/cathlit/ - Catholic Literature General - Advent Edition

[Anonymous No.19484135]

General thread for discussing all literature related to the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church. Post your current reads, recommendation requests, and questions here.

[!] Happy first week of Advent! Reminder that the Eastern Catholic churches are currently in the second week of the Nativity Fast (also called St. Phillip's Fast). If you wish to deepen your prayer life and discipline, it is a very edifying practice to join along, even if starting late. See here for more information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_Fast [!]

>The Vatican website
https://www.vatican.va/content/vatican/en.html

>Catechism of the Catholic Church
https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM

>Catholic Resources
Catholic Encyclopedia - https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia
Church Fathers -https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/
Aquinas Study Bible - Patristic Bible Commentary - https://sites.google.com/site/aquinasstudybible/home
Leonine Prayers - http://www.dailycatholic.org/leonine.htm
Prayers that Carry Indulgences - https://stfrancisnewtonparish.com/prayers-that-carry-indulgences-granted-by-the-church/
List of Dogmas of the Catholic Church - http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/A-List-Of-The-Dogmas-Of-The-Catholic-Church.pdf
Ed Feser on the Cosmological Argument - https://edwardfeser.blogspot.com/2012/07/cosmological-argument-roundup.html

>Catholic News Services
https://www.catholicnews.com/
https://www.ncronline.org/
https://www.lifesitenews.com

Let us remember to be charitable, friendly, loving, humble, and patient - not just to our fellow Catholics, but to the Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, Hindus, atheists/agnostics/skeptics, and Buddhists who may enter this thread.
"The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another." (Gal. 5:19-26)

Previous thread: >>19460669

[Anonymous No.19484157]

About to read Colossians and probably the remaining Pauline epistles today. Already pondering what I'll do after I finish the Bible.

[Anonymous No.19484178]

>>19484157
Advent is the perfect season to practice what you have learned - go out to the city and volunteer at a food bank or homeless shelter, go hand out gloves and hats if you live in an area with cold winters, help out at your church, etc. Besides that, in my opinion, reading the Apostolic Fathers is the logical next step after reading the New Testament! God bless, brother.

[Anonymous No.19484924]

>>19484178
Amen

[Anonymous No.19485333]

Post your favourite hymns, poems, or quotations from the fathers:

"Hear about the type that was revealed in Egypt,
hear about what is revealed and hidden in Zion.
Our Lord humiliated Sheol and Error;
he utterly defeated Death and Satan.
For our Lord split apart Error, which was in Sheol
in order to teach what is hidden through what is revealed.
Just as he split Sheol by revealed things,
so also did he split Error by hidden things.
Just as he defeated visible Death,
so also did he defeat Satan invisibly.
Many saw that the graves were split,
but they did not see that Satan was defeated.
Through what is near, he gave a demonstration
of what was hidden and far away.
For although Death will be defeated in the end,
on that Friday, [Death] killed the one who gives life to all.
When the people repented, Satan was ashamed;
but on that Friday, he strangled the one who conquers all.
Egypt was frightened by the paschal lamb;
the lamb who was killed [also] killed [Egypt's] firstborn.
Error was frightened because it saw
the lamb of truth that exposed his deceits.
Sheol also heard [the lamb], and [Sheol's] heart burst
because of the living voice that gave life to her dead.
The paschal lamb only defeated Egypt;
the true lamb defeated Error and Sheol.
In visible Sheol, he split apart Error
so that they blamed each other that they had been defeated.
Because of the paschal lamb, Pharaoh lamented;
he mourned over his first born, the first of his children.
Because of the true lamb, the evil one lamented
that Adam was made righteous, the first of the sinners.
Because of the living lamb, death lamented
that Abel was raised, the original firstborn.
[The Lamb] conquered Satan through visible Death
so that they proclaimed to one another that the one [lamb] had
defeated them.
Behold the simple powers in the typological lamb
and the double victory of the true lamb!
Thus the people was ashamed because it was not convinced
[by] the many mediators who had stood in its midst
For [the people] was not convinced [by] its own paschal symbols,
which are engraved and stamped on our paschal lamb.
Even the teachers were ashamed that they alienated the Son,
for behold, they neglected the Law and all its imprints.
Behold, the prophets bore, like servants,
examples of the Messiah who rules over all.
Nature and Scripture bore together
symbols of his humanity and his divinity.
Thus were the people ashamed! For their covenants
were made into a mirror for our covenants.
But to you be worship, O Lord of our passover,
because the passover in Egypt declared your symbol.
Again to you be praise, O Lord of the prophets,
because all of your prophets declared your types.
To you be thanks, O Lord of nature,
because all of nature worships you completely." (St. Ephrem the Syrian, Hymns on the Unleavened Bread)

