Any Books You Would Recommend?

[FutureCarmeliteClaire]

[quote name='beatitude' timestamp='1319754082' post='2327943']

I share your love for the [i]Imitation[/i]. I re-read it in full every Lent, and it's always close by my bedside throughout the rest of the year. I wish I had known you when I was thirteen - we could have been terrific friends!

(Except for the fact that you would have been two years old then, and probably not reading much of anything, but you get the idea.)
[/quote]
Thanks, and I adore that book. Especially the third part when Christ is talking to you... Oh, I love it.

[Queen'sDaughter]

I thought of another one! [i]The Springs of Silence[/i] by Sister Mary Gilbert. (I forget which order). Pre-vat II, and so beautiful, especially the way she speaks of death. Well worth reading, especially if you are considering an active order.

[Cherie]

[quote name='Queen'sDaughter' timestamp='1319742831' post='2327796']
[i]My Sister Saint Therese [/i]by her sister Celine. (I forget what her religious name was). Utterly beautiful, and shows another side of Saint Therese from her first "convert" to the Little Way.
[/quote]

I highly, highly, highly (cannot say, "highly" enough!) recommend this book to anyone who is considering religious life. It shows the everyday struggles you will find in the convent (many that you might not have expected) and a Saint's (namely, St. Therese's) reaction to them. Absolutely beautiful, and definitely on the must-read list for anyone discerning a religious vocation!

[Little Flower]

[quote name='CherieMadame' timestamp='1320196653' post='2330031']

I highly, highly, highly (cannot say, "highly" enough!) recommend this book to anyone who is considering religious life. It shows the everyday struggles you will find in the convent (many that you might not have expected) and a Saint's (namely, St. Therese's) reaction to them. Absolutely beautiful, and definitely on the must-read list for anyone discerning a religious vocation!
[/quote]
I'll have to try to find it at the library... and all the other books you guys have said. the only problem is the library doesn't have a lot of them and I don't want to have to buy them!

[Chiquitunga]

An old thread of mine on one of my favorite books - [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/topic/70530-holy-communion/"]http://www.phatmass....holy-communion/[/url] I even scanned my copy of it! (probably couldn't find a good picture of it online at the time) Still bring this little book around with me a lot

[Lisa]

Soul of the Apostolate ([url="http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Apostolate-Jean-Baptiste-Chautard/dp/0895550318"]http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Apostolate-Jean-Baptiste-Chautard/dp/0895550318[/url])
It is heavy reading, but very valuable. It's about the nourishment of the interior life and how it leads to the active apostolate. Beautiful, especially if you are considering an active-contemplative life.

[beatitude]

Some of my favourites:

[b]The Bible[/b]
It sounds obvious, but I think we often forget to cultivate a proper love for the Word of God. I start my day with a Bible reading, working systematically through one book at a time. Currently I'm with Nehemiah. The last book I had was the gospel according to Mark. I only started doing this in 2010, and I wish I had begun sooner. It is astounding how often the Bible passage I've read in the morning provides illumination and guidance during the day.

[i]The Imitation of Christ[/i]
A real gem of a book. I dig it out every Lent and every Advent, without fail, and I dip into it often throughout the year as well.

[i]To Believe in Jesus[/i]
One of those books that can be read and enjoyed both by people tentatively exploring the Christian faith for the first time and elderly folk who have been living it out since their early childhoods. It's by Ruth Burrows, a Carmelite novice mistress. I love all her books, but if I had to choose a favourite, this would be it - so simple and down-to-earth, yet very profound.

[i]Bernadette of Lourdes[/i] by Fr Rene Laurentin
I don't know why this book moves me as deeply as it does, as it's just a basic simply written biography, but it rarely fails to move me to tears and inspire me to try a bit harder tomorrow.

[Cherie]

[quote name='Little Flower' timestamp='1320245173' post='2330265']
I'll have to try to find it at the library... and all the other books you guys have said. the only problem is the library doesn't have a lot of them and I don't want to have to buy them!
[/quote]

Sometimes you can get used books for dirt-cheap on Amazon.com. For example, I just found a used copy of "My Sister St. Therese" marked as "good" condition being sold for only $0.52. Granted, it comes with $3.99 shipping, but at a total cost of $4.51, it's definitely MUCH less than you'd pay full price on Amazon, or even practically anywhere else. And I've usually only ever had good experiences buying used copies from sellers on Amazon -- I read the descriptions and usually only buy conditions marked "good" or higher, but if it's really cheap and I really want it, sometimes I'll go with something "acceptable."

Just an idea to make books a little more affordable!

[emmaberry]

I would love to read Catch Us the Little Foxes..but it is $50 on Amazon, and I can't find it available anywhere else. it is not at my local Catholic library. Help, please!

[somethingfishy]

If you have access to a public or university library, you may be able to use their [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlibrary_loan"]interlibrary loan[/url] system to get [i]Catch Us Those Little Foxes[/i]... according to [url="http://www.worldcat.org/title/catch-us-those-little-foxes/oclc/3978100&referer=brief_results"]Worldcat[/url] there are 34 copies of it in various libraries across the US. ILL is a great way to access hard to find/out of print books.

For those discerners who are university students, spend some time on the library website and see if there's a way for you to request purchase of a book. Most libraries set aside a certain amount of money to fulfill requests from students and faculty, so they might as well buy a few good Catholic books while they're at it.

[emmaberry]

[quote name='somethingfishy' timestamp='1343458228' post='2459688']
If you have access to a public or university library, you may be able to use their [url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interlibrary_loan"]interlibrary loan[/url] system to get [i]Catch Us Those Little Foxes[/i]... according to [url="http://www.worldcat.org/title/catch-us-those-little-foxes/oclc/3978100&referer=brief_results"]Worldcat[/url] there are 34 copies of it in various libraries across the US. ILL is a great way to access hard to find/out of print books.

For those discerners who are university students, spend some time on the library website and see if there's a way for you to request purchase of a book. Most libraries set aside a certain amount of money to fulfill requests from students and faculty, so they might as well buy a few good Catholic books while they're at it.
[/quote]

Thank you somethingfishy! I got the interlibrary loans started today.

[VeniJesuAmorMi]

It was nice to see this thread, I have a couple to share! Both of them I got at a discernment visit to a Carmelite Monastery. The one I purchased is "Divine Intimacy" which most people on here have probably already heard of, or have it. The other one is called "The Gift Of Oneself." From the French of Father Joseph Schryvers C.SS.R. and it was translated by a religious of Carmel. Reverend Mother gave me this one, and I would recommend it to anyone who is seeking a deep interior life with Our Lord; its a book to read over and over again. "The Gift Of Oneself is really a profound probing into the life, work and love of the hidden soul who is devoted to the work of God in a life that is modeled after Our Lady's, in a life of giving one's all, but remaining unseen, or at least unnoticed and un-noted by the world, and for the most part unappreciated by all save God, who sees into the heart and knows all." It is a very simple book but one that is a reminder of the simplicity and humility of a soul surrendered to Our Lord and it just reminded me so much of Our Blessed Mother.

[emmaberry]

VJAM: It sounds like I need to read that! Thanks for the suggestion.