Reading Order?

[michelleds]

I’ve recently been reading Ascent of Mount Carmel and really enjoying it. But I just read an article by Thomas Moore that said that one really should read St John of the Cross in a specific order. angelfire.com/ca5/stjoseph/formdocs/how.htm

I do have the Complete Works of St John of the Cross on my kindle now. I also have and want to read Kempis’ Imitation of Christ and de Sales’ Intro to the Devout Life. (Not to even mention the other 10 or 12 books just sitting on my shelf waiting to be read!)

So my question is this: would you read Imitation and/or Intro to the Devout Life before taking up Moore’s recommended St John of the Cross readings? Or would you just plunge straight into St John of the Cross?

Oh, I should probably mention that I’m converting to Catholicism and will be “official” at Easter.

thanks,
Michelle

 

[Joannm]

I would read Imitation of Christ and Introduction to the Devout Life before delving into John of the Cross. John can be intimidating as his writing is very mystical. It took me 6 months to read Ascent and 4 months to read the Dark Night (in that order since they are really part I and part II of commentary on the same poem). Now I am reading the Spiritual Canticle. I started in in February and I am only up to the 10th stanza. John should be read slowly and meditatively, pondering what you read. I consider myself pretty spiritually mature and I avoided John like the plague until finally my spiritual director basically ordered me to read it. I was actually afraid to read it, and now I know why. It is SO challenging to my life.

 

[michelleds]

Thanks for the feedback, Joann. I just finished Book I in Ascent, slowly studying the text. I have not felt that I was having any trouble with him at all, but Moore’s article made it seem like reading in the wrong order might leave me with erroneous ideas about his messages. Of course, I tend to read in the wrong direction, I’ve been reading Merton for a couple of years now, and really, he makes a lot more sense after reading St. John of the Cross than before.

It makes sense that different people will have an affinity for the writings of different Saints and Doctors of the Church.

But I think that you offer good advice and I will go ahead and read these other two works before continuing with St. John of the Cross.

thanks,
michelle

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I would say start with St John of the Cross but you might say that I am biased as I am a Carmelite (O.Carm. not Discalced).

Here is the suggested reading order I was given to go with The Collected Works of St John of the Cross from ICS.

1. 
   *]Biography
   *]Spiritual Canticle
   *]Living Flame of Love
   *]Letters, maxims, and other minor works, poetry
   *]Ascent of Mt Carmel
   *]Dark Night of the Soul

 

[michelleds]

Thanks, Brother David, for the (name removed by moderator)ut. My biggest problem is that I always want to read EVERYTHING! LOL and I’m trying to keep myself to at least a minimally structured plan or I’ll find myself reading 5 different books at once.