Old piety rundown for seminarians

A commenter asked me to give a list of 10 books I would recommend to seminarians that would help to foster an ascetical life. Not counting the Gospels and the Fathers of the Church, and really off the top of my head, I would suggest:
  • The Imitation of Christ
  • St Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life
  • Lorenzo Scupoli - Spiritual Combat
  • Luiz of Granada - The Sinner's Guide
  • Louis de Montfort - True devotion to Mary
  • St Alphonsus Liguori - anything he wrote but particularly his sermons
  • Cardinal Manning - The Eternal Priesthood
  • Dom Chautard - The Soul of the Apostolate
  • E Escribano - The Priest at Prayer (if you can find a copy)
  • The manual for students at your own seminary (or more or less any seminary in the Latin Church) from any time before 1940
Many of the above are, of course, reprinted by TAN. In your seminary library, if you spend some time in the spiritual books section among the older books that are perhaps tucked away on high shelves, you may well find some original copies tucked away.

(Note that the above are intended to indicate books that will help "kick-start" you on a good ascetical life in preparation for the priesthood. If you do not have a good course which covers the spiritual classics, it would be good to get a copy of Tanquerey's "The Spiritual Life" and the works of St Teresa and St John of the Cross.)

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