"imitation of christ"

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I understand this 500 year old book by Thomas a Kempis is second only to the Bible in popularity among Christians. Yet I have rarely met any Catholic who is familiar with it. I’ve about finished reading it and am much enthralled. It’s down to earth, practical, and unpretentious. Why would it be so out-of-vogue today when lesser men like Richard Rohr and Ronald Rolheiser are hailed as literary lions of spirituality?
 
Dear Gilbert,

:hmmm:Now here’s a switch for you! Although I have the Imitation in my personal library and have benefited very much from reading it, I never heard of the two gentlemen you mentioned afterwards.

Carole
 
Hello,

I’ve had the *Imitation of Christ *around for about five years but I’ve only read parts of it, mainly because I always have too many books going at once! I have been meaning to get back to it so I take this as a little nudge in that direction!

Joysong, Fr Ron Rolheiser is a very interesting man who writes deeply spiritual and emotional essays and who has several books out. I understand that he is quite controversial, however I have received much sustenance from his essays that are published each week in our Diocesan newspaper. I don’t always agree with him, but I believe that he loves Our Lord with all his heart and completely believes in the Lord’s healing power of love.

Many blessings,

Geraldine
 
The Immitation of Christ is great for reflection. T

he chapters are short enough to take one a day and reflect on them.

PF
 
The Imitation was said to be the greatest work next to the bible by Pope Pius XII , I believe. I have read it, and it’s a masterpiece. The author should have been canonised???
The modern world is very secular and materialistic. Not to mention every other ism we live with, so true spiritual masterpieces like this are not as widely read, unfortunately.
Is the western world better off as a result? Most people seem to live devoid of anything spiritual. The west is spiritually sick in it’s spiritual vacuum. People reject Christianity and adopt pagan religions. Jesus said few find their way along the narrow path. And asked will he find any faith on earth when he returns.
We all struggle against the trend day by day. keep up the good fight. Like St Paul we can say at the end of our lives, I kept the faith, I won the race. The faith is all that really matters in the end. When we die, and it will be soon, we shall not care about anything but our eternal destiny. In this world it’s right to have those concerns, trials etc. But, with faith, all things take on a new meaning. They have purpose. Our time here is one long test. It’s all temptation. The real life is the one in the next world ,we hope to win. please God that we do.
 
Gilbert Keith:
I understand this 500 year old book by Thomas a Kempis is second only to the Bible in popularity among Christians. Yet I have rarely met any Catholic who is familiar with it.
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I read a chapter a day, but then slack off for a few weeks and substitute something else–too much going at once (similar to what someone else said above)…but like the poster above, I’ve never heard of the other two people you mention.

I guess it’s just what crosses our paths first and in some of our cases, it was Imitation of Christ…

Penitent
 
I have owned it for years its torn and tattered from the many times I have used it for meditation.
 
As a protestant for over 20 years, I have had IMITATION for 19 years. One of the best extra-biblical books ever written. A pure gem!!! Until I looked into the Catholic Church, I never even thought about the fact that he was a Catholic. Everyone should have it as mandatory reading, next to Augustine’s CONFESSIONS and, forgive me, Bunyans’ PILGRIMS PROGRESS. The cradle Catholics among you may not know of Bunyan, but parents and children alike can enjoy and benefit from it greatly.
 
I have had this for years at my mothers house, but I never read it as I grew up as many Catholics do, not appreciating the gift of their faith. Now that I have traveled the journey and come back to the Church, I plan on digging in my old room and reading it.
My eldest brother thought it was a great book and really recommended it, but as a lax Catholic I never read it. My brother read it and gave it to me as a kid, he was really the only one in my family who really cared about being a Catholic.

Funny, he also was the smartest one in the family, he eventually went on to learn about 5 languages, study in a seminary and now is a devout Catholic with a family. He has a pretty interesting story, but I am not sure if I should share that, since I should let him speak for himself.
 
Thank you all for your interesting comments. Glad to see “Imitation” is more widely read and admired than I was starting to think.

I’m most impressed by the humility and wisdom of its author. While avoiding a “purple” literary style, Kempis still manages to be deeply moving for what he says rather than how he says it.

I urge anyone who has not read it to look into it. As someone said above, it is structured for daily short readings and meditation … and cannot be read too often! A wonderful book to keep in your pocket and bring along on your travels.

God bless,
Gilbert
 
Gilbert Keith:
Why would it be so out-of-vogue today when lesser men like Richard Rohr and Ronald Rolheiser are hailed as literary lions of spirituality?
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I am currently in the middle of Book III of William C. Creasy’s translation (Ave Maria Press), and in his introduction he discusses at length some of the reasons why The Imitation is so seldom read by modern (as opposed to medieval or post-modern) readers. Basically boils down to Kempis’ contemptus mundi theme that runs throughout The Imitation, especially the first two books. People get easily turned off by what sounds to them like nearly Manichaean contempt for the world and dualism between spirit and matter that, many readers think, “all went out with Vatican II.”
 
tractarian

People get easily turned off by what sounds to them like nearly Manichaean contempt for the world and dualism between spirit and matter that, many readers think, “all went out with Vatican II.”
If it did go out with Vactican II, so much the worse for us.

Rank materialism is the order of the day, and it shows in our collective morals, including the large percent of Catholics who approved of legalized abortion and who deny the True Presence in the Eucharist.
 
“Imitation of Christ” is one of my favorite books.

I keep it handy for reference for spiritual boosts.

It is filled with spiritual coommon sense and we all need some sense knocked into us now and again.
 
DITTO 👍
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Toni:
I have owned it for years its torn and tattered from the many times I have used it for meditation.
Click to expand...
 
Years ago a priest lent me his copy during a retreat. I loved it! So I set to the task of finding the same version (as you may know, there are different translations). I searched and searched in bookstores, in libraries, in stores that sold use books, to no avail. Then one day, when I had given up hope, a woman who attends my Bible class came to me and said: ‘I found this old book in my bookshelf and I thought you might enjoy having it’. You guessed! it was the exact version I had been looking for! Praise the Lord! Ever since, I read some lines every night and I find it spiritually useful and thought provoking.

God bless
 
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