[Anonymous No.19485711]

is catholicism comptible with misanthropy? I'm sure many eremites' and canonized saints' primary reason for solitary life was to avoid bother by fleshly servants of satan. Can christian charity be realized without direct interaction by only prayer and donating money?

[Anonymous No.19485840]

>>19485711
Misanthropy is directly contradicted by the teachings of Christ, who preached love of neighbour even when they persecute you - Christ says, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." All annoyances and hatred which we are faced with when dealing with other humans are, in fact, opportunities for us to develop and grow as humans, and perfect our souls in the quest for kenosis and theosis. It is only through hardship and suffering that one can grow, and the fact that one experiences more hatred than average is an indication that they have a lot of growth to go through in the areas of unconditional love and charity, in their imitation of Christ.

I have a story I would like to share - unfortunately, I could not remember which saint's life it comes from. Hopefully it can help. It goes something like this:
There was once a monk who lived in a cenobitic community with his fellow monks. He found himself frequently frustrated by how his practice of silence and prayer was often disturbed by his fellow monks, and so he asked his abba for permission to go into the forest, to have greater solitude. His abba granted that request, and the man went out. He felt such great peace, being alone, and finally removed from the distractions of his brother monks. So great was his happiness, that he felt like he would never want to go back to the monastery. One day, as he was alone in contemplation, he knocked over and broke his jar of water, which he walked down and up the hill to fill up every morning. He suddenly felt a great anger well up in him at this mistake, a greater anger than he ever had in the community of his brothers - he was furious. After the anger passed, he had the realization that his frustration was not because of his brothers, but was a sickness of his own soul - and that no matter how far into solitude he went, he would only be carrying it with him, and letting it fester. The only way for him to cure this sickness would be to go back to his community of brothers, where he would be able to face it every day, and so overcome it. And so he went back, with a newfound humility and tranquility of mind.

[Anonymous No.19486431]

>>19484157
I just recently read through all of the Pauline epistles, anon. It was a great exercise. I particularly noticef St. Paul's focus on the power of Christ to liberate us from the oppression of the spiritual powers that oppose us.

[Anonymous No.19487039]

>>19484135
I watched Diary of a Country Priest directed by Robert Bresson recently. It was pretty good. I recommend all devout Catholics to check it out.

[Anonymous No.19487076]

I am now on Book 7 of St. Augustine's Confessions. This is a more philosophical portion, and is a bit slow going, but I am going to stick with it. May you all have a blessed Advent.

"For who else is it who calls us back from the death of all errors except the life which does not know how to die and the wisdom which gives light to minds that need it, although it itself has no need of light--by which the whole universe is governed, even to the fluttering leaves of the trees?" -- Augustine speaking of God in the Confessions, 7.6.8.

[Anonymous No.19487149]

>>19484135
reading: divine comedy, grammar of assent, book of enoch, bishop barron's advent reflections of 2020 (forgot to read it last year). scripture: just finish james, starting malichi. finished picrelated a couple weeks ago. comments, questions, anxieties welcome. otherwise bump.

happy advent brothers, make straight your paths.

[Anonymous No.19487204]

>>19487149
Nice. How was Mere Christianity compared to something more explicitly Catholic? And are you using a print version of Enoch, or this one?: https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe

[Anonymous No.19487283]

>>19487204
>https://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/boe
i think mere was a great christianity 101. a lot of in-the-pew catholics would benefit from reading it. nothing new for me theologically but some great analogies and sound logic. fairly quick read and good to check off the list so you can recommend it to other people.

i was able to find Enoch in epub form and then i used calibre to convert it to mobi for my kindle. essentially the same as linked but no break between chapters. skimmed a couple lines and it looks like the same translation.

