I’ve been feeling a little of the “what now?” It’s a familiar feeling of being separated from the very thing you want to be bound to (that is, Jesus), the feeling I had from outside the Church, looking in. Knowing you have to take a step, but unsure which step to take. But now that I’m inside, why do I feel a similar way? Why does this faith journey feel even harder?

I won’t say this little book solved everything, but it helped to point me in the right direction.

“[The classics] entreat us to put our trust in the purview of those who have gone before us, despite the distance of history.” —Peter John Cameron

There are many great Catholic works I want to read, but don’t have time for them all. There’s also the fear something will be beyond my comprehension, or I simply won’t connect to it. That’s where this book comes in. Each chapter is an easy-to-understand summary of a spiritual classic, which is more than just an overview—it delves into the author’s intentions, too, and isn’t afraid to touch upon each work’s more difficult topics. This helps someone like me, who wants to read everything, to pick and choose which ones to read in their completion. It narrowed down the list. Maybe.

So what were my favorites? In the interest of not spending three days writing this blog post, I’ll narrow it down to my top two (and some notes from my readings).

Revelations of Divine Love, by Julian of Norwich
We are to take delight in God, as He delights in us! We long for joy in God, and none of this is possible without understanding ourselves first—for we find self-worth through our faith, which is found in the Church.

“It is pleasing to Christ that we laugh to comfort ourselves, and that we rejoice in God because the devil is overcome.”

Interior Castle, by St. Teresa of Avila
The soul itself is a castle with many mansions, with God Himself at the center. The first mansion is farthest from God, shroud in darkness, and as we grow in Him we progress to each subsequent mansion illuminated more with His light. Moving closer to God will bring more struggles, but in that we grow in faith.

“[God] is willing to wait for us many a day and even many a year, especially when he sees perseverance and good desire in our hearts.”

This is a book to revisit from time to time, not only for these summaries but also as a reminder of God’s greatness. In condensed form.