Introduction Morning Blessing: I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. -- The Small Catechism: Daily Prayers. As you may remember, the final project for … [Read more...] about Christian Devotional Classics: Martin Luther
Christian Devotional Classics
Christian Devotional Classics: Revelations of Divine Love
Julian of Norwich (1342 - c.1416) "Julian of Norwich is the first writer in English who can be identified with certainty as a woman. . . . Apparently at the point of death from a severe illness, for which she had earlier prayed as a means to be 'purged by he mercy of God and afterwards to live more to God's glory' (chapter 2), she received a series of 'showings' . . . so compelling and so rich in meaning that Julian understood them to come directly from God and to be messages not just to herself but to all … [Read more...] about Christian Devotional Classics: Revelations of Divine Love
Christian Devotional Classics: The Imitation of Christ
All men commend patience, although few are willing to practice it. – Thomas ‘a Kempis Thomas à Kempis Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380 - 1471) lived in the midst of the crisis of the late medieval period. Although there had been relative stability and population growth in the High Middle Ages (1000-1299), the Late Middle Ages (1300-1500) began with the challenge of "The Great Famine" (1315-1317). The Great Famine led to crime, disease, and millions dead including children abandoned by parents and elderly letting … [Read more...] about Christian Devotional Classics: The Imitation of Christ
Christian Devotional Classics: The Way of a Pilgrim
Getting to know The Way of the Pilgrim The Way of a Pilgrim was written by an unknown nineteenth-century Russian peasant and tells of his constant wrestling with the problem of 'how to pray without ceasing.' Through his journeys and travels, and under the tutelage of a spiritual father, he becomes gradually more open to the promptings of God. The reader is enriched as he shares these religious experiences in a most humble, simple, and beautiful narrative. -- Summary at the beginning of the Doubleday version of The … [Read more...] about Christian Devotional Classics: The Way of a Pilgrim
Christian Devotional Classics: The Rule of St. Benedict
If time permits, I offer to you The Holy Rule of Saint Benedict for your consideration on this day of rest and through the coming week. Note: As the Christian Devotional Classics series builds chronologically, be sure you have at least given the first part of Thomas Merton & the Desert Fathers a look before reading further. Also, you may have interest in exploring the larger question of What is a Christian Devotional Classic? Finally, as I have already mentioned, please share your insights so that we can improve … [Read more...] about Christian Devotional Classics: The Rule of St. Benedict