Doctors of the Church

[QuantaCura]

If you could suggest one thing by any Doctor of the Church, what would it be? It's my goal to read at least one thing by each one at some point in my life--I doubt it will happen, but's it's a good goal (this is similar to my goal of visiting every Major League Baseball Stadium) I'll be checking out a new Catholic bookstore and I might want to pick something up .

Oh, and I have already covered St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, St. Leo the Great, St. Francis de Sales, and St. Therese's "Story of a Soul" is in my possession and next on my list--so you can't say them

Here they all are by the way:

St. Albert 11/15
St. Alphonsus Liguori 8/1
St. Ambrose 12/7
St. Anselm 4/21
St. Anthony of Padua 6/13
St. Athanasius 5/2
St. Augustine 8/28
St. Basil 1/2
St. Bede, the Venerable 5/25
St. Bernard of Clairvaux 8/20
St. Bonaventure 7/15
St. Catherine of Siena 4/29
St. Cyril of Alexandria 6/27
St. Cyril of Jerusalem 3/18
St. Ephraem 6/9
St. Francis de Sales 1/24
St. Gregory Nazianzus 1/2
St. Gregory the Great 9/3
St. Hilary of Poitiers 1/13
St. Isidore 4/4
St. Jerome 9/30
St. John Chrysostom 9/13
St. John Damascene 12/4
St. John of the Cross 12/14
St. Lawrence of Brindisi 7/21
St. Leo the Great 11/10
St. Peter Canisius 12/21
St. Peter Chrysologus 7/30
St. Peter Damian 2/21
St. Robert Bellarmine 9/17
St. Teresa of Avila 10/15
St. Therese of Lisieux 10/1
St. Thomas Aquinas 1/28

 

[faerieevaH]

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux has some interesting writings...

 

[QuantaCura]

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux has some interesting writings...

Can you recommend one in particular?

 

[nyj]

I love Albertus Magnus' On Cleaving to God. Though there is some suspicion as to whether in its present form it can be directly contributed to him. Regardless, it's a good read.

 

[QuantaCura]

I love Albertus Magnus' On Cleaving to God. Though there is some suspicion as to whether in its present form it can be directly contributed to him. Regardless, it's a good read.

Thanks! And the best part...it's free online!

 

[faerieevaH]

Can you recommend one in particular?

I love the classics so go for 'De amor Dei'... or go through his letters. They're interesting in and of themselves.

 

[AMDG]

After some experiences that have included St. Catherine of Siena, I've been told to read up on St. Catherine of Siena. Anything free on-line there? (That just might reorder my list of books to read. )

 

[Catholic Dude]

Just dont read anything from "Dr" Martin Luther.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Read everything from St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, he's awesome!

Books of his that I've read are:

The Glories of Mary
12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation
The Collected Sermons of St. Alphonsus de Ligouri

If I could only read one I would read "The Glories of Mary." But if you can find the time read those three and get your hands on his other works, I plan on reading some of his other works when I get the chance.

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

Also, if you could, perhaps once you have formulated your list, please post it here, I would love to take a look at it.

 

[Orthodoxia]

Hi!

This is off the top of my head, so I apologise if I get titles off...

St. Alphonsus Liguori 8/1-- I'm reading "The Birth, death and Incarnation of Jesus Christ", and I think his stations of the Cross are great, but everything he writes is good.

St. Anselm 4/21 Cur deus Homo

St. Athanasius 5/2-- The Life of Antony of Egypt is GREAT!

St. Augustine 8/28-- The Enchiridion. It's like a little catechism. Great read!

St. Basil 1/2--On the Holy Trinity

St. Bede, the Venerable 5/25-- his history of England, of course.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux 8/20-- sermons on Mary; On Loving God

St. Bonaventure 7/15--Journey of the Soul to God

St. Catherine of Siena 4/29--Dialogues

St. Cyril of Alexandria 6/27--On the Unity of Christ

St. Ephraem 6/9--"Ephraem the Syrian: Hymns", from the Classics in Western Spirituality series

St. Francis de Sales 1/24--The Introduction to the Devout Life, Treatise on the Love of God

St. Gregory Nazianzus 1/2 EVERYTHING!! I love him!! Um... let's see... He just basically wrote lots of sermons, and an autobiographical poem, and another poetry. I'd say his sermon on baptism or the "Five Theological Orations" are the best to start with. I don't remember their numbers off the top of my head.

St. Jerome 9/30--The Vulgate

St. John Chrysostom 9/13--On Marriage and Family Life

St. John Damascene 12/4--Anything about icons, haha.

St. John of the Cross 12/14--Dark night of the soul

 

[Orthodoxia]

so my computer died before I could finish...
St. Teresa of Avila 10/15--her autobiography, i'm reading her work on prayer right now
St. Therese of Lisieux 10/1---story of a soul
St. Thomas Aquinas 1/28--i'd say the summa, but i haven't read it cover to cover, haha. i think he wrote a little summa that is supposed to be good...

 

[Miss Shelby]

I love Albertus Magnus' On Cleaving to God. Though there is some suspicion as to whether in its present form it can be directly contributed to him. Regardless, it's a good read.

