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The Ordinary Path to Holiness
This book explains the stages our spiritual lives go through to reach our ultimate goal.
252 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
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35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 13, 2012
This book by R. Thomas Richard was the first one of his that I read. What a find!!! It is a gem of a book, for all who want to deepen their relationship with God. The author is a layman writing especially for lay persons, but he draws upon classic spiritual writers and saints, as well as Scripture to show clearly how God raises up saints in every generation. Clergy and Religious as well as Laity will be blessed by the insights given in this book. Father Benedict Groeschel, CFR in writing the Introduction says it well: "This is one of those rare books that is to be lived as well as read. But read it with your soul as well as with your mind and with your heart as well as your eyes."
December 4, 2018
New - 3rd Edition!
There is an ordinary path to holiness. Not common! Not usual. But simple, and true.
It is not easy to hear whispers in a chaos of noise - and Truth comes in whispers.
It is not easy to see Truth right before one’s eyes, while looking for figments of imagination.
It is not easy to grasp the firm anchor, racing with the crowd in stampede for escape.
Bright, clear, unmoving and eternal - Truth exists! And He calls us into the holy, into the beauty, into the True - but we have to learn to listen so as to hear. We have to learn to walk all over again, as a learner - a disciple - following the true Teacher, no matter the cost.
Jesus brought Truth, and it is here, and it is free and it alone is freeing. Why then is there so much confusion? Why so many “opinions” and so little certainty, or lasting happiness, or deep peace? Why? Many are too busy to really listen and be surprised by Truth! And learn, and follow His way to holiness.
How do we work out our salvation? What ought we anticipate, and likely meet, on this journey through - and to - life? If we know the purpose of our life, do we have the wisdom we need to attain that purpose, even through the trials and temptations we are sure to encounter? We are called to holiness, and Jesus is the Way!
Many holy saints have found in Him, the ways of His way. There is an “ordinary path” - many have walked it, and their wisdom has been treasured in His Church for centuries. Many seekers, however, have yet to find this path, and many contemporary teachers and spiritual guides have failed to teach this path, even to today. This ought not be.
There are today many new attempts to renew, awaken, invigorate and vivify the Church and her members! There are many program packages, including guides, books, videos, training manuals, leaders, and so on. Many of these new programs promise much, but deliver little that is lasting, because they lack the depth, the wisdom and the unction that is needed for this task! They look for new insights, but fail to see what is there already, in the traditional wisdom of the Church.
Persons sincerely seeking holy Truth, eternal Truth, no matter the cost, need God Himself to guide them. The wisdom, depth and unction that is needed was found by the holy saints, and embraced by the holy saints, and lived by them. Their examples, their writings and experiences are the foundations of the “renewal program” that the Church needs, and that you and I need personally, to grow in the life of Christ. He the Lord will guide us, in His Holy Spirit, if we will avoid the latest innovations that come and go, and receive instead, and cling tenaciously to all that is proven, trustworthy and true.
This book presents the traditional Catholic spirituality that has been tested and proven in the lives of the saints. Our spiritual life develops and grows in a way not unlike our physical, emotional and intellectual lives. There are stages of human growth, stages common to our growth both in natural human life and in supernatural spiritual life. We have an “interior” life ordered to our calling to true, personal communion with God the Holy Trinity. That interior life is intended to grow, develop and mature. And if we will follow Truth, we will find all that we seek. This book is offered to help the sincere seeker find, and grow, toward the “all” He created us for: beatitude in Him.
There is an ordinary path to holiness. Not common! Not usual. But simple, and true.
It is not easy to hear whispers in a chaos of noise - and Truth comes in whispers.
It is not easy to see Truth right before one’s eyes, while looking for figments of imagination.
It is not easy to grasp the firm anchor, racing with the crowd in stampede for escape.
Bright, clear, unmoving and eternal - Truth exists! And He calls us into the holy, into the beauty, into the True - but we have to learn to listen so as to hear. We have to learn to walk all over again, as a learner - a disciple - following the true Teacher, no matter the cost.
Jesus brought Truth, and it is here, and it is free and it alone is freeing. Why then is there so much confusion? Why so many “opinions” and so little certainty, or lasting happiness, or deep peace? Why? Many are too busy to really listen and be surprised by Truth! And learn, and follow His way to holiness.
How do we work out our salvation? What ought we anticipate, and likely meet, on this journey through - and to - life? If we know the purpose of our life, do we have the wisdom we need to attain that purpose, even through the trials and temptations we are sure to encounter? We are called to holiness, and Jesus is the Way!
Many holy saints have found in Him, the ways of His way. There is an “ordinary path” - many have walked it, and their wisdom has been treasured in His Church for centuries. Many seekers, however, have yet to find this path, and many contemporary teachers and spiritual guides have failed to teach this path, even to today. This ought not be.
There are today many new attempts to renew, awaken, invigorate and vivify the Church and her members! There are many program packages, including guides, books, videos, training manuals, leaders, and so on. Many of these new programs promise much, but deliver little that is lasting, because they lack the depth, the wisdom and the unction that is needed for this task! They look for new insights, but fail to see what is there already, in the traditional wisdom of the Church.
Persons sincerely seeking holy Truth, eternal Truth, no matter the cost, need God Himself to guide them. The wisdom, depth and unction that is needed was found by the holy saints, and embraced by the holy saints, and lived by them. Their examples, their writings and experiences are the foundations of the “renewal program” that the Church needs, and that you and I need personally, to grow in the life of Christ. He the Lord will guide us, in His Holy Spirit, if we will avoid the latest innovations that come and go, and receive instead, and cling tenaciously to all that is proven, trustworthy and true.
This book presents the traditional Catholic spirituality that has been tested and proven in the lives of the saints. Our spiritual life develops and grows in a way not unlike our physical, emotional and intellectual lives. There are stages of human growth, stages common to our growth both in natural human life and in supernatural spiritual life. We have an “interior” life ordered to our calling to true, personal communion with God the Holy Trinity. That interior life is intended to grow, develop and mature. And if we will follow Truth, we will find all that we seek. This book is offered to help the sincere seeker find, and grow, toward the “all” He created us for: beatitude in Him.
December 4, 2018
This digital edition is available for the Kindle and the Nook with revisions that make it worth getting even for someone having the 2002 paperback edition. This edition now includes several very helpful diagrams illustrating the ascent in the spiritual life as understood by Aquinas and Bernard of Clairvaux, as used by Jesus in HIs formation of His disciples, and as understood in traditional Catholic (Christian) spirituality. The diagrams show the correspondence of all these - that they all follow the same "three stages" in the development of the soul. There is also some revision of the text - tables were replaced by more explanatory text - which makes the matters at hand much clearer and easier to follow.
The point of it all is to show and to explain our common human calling: we are called to share in the holy life of God. This calling is crucial to us, because if we don't understand this most fundamental reason why we are here, how can we ever attain it? This book is a through exploration of Christian spiritual truth, and it has the potential to change one's life. Read it slowly! And maybe back up and read it again! There is no fluff, much solid meat, and wisdom gathered from saints and the spiritual giants of many centuries in the Church.
The point of it all is to show and to explain our common human calling: we are called to share in the holy life of God. This calling is crucial to us, because if we don't understand this most fundamental reason why we are here, how can we ever attain it? This book is a through exploration of Christian spiritual truth, and it has the potential to change one's life. Read it slowly! And maybe back up and read it again! There is no fluff, much solid meat, and wisdom gathered from saints and the spiritual giants of many centuries in the Church.
October 11, 2007
I found it less readable than Prayer Primer and Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer because it is a more rigorous and theological explanation of the stages of progress to contemplative prayer.
August 21, 2017
Best contemporary book I've ever read on Catholic Spirituality. Lots of gems in this one.
January 27, 2014
Love it. Still reading it. It's fascinating, something that truly helps me with my journey. Truly opened my eyes and makes me want to seek God, who is love and truth, more and more!
January 31, 2016
Some intense and thought provoking material but had a hard time getting through it.
August 23, 2014
Some intense and thought provoking material but had a hard time getting through it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews