Hello Everyone!  Are you ready to begin reading our Lenten book!  This year it is The Imitation of Christ (or De imitatione Christi), by Thomas à Kempis written about1418.

Why have I chosen The Imitation of Christ?  Well,  many reasons.  Supposedly, it is the second best selling book after the Bible.  The number of editions and translations exceed 2000.  It is widely read by both Catholics and Protestants.  It was written by an Augustinian Canon.  It is one of my favorite books. And the list can go on and on.

It is a manual of devotion (from the Devotio Moderna school of writing) and is written to help one pursue holiness and communion with God.  It is not an easy book.  Each chapter is short, but asks a lot.  It was intended as a spiritual path for Canons and other religious.  The style of writing is in the form of a disciple talking to Christ.  Christ is sometimes a speaker in the book.  This is part of the school of writing and not some sort of revelation received by the author.

The ideas expressed in the book come from the Bible, the works of St. Augustine and his Rule, and other Church Fathers.  The book is not very well footnoted.  So it is hard to discern where the idea comes from.  In fact, the other day I found a sentence from St. Augustine’s Confessions that was not footnoted.

I think I got my first copy of the book when I was 13 or so (I still have that one and it is the one I normally read).  Since then I have struggled to read it.  It is difficult.  Not because of the language.  But, because it is a very strict way of life.  It is the basis of how I try to live my life as a follower of Christ.

Please join me in reading Book 1 during this Lent and Easter.  I will post a chapter (they are very, very short) every Wednesday and Friday.  Sometimes, I may make comments on the chapter.

It will all start on Wednesday this week.