[Anonymous No.19487316]

>>19487283
Nice. I'm not sure if there is a full Book of Enoch in print, so I've always wondered about just taking that link, formatting its text into a "Bible" layout in InDesign, and then sending it to Lulu to print. Same for just like the "Gospel of James."

[Anonymous No.19487368]

so is it a normal thing to meet with a priest so you can see if he wants to be your spiritual advisor? Also do most of them know about the great catholic monarch prophesy?

[Anonymous No.19487495]

>>19487316
i don't see why not. it's not like it's copywritten or anything so you could even get it done at a print shop. might be easier to just buy if you're looking for a hard copy. if you want i can try to retrace my steps on the version i got.

>>19487368
i think in some circles it is normal. it's more like if he has the time to be your spiritual advisor. you should probably approach it like that he might have you meet with another priest/seminarian/ or just a well catechised lay. personally i've been thinking i'd like spiritual direction from a priest but i've moved around too much the last few years to really get to know my priests. if it works out consider yourself lucky knowing my case.

>great catholic monarch prophesy
not sure what that is.

[Anonymous No.19487510]

>>19484135
Is anyone here familiar with Catherine Doherty? She was a Russian Orthodox immigrant to Canada, converted to Catholicism, and founded 'The Friendship Houses' in Toronto. It was like a poor home but with a greater emphasis on companionship as well as being Catholic.
The Freindship Houses turned into what is now called Madonna House, and it's headquarter moved to rural northern Ontario. The spirit of the place is the same except now the place is a farming community which will except pretty much anyone to come and stay, and do what work they can do. My family has ties with the place and the people there, it's really great, there are tons of priests there, some in eastern rites. A lot of the guest workers are Korean for some reason, it has a reputation over there. Any way the place is the coziest thing you can imagine and if you go there you'll eat the best food you've ever had (homegrown), and will meet interesting people.
That's just to give a backround of Catherine Doherty, she wrote a lot, especially Marian writings which she described as..
'The air we breath.'
and she made a great emphasis on her conviction of just how important Mary is to the Catholic faith. She disliked saying she has a devotion to Mary, as she found it too essential and implicit, There's a writing where she describes how interwoven Mary is with the trinity..
Daughter of the Father
Mother of the Son
Bride of the Holy Spirit
To her this exemplifies how Mary is humanities perfection, and as our representative she alone has the perfect and complete relationship with the Trinity.
I could see her being suggested for canonization, but I could see how some of her Marian writings could be seen as going to far, and perhaps there are, what do you think. I could try and find more quotes and such if anyones interested.

[Anonymous No.19487549]

>>19487495
>not sure what that is.
boy are you in for a show tonight
https://ia902602.us.archive.org/6/items/CatholicProphecy/CatholicProphecy.pdf

[Anonymous No.19487638]

>>19484135
I recently discovered I love to draw, and to me the most beautiful thing is the female form. I'm not a faggot so I'll do nude studies, but obviously I'm a reformed coomer, so it's treachorous ground I feel. What is your advice, how can one tastefully and respectfully capture feminine beauty without it being a near occasion of sin?

[Anonymous No.19487652]

>>19487495
>might be easier to just buy if you're looking for a hard copy
The problem is, seemingly every copy of the Book of Enoch in print is incomplete, skipping dozens of chapters or only having single, disjointed verses from a single chapter.

[Anonymous No.19487845]

any based Byzantine bros here?

[Anonymous No.19488576]

Catholic bros - I was banned from /ck/ for this post.

>>/ck/thread/S17053688#p17062956

I wouldn't care but I wrote another good post and being banned I cannot post it. I'm posting it here because I didn't write it for nothing, I hope someone enjoys it.

>>17062946
God is omnipresent and sees everything. The act of masturbation is grossly disordered. We exist in this life not to gratify animal passions. Giving into them is not an act of autonomy, it is an act of surrender and self-abasement, and it is infinite insult to an infinite God, and even once merits an infinite punishment. It is an irrevocable stain on the fabric of reality which God perceives not linearly but at all times. This universe only exists for us to perceive reality and chose the ultimate and highest good over inferior pleasures. The consequence for their gratification and choosing them as the highest end, merit witness so judgement can be inflicted. God's magnanimity exceeds it and can be forgiven if one has true disgust, hatred, and abhorrence over having ever done it and wishes to unite his will to his creators in the act of repentance and confession, preferring death to ever repeat the sin again.

[Anonymous No.19489617]

>>19488576
I enjoyed it, brother. /ck/ should repent.

[Anonymous No.19490256]

>>19487638
In my opinion, you should stay away from doing nude studies until you have been abstinent from masturbation for quite a while. There are an innumerable amount of beautiful things to draw, and while the human form might be the pinnacle of beauty, it is not worth risking your immortal soul over. It's playing with fire - why risk it, when the reward is non-existent, and the potential loss is infinite?

>>19488576
I thought it was pretty succinct. Thanks for posting.

[Anonymous No.19490692]

>>19488576
>preferring death to ever repeat the sin again.
Amen brother

[Anonymous No.19491372]

>>19488576
you people are worse than nofappers.

[Anonymous No.19491585]

do you need to light candles when praying to an altar?

[Anonymous No.19491824]

>>19491372
t. coomer

[Anonymous No.19492496]

>>19484135
Religious discussion /his/ has devolved into schizos and LARPagans spamming the bored with low effort threads. I think I'm just staying here.

[Anonymous No.19492670]

>>19492496
Can't forget the tripfag forcing his way into every discussion and pretending to have a doctorate in theology.

[Anonymous No.19492681]

>>19485711
>is catholicism comptible with misanthropy?
No, that's protestant stuff.

[Anonymous No.19492721]

Does anyone else watch "Ancient Egypt and the Bible"?

[Anonymous No.19492754]

>>19492496
/his/ is a complete shame of a board
Fuck them

[Anonymous No.19492819]

>>19492721
Yes, I love the information from Dr. Falk. He's been really helpful in teaching one how to construct a historically accurate framework for the Exodus, Conquest, and United Monarchy.

[Anonymous No.19493213]

Not Catholic but here's a serious question: if a couple Religion of Peace refugees break into my home and start rape-torturing my wife and kids, am I supposed to stand and watch?

[Anonymous No.19493228]

catholics are really out here stinking up the board preferring aesthetics and federated authorized pencil pusher pederasty to spirit and direct connection to God

[Anonymous No.19493349]

>>19493213
Nope, you kill them if necessary. Doesn't mean you won't still feel the wounds of killing in your soul, but it does mean you can.
>Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility. (CCC 2265)
While this paragraph specifically refers to the defense of the civil community, it also applies to the family. If someone is presenting a clear danger to the lives of your wife and children, you have the right and duty to do whatever is necessary to render them harmless— even if it means killing them. And that leads me to my next point.

As for lethal force...
>Love toward oneself remains a fundamental principle of morality. Therefore it is legitimate to insist on respect for one's own right to life. Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow: If a man in self-defense uses more than necessary violence, it will be unlawful: whereas if he repels force with moderation, his defense will be lawful. . . . Nor is it necessary for salvation that a man omit the act of moderate self-defense to avoid killing the other man, since one is bound to take more care of one’s own life than of another’s. (CCC 2264)
The Catechism spells out that lethal force can be justified if one is left with no other choice. Killing should be a last resort, however, after everything else has been tried. But if there is no other option to protect yourself or your family, then lock and load, and aim for the head.

[Anonymous No.19493378]

>>19493213
Read the 'Jesuit oath', smoothbrain and then come back and let us know what you think on the matter.

[Anonymous No.19493465]

A-any based Byzantine rire bros?

[Anonymous No.19493471]

>>19493465
Trent Horn.

[Anonymous No.19493551]

>>19493378
>smoothbrain
Why do you insult me for asking a question in earnest?

[Anonymous No.19493561]

>>19493349
So all Christian denominations pretty much agree on this, although this discourse is often mixed up with war, armies, American gun ownership politics, etc.
Surprised that there's a NT passage where Jesus whips (or threatens to whip) tax collectors out of a temple. Is there a possibility that "sell your cloak and buy yourself a sword may be misinterpreted?" It does make sense that "turn the other cheek" may refer to the pursuit of vengeance, and not resistance to assault.