You didn't bump this for lent this year. Are you slacking?

Michelle

 

[Markh]

I'm reading "preparation for death" by St. Alphonsus Liguori at the moment, it is excellent.

 

[MParedon]

bump

 

[QuantaCura]

Thanks everybody.

Also, if you could, perhaps once you have formulated your list, please post it here, I would love to take a look at it.

Haha, I'm not thinking that far ahead . As I finish one, I'll check that Doctor off and pick another.

 

[QuantaCura]

Also, if you could, perhaps once you have formulated your list, please post it here, I would love to take a look at it.

1 St Robert Bellarmine, The Seven Words from the Cross; Treatise on the Civil Authority; On Dying Well; The Mind's Ascent to God by a Ladder of Created Things; On the Temporal Power of the Pope; Autobiography; Short Catechism; various writings on Ecclesiology
2 St Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary;Uniformity with God's Will; Prayer: the Great Means of Salvation and Perfection; The Incarnation, Birth, and Infancy of Jesus Christ; The Holy Eucharist
3 St Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue, various letters
4 St Jerome, The Dialogue Against the Luciferians; various letters
5 St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica; On Kingship
6 St Anselm, Cur Deus Homo
7 St Peter Canisius, A Summe of Christian Doctrine
8 St Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life; The Catholic Controversy; Treatise on Divine Love
9 St Bonaventure, The Soul’s Journey into God; The Life of St. Francis; The Tree of Life
10 St Anthony of Padua, various sermons
11 St Teresa of Avila, The Life of Teresa of Jesus [autobiography]
12 St Peter Damian, Book of Gomorrah, various letters
13 St Augustine, On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin; Confessions
14 St Bernard of Clairvaux, Apology; On Loving God
15 St John Chrysostom, various homilies, letters
16 St Leo the Great, The Tome; various epistles, sermons
17 St Gregory the Great, various epistles; The Life of St. Benedict
18 St Basil the Great, De Espiritu Sancto; various letters
19 St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures
20 St Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word
21 St Isidore, History of the Kings of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi
22 St Bede, Ecclesiastical History of England
23 St Ambrose, On the Holy Mysteries; Concerning Virginity
24 St Gregory Nazianzus, Third Theological Oration
25 St Lawrence of Brindisi, various sermons
26 St Albert the Great, On Cleaving to God
27 St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, various letters
28 St John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love
29 St Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul
30 St Hilary, On the Councils
31 St John Damascene, Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images
32 St Ephraem, On Admonition and Repentance; various hymns
33 St Peter Chrysologus, various sermons

 

[a_ntv]

About St Epherm, you can have a look tat this thread: http://www.christianforums.com/t4867414-saint-ephem-the-syrian.html

 

[ProCommunioneFacior]

(in order of my personal favorites)

1 St Alphonsus Liguori, Glories of Mary
2 St Robert Bellarmine, The Seven Words from the Cross
3 St Jerome, The Dialogue Against the Luciferians; various letters
4 St Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica; On Kingship
5 St Catherine of Siena, Dialogue
6 St Anselm, Cur Deus Homo
7 St Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life
8 St Peter Canisius, A Summe of Christian Doctrine
9 St Bonaventure, The Soul’s Journey into God
10 St Anthony of Padua, various sermons
11 St Teresa of Avila, The Story of Teresa of Jesus [autobiography]
12 St Peter Damian, Book of Gomorrah
13 St Augustine, On the Grace of Christ, and on Original Sin
14 St Bernard of Clairvaux, Apology
15 St John Chrysostom, various homilies, letters
16 St Leo the Great, The Tome; various epistles, sermons
17 St Gregory the Great, various epistles
18 St Basil the Great, De Espiritu Sancto; various letters
19 St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures
20 St Athanasius, On the Incarnation of the Word
21 St Isidore, History of the Kings of the Goths, Vandals, and Suevi
22 St Bede, Ecclesiastical History of England
23 St Ambrose, On the Holy Mysteries
24 St Gregory Nazianzus, Third Theological Oration
25 St Lawrence of Brindisi, various sermons
26 St Albert the Great, On Cleaving to God
27 St Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of Luke, various letters
28 St John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love
29 St Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul
30 St Hilary, On the Councils
31 St John Damascene, Apologia Against Those Who Decry Holy Images
32 St Ephraem, On Admonition and Repentance; various hymns
33 St Peter Chrysologus, various sermons

You chant! umm, I mean You Rock!

This is awesome thanks for remembering my request!

 

[QuantaCura]

You chant! umm, I mean You Rock!

This is awesome thanks for remembering my request!

You're welcome. This was a very rewarding experience--as you can see it only took me just over a year (plus what I had already read), but I tried to be disciplined and set time aside to read each night (a very wise peson once told me to use my time as a single person to live it up spiritually ).

I was left with a very beutiful image of the Church that St. Benard described well. Just as the coat of Joseph was made up of a multitude of beautiful colors while being seamless, so are there a multitude of beautiful spiritualities on the one seamless garment of our Catholic faith. I can also honestly say each thing I read helped me to grow in my relationship with God.