A Year with the Saints. (formerly Through the Year with the Saints) Various authors. Tan Books and Publishers, originally published 1891. Optional Text for Second Year Novice Formation. Words of the saints and incidents from their lives for every day of the year.

If you want to learn to live a holy life, the best teachers are ones who have done that very thing.  Next to Jesus and His Mother, who can better teach us about holiness than the saints?

A Year with the Saints takes one virtue per month (Perfection, Humility, Mortification, Patience, Meekness, Obedience, Simplicity, Diligence, Prayer, Confidence, Charity, Union) and then discusses that virtue in depth.  Quotes from the saints and incidents from their lives illustrate the virtue each day, highlighting different aspects of the virtue as the month progresses.  It's easy and quick to read each day's reflection, but the lessons one can learn run deep.

For example, January 2 begins with this quote from Saint Francis de Sales:  "We must begin with a strong and constant resolution to give ourselves wholly to God, professing to Him, in a tender, loving manner, from the bottom of our hearts, that we intend to be His without any reserve, and then we must often go back and renew this same resolution."

The text goes on to mention four examples of doing this very thing.  Here are two of them:

"One of the means for the acquisition of perfection which was chiefly inculcated and much practiced by St. Philip Neri was a frequent renewal of good intentions.

"St. John Berchmans, at his very entrance into religion, placed in his heart a strong resolution to become a Saint, and then he not only remained constant in all the practices and resolutions which he took up for this end, but he went on daily gaining new vigor to his spiritual advantage."

Some illustrations are, admittedly, mortifications one ought never attempt without the guidance of a spiritual director.  But these are in the minority.  The power of the book lies in the quotes from the saints.  If we were able to put them all into practice and retain them, we would be saints as well.

Suggested donation for book: $12.50

Suggested postage, shipping, handling donation: $4.95

Use our postal mail order form to pay by check.

Use this button to pay on line with PayPal or a credit card. 

To learn about a disciplined, Catholic, joyful Rule of Life that can help you draw closer to God while living in your own home, consult the Home Page of the Confraternity of Penitents, linked to in the link box at the top of this page.

Thank you and God bless!