[Anonymous No.19493565]

>>19493561
Misplaced quotation marks there

[Anonymous No.19493575]

>>19493561
the sword verse has to be read in the light of prophecy, its not a call to arms.

[Anonymous No.19493580]

>>19493575
I would exclude it's a metaphor, the apostles literally produce two swords and Jesus says "these will do". Of course not a call to arms since they were basically beggars with little other than their clothing, and the word used in Greek means "short sword or dagger", so it only makes sense that it refers to the fact that they may need to defend themselves.

[Anonymous No.19493709]

Cathbros, any advice on stopping Lust and Sloth? I'm going to confession soon and I'm trying to sober up and get my shit together.

I actually like to read oddly enough so any good book recommendations?

[Anonymous No.19493748]

>>19493709
Protip: go on the main catalog for /lit/, select "filters" and add two filters, the first will be (in your case):
/\/cathlit\//
and check the "top" box. the second filter will be:
*
and check the "hide" box
if you want to search for a specific topic, you can use the "search" function, it will show you the threads that match what you type, so you can search, e.g. "bible" and you will only see threads that mention "bible" in the catalog, ignoring the filter
you're welcome

[Anonymous No.19493754]

(make sure that the * filter is at the bottom)

[Anonymous No.19493760]

Another tip is that you can access 4chan through typing (or bookmarking) a specific keyword, e.g.

https://boards.4channel.org/lit/cathlit

This will open /lit/ with a search for "cathlit". Sadly it doesn't work for strings unless you want to add the longform code for spaces, but for single words it's fine

https://boards.4channel.org/lit/bible

[Anonymous No.19494583]

Bump

[Anonymous No.19494720]

>>19493465
I attend a Byzantine Rite church for Divine Liturgy, but canonically I'm in the Latin Church. How are you enjoying the Nativity Fast?

>>19493551
He probably thought you were an anti-Christian agitator. Christian doctrine in general is often misunderstood to be "cucked" because of misinterpretation of "turn the other cheek", and he probably thought you were attempting to hide such a criticism under the guise of a question. I apologize on his behalf! Feel free to ask any more questions.

>>19493709
I suggest reading the Sayings of the Desert Fathers, which contains the distilled wisdom of centuries of early monastics who dealt with similar situations. Another reccomendation would be "The Spiritual Combat" (or "The Unseen Warfare") by Dom Lorenzo Scipoli, which is a classic in spiritual warfare-type topics. There is also a TAN Books manual called "Manual for Conquering Deadly Sin", that seems like it is well-suited for your questions. I can post some passages from any of these, if you'd like a sample.

[Anonymous No.19495119]

>>19494720
I admit the question reads that way now that I look at it again, so it was my fault I guess.

[Anonymous No.19495145]

>>19493378
this reads like a protestant black propaganda smear. 'crush their babes heads', 'extirpate the heretical race'. is this even real? if it is, how the fuck is this justifiable using the teachings of christ?

islam has holy war as the revealed doctrine directly dispensed from god. and that same doctrine includes restraint, mercy and anathema upon anyone who harms innocents (women, children, the disabled, old people). where do christians get their doctrine for holy war or violence from? 'swords to ploughshares' abrogates any old testament militancy. if war as a christian is justified using scholastic theology, how can this not clash with the christian bible's narrative on Jesus' pacifism and prevention of Peter from harming/fighting back against Jesus' persecutors?

[Anonymous No.19495511]

>If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
how true is this? would you only jerk off and eat pizza if christianity was proven wrong tomorrow?
ancient greece and rome managed to have impressive civilizations without promise of a reward in the afterlife

[Anonymous No.19495643]

>>19495145
>is this even real? if it is, how the fuck is this justifiable using the teachings of christ?
It is not real - it is literally an anti-Catholic document that is propagated in Protestant circles to justify conspiracy theories. You can read more about the two variants that are commonly used here: http://www.evangelizationstation.com/htm_html/Anti-Catholicism/jesuit_oath_debunked.htm
>where do christians get their doctrine for holy war or violence from?
Just War theory, generally as codified by St. Thomas Aquinas. See this link for further information (which includes references to the relevant Summa Theologiae questions: https://aquinasonline.com/just-war/))

