3 Books to Help You Grow Spiritually in 2024
“Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink” (John 7:37).
In these early months of the year, many of us spend time pondering, “How can I develop my physical health? My hobbies? My career?” During this reflective season, let’s not forget the most important aspect of our life: our spiritual development.
How Can I Grow Spiritually?
One simple answer is to look to the saints and other holy people from the past. Many of them left spiritual guides for us in the works they wrote. These are the great spiritual classics, which include the works of Saints Catherine of Siena, Louis de Montfort, Ignatius of Loyola, Teresa of Ávila, and John of the Cross.
If you’re like me—a busy mother juggling a million things—it can be difficult to prioritize reading all of the spiritual classics. The good news is that you do not need to in order to gain insight into spiritual life and its practices.
There’s Always a Simpler Way
I propose a shorter reading list. By my estimate, these books take about 69 hours and 52 minutes to read:
Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales
True Devotion to Mary, by St. Louis de Montfort
The Interior Castle, by St. Teresa of Ávila
Lives of the Saints, by Alban Butler
Ascent of Mount Carmel, by St. John of the Cross
The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena
The Spiritual Exercises, by St. Ignatius of Loyola
If almost 70 hours of reading is out of the question this year, though, you’ll want an even shorter reading list.
I should note here that I am not trying to discourage you from reading these great spiritual works. They are a treasure trove that holds a cascade of spiritual wisdom handed down through the centuries. They will be relevant for this year as they will be for centuries to come.
For a shorter list, I have chosen three books filled with spiritual instruction and insight. They are not long in length or complicated for the layperson, but readers who put the contents of these books into practice will gain profound insights into their own spiritual development. They are simple for anyone to understand and implement in their lives.
What Is the Spiritual Life?
My first recommendation for your spiritual development journey in 2024 is Introduction to the Spiritual Life. Author Brant Pitre is well known for his biblical commentaries. He draws from Jewish spirituality and the historical context of the Gospels.
In this book, Pitre describes the practices needed for our spiritual development as Catholics, including vocal prayer, meditation, contemplation, and the opposing virtues of the seven capital sins. He derives these practices from the great spiritual classics.
Pitre also contrasts spiritual theology to Biblical studies: “I knew immediately it would be on spiritual theology. However, because my doctoral research was in Biblical studies, I chose to focus on the scriptural roots of Christian spirituality,” he writes.
Introduction to the Spiritual Life isn’t long. The audiobook version is less than eight hours long. If you’re a listener of audiobooks, finishing this book within a month should not be difficult. The book is also broken down into short chapters, which makes it easy to read in bite-sized portions.
In the first section, you’ll learn about the three forms of prayer and the stages of spiritual growth. Then, you’ll learn how and why you should develop the virtues that oppose the seven capital sins.
Developing Good Habits—the Franciscan Way
After you’ve finished Introduction to a Spiritual Life by Brant Pitre, my next recommendation is about the spiritual habits of daily life. The book is Habits for Holiness: Small Steps for Making Big Spiritual Progress by Father Mark-Mary Ames.
Father Mark-Mary Ames is a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal who is known for the many videos he does with Ascension Presents offering advice on different aspects of Catholic life. In his book, Fr. Mark-Mary Ames shows readers what Franciscan spirituality looks like for a layperson.
He explains each principle of the Franciscan life in detail. You’ll learn about prayer, community, liturgical living, simplicity, mission, and the baptismal call. “These pillars will provide us with a model to follow for living radical discipleship in the world. They will provide strategy and application,” he writes in the introduction.
The motto for this book is “poco a poco”—“little by little” in Spanish. Which is exactly how we develop in our spiritual journey! It is a great spiritual guide for anyone seeking to sanctify their daily life.
Bite-Sized Daily Reading for Liturgical and Spiritual Wisdom
Love: A Fruit Always in Season: Daily Meditations by Mother Teresa (edited by Dorothy S. Hunt) is a perfect spiritual guide for even the busiest people.
St. Teresa of Kolkata was a holy servant of the poor with the heart of a teacher, and she frequently shared her wisdom with the world. Her diction was simple and universally understood, but the meaning of her words was always profound.
Each one of us is a Co-Worker of Christ, the branch on that vine, so what does it mean for you and me to be a Co-Worker of Christ? It means to abide in His love, to have His joy, to spread His compassion, to be a witness to His presence in the world.
Many of Mother Teresa’s reflections have been recorded and organized liturgically in this daily meditation book. Each meditation is a single quote or paragraph long, and the book is structured with a lot of blank space between reflections. This format gives the reader the space to reflect on Mother Teresa’s wisdom.
If you miss a day or even an entire liturgical season (like I have), you can skip ahead to the next section. Each section is short, well organized, and easy to navigate. I have picked up this book repeatedly for liturgical seasons like Advent or Lent. It’s a book I love to revisit.
Ana K. Perez is a Catholic wife, mom to two daughters, and a freelance writer. She received a certification from the Pastoral Formation Institute at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas. She loves her family, homeschooling her children, volunteering in parish ministries, music, blogging, and reading. Connect with Ana on LinkedIn, her writing portfolio website, and blog.