Christ's Faithful People

Table of Contents

• THE IMITATION OF CHRIST
• The Translators
• CONTENTS
• BOOK ONE -- THOUGHTS HELPFUL IN THE LIFE OF THE SOUL
• The First Chapter
• Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities on Earth
• The Second Chapter
• Having a Humble Opinion of Self
• The Third Chapter
• The Doctrine of Truth
• The Fourth Chapter
• Prudence in Action
• The Fifth Chapter
• Reading the Holy Scripture
• The Sixth Chapter
• Unbridled Affections
• The Seventh Chapter
• Avoiding False Hope and Pride
• The Eighth Chapter
• Shunning Over-Familiarity
• The Ninth Chapter
• Obedience and Subjection
• The Tenth Chapter
• Avoiding Idle Talk
• The Eleventh Chapter
• Acquiring Peace and Zeal for Perfection
• The Twelfth Chapter
• The Value of Adversity
• The Thirteenth Chapter
• Resisting Temptation
• The Fourteenth Chapter
• Avoiding Rash Judgment
• The Fifteenth Chapter
• Works Done in Charity
• The Sixteenth Chapter
• Bearing with the Faults of Others
• The Seventeenth Chapter
• Monastic Life
• The Eighteenth Chapter
• The Example Set Us by the Holy Fathers
• The Nineteenth Chapter
• The Practices of a Good Religious
• The Twentieth Chapter
• The Love of Solitude and Silence
• The Twenty-First Chapter
• Sorrow of Heart
• The Twenty-Second Chapter
• Thoughts on the Misery of Man
• The Twenty-Third Chapter
• Thoughts on Death
• The Twenty-Fourth Chapter
• Judgment and the Punishment of Sin
• The Twenty-Fifth Chapter
• Zeal in Amending our Lives
• BOOK TWO -- THE INTERIOR LIFE
• The First Chapter
• Meditation
• The Second Chapter
• Humility
• The Third Chapter
• Goodness and Peace in Man
• The Fourth Chapter
• Purity of Mind and Unity of Purpose
• The Fifth Chapter
• Ourselves
• The Sixth Chapter
• The Joy of a Good Conscience
• The Seventh Chapter
• Loving Jesus Above All Things
• The Eighth Chapter
• The Intimate Friendship of Jesus
• The Ninth Chapter
• Wanting No Share in Comfort
• The Tenth Chapter
• Appreciating God's Grace
• The Eleventh Chapter
• Few Love the Cross of Jesus
• The Twelfth Chapter
• The Royal Road of the Holy Cross
• BOOK THREE -- INTERNAL CONSOLATION
• The First Chapter
• The Inward Conversation of Christ with the Faithful Soul
• The Second Chapter
• Truth Speaks Inwardly Without the Sound of Words
• The Third Chapter
• Listen Humbly to the Words of God. Many Do Not Heed Them
• The Fourth Chapter
• We Must Walk Before God in Humility and Truth
• The Fifth Chapter
• The Wonderful Effect of Divine Love
• The Sixth Chapter
• The Proving of a True Lover
• The Seventh Chapter
• Grace Must Be Hidden Under the Mantle of Humility
• The Eighth Chapter
• Self-Abasement in the Sight of God
• The Ninth Chapter
• All Things should be Referred to God as their Last End
• The Tenth Chapter
• To Despise the World and Serve God is Sweet
• The Eleventh Chapter
• The Longings of our Hearts Must Be Examined And Moderated
• The Twelfth Chapter
• Acquiring Patience in the Fight Against Concupiscence
• The Thirteenth Chapter
• The Obedience of One Humbly Subject to the Example of Jesus Christ
• The Fourteenth Chapter
• Consider the Hidden Judgments of God Lest You Become Proud of Your Own Good Deeds
• The Fifteenth Chapter
• How One Should Feel and Speak on Every Desirable Thing
• The Sixteenth Chapter
• True Comfort Is to Be Sought in God Alone
• The Seventeenth Chapter
• All Our Care is to Be Placed in God
• The Eighteenth Chapter
• Temporal Sufferings Should Be Borne Patiently,
• The Nineteenth Chapter
• True Patience in Suffering
• The Twentieth Chapter
• Confessing Our Weakness in the Miseries of Life
• The Twenty-first Chapter
• Above All Goods and All Gifts We Must Rest in God
• The Twenty-Second Chapter
• Remember the Innumerable Gifts of God
• The Twenty-Third Chapter
• Four Things Which Bring Great Peace
• The Twenty-Fourth Chapter
• Avoiding Curious Inquiry About the Lives of Others
• The Twenty-Fifth Chapter
• The Basis of Firm Peace of Heart and True Progress
• The Twenty-Sixth Chapter
• The Excellence of a Free Mind,Gained Through Prayer Rather Than By Study
• The Twenty-Seventh Chapter
• Self-Love is the Greatest Hindrance to the Highest Good
• The Twenty-Eighth Chapter
• Strength Against Slander
