With Christ: An Anthology of the Writings of Blessed Columba Marmion

by Columba Marmion

With Christ is an anthology of writings from Blessed Marmion's outstanding trilogy: Christ, the Life of the Soul; Christ in His Mysteries; and Christ, the Ideal of the Monk; as well as from his letters in Union with God and personal notes on his own spiritual life--focused on the theme of suffering and sharing in the Passion of Our Lord.
With Christ is a book to be read especially during the great penitential seasons of the liturgical year, and in times of temptation, trial, and loss--here are words that can restore or strengthen confidence, bestow peace, and stabilize the soul in the supreme security of abandonment to God.

Genres: Catholic

245 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Reverend Father Blessed Dom Columba Marmion, OSB, born Joseph Aloysius Marmion a Roman Catholic Benedictine Irish monk and the third Abbot of Maredsous Abbey in Belgium. Beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000, Columba was one of the most popular and influential Catholic authors of the 20th Century. His books are considered spiritual classics.

Reviews

[Michael Vidrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marmion’s love for God is evident in every page, without a being at all flowery or sentimental. He is an inspiring author, who’s insights have long had an impact on my spiritual life.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of wisdom and beauty from a man that needs to be known by many more Catholics.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Christ - An Anthology of the Writings of Blessed Columba Marmion, compiled by Dom Raymund Thiabut, O.S.B., draws from three of Blessed Columba Marmion's works - "Christ, the Life of the Soul," "Christ in His Mysteries," and "Christ, the Ideal of the Monk." It also has selections from his letters in "Union with God." For those of you unfamiliar with Blessed Columba Marmion, like myself before reading this work, he was an Irish monk in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in the year 2000 and was considered one of the most popular and influential writers of the 20th Century.

This anthology is divided into six parts:

Jesus Christ and His Work of Redemption
We Co-Operate in Christ's Work of Redemption by Sharing in His Passion
On Human Misery and Some Forms of Trial and Suffering
The Fecundity of Suffering Accepted in a Christian Spirit
Facing Death, the Supreme Trial
Our Sharing in the Eternal Glory of Christ

Each of these parts is made up of carefully selected passages from Blessed Columba Marmion's works. The passages range in length from a paragraph to a couple of pages. I initially made the mistake of trying to read straight through Part One, "Jesus Christ and His Work of Redemption." After about a dozen pages, I realized that I needed to slow down and reflect on each passage. Overall, I felt that the most fascinating and beautiful section dealt with "How Suffering Leads to Life" as it pertains to human suffering purifying the soul to lead us to eternal life. We tend to try and avoid suffering or get it over with as quickly as possible, but this section teaches and reminds us that suffering has a purpose.

This is a 5 star introduction to Blessed Columba Marmion and his writings. However, these select passages were just the tip of the iceberg and made me long to read some of his complete works. So pick up this book, or some of his complete works available at Angelico Press. Read them, meditate on them, and pray for the canonization of Blessed Columba Marmion.

[ShepherdsDelight · Rating 5 out of 5]

87/100 (= 5.1/6) ≈ 5 Stars

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Great meditations. Wonderful style. Like the writings of the saints. A good intro to Dom Marmion (excerpts from several books, as well as from his correspondence). Super.