"Don't read good books--read the best books," is what a nun taught Fr. Rawley Myers as a youth. Thus, he has gathered together in this very unique volume a reading for each day of the year from some of the greatest Catholic books and writers in Church history, many in this century. Myers taps into the rich treasury of outstanding Catholic literature, often neglected in today's busy world, and he provides a wonderful selection of thoughts and meditations that are both intellectually stimulating and spiritually rewarding.
Drawing on the writings of thirty-four famous Catholic authors, this book ranges from the thoughts of Doctors of the Church like Saint Augustine, Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint Thomas Aquinas, to classic authors like Saint Francis de Sales, Thomas à Kempis, and Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, to popular 20th century spiritual guides like Bishop Fulton Sheen, Thomas Merton and Romano Guardini and, finally, the writings of a group of famous modern converts like G. K. Chesterton, Hilaire Belloc, Ronald Knox and John Henry Newman. They enlighten our minds, inflame our hearts and strengthen our souls with selections that are easily digestible and whet the appetite for more of the impressive heritage of Catholic theological and philosophical reflection.
"Fr. Myers has done American Catholics a great service in making available to them this anthology of some of the finest thinkers in the history of the Church. The format is ideal for personal reading and meditation, group reflection, or even as a way of beginning a day in a Catholic high school or college." - Fr. Peter Stravinskas, Editor, The Catholic Answer
"Fr. Myers has put together a book of selections from the best authors there are. Reflecting the dignity of the ancient Faith, this work challenges the mind again and again, and it speaks `the spirit of Catholicism."' - Thomas Howard, Author, Chance Or The Dance
Profile
His father was a pagan who converted on his death bed; his mother was Saint Monica, a devout Christian. Trained in Christianity, he lost his faith in youth and led a wild life. Lived with a Carthaginian woman from the age of 15 through 30. Fathered a son whom he named Adeotadus, which means the gift of God. Taught rhetoric at Carthage and Milan. After investigating and experimenting with several philosophies, he became a Manichaean for several years; it taught of a great struggle between good and evil, and featured a lax moral code. A summation of his thinking at the time comes from his Confessions: "God, give me chastity and continence - but not just now."
Augustine finally broke with the Manichaeans and was converted by the prayers of his mother and the help of Saint Ambrose of Milan, who baptized him. On the death of his mother he returned to Africa, sold his property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and founded a monastery. Monk. Priest. Preacher. Bishop of Hippo in 396. Founded religious communities. Fought Manichaeism, Donatism, Pelagianism and other heresies. Oversaw his church and his see during the fall of the Roman Empire to the Vandals. Doctor of the Church. His later thinking can also be summed up in a line from his writings:
Our hearts were made for You, O Lord, and they are restless until they rest in you.
Born
13 November 354 at Tagaste, Numidia, North Africa (Souk-Ahras, Algeria) as Aurelius Augustinus
Died
28 August 430 at Hippo
Canonized
Pre-Congregation
Patronage
brewers
Bridgeport, Connecticut, diocese of
Cagayan de Oro, Philippines
Ida, Philippines, diocese of
Isleta Indian Pueblo
Kalamazoo Michigan, diocese of
printers
Saint Augustine, Florida, city of
Saint Augustine, Florida, diocese of
sore eyes
Superior, Wisconsin, diocese of
theologians
Tucson, Arizona, diocese of
Valletta, Malta
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