A Catholic Lifetime Reading Plan by Fr John Hardon SJ
The Age of Persecution 12. St Jerome 1. St Ignatius of Antioch Letters
Specially recommended: Letters On Illustrious Men 2. St Justin Martyr Medieval Civilisation The First Apology 13. St Vincent of Lerins The Second Apology Commonitorium 3. St Irenaeus 14. Boethius The Presentation of the Apostolic Preaching The Consolation of Philosophy Against the Heretics (‘Adversus Haereses’) 15. St Benedict 4. Tertullian The Rule of St Benedict Apologetical Works 16. The Venerable Bede Disciplinary, Moral and Ascetical Works A History of the English Church and People 5. St Cyprian 17. St Anselm The Lapsed, the Unity of the Catholic Church Prayers and Meditations On the Lord’s Prayer Why God Became Man and the Virgin Conception 6. Lactantius 18. St Bernard of Clairvaux
The Divine Instititutes The Steps of Humility On Loving God The Patristic Age Magnificat: homilies in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary 7. Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 19. St Francis of Assisi The Writings of St Francis 8. St Athanasius The Little Flowers of St Francis The Incarnation of the Word 20. St Thomas Aquinas The Life of Saint Anthony Summa Contra Gentiles 9. Prudentius Summa Theologiae Poems The Catechetical Instructions Hymns 21. St Bonaventure 10. St John Chrysostum The Journey of the Mind to God On the Priesthood The Triple Way Address on Vainglory and the Right Way The Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary for Parents to Bring up their Children 22. Bl Jacobus de Voragine 11. St Augustine The Golden Legend City of God 23. Dante Confessions The Divine Comedy Of True Religion 24. St Catherine of Siena Enchirdion: On Faith, Hope and Charity The Dialogue 25. Geoffrey Chaucer 42. St Peter Julian Eymard The Canterbury Tales The Real Presence 26. Thomas à Kempis Holy Communion The Imitation of Christ Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament The Eucharist and Christian Perfection 27. St Catherine of Genoa Treatise on Purgatory 43. Alessandro Manzoni The Betrothed 28. St Thomas More A Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation 44. Prosper Gueranger Prayerbook The Liturgical Year: Advent to Utopia the Last Sunday of Pentecost
The Catholic Reformation The Modern Age 29. St Ignatius Loyola 45. Orestes Brownson Spiritual Exercises Essays and Reviews chiefly on Letters and Instructions Theology, Politics and Socialism Autobiography 46. Matthias Joseph Scheeben
30. St Teresa of Avila The Mysteries of Christianity
Autobiography Mariology The Way of Perfection 47. William Bernard Ullathorne Interior Castle The Groundwork of the Christian Virtues 31. St John of the Cross The Little Book of Humility and Patience Ascent of Mount Carmel 48. Bl John Henry Newman Dark Night of the Soul Apologia Pro Vita Sua 32. Miguel de Cervantes Sermons and Discourses Don Quixote The Idea of a University The Dream of Gerontius 33. St Robert Bellarmine The Ascent of the Mind to God 49. Coventry Patmore The Art of Dying Well Poems 34. St Francis de Sales 50. St Thérèse of Lisieux Introduction to the Devout Life Story of a Soul (Autobiography) Treatise on the Love of God 51. Eugene Boylan 35. Richard Crashaw This Tremendous Lover Poems The Mystical Body: the foundation of the spiritual life 36. St Margaret Mary Alacoque 52. Francis Thompson Autobiography Poems 37. St Louis de Montfort 53. Robert Hugh Benson True Devotion to Mary Christ in the Church The Light Invisible 38. Alban Butler The Necromancers Lives of the Saints Come Rack! Come Rope! 39. St Alphonsus de Liguori The Holy Eucharist 54. Henryk Sienkiewicz
The Glories of Mary Quo Vadis?
The Passion and Death of Jesus Christ With Fire and Sword
The Way of Salvation and of Perfection The Deluge 40. Bl Anne Catherine Emmerich 55. Augustin Poulain
The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ The Graces of Interior Prayer 41. Frederick William Faber 56. James Gibbons
Growth in Holiness, or the Progress The Faith of our Fathers of the Spiritual Life The Ambassador of Christ The Blessed Sacrament, or the Works and Way of God 57. Alice Meynell Poems Poems Spiritual Conferences Essays 58. Adolphe Alfred Tanquerey 73. Sigrid Undset The Spiritual Life: a treatise on Kristin Lavransdatter ascetical and mystical theology Saga of Saints 59. Bl Joseph Columba Marmion The Longest Years Christ, the Life of the Soul 74. William Thomas Walsh Christ in His Mysteries Isabella of Spain Characters of the Inquisition 60. Ottokar Prohaszka Our Lady of Fatima Meditations on the Gospels 75. Owen Francis Dudley 61. Ludwig von Pastor Will men be like Gods? Humanitarianism
The History of the Popes or human happiness 62. Jean-Baptiste Chautard The Tremaynes and the Masterful Monk The Soul of the Apostolate 76. Hilaire Belloc 63. G.K. Chesterton The Path to Rome St Francis of Assisi The Servile State The Catholic Church and Conversion Europe and the Faith The Everlasting Man Marie Antoinette St Thomas Aquinas: the dumb ox 77. Paul Claudel 64. Fernand Carrol The Satin Slipper
Liturgical Prayer: its history and spirit The Tidings Brought to Mary: a drama The Book of Christopher Columbas: a lyrical drama The Prayer of the early Christians Letters from Paul Claudel, my godfather Mass of the Western Rites The Mass: its doctrine, its history 78. Johannes Jorgensen Saint Brigid of Sweden 65. Ferdinand Prat Saint Catherine of Siena Theology of St Paul Pilgrim Walks in Franciscan Italy Jesus Christ: his life, his teaching, and his works Jorgensen: an autobiography 66. Marie Joseph Lagrange 79. Pierre Pourrat The Gospel of Jesus Christ Christian Spirituality 67. Alban Goodier 80. Ronald Knox The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ Enthusiasm The Public Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ A Spiritual Aenid The Prince of Peace The Belief of Catholics 68. St Maximilian Kolbe A Commentary on the Gospels Personal Letters 81. Paul de Jaegher Spiritual Writings One with Jesus Theological Writings The Virtue of Trust 69. St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) 82. Francis Trochu The Science of the Cross The Curé of Ars: St Jean-Marie Baptiste Vianney Essays on Woman St Bernardette Soubirous 70. Henri Gheon 83. John Peter Arendzen The Holy Trinity Secrets of the Saints Reason and Revelation Three Plays What Becomes of the Dead? Christmas in the Market Place Purgatory and Heaven The Art of the Theatre 84. Guiseppe Ricciotti 71. Edward Leen The Life of Jesus Christ Progress through mental prayer The History of Israel
In the Likeness of Christ Paul the Apostle The Church Before Pilate The Age of Martyrs: Christianity from Diocletian to The Holy Ghost and His Work in Souls Constantine 72. Alexis Carrel 85. Gerald Vann Man the Unknown The Divine Pity The Voyage to Lourdes The Seven Swords 86. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange 96. Arnold Lunn Christian Perfection and Contemplation, according to Now I See: an autobiography St Thomas Aquinas and St John of the Cross The Revolt Against Reason
The Three Ages of the Interior Life Switzerland: its literary, historical, The Mother of Our Saviour and our Interior Life and topographical landmarks 87. Henri Daniel-Rops A Saint in the Slave Trade: Peter Claver, 1581–1654 The Book of Mary 97. Charles Journet The Church of the Apostles and Martyrs The Church of the Word Incarnate The Church in the Dark Ages The Primacy of Peter The Catholic Reformation The Meaning of Grace 88. Karl Adam The Wisdom of Faith: an introduction to theology The Spirit of Catholicism The Son of God 98. Dietrich von Hildebrand Christ Our Brother Transformation in Christ: on the The Roots of the Reformation Christian attitude of mind
89. Evelyn Waugh Marriage: the mystery of faithful love Brideshead Revisited Celibacy and the crisis of faith A Handful of Dust The Sacred Heart: an analysis of Edmund Campion human and divine affection 90. Romano Guardini 99. Etienne Gilson The Lord History of Christian Philosophy in the Middle Ages The Way of the Cross of Our Lord A Gilson Reader: selected writings and Our Saviour, Jesus Christ Modern Philosophy: Descartes to Kant Freedom, Grace and Destiny: three chapters Recent Philosophy: Hegel to the present in the interpretation of existence 100. Ven Fulton Sheen The End of the Modern World: a search for orientation Treasures in Clay: an autobiography 91. Katherine Burton Peace of Soul The Great Mantle: Pope St Pius X These are the Sacraments Sorrow Built a Bridge: Mother Alphonsus
Witness of the Light Three to get Married The Next Thing: autobiography and reminiscences 101. Igino Giordani 92. Christopher Dawson The Social Message of Jesus Religion and World History The Social Message of the Early Church Fathers Progress and Religion Mary of Nazareth The Crisis of Western Education 102. Frank Sheed
Religion and the Rise of Western Culture Theology and Sanity 93. Francois Mauriac Communism and Man Life of Jesus The Church and I
Woman of the Pharisees Marriage and the Family St Margaret of Cortona 103. Hubert van Zellar The Eucharist We Die Standing Up 94. James Alberione Approach to Christian Scripture Personality and Configuration with Christ The End: a projection not a prophecy Thoughts Praying While You Work: devotions for Glories and Virtues of Mary the use of Martha rather than Mary Daily Meditations: the great prayers, the great truths, the great virtues 104. John C.H. Wu 95. Jacques Maritain The Science of Love: a study in the An Introduction to Philosophy teachings of St Thérèse of Lisieux Prayer and Intelligence Beyond East and West: an autobiography The Degrees of Knowledge Fountain of Justice: a study in the natural law Art and Scholasticism The Interior Carmel: the threefold way of love