>>19495511
>how true is this?
Without a moral structure coming from the ultimate reality at the top of the hierarchy of being (God), all morals are made essentially meaningless, which leads directly to deconstruction and absurdity - a perpetual carnival, or "clown world" - and this invariable carries with it hedonism and despondency. So, I think it is quite right.
>ancient greece and rome managed to have impressive civilizations without promise of a reward in the afterlife
If you think there was no "promise of a reward in the afterlife" in Greek and Roman society, you don't understand their conceptions of the afterlife. See Hesiod and Homer, who are themselves retelling a much older oral tradition:
"the Elysian plain...where life is easiest for men. No snow is there, nor heavy storm, nor ever rain, but ever does Ocean send up blasts of the shrill-blowing West Wind that they may give cooling to men." (Homer, Odyssey 4)
"And they live untouched by sorrow in the islands of the blessed along the shore of deep-swirling Ocean, happy heroes for whom the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit flourishing thrice a year, far from the deathless gods, and Cronos rules over them" (Hesiod, Works and Days, 170)

[Anonymous No.19495831]

>>19495643
I have no idea where this thing that Greeks and Romans were like modern day atheists comes from.

[Anonymous No.19495952]

Which philosophers will assist me in getting closer to enlightenment? I’m in the midst of reading the Bible, but I understand that previous philosophers had developed ideas on God and Jesus.

I already have Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Bernard of Clairvaux. Anyone else?

[Anonymous No.19496001]

>>19495952
The guidance of a spiritual father/spiritual director/confessor, is all that is needed. If you seek to be perfect (a saint), follow the evangelical counsels that Christ says to do in this life to attain perfection in this life. If you want further knowledge on methods of contemplation and prayer, you can ask your spiritual father to help. Making reading a prerequisite will only retard your progress. Speak to your local parish priest about finding a spiritual director, and work with him to try and discern God's will for you. Do not make needless barriers for yourself in making a deep reading list as a requirement. Somebody who cannot read, without any library, and indeed even without the Bible, can reach sainthood in this life with the help of a good spiritual director.

In the meantime, or while you wait, biographies of religious people are often helpful. I would suggest reading Augustine's Confessions, Bonaventure's Life of St. Francis, Therese of Liseux's Story of a Soul, etc.

"There is naturally in every man a desire to know, but what profiteth knowledge without the fear of God? Better of a surety is a lowly peasant who serveth God, than a proud philosopher who watcheth the stars and neglecteth the knowledge of himself. He who knoweth himself well is vile in his own sight; neither regardeth he the praises of men. If I knew all the things that are in the world, and were not in charity, what should it help me before God, who is to judge me according to my deeds?
Rest from inordinate desire of knowledge, for therein is found much distraction and deceit. Those who have knowledge desire to appear learned, and to be called wise. Many things there are to know which profiteth little or nothing to the soul. And foolish out of measure is he who attendeth upon other things rather than those which serve to his soul's health. Many words satisfy not the soul, but a good life refresheth the mind, and a pure conscience giveth great confidence towards God.
The greater and more complete thy knowledge, the more severely shalt thou be judged, unless thou hast lived holily. Therefore be not lifted up by any skill or knowledge that thou hast; but rather fear concerning the knowledge which is given to thee. If it seemeth to thee that thou knowest many things, and understandest them well, know also that there are many more things which thou knowest not. Be not high-minded, but rather confess thine ignorance. Why desirest thou to lift thyself above another, when there are found many more learned and more skilled in the Scripture than thou? If thou wilt know and learn anything with profit, love to be thyself unknown and to be counted for nothing.
That is the highest and most profitable lesson, when a man truly knoweth and judgeth lowly of himself. To account nothing of one's self, and to think always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom." (The Imitation of Christ, II)

[Anonymous No.19496103]

>>19495952
Marguerite Porete

[Anonymous No.19496397]

>>19495952
>Which philosophers will assist me in getting closer to enlightenment?
You have listed theologians (Augustine, Aquinas) as well as philosophers (Plato) among those you've read.

I can list some other theologians that I can highly recommended as having helped me get closer to enlightenment:

Saint Catherine of Siena, Dialogue with God the Father

Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence

And, although not written by a theologian, a very enlightening work that had a dramatic effect on my spiritual life is:

Saint Faustina, Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul