What's up Catholic bros, what are you reading lately?

I have been reading a guy called Columba Marmion. He is really amazing no matter if you are a beginner or are an experienced reader of theology.

Would recommend for everyone here. For some reason, he is not famous nowadays and this is a shame.

There are too many great authors who get ignored. Marmion and Garrigou Lagrange being two big examples.

I've been reading Teresa Benedicta. Been working on The Science Of The Cross for a few weeks. I'm really, really enjoying it so far. It's this fascinatingly powerful combination of mystical writing and really exact, precise writing. Teresa is very clear to define all her terms and make sure she is not misunderstood, but you never lose the sense that you are exploring something that can't be fully grasped with words, even the most precise words.

I didn't know going in that the book is devoted to the life and thought of John of the Cross. But now that I'm reading it, I've become fascinated by John, and want to read him in his own words sooner or later.

This is all underscoring the fact that I've kind of unexpectedly developed an interest in Carmelite spirituality. I always figured if I was going to be drawn to one particular order in the Church, it would be the Dominicans, because I love Aquinas and I love Catherine of Siena, and I love the Rosary, too. But the Carmelites have kind of come out of nowhere and snared my attention. I love Teresa of Avila, and I love what I've read of Teresa Benedicta, and I really want to read John of the Cross.

What is the best Catholic book (not the Bible)
I am a somewhat recent convert. I'm watching Gran Torino right now. The opening scene is a funeral service. I sometimes help livestream funerals at our church and this captures it perfectly. The regular grayhairs attending daily mass. The inappropriately dressed out of place horribly lapsed Catholic family of the deceased. The dark sanctified atmosphere. I really like Catholicism. I couldn't imagine going to a modern type church in a bland modern building and giving up the liturgy and atmosphere and history.

>>24534794 (OP)
Hello. Horribly lapsed as per >>24535060 here. Getting back into faith recently. I guess I just need to confess and attend more...
>>24534932
John of the Cross is quite good. I came from a catholic family and perhaps read it too young and apostasized briefly regardless during the urdumnheit of pubescent youth. Thought I had escaped the dark night of theism only to emerge in a darker one of discenchantment. But I have seen my errors darker than even that and the light of truth since...

---
Reading pic related at the moment. Origen. Odd duck. Castrati. But a church father. May check out Clement afterward. I like the neoplatonism of Origen's theological views. He does not shy away from mysteries of transcendence and logic and trinity. Clement was his teacher and apparently tried to distinguish true gnosis from gnosticism? At least insofar as I know of his Stromateis (Miscellany). Perhaps these are a bit shall we say esoteric texts but not in an occult way. I would say some familiarity with ancient Greek philosophy is helpful though.

>>24535210
*

>>24534932
You should read Garrigou Lagrange's "The 3 Ages of Interior Life". It fused Carmelite and Dominican Spirituality and it is said that he was the one who has ended the debate over the "universal call to holiness". Garrigou Lagrange was the best specialist in Spiritual Theology of the last century and should become a Doctor of the Church.

>>24535060
There is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Columba Marmion is great. Good for beginners and advanced ones.
Saint Francis of Sales gives good advice.

If you are into modern introductory stuff, Edward Feser and Brant Pitre are great. Pitre, specially is a must read.

>>24534794 (OP)
dante

Something I don't understand about Ressourcement. It is about going back to the Church Fathers, right?

Why is it connected to Modernism? Shouldn't it lead to even stronger adherence to doctrine? Or do they think Church Fathers would be amused with trying to pharisaically try to reinterpret things to support becoming more like atheist liberals?

>>24535060

>>24537337
Because Thomists think they are in possession of some eternal perfect doctrine and not a mere historically contingent late medieval deviation and synthesis, they therefore mistakenly assume that everything non-Thomistic is modernist -- even when it predates thomism by nearly a millenia and is far more profound and capable of offering healing balm than the scholastic minutiea of their endless disputation of doxa. This is all part of why Thomism has steadily waned in popularity since times of Descartes if not earlier. And, in fact, most modern (neo-)Thomists are eclectic at best although most would hardly admit it.

>>24537500
This is less so about Thomists and more so about what in the hell happened after their "fall" in the field of theology.
The fall of Thomistic theology didn't lead to super pious theologians with a strong tie with the tradition of the Church fathers.
It has led semi-atheistic liberals who believe old, non-Thomistic theologians like Lubac, Ratzinger and Balthasar into mega Chuds who should be ignored. It has led to seminaries where if someone prayed the rosary or thought sodomy was a sin he was considered "rigid" and not ready for the priesthood.

>>24534794 (OP)
I'm partial to this particular piece of (c)atholic literature.

>>24537500
I mean

I'm looking forward to Leo's first encyclical. How about you guys?

>>24539508

I look forward to the dissolution of the catholic church!

>>24534794 (OP)
I've been reading Garrigou-Lagrange to good pleasure. Picrel.

>>24539545
“The Church is a perpetually defeated thing that always outlives her conquerers.”

>>24534794 (OP)
Any Albanian Catholics here?

>>24534794 (OP)
henlo
I was just googling last night about a (secular) bible reading plan. Right now I'm only seeking to get familiar with the main books of the bible, not do one of those 20 minutes a day for 2 years things. Then I will go back and read other parts or reread with a study bible.
I also kinda feel like doing the NT first, using the NKJV:

Matthew
Luke
(maybe the other Gospels)
Genesis (skip: 36)
Exodus 1-24, 32-34, 40
Job
Psalms
Ecclesiastes

How's my plan?

>>24540731
That's terrible but you are (((secular)))...

Read all four gospels at least. They aren't that long.

As far as old testament, song of songs is essential. And no proverbs either?

I'd also throw more prophetic books from OT in there. They're mostly narrative and decently entertaining.

Nkjv sure is fine. Most major translations get message across altho we all have our preferences.

>>24540731
Def start with NT first.
Matthew is the gospel that points out the fulfillment of the OT the most. Mark is the shortest, you don’t need to skip it.
Luke is the most “historical” and has all the good Christmas stories. Acts is by the same author and a continuation, it’s the “oh shit, now what?” part of the story. Also goes into jew/gentile tensions in early church and Peter/Paul stuff—read it if you ever plan to read epistles.
John is totally different, has a lot of theology but also a lot of intimacy and is just good literature, shame on you if you skip it.
Epistles are good but if you make it through Acts and need a break don’t stress. I had to read other stuff before I really appreciated them.
OT, yeah, Genesis can drag in parts but is overall good with lots of fundamental groundwork that echoes through the rest of the Bible. If you are pumped up after that, do as much Exodus as you can. Genesis has God’s covenant with Abraham but Exodus gets more into “the birth of a nation” (sorry, couldn’t resist).
Judges has some kino. Ruth is a short and sweet prequel.
David/Saul story arc is awesome and doesn’t drag. Highly recommend Samuel I and II. Kings starts to drag but read about Solomon in the first bit if you are pumped up.
For wisdom books (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes), read what you enjoy, lots of different strokes in there.
Daniel is the shortest of the major prophets and gets echoed heavily in Revelation, plus there are some good stories in there.
Jonah is a fun minor prophet to read.

>>24540804
>>24540804
>>24540804
((>>24540778))
thx frens

Any opinions on Windswept House?
I'm reading it.

>>24538091
I thought resourcement was associated with those three thinkers? They are among my favorite theologians.

Not sure on the priest issue. Have not heard of that. Never looked into it really although some priests are certainly more qualified than others. I feel like priests have perhaps always been a bit more worldly by nature than say monks although hopefully less so than lay.

>>24541726
Dunno. That's what's so strange about this whole story.
How does "let's read the Church Fathers" end up leading to Modernism?

>>24540103
Garrigou's books on spirituality are really great.

eriugena