Recommended Reading (books) every Catholic should read?

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Zerg

Zerg

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I am a cradle Catholic, but I feel that I have gaps in my understanding of the Catholic faith. I have a confirmation book that explains to the basics of the Catechism to me, but I would like to know more.

My priest recommended “Confessions” by St Augustine.

Also, I would like to read a CATHOLIC Bible study book.

Any suggestions?
 
Triumph: the power and glory of the Catholic Church

And

How the Catholic Church built western civilization.
 
Confessions is an amazing work. I also recommend:

The Power of Silence by Robert Cardinal Sarah
The Imitation of Christ
Fire Within by Fr. Thomas Dubay
The Discernment of Spirits by Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Jesus of Nazareth Series by Pope Benedict XVI
Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
 
The Navarre Bible with commentary is one good option for a Catholic Study Bible.

A few books that come to mind:

Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales
The Practice of the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence
Crossing the Threshold of Hope, by Pope St. John Paul II
The Name of God is Mercy, by Pope Francis
 
Do you subscribe to Magnificat? That is an excellent way to grow deeper in the faith, as well.
 
The Baltimore Catechism #3
The Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) at NewAdvent.org

These are a must for every Catholic today especially because they clearly expose the errors making the rounds in the local dioceses today.
 
  1. The bible. We are terrible at that.
  2. The catechism - no one here seems to have one!
  3. Searching for and Maintaining Peace - Fr. Jacques Philippe.
  4. For those who truly aspire to greater faith, Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen.
The rest have been mentioned.
 
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church
The Imitation of Christ
The Way of Perfection, by St. Teresa of Avila
 
I would start with the Ignatius Catholic Study Bible.

Here’s a good site with a ton of info…


The two journey through scripture series were amazing.

Plus the other talks on scripture were very informative. Pretty much anything from Dr. Scott Hahn will blow your mind. The Forth Cup is a must read.

You could do what I did 5 years ago. I quit listening to the radio and music and now I only listen to podcasts when driving or working around the house…

Called to Communion
Catholic Answers Live
Open Line Monday

as well as audio books…

Sword of the Spirit is a great overview
Bible Blueprint for the Mass or for the Priesthood
Shocking Truth about the Pope or the Church Fathers
Living Bread
Last Call
God’s Perfect Plan

The list goes on and on…

Hope this helps,

God Bless
 
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The bible and the catechism go hand in hand and any decent Catholic bible study will have references to the catechism. Here is a free Catholic bible study that is very good. Just pick a book or a topic to study and you can print out the lessons one at a time…

http://www.agapebiblestudy.com/

The Baltimore Catechism has been suggested and yes you should read that one first as it is straight forward in teaching the Faith. Then you can delve into the more recent Catechism to expand.

Another vote for This Is The Faith

The Life of Christ by Venerable Fulton Sheen
Hail Holy Queen by Dr. Scott Hahn
The Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brant Pitre
 
Just started 33 DAYS TO MORNING GLORY by Fr. Michael Gaitley - seems amazing so far! Incorporates teachings of St. Pope JP II, St.Teresa of Calcutta, St.Louis de Montfort, and St. Maximilian Kolbe to guide us all to a consecration through Mary to Jesus. Believed to be the shortest, easiest, and most perfect means for any of us to become saints ourselves… How excellent does that sound???
 
I second the Ignatious Study Bible suggestion. It has excellent explanations verse by verse.

The rest depends on what you mean by holes. If you are talking about holes in your knowledge of the faith in general, the Baltimore Catechism for adults is very clear, though a little dry in my opinion. It was used at my parish’s adult convert class that I sat in on, and it did fill many of my own holes about the faith.

I love listening to podcasts. The Fourth Cup by Scott Hahn is available as a talk (I believe from the Lighthouse media), and is excellent. I’ve listened to it a bunch of times, to grasp everything.
 
yankeesouth said:
Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist by Dr. Brant Pitre
Click to expand...
Since you mention Brant Pitre, I’d like to ask you a question about his more recent book, Jesus and the Last Supper. Are you familiar with this one as well? The two books seem to cover much the same ground, though at much greater length in the newer book, which runs to over 600 pages. This is the one I’m thinking of getting.
Thanks for your help.

 
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Thank you, @yankeesouth. I was just checking dates: Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist was first published in 2011 and the newer book four years later, in 2015. I think this is the one I’ll get. Thanks for your help!
 
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