Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Ever since the end of May, I have been without a spiritual director since my sd is in Iraq as a military chaplain, and until recently things have been alright. But all of a sudden it's like I'm on a little spiritual rollar coaster of sorts: nothing too big, mostly good things, but it would be helpful to have an sd. I don't really know if I should start something with one of my parish priests since I'm going to be leaving for college in two months 17 hours away and I've never really spoken to either of them about my spiritual journey. So I guess what I'm asking is are there any good spiritual books anyone would reccomend for me to read? Or any advice of any kind? Thank you. May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors, especially your discernment! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJames2 Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 (edited) [quote name='NazFarmer' post='1592549' date='Jul 5 2008, 10:37 PM']Ever since the end of May, I have been without a spiritual director since my sd is in Iraq as a military chaplain, and until recently things have been alright. But all of a sudden it's like I'm on a little spiritual rollar coaster of sorts: nothing too big, mostly good things, but it would be helpful to have an sd. I don't really know if I should start something with one of my parish priests since I'm going to be leaving for college in two months 17 hours away and I've never really spoken to either of them about my spiritual journey. So I guess what I'm asking is are there any good spiritual books anyone would reccomend for me to read? Or any advice of any kind? Thank you. May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors, especially your discernment! Your Brother in Christ, Joe[/quote] well,especially if one is discerning a Monastic way., early on with my Spiritual Director he suggested.. a good translation of the 'Imitation of Christ' (Kempis) [url="http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/imitation/imitation.html"]http://www.leaderu.com/cyber/books/imitation/imitation.html[/url] *note.the online versions are rarely the best translations... and 'Abandonment to Divine Providence'. (this was compiled with the idea of spiritual direction) by Jean-Pierre, de Caussade, and then necessary reading for all future monks, [url="http://www.osb.org/lectio/cassian/conf/index.html"]The Conferences of St. John Cassian[/url] and "THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT" of Saint John Climacus,(or Divine Ladder) - assured of my prayers... PAX Edited July 6, 2008 by EJames2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 Thank you very much! I had completely forgotten about John Cassian, and I read Conferences 9 and 10 earlier this year. I just ordered it from the library. May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors, especially your discernment! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TotusTuusMaria Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 Just the other day I was reading something that may be useful to you. [quote]Finally, if a spiritual guide cannot be had or if spiritual advice can be had but at rare intervals, a treatise on the spiritual life will, in a way, take the place of spiritual direction. There is no doubt, as we shall repeat later on, that spiritual direction constitutes the normal means in the training of perfection. But if for some reason or other one is unable to find a good adviser, God provides for the lack; and one of the means He uses is precisely some such book as points out in a definite and systematic manner the way to perfection. - The Very Reverend Adolphe Tanquerey, [i]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology[/i][/quote] A good spiritual advisor recommended to me [url="http://www.amazon.com/Spiritual-Life-Treatise-Ascetical-Mystical/dp/0895556596"]The Spiritual Life: A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology[/url]. It covers, I believe, everything. I have had it for a while and found it so helpful. It has about 760 or so pages. Very, very good. It was actually written for priests and seminarians to teach them about the spiritual life and how to guide and lead souls. You may find it good also because you hope to become a priest and you very well could be a spiritual director in the future. There is another book like it called [url="http://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Evolution-John-G-Arintero/dp/0895550717/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215321370&sr=1-2"]Mystical Evolution[/url]. It comes in two volumes. I have only been able to flip through it. It is a classic when it comes to the spiritual life though. When flipping through it I found that it answers so many different questions I have been having. You will probably find it helpful. It is a lot like the previous book mentioned. Then there is another classic on the spiritual life called [url="http://www.amazon.com/Three-Ages-Interior-Life-Set/dp/0895556545/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215321780&sr=1-1"]The Three Ages of the Interior Life[/url] by Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P. Pope John Paul II actually studied under him. Very wise and holy man. The book is pretty similar to the previous two mentioned. It is two volumes as well. It is a "synthesis of Christian Perfection and Contemplation and Love of God and the Cross of Jesus." The three men who wrote those books above were holy men. All are very, very indepth looks at the Spiritual Life. They are pretty thick, and I don't know if you could encounter something that those books could not help you with. If you do though, I am sure our Lord will take good care of you and lead you to the books or persons that will help you. If your looking for, as Tanquerey suggested for those without an sd, a spiritual treatise that will or could replace a spiritual director - those are the books to go for. Also, I wanted to post something too I found in the introduction of [i]The Spiritual Life[/i], a couple paragraphs above the quote at the beginning of the post: [quote]...Nevertheless the study of Ascetical Theology will be most useful to them [the laity] for three good reasons: - a) In order to stimulate and sustain the desire of perfection as well as to give a definitive knowledge of the Christian life and of the means which enable us to perfect it. No one desires what one does not know, ignoti nulla cupido, whereas reading spiritual books creates or increases the sincere desire to put into practice what has been read. [u]Many souls, as it is well known, are ardently carried on to perfection by reading [i]The Following of Christ[/i], the [i]Spiritual Combat[/i], The [i]Introduction to a Devout Life [/i]or the [i]Treatise on the Love of God[/i][/u].[/quote] Maybe those last books mentioned will be of some use to you as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted July 6, 2008 Author Share Posted July 6, 2008 Thank you soooo much, TotusTuusMaria! I'm going to have to see if the Benedictine monastery near me will let me check out any books: something is telling me I'm going to have a hard time finding these books in the public library system, lol. May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sister Rose Therese Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 (edited) Don't just rely on books though. We can deceive ourselves sometimes, even with good books. If you have spiritual things that you need direction on while your spiritual director is away you could discuss them with your confessor. Edited July 6, 2008 by Sister Rose Therese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ed Posted July 6, 2008 Share Posted July 6, 2008 [quote name='Sister Rose Therese' post='1592697' date='Jul 6 2008, 09:41 AM']Don't just rely on books though. We can deceive ourselves sometimes, even with good books. If you have spiritual things that you need direction on while your spiritual director is away you could discuss them with your confessor.[/quote] Greetings Joe, Another suggestion is to spend some good quality time in adoration...keep a journal also while your sd is away. I have always found these two very helpful with myself. Know that you will be in my prayers.. Pax et Bonum, Bro. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomist-in-Training Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 Regarding TotusTuusMaria's quote on books: One of my friends told me she read St. John of the Cross whenever she needed spiritual direction. I thought her approach was a little crazy, until I started reading [u]The Foot of the Cross[/u] by Fr. Faber. (I was wallowing in self-pity at hardly being able to go to weekday Masses because of my work schedule, and read a part where he's thinking mostly of the sick, but says Sometimes it is better for us to be without the Sacraments, when it comes to us by God's will. Ouf.) It is about Our Lady's sorrows and written in a very down-to-earth way--"We try to be good but then we go and do such-and-such. How unlike the saints we are!"--not as if he were better than the reader. It also portrays strongly how deep the union is between Our Lord and Our Lady. I recommend it very much. I found it at my university library, but TAN Books also has a paperback for about fifteen dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted July 7, 2008 Author Share Posted July 7, 2008 Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I just heard back from a monk I know and he said that it would probably be alright for me to check out a book from the library at the school (pretty good selection of spiritual books there), so I'll have to check that out sometime soon. And if anything really big does come up in regards to my spiritual life, there are some monks I could talk to: it's just a 40 minute drive to where they are, so kind of inconvenient (and I'd have to tell my parents, and they'd get all worried, and just kind of messy). But Adoration is something I can do, so thank you for that, and I'll have to take up journaling again. And maybe a trip to Border's is in order here, lol! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ed Posted July 7, 2008 Share Posted July 7, 2008 [quote name='NazFarmer' post='1593143' date='Jul 6 2008, 08:50 PM']Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I just heard back from a monk I know and he said that it would probably be alright for me to check out a book from the library at the school (pretty good selection of spiritual books there), so I'll have to check that out sometime soon. And if anything really big does come up in regards to my spiritual life, there are some monks I could talk to: it's just a 40 minute drive to where they are, so kind of inconvenient (and I'd have to tell my parents, and they'd get all worried, and just kind of messy). But Adoration is something I can do, so thank you for that, and I'll have to take up journaling again. And maybe a trip to Border's is in order here, lol! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe[/quote] All things work out in God's timing...... we are all here for you Joe. Prayers and support from others will help you during this time. God works through others to help others and here we are..... My prayers to you. Pax et Bonum, Bro. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Antony Maria OSB Posted July 14, 2008 Author Share Posted July 14, 2008 Well, I just got back from a Steubenville Youth Conference last night, and God has given me a LOT to think about. Somewhere along the weekend, being Slain in the Spirit three times, being given the gift of laughter, and having a priest pray over me in tongues after Confession, I am now wondering if God is calling me to the Benedictines or to a more active order, specifically the Marians. (This is extremely condensed, so if you need to know more specifics let me know). I talked to my parish priest on the ride home and an adult chaperone about this, so really right now I am asking for prayers. I was also able to pick up [i]Seeking Spiritual Direction[/i] by Fr. Thomas Dubay at Steubenville, so I began reading that this morning. Oh, and if anyone is familiar with the Marian Order, do you know what some works of St. Stanislaus are? I would like to read some to get a better understanding of Marian spirituality. Thank you very much! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Ed Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 [quote name='NazFarmer' post='1600028' date='Jul 14 2008, 03:46 PM']Well, I just got back from a Steubenville Youth Conference last night, and God has given me a LOT to think about. Somewhere along the weekend, being Slain in the Spirit three times, being given the gift of laughter, and having a priest pray over me in tongues after Confession, I am now wondering if God is calling me to the Benedictines or to a more active order, specifically the Marians. (This is extremely condensed, so if you need to know more specifics let me know). I talked to my parish priest on the ride home and an adult chaperone about this, so really right now I am asking for prayers. I was also able to pick up [i]Seeking Spiritual Direction[/i] by Fr. Thomas Dubay at Steubenville, so I began reading that this morning. Oh, and if anyone is familiar with the Marian Order, do you know what some works of St. Stanislaus are? I would like to read some to get a better understanding of Marian spirituality. Thank you very much! May God bless and protect you always in all of your endeavors! Your Brother in Christ, Joe[/quote] Good Morning Joe, Seems that you had a wonderful Spirit Filled weekend. I would love to hear more about your retreat. The parish that I work at, our confirmation students also went on a retreat this weekend sponsored by Streubenville. I believe it was held near Boston. My pastor and I had planned on going friday- saturday, but other things happened at the parish and we had to stay behind. So I am also looking forward to hearing about their experiences also. I am not to familier with the works of St. Stanislaus, but the only thing that I can say is to go on weekend retreats at various community's and see what charism you are attracted to, and what community speaks to you from the heart. My charism has always been Franciscan, but I also enjoy days of just quiet reflective prayer as St. Francis himself did many times. So we all have to search for that special charism from different community's. God always lets us know we were are to be. Please fill me in on more of your weekend. Always know that you are in my daily thoughts and prayers. Pax et Bonum, Bro. Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now