Fr. John Hardon S.J. - Treasury of Catholic Wisdom

Edited, with an Introduction and Notes, by

JOHN A. HARDON, S.J.

IGNATIUS PRESS SAN FRANCISCO

Originally published by Doubleday, a division of
Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc.
1987 John A. Hardon
All Rights Reserved

Cover art: Rose window north: Center,
Virgin holding Christ Child on her knee
surrounded by prophets, Kings, and ancestors of Christ
and high priests of Israel.
Notre Dame, Paris, France,
Used with permission of
Giraudon
Art Resource, New York

Cover by Riz Boncan Marsella

Re-printed with permission of John A. Hardon
1995 Ignatius Press, San Francisco
ISBN 978-0-89870-539-3
Library of Congress catalogue number 94-73084
Printed in the United States of America

The Didache

To the Romans
To the Philadelphians
To the Smyrnaeans
To Polycarp

The Unity of the Catholic Church

On the Doctrines

On What It Means to Call Oneself a Christian

On Morals

Homily 46 (John 6:41-53)

The Confessions

Confession

Rule for Monasteries

On the Love of God

Rule of 1223
Testament of St. Francis
Admonitions
Letter to All the Faithful
Praises of God
The Blessing for Brother Leo
Canticle of Brother Sun
Praises of the Virtues

MIRROR OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND THE PSALTER OF OUR LADY

One: On the Angelical Salutation

Two: Freedom of Mary from the Threefold Woe of Actual Sin, from the Threefold Woe of Original Misery, and from the Threefold Woe of Eternal Punishment

SUMMA THEOLOGIAE

The Existence of God

Exposition of the Apostles Creed

The Divine Comedy: Purgatorio

DIALOGUE

A Treatise of Divine Providence

IMITATION OF CHRIST

Admonitions Leading to the Inner Life

DIALOGUE CONCERNING HERESIES

Scripture and the True Faith

Truths Requisite for Salvation

Free Will and the Laws

SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

Introductory Observations

First Principle and Foundation

Daily Particular Examination of Conscience

Four Additional Directions

General Examination of Conscience

Method of Making the General Examination of Conscience

Three Methods of Prayer

Rules for the Discernment of Spirits

Rules for Thinking with the Church

EVERYMAN

THE WAY OF PERFECTION

Reflections on the Lords Prayer

COUNSELS AND SAYINGS

Counsels to a Religious for the Attainment of Perfection

Sayings of Light and Love

POEMS

Songs of the Soul in Rapture

Song of the Soul that Is Glad to Know God by Faith

Continuing the Incarnation

The Birth of Christ

INTRODUCTION TO THE DEVOUT LIFE

The Fourth Part of the Introduction

TRUE DEVOTION TO MARY

Nature of Perfect Devotion to the Blessed Virgin or Perfect Consecration to Jesus Christ

Purity and Love

Faith and Doubt

THE REAL PRESENCE

The Institution of the Eucharist

The Testament of Jesus Christ

The Testimony of the Church

The Wonderful Work of God

The Most Blessed Sacrament Is Not Loved!

Ad Mariam

Rosa Mystica

The May Magnificat

The Blessed Virgin Compared to the Air We Breathe

To My Godchild

Little Jesus

The Hound of Heaven

EUROPE AND THE FAITH

What Was the Church in the Roman Empire?

AUTOBIOGRAPHY

Towards the Heart of Charity

Thrse as Novice-Mistress

On Prayer

Thrse and Her Brothers on the Mission

Her Apostolate of Prayer

THE EVERLASTING MAN

The Riddles of the Gospel

PROGRESS AND RELIGION

Conclusion

PREFACE TO RELIGION

Faith

Hope

Charity

Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint:

The Didache is reprinted from The Didache , translated and annotated by James A. Kleist, S.J., Ph.D. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Copyright 1948 by the Reverend Johannes Quasten and the Reverend Joseph C. Plumpe. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

To the Romans, To the Philadelphians, To the Smyrnaeans, and To Polycarp by St. Ignatius of Antioch are reprinted from The Epistles of St. Clement of Rome and St. Ignatius of Antioch , translated and annotated by James A. Kleist, S.J., Ph.D. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Copyright 1946 by the Reverend Johannes Quasten and the Reverend Joseph C. Plumpe. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

The Unity of the Catholic Church by St, Cyprian is reprinted from The Lapsed and The Unity of the Catholic Church , translated and annotated by Maurice Bevenot, S.J. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

On the Doctrines by St. Cyril of Jerusalem is reprinted from The Works of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem , translated by Leo P. McCauley, S.J., and Anthony A. Stephenson. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright 1969 by The Catholic University of America Press and used with their permission.

On What It Means to Call Oneself a Christian by St. Gregory of Nyssa is reprinted from Ascetical Works , translated by Virginia Woods Callahan. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright 1967 by The Catholic University of America Press and used with their permission.

On Morals by St. Basil is reprinted from Ascetical Works , translated by Sister M. Monica Wagner, C.S.C. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright 1950 by Fathers of the Church, Inc., and used with the permission of The Catholic University of America Press.

Homily 46 by St. John Chrysostom is reprinted from Commentary on Saint John the Apostle and Evangelist , translated by Sister Thomas Aquinas Goggin, S.C.H. From The Fathers of the Church Series. Copyright 1957 by Fathers of the Church, Inc., and used with permission of The Catholic University of America Press.

Excerpts from The Confessions by St. Augustine are reprinted from The Confessions of Saint Augustine , translated by John K. Ryan. Copyright 1960 by Doubleday & Company, Inc., and used with their permission.

Confession by St. Patrick is reprinted from The Works of St. Patrick , translated by Ludwig Bieler, Ph.D. From the Ancient Christian Writers Series. Copyright 1953 by the Reverend Johannes Quasten and the Reverend Joseph C. Plumpe. Used with permission of Paulist Press.

Rule for Monasteries by St. Benedict is reprinted from St . Benedicts Rule for Monasteries , translated from the Latin by Leonard J. Doyle. Copyright 1948 by the Order of St. Benedict, Inc., and used with permission of The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.

On the Love of God by St. Bernard is reprinted from On the Love of God , translated by a Religious of C.S.M.V. Copyright 1961 by A. R. Mowbray & Co., Ltd., and used with their permission.

Rule of 1223, Testament of St. Francis, Admonitions, Letter to All the Faithful, Praises of God, The Blessing for Brother Leo, Canticle of Brother Sun, and Praises of the Virtues by St. Francis of Assist are reprinted from Omnibus of Sources . Copyright 1973 by Franciscan Herald Press and used with their permission.

Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Psalter of Our Lady (three selections) by St. Bonaventure is taken from Selected Texts on the Eternity of the World , translated by Paul M. Byrne, L.S.M. Published by V. Herder Book Co. and used with permission of Tan Books and Publishers, Inc.

The Existence of God and Exposition of the Apostles Creed by St. Thomas Aquinas are reprinted from Basic Writings of Saint Thomas Aquinas , edited by Anton C. Pegis. Copyright 1945 by Random House, Inc., and used with permission of Mr. Richard J. Pegis.