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Dec 29th, 2019
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 197
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 197 |
As someone who loves to read and is always looking for good books, I would like to ask you folks what you consider to be the best spiritual book(s) you have ever read, besides the Bible of course.
I have a growing collection myself, which includes
*Prayers by the Lake, by St. Nikolai Velimirovic
*The PAth to Salvation, by St. Theophan the Recluse
*Way of a Pilgrim
*The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, ed. Benedicta Ward
*My Life in Christ, by St. John of Kronstadt
One of the most awesome I've read so far is "Father Arseny: Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father."
What are your favorites?
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,517
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 3,517 |
Most important is certainly the Philokalia.
Incognitus
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 10,075 Likes: 11
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Global Moderator Member
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 10,075 Likes: 11 |
Westerner, "With God In Russia" and "He Leadeth Me" - both by Father Walter Ciszek, SJ, of blessed memory. Both are available from: Ignatius Press [ ignatius.com] "The Face of God" - by Archbishop Joseph Raya. It is available from: Madonna House Publications [ madonnahouse.org] Many years, Neil
"One day all our ethnic traits ... will have disappeared. Time itself is seeing to this. And so we can not think of our communities as ethnic parishes, ... unless we wish to assure the death of our community."
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,930
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Any of Archbishop Raya's books are awesome. There have been so many really good books throughout the years.
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,951
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 10,951 |
Dear Westerner,
I agree that the Father Arseny book was positively AWESOME!!!!
Alice
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,854 Likes: 21
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 6,854 Likes: 21 |
My favorite for over 35 years: The Desert Fathers, translated by Helen Waddell.
Drinking From the Hidden Fountain, A Patristic Breviary, by Thomas Spidlik: a short meditation for each day of the year.
Crossing the Threshhold of Hope, Pope John Paul II.
Prayers and Devotions, Pope John Paul II: a short meditation or prayer for each day of the year.
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Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 19
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A young man in a bookstore showed me a rather interesting book called 'The Mountain of Silence'. I didn't buy it, sadly, funds were lacking. But from what I read of it, it looks like a very good read.
Torn betwixt body and soul; somewhere between heaven and earth; is where the penitent but chained sinner weeps. -Errai, "Our Friend Errai", Short story I have not finished.
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Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,173
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Glory to Jesus Christ!
Kyriacos Markides' "The Mountain of Silence" is an excellent book on our Byzantine Spirituality.
Our parish read it together for Phillip's Fast 2003.
John
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 197
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Posts: 197 |
I must add that any book by Fr. Anthony Coniaris is bound to benefit the soul, my favs being What Is Life? Why Are You Here? What is Your Reason for Living? Finding God in Times of Sorrow and Despair He came to our parish to speak some years ago and I enjoyed him a great deal. His books are available from Light and Life Publishers in the Twin Cities. I think their website is www.light-n-life.com. [ light-n-life.com.]
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 26,243 Likes: 14
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 26,243 Likes: 14 |
"Unseen Warfare" is a powerful book! I still reread sections of the "Way of the Pilgrim" especially the one on confession. Mykola Gogol's "Meditiations on the Divine Liturgy" are also great.
Alex
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Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 845
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The Ladder of Divine Acsent, by St. John Climacus.
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,581 Likes: 1
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Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 6,581 Likes: 1 |
Originally posted by Halychanyn:
The Ladder of Divine Acsent, by St. John Climacus. Truly a wonderful book - agree wholeheartedy, Hal Anhelyna
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,280
Former Moderator
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Former Moderator
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The Venerable Anthony, Archbishop of Voronezh always said, "He who has not yet read the lives of the Saints has not read much that is precious, here grace-filled vitures are presented in bright forms; here the Gospel truth shines forth in living examples; here are the examples which lead to a saintly life."
So my answer personally is: The Lives of the Saints.
Archbishop Anthony was always VERY fond of the writings of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk and said, "St. Tikhon is our own Ephraim the Syrian, The writings of Bishop Tikhon are beneficial balm for every soul. I ask you at least once to partake of this sweet spiritual nourishment."
In Christ Jesus Our Lord,
+Fr. Gregory
+Father Archimandrite Gregory, who asks for your holy prayers!
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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,070
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I agree with Fr. Gregory about the lives of the saints. There are 2 collections in particular that I would recommend.
The first is "The Prologue of Ohrid", which is available in 2 volumes for about $110 new, or in 4 volumes for more. Originally in Serbian, it provides about 4 pages per day of hagiographical insight into the saints for the day, along with a hymn, reflection, and homily.
The second, "The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints", by St. Demetrius of Rostov, is being translated into English from the Russian, and currently has volumes available for September through February. Some days are over 50 pages, but it is a wealth of witness to the power of Christ in the lives of many of His people.
I've mentioned this before, but one priest said to me that all we need to know to live our lives as faithful christians, including theology, we can learn by studying the lives of the saints. Their stories cover just about anything and everything we encounter in the world today, so he was right.
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