents and translated by Régine Pernoud, Joan of Arc seeks to answer the questions asked by Joan's contemporaries as well as us: Who was she? Whence came she? What had been her life and exploits? First published in the United States in 1966 by Stein and Day, this book reveals the historical Joan, described in contemporary documents by her allies as well as her enemies.


http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Arc-Herself-Her-Witnesses/dp/0812812603/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421282282&sr=1-6&keywords=joan+of+arc+biography

The primary concern would be discernment of spirits. By recognizing where God is leading you spiritually each day and in each moment will get you aligned with his will.

If you want to know what gift you express best, then I'd listen to what trusted spiritual friends or a spiritual director say about you. I wouldn't ask about this too much or go looking for it too much, for it can lead to pride, which can insinuate itself into our spiritual lives. Instead trust and ask the Holy Spirit to use you in whatever way he wills, even (and perhaps especially) in those areas where you are weakest.

Yes, one of my favorite continuous prayers is: "Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like Yours". It is such a struggle. If you are a reader then I highly recommend Humility of Heart.

>You are young and life is long and there is time to kill today ...

I'm sure you've read this but a big part of early spiritual development is working on that cycle of repentance and return.

As you get older and are able to do more, you will also have the chance to grow. Don't worry about not being able to stick to a schedule now - perhaps simplify it at first?

If you've not read Augustine's Confessions I highly recommend it. This is a good guide to it. If you can't buy them/find them at your library, let me know and I'll see what I can do.

As you are still at home, perhaps the single largest thing you can do in your situation is love your parents and obey them dutifully. Study them, recognize their faults, and ask yourself, "What can I do to help them with their failings? What can I do to make their lives easier?" This doesn't mean lecturing them, but helping. For example, if your mom is always complaining that your dad forgets to take out the trash, do it for him.

These things sound so small, but they are the small steps on the path to holiness. We don't all start by hugging lepers.

tl;dr: brainwashing

If anyone is interested in a great narrative about how a woman like the one who wrote this article managed to escape her cult, there is a great book called Girl at the End of the World: My Escape from Fundamentalism in Search of Faith with a Future by a woman named Elizabeth Esther.

Wow...you might really enjoy this book I recently read. I know it isnt the same thing, as the author grew up in a fundamentalist christian cult, but I feel like it is an amazing story of one person's eventual escape from an ideological prison.

It's by a woman named Elizabeth Esther, and it's called Girl at the End of the World. I feel like it has so much to say to anyone who grew up under any kind of powerful and destructive -ism or ideology. I found it really thought-provoking and a beautiful personal exploration of what it means to create a value system from the ashes of the wrong one that you were raised with.

Welcome


You did first part by contacting your nearest parish. They will send you to RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is kind of course that will teach you basics.

About reading these two newer books are good:
https://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Catholicism-Religion/dp/0521608554

https://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-Journey-Heart-Robert-Barron/dp/0307720527

If you are short on money, I can recommend three older books which you read for free:

The faith of our fathers - Cardinal Gibbon

The spirit of Catholicism - Karl Adam

The belief of Catholics - Ronald Knox

Godspeed

> why the Catholic faith is the only true faith as opposed to just "one of many paths," a.k.a. religious relativism

• A Biblical Defense of Catholicism by Dave Armstrong
  
  
• A Brief for Belief: The Case of Catholicism by Frederick Marks
  
  
• Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith by Robert Barron
  
  > Basically I need a book on how to counter moral relativism
  
  
• Peter Kreeft wrote A Refutation on Moral Relativism. You can find an audio version of it on his website.
  
  
• "True for You, But Not For Me": Deflating the Slogans That Leave Christians Speechless by Paul Copan
  
  
• Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air by Francis Beckwith and Greg Koukl
  
  
• Who Am I To Judge?: Responding to Relativism with Logic and Love by Edward Sri

Interesting! I am reading something similar: The Discernment of Spirits: An Ignatian Guide for Everyday Living by Fr. Gallagher. I am also reading Fire Within by Thomas Dubay.

...and The Dark Elf Trilogy because it was recommended by a friend and given to me for free on the Kindle. I am on the third book of the trilogy now and hope to finish it within the week so I can move on to another fiction series.

I am ex-Reformed. For me, what led me out of Protestantism was the belief in a continuous church. If you want to learn about why we Catholics and Orthodox have seven sacraments, reverence icons, and pray to the saints, there are all kinds of books out there that deal with these issues specifically. Here are the books I recommend if you are Reformed and want to know more about Apostolick expressions of Christianity:

The Catholic Controversy - St Francis de Sales

Faith of our Fathers - James Cardinal Gibbons

If you don't have the funds to purchase these books, you can probably find most of them online. If not, send me a PM and I will arrange to have something sent to you.

Best regards and God bless you in your search.

Redemptoris Missio - This encyclical kick started my passion for evangelization. St. JP2, 'nuff said

Forming Intentional Disciples - I truly believe that this book is going to transform the way parishes and individuals approach their methods of evangelization.

Evangelical Catholicism - This book gave me the most comprehensive vision for how the popes of the 20th century began a movement that will fully take root in 21st century Catholicism. It challenged the way I express my faith and provided a vision for priesthood and married life that affects the world by living lives radically transformed by Christ.

Evangelii Gaudium - Pope Francis rounds out my essential texts on Catholics living lives that evangelize. He gives a compelling vision for how our Catholic witness starts with an encounter with Christ, that leads to a profound joy and requires us to reach out to others.

I Believe In Love - This book was my introduction to St Therese. The series of reflections reinvigorated my prayer life, introduced me to Mary, and inspired my attention to Christ being present in my daily life.

Catholicism - This is my go to book when people ask me for an introduction to Catholicism. Fr Barron gives a phenomenal explanation of how the Church is not an organization of rules, but rather a living, breathing witness of Christ.

>What is better than pride? How does one dispel pride?

Humility.

A good read: Heart Of Humility

A good prayer: Litany of Humility

This book is really great It's Catholicism: Journey to the heart of the faith by Bishop Barren

https://www.amazon.com/Catholicism-Journey-Heart-Robert-Barron/dp/0307720527

If you have any specific questions, Catholic Answers is a great resource. Catholic Culture has good information on the liturgical year, and they also do reviews of Catholic websites. If you're interested in offline reading material, there's the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, which (despite the name) is a very readable resource. I also really like Father Barron's Catholicism.

My recommendation and others as well, read their reviews on Amazon..."Why Be Catholic?: Ten Answers to a Very Important Question" Image https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307986438/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_488dzbXT4Z1A4

God bless you on your discovery journey! Peace of Christ!

You might really enjoy the book Girl at the End of the World; your stories have much in common, I think. Thank you for sharing. Leaving that stuff behind takes a lot of courage.

Fair enough. It was actually the first Ortho book I read, but for where I was it was just what I needed. But as you said, doesn't mean it's a good starter for everyone. I've heard a lot of people talk about "The Mountain of Silence" but haven't had a chance to read it myself. I'd also highly recommend "A Light from the Christian East". It's actually written by a Protestant professor but does a great job of explaining Eastern theology for western readers. It's a bit academic, but if that doesn't phase you check it out!

Here's an article from a skeptic physician who looked into medical miracles past and present, and a link to the book she wrote from her findings.

Here's a breakdown of the rigorous process the Catholic Church uses to verify miracles, if that matters to you

Here's an example of a recent miracle from three years ago, a communion host begun to bleed. (I wish I would've been able to find a different source for this, but alas it seems no english-speaking publications have picked it up- here's a polish one). Also, please don't confuse this one with the one in Utah, which turned out to be just fungus growing on the wafer, here's the part that I think would be relevant to a skeptic:

>Then-Bishop of Legnica, Stefan Cichy, created a commission to monitor the host. In February 2014, a small fragment was placed on a corporal and underwent testing by various research institutes.

>The final medical statement by the Department of Forensic Medicine found: “In the histopathological image, the fragments were found containing the fragmented parts of the cross striated muscle. It is most similar to the heart muscle.” Tests also determined the tissue to be of human origin, and found that it bore signs of distress.

Another example would be incorruptible bodies of saints, which are still something you can go see in the flesh in the present day. Skeptoid did an article on this arguing that they are mummified, but it's not that cut and dry, as some examples set for by this howstuffworks article show.

Not trying to convince you that any of these are true, but simply support my argument that miracles never stopped being reported, and they have continued to be addressed and investigated consistently and with skepticism by the Catholic Church, and anyone who wants in on investigating.

>The bible clearly says Jesus had brothers and sisters.

http://www.catholic.com/blog/matt-fradd/jesus-had-brothers

>The constant praying to Mary is not biblical and was not started until the 11th century.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1778354/posts

http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater_en.html

http://www.amazon.com/Mary-Fathers-Church-Blessed-Patristic/dp/0898706866

Highly suggest: http://www.amazon.com/Mary-The-Church-at-Source/dp/158617018X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

God bless you on your journey!

I often recommend Bishop Robert Barrons book “Catholicism”

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307720527/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_CCCYDb5RDFXEF

As C.S. Lewis said:

>It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. If that is too much for you, you should at least read one old one to every three new ones.

So, I'd suggest picking up a classic like Confessions by Augustine. It's one of the best Christian books of all time. People are still reading it 1600 years after it was written.

I would recommend Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith. It's a great overview of how Catholics think. Specifically, it also includes a few topics that you and Catholics might disagree on such as the Eucharist, the nature of the Church, and the saints.

http://amzn.com/0307720527

Age: 47

Currently reading:

Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul

The Cold Dish: A Longmire Mystery

The Cook's Herb Garden

Mary: The Church At The Source

Interests: running, bicycling, bikepacking, travel, dogs, religion.

Fr. Timothy Gallagher, author of Discernment of Spirits also has a podcast on the 14 Rules of St. Ignatius of Loyola and many other related topics worth checking out here. The rules are definitely beneficial, I highly recommend the podcast if you're not sure about where to start.

I recommend reading The Confessions of St. Augustine. It's a classic, and even beyond the faith aspects, it's an extremely interesting historical document -- the first memoir ever written, from 4th century Rome.

That and "Mere Christianity" by CS Lewis.

You'll be able to find both at most well-stocked libraries or cheap online.

This one is supposed to be pretty good. I haven’t read it, but I believe it’s basically a shorter and more concise version of his previous book “Summa of the Summa”



Also, this post from this sub should also be helpful.

Right you are; I'm sorry if I implied otherwise! I first read many of these documents and some excellent commentary on them in Rod Bennett's wonderful Four Witnesses, outlining the works and lives of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr and Irenaeus of Lyons, and I can only offer up my general fatigue and distractedness as an excuse for not mentioning them more prominently.

From simpler to harder:

A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe

Short, simple introduction to Catholicism

Catholicism: A Journey to the Heart of the Faith, by Bishop Barron

A very readable overview.

YOUCAT

A book that tries to explain the Catechism to Teens and Young Adults. More thorough than the above books.

United States Catholic Catechism
for Adults

Similar to the above, but targeted to adults

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Really a reference, but included here for completeness

I loved Four Witnesses. It's written almost in novel form which not only provides valuable context to the early church writings but also makes it much more engaging.

The Catholic Controversy by St. Francis de Sales.

Between 1594 and 1598, a preacher named Francois converted 72,000 Protestants to the Catholic Faith.

I have a friend that was converted from paganism by this book alone.

I don't think I've ever heard of Peter being described as an archetype of the Church. Mary, on the other hand, has been spoken of in that way extensively (particularly by Hans Urs von Balthasar). I would recommend picking up a copy of "Mary: The Church at the Source" by von Balthasar & Cardinal Ratzinger, which will give you a sense of why it seems appropriate to call her such.

Mountain of silence: https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Silence-Search-Orthodox-Spirituality/dp/0385500920

It was recommended by my son and is a wonderful journey into Orthodox spirituality.

Here are three books I absolutely love for dipping your feet into Christian theology:

• For the Life of the World by Alexander Schmemman ($2.99 on kindle)
  
  
• [Acquiring the Mind of Christ] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0990502996) by Sergius Boyer
  
  
• [The Mountain of Silence] (https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Silence-Search-Orthodox-Spirituality/dp/0385500920) by Kyriacos C. Markides

• John Zizioulas
  
• Hierotheos Vlachos
  
• Athanasios of Lemesos (the elder in The Mountain of Silence)
  
• Ephrem of Philotheou (From outside the US though mostly now in the US.)
  
  Well, they're quite significant in modern Orthodox circles anyway. Your mileage may vary :-)

I'm so glad you're looking into it!

As far as Catholic lit on the Reformation - you could read St. Francis de Sales' work here. It's actually his feast day today in the new calendar. St. Francis lived during the time of the Reformation and won back thousands of souls to the Catholic Church through his preaching. He's an incredible guy.

A scholarly book on the effects of the Reformation on the Western world is Brad Gregory's The Unintended Reformation.

I got these:

The Orthodox Church by Kallistos Ware

The Orthodox Way by Kallistos Ware

The Mountain of Silence by Kyriacos C. Markides

The Sayings of the Desert Fathers

I'm still reading them but I hear that this selection will cover a lot of bases. Check eBay too, they can found pretty cheap.

My first thought before clicking the link was "forgiveness" ... not sure how to wrap that and put it under the tree.

A book I am looking forward to giving this Christmas (but isn't specifically Catholic) is Drinking With The Saints.

http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Saints-Sinners-Guide-Happy/dp/1621573265

Or, you know, a Bible. Since we had it first :)

Why did you delete your question about how to clean up Amazon links? Here was my response.

---

Reddit doesn't like Amazon links with extra info because they can contain affiliate links. Amazon links are structured like this:

> https://www.amazon.com/<Book Title Goes Here And Is Ignored>/dp/<ISBN>/<Extra Crap>

Just remove the extra crap. You can also remove the title if you want.

For example:

• https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Teresa-Gospel-Prayer/dp/0898702631/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483542521&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+within
  
  ==turns into==>
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Digifork-Is-Da-Man/dp/0898702631
  
  ==or==>
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/0898702631

Definitely get an edition that has footnotes. There are so many references in Confessions that it really feels necessary to me. This Penguin edition has footnotes, and I'm sure some others do, too.

You might want to Google "liturgical living" which is a concept of celebrating the church calendar all year at home. There are some books and a ton of blog posts.


Also, here's a book of cocktails for the entire liturgical year:

https://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Saints-Sinners-Guide-Happy/dp/1621573265/ref=asc_df_1621573265/

I heard it from someone at an old parish, and just accepted it was true. Looking now, the few sources I've been able to find on Orthodox sites seem to cite this book: https://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Silence-Search-Orthodox-Spirituality/dp/0385500920

The First Way / Thomistic God do have the classic divine attributes usually attributed to God. And from that position, Aquinas spends a lot of arguments building the bridge to Jesus and the personal God. It's all very logically argued, and even people who don't believe in it have found it refreshing to read from the Summa. However, like I warned, you should never touch it without a guide, such as an annotated one.

You guys have seen [this](Drinking withttps://www.amazon.com/dp/1621573265/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_3qhwxbHJSSGXH) right? An excellent book, if I do say so myself...

Here is one article on documented medical miracles: https://www.rd.com/true-stories/inspiring/medical-miracles/

Here's another: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3782141/ns/health-health_care/t/doctors-ponder-medical-miracles/

And another: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2845699/

Here's a book on the subject: https://www.amazon.com/Medical-Miracles-Doctors-Saints-Healing/dp/019533650X

Or watch the 700 Club, they feature those kinds of things all the time in video testimonies....

Or don't believe in miracles. That works too.

But keep in mind that even Christ, when He entered a certain region, was only able to perform a few miracles because of the unbelief of the inhabitants of that area. Matthew 13:58

To see miracles we have to believe in them, we have to have faith. If one has neither then it is not surprising that miracles don't happen in their life.

Father Barron's Catholicism is a great book. Good for the beginner, but not overly simplistic.

The Mountain of Silence by Kyriacos Markides might help with this.

Edit: I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Orthodoxy regardless of what you're trying to learn about, but one thing it helped me with was the issue you raise in the OP.

Actually, Peter Kreeft did! He wrote a Summa of the Summa and then A Shorter Summa, which is only like 150 pages.

Duffin, Jacalyn. Medical Miracles : Doctors, saints, and healing in the modern world. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press, 2009.

A very interesting read.

Catholicism, an easy read by Bishop Robert Barron.

I don't have to rewrite it for an Orthodox perspective. This book covers the main aspects of Orthodox spirituality much better than I ever could.

But if I wanted it to be more authentic, I could just change "man from Crete" to "man from whatever Western culture where Catholicism is prevalent."

> further understanding of Christianity

https://www.amazon.com/Sources-Catholic-Dogma-Henry-Denzinger/dp/1930278225
https://www.logos.com/product/5206/summa-contra-gentiles
https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Tradition-Ultimate-Guide-Latin/dp/193663936X
https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Its-Torments-Robert-Bellarmine/dp/0895554097/

https://www.amazon.com/Great-Heresies-Hilaire-Belloc-ebook/dp/B00V2S7OQ2/

>and how people practice and live with their faith

https://www.amazon.com/Imitation-Christ-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486431851
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Perfection-Image-Classics/dp/0385065396
https://www.amazon.com/Story-Soul-Autobiography-Therese-Lisieux/dp/0935216588/

>Fiction

https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0395974682
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Who-Was-Thursday/dp/1603863303

>nonfiction

https://www.amazon.com/Orthodoxy-G-K-Chesterton/dp/1515241394
https://www.amazon.com/Heretics-Gilbert-K-Chesterton/dp/1490303022
https://www.amazon.com/Revolt-Masses-José-Ortega-Gasset/dp/0393310957/
https://www.amazon.com/Reality-Synthesis-Thomistic-Reginald-Garrigou-Lagrange/dp/1453612661/

In addition to u/philosofik advice, here are two more books I'd recommend:

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Introduction to the Devout Life - St Francis de Sales

Read David Bentley Hart's The Doors of the Sea. I'd also recommend this.

Yep! He should have a section on Consolation and Desolation.

Here is the particular book I have read: http://www.amazon.com/The-Discernment-Spirits-Ignatian-Everyday/dp/0824522915

Peter Kreeft wrote "A shorter summa" which is a condensed version of the condensed Summa. Worth checking out and it's not too intimidating.

Here's the link