• The Twenty-Ninth Chapter
• How We Must Call Upon and Bless the Lord When Trouble Presses
• The Thirtieth Chapter
• The Quest of Divine Help and Confidence in Regaining Grace
• The Thirty-First Chapter
• To Find the Creator, Forsake All Creatures
• The Thirty-Second Chapter
• Self-Denial and the Renunciation of Evil Appetites
• The Thirty-Third Chapter
• Restlessness of Soul -- Directing Our Final Intention Toward God
• The Thirty-Fourth Chapter
• God is Sweet Above All Things and in All Things
• The Thirty-Fifth Chapter
• There is No Security from Temptation in This Life
• The Thirty-Sixth Chapter
• The Vain Judgments of Men
• The Thirty-Seventh Chapter
• Pure and Entire Resignation of Self to Obtain Freedom of Heart
• The Thirty-Eighth Chapter
• The Right Ordering of External Affairs; Recourse to God in Dangers
• The Thirty-Ninth Chapter
• A Man Should Not Be Unduly Solicitous About His Affairs
• The Fortieth Chapter
• Man Has No Good in Himself and Can Glory in Nothing
• The Forty-First Chapter
• Contempt for All Earthly Honor
• The Forty-Second Chapter
• Peace is Not to Be Placed in Men
• The Forty-Third Chapter
• Beware Vain and Worldly Knowledge
• The Forty-Fourth Chapter
• Do Not Be Concerned About Outward Things
• The Forty-Fifth Chapter
• All Men Are Not to Be Believed, for It Is Easy to Err in Speech
• The Forty-Sixth Chapter
• Trust in God Against Slander
• The Forty-Seventh Chapter
• Every Trial Must Be Borne for the Sake of Eternal Life
• The Forty-Eighth Chapter
• The Day of Eternity and the Distresses of This Life
• The Forty-Ninth Chapter
• The Desire of Eternal Life; the Great Rewards Promised to Those Who Struggle
• The Fiftieth Chapter
• How a Desolate Person Ought to Commit Himself Into the Hands of God
• The Fifty-First Chapter
• When We Cannot Attain to the Highest, We Must Practice the Humble Works
• The Fifty-Second Chapter
• A Man Ought Not to Consider Himself Worthy of Consolation, But Rather Deserving of Chastisement
• The Fifty-Third Chapter
• God's Grace Is Not Given to the Earthly Minded
• The Fifty-Fourth Chapter
• The Different Motions of Nature and Grace
• The Fifty-Fifth Chapter
• The Corruption of Nature and the Efficacy of Divine Grace
• The Fifty-Sixth Chapter
• We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ Through Bearing the Cross
• The Fifty-Seventh Chapter
• A Man Should Not Be Too Downcast When He Falls Into Defects
• The Fifty-Eighth Chapter
• High Matters and the Hidden Judgments of God Are Not to Be Scrutinized
• The Fifty-Ninth Chapter
• All Hope and Trust Are to Be Fixed In God Alone
• BOOK FOUR -- AN INVITATION TO HOLY COMMUNION
• The First Chapter
• The Great Reverence With Which We Should Receive Christ
• The Second Chapter
• God's Great Goodness and Love is Shown to Man in This Sacrament
• The Third Chapter
• It Is Profitable to Receive Communion Often
• The Fourth Chapter
• Many Blessings Are Given Those Who Receive Communion Worthily
• The Fifth Chapter
• The Dignity of the Sacrament and of the Priesthood
• The Sixth Chapter
• An Inquiry on the Proper Thing to Do Before Communion
• The Seventh Chapter
• The Examination of Conscience and the Resolution to Amend
• The Eighth Chapter
• The Offering of Christ on the Cross; Our Offering
• The Ninth Chapter
• We Should Offer Ourselves and All That We Have to God, Praying for All
• The Tenth Chapter
• Do Not Lightly Forego Holy Communion
• The Eleventh Chapter
• The Body of Christ and Sacred Scripture Are Most Necessary to a Faithful Soul
• The Twelfth Chapter
• The Communicant Should Prepare Himself for Christ with Great Care
• The Thirteenth Chapter
• With All Her Heart the Devout Soul Should Desire Union with Christ in the Sacrament
• The Fourteenth Chapter
• The Ardent Longing of Devout Men for the Body of Christ
• The Fifteenth Chapter
• The Grace of Devotion is Acquired Through Humility and Self-Denial
• The Sixteenth Chapter
• We Should Show Our Needs to Christ and Ask His Grace
• The Seventeenth Chapter
• The Burning Love and Strong Desire to Receive Christ
• The Eighteenth Chapter
• Man Should Not Scrutinize This Sacrament in Curiosity, But Humbly Imitate Christ and Submit Reason to Holy Faith