Book Categories

Life of Christ, by Fr. Cochem

p.62 The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River

Don Bosco, a Sketch of His Life and Miracles

p.145 Don Bosco and the Insane Asylum

Life and Writings of Sir Thomas More

p.n21 Evolutions in languages can give a false sense of differentness in writers of previous ages

p.n22 St. Thomas More on writing trew Englyshe

p.274 St. Thomas More predicting the destruction of society when it rejects truth and morals

p.275 Enemies of Truth are often more Diligent to win over Hearts and Minds than Those on the Side of Truth

p.277 St. Thomas More foretelling the downfall of English Christendom

p.301 Since the Fathers of the Church admitted the Pope’s Supremacy, so can we, despite insults

Life of Sir Thomas More

p.n196 The last letter of St. Thomas More to his daughter the day before his martyrdom

p.74 St. Thomas More on his being imprisoned

p.81 St. Thomas More and his wife debating the necessity of his imprisonment

p.82 The accusing conversation of St. Thomas More by Richard Rich

p.85 The final accusation, defense, and condemnation of St. Thomas More

p.90 St. Thomas More’s thorough refutation of the Act of Supremacy

p.94 St. Thomas More forgives and prays for his persecutors

p.95 St. Thomas More’s farewell to his daughter after sentencing

p.98 The death of St. Thomas More

Life of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

p.54 St. Agnes spared tortures by her angel

Life of St. Aloysius Gonzaga

p.75 St. Aloysius’s virtues at school

Life of St. Teresa of Avila written by Herself

p.1 St. Teresa of Avila’s purpose for writing her autobiography

p.2 St. Teresa of Avila’s brief portrait of her holy parents

p.3 A portrait of the hearts of St. Teresa of Avila and her brother as children

p.5 The humility of St. Teresa of Avila in retrospect to her childhood

p.6 St. Teresa of Avila cautions parents about bad books and dressing up

p.8 St. Teresa of Avila’s advice to parents about their children’s companions from her own childhood experiences

p.10 St. Teresa of Avila recounting being sent to a monastery at about age 16

p.12 St. Teresa of Avila’s lost devotion begins to return during her stay in the monastery

p.14 St. Teresa of Avila begins to see the vanity of the world, and to resolve to be a nun

p.15 St. Teresa of Avila’s various struggles in her resolve to become a nun

p.16 St. Teresa of Avila is filled with an everlasting joy the moment she becomes a nun

p.18 St. Teresa of Avila admits how little she deserves God’s mercy and grace for having so long wasted them

p.19 St. Teresa of Avila’s illness leads her to a Book on Prayer and Recollection

p.21 St. Teresa of Avila begins, at 23 years old, to learn and profit from mental prayer

p.22 St. Teresa of Avila’s experience as a beginner in mental prayer, and how good books helped her through it

p.23 How God rewarded St. Teresa of Avila’s holy reading and good desires in the beginning of her devout life

p.24 St. Teresa of Avila’s interior life during her novitiate

p.25 St. Teresa of Avila prays for patience in illness and receives both

p.26 St. Teresa of Avila’s harmful experiences with imprudent and unknowledgeable confessors

p.27 St. Teresa of Avila and a Priest who both needed prudence and purity

p.30 St. Teresa of Avila suffers immensely from an illness and lets it conform her will to God’s

p.31 St. Teresa of Avila nearly falls into Hell during a dangerous illness

p.33 St. Teresa of Avila increases her resignation to God’s will through intense suffering and a long paralysis

p.35 St. Teresa of Avila strives earnestly to correct the path of her soul, but has no good confessors to help her avoid sin

p.35 St. Teresa of Avila avoids the sin of detraction and encourages others to do the same

p.36 St. Teresa of Avila lacks resignation to God, and takes St. Joseph as her patron

p.39 St. Teresa of Avila’s many sad experiences convinces her to humbly remain very close to God always, lest she fall into sin again

p.41 St. Teresa of Avila begins to fall through false humility

p.43 St. Teresa of Avila strongly warns of the dangers of lax monasteries and cloisters

p.45 St. Teresa of Avila ignores God’s strong desire that she quit a certain friendship, because she so much wanted to keep it

p.47 St. Teresa convinces her father to pray, though she does not pray herself

p.50 St. Teresa of Avila’s father dies

p.52 St. Teresa of Avila struggles internally because refuses to let go of either love of the world or love of God

p.53 St. Teresa of Avila recommends befriending those earnestly seeking God also

p.55 St. Teresa of Avila stresses the importance of befriending people who are also earnestly striving to be holy

p.57 St. Teresa of Avila begins to pray after many years of avoiding it

p.58 St. Teresa of Avila explains the benefit and nature of Prayer and how it comes from God’s mercy and love

p.60 St. Teresa of Avila reassures us that it’s far better to pray, even when we really don’t want to

p.63 St. Teresa of Avila alone begins to see, through persistence in prayer and spiritual reading, that she must withdraw her heart from the world

p.64 St. Teresa of Avila wrestles with the shadow of death

p.65 St. Teresa of Avila finally sees how much she wounds Jesus, and places all her confidence in Him and leaves none in herself

p.66 St. Teresa of Avila describes her simple methods of meditation

p.68 St. Teresa of Avila begins to read the Confessions of St. Augustine and grows closer to him and to God through it

p.69 St. Teresa of Avila describes being drawn by God away from spiritual dangers

p.70 St. Teresa of Avila explains the mercy of God’s gifts and our true humility in admitting them

p.73 St. Teresa of Avila explains the importance of striving for humility and to serve God in gratitude of His gifts

p.75 St. Teresa of Avila wishes out of true humility for her writings not to be published except her sins

p.77 St. Teresa of Avila explains how people don’t fully give themselves to God and yet expect to have Him fully

Lives of the English Martyrs

p.9 The first Martyrs of anglican persecution tried and sentenced

Lourdes, A History of Its Apparitions and Cures

p.n175 “Unknown Forces” to explain the Supernatural

Saint Joseph of Jesus and Mary

p.23 Saint Joseph’s life was a preparation for his vocation as Husband of Mary and Father of Jesus

p.92 Sayings of Saints about St. Joseph

p.98 Sayings of Holy Men about St. Joseph

p.107 Devotion to Joseph will make us even more like Jesus

St. Rose of Lima, the Flower of the New World

p.38 Childhood stories of St. Rose of Lima

St. Vincent Ferrer, O.P.

p.48 St. Vincent Ferrer and the miracle of the snow-white crosses

The Autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola

p.n45 An example of St. Ignatius’s early struggles with discernment

p.23 St. Ignatius of Loyola begins to read holy books, which for the first time gives him true peace

The Greek Fathers

p.133 The first exile of St. John Chrysostom

The Life and Glories of St. Joseph

p.116 God gave Mary the pure virgin Joseph to hide and protect His Sacred Mysteries

p.117 Mary and Joseph were probably betrothed by the highest Jewish authorities themselves

p.117 The marriage of Mary and Joseph was to be perfect in order to restore the honor due to marriage forfeited by Adam and Eve

p.118 The Jewish authorities probably espoused Mary to Joseph as worthy and comparable of her most excellent virtues as a child

p.119 Discussion on the Blessed Virgin’s Vow of Virginity in relation to her Espousal to St. Joseph

p.121 Joseph’s rare virtues and holiness probably led the authorities to betroth him to Mary

p.123 An ancient legend of St. Joseph being chosen by God for the Blessed Virgin Mary’s spouse by a miracle like that of Aaron’s rod that budded

p.123 Two Doctors of the Church on the Espousal of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.125 Strong reasons why Aaron’s rod that budded was a miracle reproduced for God choosing St. Joseph as the Blessed Virgin’s Most Chaste Spouse

p.126 The Blessed Virgin willfully and deliberately consented to marriage with Joseph

p.126 Mary and Joseph probably knew about each other’s vow of virginity before being espoused

p.127 Mary chose Joseph as her spouse freely and deliberately

p.128 Mary’s consent to marry Joseph was the highest honor he could receive

p.129 Mary gave her heart only to God and Joseph

p.130 Mary and Joseph had but one heart and one spirit

p.131 Conclusion of the chapter on the Blessed Virgin’s betrothal to St. Joseph

p.132 Reasons St. Joseph was probably a young man when he married the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.134 The hidden facts of Mary’s and Joseph’s lives must have been the most fitting and perfect of all possibilities

p.135 St. Joseph is merely portrayed as an old man in Christian Art to represent his virtues and analogy of God the Father

p.136 St. Joseph’s early artistic depiction and very young do not prove that he was very young

p.138 St. Joseph was probably the most comely and well-disposed of the sons of men

p.142 Reasonable, historical, and Biblical guesses as to the details of the marriage ceremony of St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.144 An answer to a question of why Joseph and Mary would renew their vows of virginity on their marriage night

p.144 St. Francis de Sales declaring that St. Joseph was perpetually a virgin as well

p.145 How Joseph and Mary were true spouses despite being also perpetual virgins

p.147 Reasons the marriage of Joseph and Mary wasn’t invalid despite their vows of virginity

p.148 More reasons it was fitting that Mary and Joseph should be both married and virgins

p.149 The marriage of Joseph and Mary was intended to hide their virginity until the appointed time

p.150 Mary was given as wife not to the man with most worldly advantages, but to the holiest man alive

p.152 Theories about when Joseph and Mary left Jerusalem after their marriage

p.153 How Joseph and Mary both also practiced the Evangelical Counsels of Poverty and Obedience

p.155 A brief description of the Holy House in Nazareth

p.156 The hidden life of Joseph and Mary

p.158 How Joseph and Mary honored, served and loved one another as the holiest and most devout spouses

p.159 St. Leonard of Port Maurice on the dignity of St. Joseph as the Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

p.160 The unfathomable spiritual riches St. Joseph much have received as the privileged husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God

p.161 The many blessings and consequences of Joseph being the most blessed spouse of Mary

p.164 God rewarded the purity, humility, and virginity of Joseph and Mary by letting them become the parents of the Messiah

p.165 Joseph and Mary were truly married before the Annunciation

p.166 All God’s angels descended from Heaven to witness the Annunciation, Fiat, and Incarnation at midnight on March 25th

p.168 On the Archangel Gabriel entering Mary’s room to greet her

p.170 Mary is full of grace and blessed among all women

p.171 Mary by faith remained a Virgin yet became Mother of God

p.173 The world is saved by Mary’s fiat

p.176 Meditations on the hearts of Mary and Joseph right after the Annunciation and Incarnation

p.178 Reasons why Mary did not tell Joseph about the Incarnation

p.356 The authority of St. Joseph

p.357 St. Joseph, the God of God

p.358 The dignity of St. Joseph

p.359 St. Joseph, sharer of the Father’s Authority

p.362 The School of the Holy Family

p.367 Joseph’s Interior Life of Prayer and Contemplation

p.372 Joseph’s Interior Life of Prayer and Contemplation (part 2)

p.377 Joseph’s Singular Faith

p.381 Joseph’s Supernatural Wisdom

p.384 St. Joseph’s love of silence and silence of love

p.384 The Divine Resemblance between Jesus and Joseph

p.386 The divine communion of Joseph and the Infant Jesus

p.387 St. Joseph was a far more perfect father to Jesus than natural fathers are

p.421 Mary wanted Joseph resurrected with her

p.422 The Glory of St. Joseph’s Resurrected Body

p.426 God gave Joseph to us as well as Mary

The Life of St. Francis de Sales

p.148 How St. Francis de Sales dealt with heretics

p.258 St. Francis de Sales calmly enforces authority

The Lives of the Saints of Egypt and Principal European Saints

p.177 How Christ guides and inspires the Saints

The Spirit of St. Francis de Sales

p.49 Losing everything but having God is having more than everything

p.50 Love of God is the purpose and goal of Christian Perfection

p.51 Advice of St. Francis de Sales on how to love God better

p.53 What Love of God and Love of Neighbor are

p.55 We must love God, not fear him

p.55 Love of God should be the highest motive of all our works

p.57 God’s love is behind everything bad that happens to us

p.58 St. Francis de Sales on love and freedom

p.61 On the love of God’s goodness itself

p.64 A Short Story of the Disinterested Love of God

p.65 St. Francis de Sales on the Fire of Love and of Charity

p.66 St. Francis de Sales on entrusting all our love to God

p.67 St. Francis de Sales on the Law and the Just Man

p.69 How to increase or diminish our Love for God

p.70 St. Francis de Sales on Love of God being greater than Faith and Hope

p.74 St. Francis de Sales on the Love of God in relation to the Passion of Christ

p.76 The emptiness of non-Christian Philosophy

p.77 St. Francis de Sales on two different motives for love of others

p.79 St. Francis de Sales on bearing patiently with one another

p.80 St. Francis de Sales on correcting others gently

p.82 St. Francis de Sales on speaking the Truth

p.84 Examples of how St. Francis de Sales handled fault-finding in others

p.86 St. Francis de Sales on not judging others

p.88 How and when we can judge others

p.89 St. Francis de Sales on Judging Ourselves instead of Others

p.90 Slander and Detraction

p.93 Judging whether our neighbor has the habits of virtue or vice

p.95 Upon ridiculing one’s neighbour

p.97 Against speaking badly of others for any reason

p.99 Upon Loving our Enemies

p.101 A short story about Forgiving our Enemies

p.103 We ought to help others out of sin, but with charity and prudence

p.104 How St. Francis de Sales interacted with unbelievers

p.106 How St. Francis de Sales dealt with those in error

p.109 How to love those we are in charge of

p.113 St. Francis de Sales giving advice on discerning marriage

p.116 Those who call Almsgiving by the name “Charity” are very mistaken

p.117 How St. Francis de Sales treated those in error before and after their conversion

p.120 How much St.Francis de Sales trusted in the goodness of God towards sinners

p.121 St. Francis de Sales on Justice and Mercy

p.122 St. Francis de Sales on the small number of the Elect

p.123 To love to be hated, and to hate to be loved

p.124 St. Francis de Sales on Obedience

p.126 How superiors can practice Obedience

p.127 How St. Francis de Sales obeyed superiors and encouraged others to do the same

p.129 St. Francis de Sales practicing poverty

p.131 St. Francis de Sales on how poverty is happier than riches

p.132 St. Francis de Sales on poverty and presumption

p.134 St. Francis de Sales explaining the superiority of poverty

p.137 Upon Poverty of Spirit

p.138 St. Francis de Sales’ love for the poor

p.139 St. Francis de Sales on loving poverty in practice

p.140 Prosperity vs Divine Providence

p.141 We must avoid the near occasion of sin, especially chastity, when our duty before God allows it

p.142 Purity is not Chastity

p.143 On Humility and Chastity, and speaking of them

p.144 How Modesty preserves the sweet perfume of our Virtues

p.146 St. Francis de Sales on being an organ donor

p.147 Examples of St. Francis de Sales’ humility.

p.148 An example of true humility in the life of St. Francis de Sales

p.150 Humility in Word vs Deed

p.151 Humility cannot be in knowledge only, but must also be in the will

p.152 We ought to love the humiliations God sends us, since by it He will draw nearer to us

p.153 Those with greater charity prefer humiliations to honors

p.154 The relationship between Humility and Obedience

p.155 Speaking in praise or blame of ourselves both usually come from pride

p.156 True and false humility

p.157 Even when we are not guilty, we are not innocent

p.159 Accusing and Excusing Ourselves

p.161 We should guard our reputation only for God’s service

p.161 Upon our Good Name

p.162 Reasons we should be content with the contempt of others

p.164 What to do when we are falsely accused

p.165 More virtues to practice when we are falsely spoken evil of

p.166 Humility in regards to our neighbor and ourselves

p.168 Fatherly reproaches to a man-child’s whining

p.172 Virtues to practice when we are insulted or accused

p.174 Reasons we should be patient with those who annoy us

p.175 How to endure various sufferings for love of God

p.177 When and how we are allowed to complain

p.179 The calm we should have during tribulation

p.180 An example of the true virtue of patience

p.181 The patience needed for a long illness or to help one through it

p.183 How St. Francis de Sales bore painful illnesses

p.185 Enduring the Cross out of Love of God

p.186 On having the Cross of Jesus in our hearts

p.188 Jesus the Gardener sows seeds of mortification in our souls, that he may also make them blossom into flowers of glory

p.189 An example of justice and mercy in meekness

p.191 How St. Francis de Sales converted a sinful priest by meekness and humility

p.193 How St. Francis de Sales won over a malicious creditor with patience and charity

p.195 How St. Francis de Sales defended his relative poverty against accusations

p.197 The fearlessness of St. Francis de Sales in receiving insults and contempt

p.199 St. Francis de Sales patiently refuses a demand to bestow a benefice unjustly

p.201 A short debate about whether we will actually turn the other cheek

p.202 Those who suffer for righteousness’ sake are very blessed and dear to God

p.203 The effects of affability, gravity, and devotion in a saintly soul

p.204 How St. Francis de Sales converted a hardened criminal sentenced to death and without hope in God

p.207 The devil doesn’t fear our austerities or mortifications, but our obedience to God

p.208 Penances too severe may weaken our ability to effectively fight temptations

p.210 We must love the crosses God gives us more than the ones we choose

p.211 We may pause our sacrifices to fulfill brotherly love and to conceal our virtues

p.213 Advice from St. Francis de Sales on whether to fast as a personal mortification

p.219 It is a good sign of spiritual health to welcome correction

p.219 A convent is a hospital for the spiritually sick

p.221 Perfection of consecrated life is not in austerities but purely in Love of God

The Spiritual Conferences of St. Francis de Sales

p.112 God is not pleased by our eagerness but with the love with which we entrust our devotions to him

p.113 The faithfulness and love with which we do our devotions is what brings us to perfection

p.115 True fervor and true humility

p.117 Our submission to God’s will during afflictions is far more pleasing to him and helpful to us than our good works in prosperity

p.118 One single act done with dryness of spirit is worth more than many done with great fervour and sensible devotion

p.120 We should have the same song of praise for God whether we receive good or bad

Wisdom and Wit of Blessed Thomas More

p.3 The religious fervor of young St. Thomas More

p.51 Patiently enduring Crosses while praying God remove them