An introduction to traditional Catholic spirituality, for those looking for the wisdom of the Church ...
The Ordinary Path to Holiness re-presents the treasure of Catholic spirituality.
The Ordinary Path to Holiness by R. Thomas Richard		YES - WE ARE CALLED TO HOLINESS... The vocation to holiness is real - Jesus Christ is the way. Our journey is to the Holy Trinity in Him. Our path is a life worthy of His name. The ordinary path to holiness is a way left to us by Christ, entrusted to His Church, lived by the great and humble saints of our Christian history, and is our most important human need! We need to find our way to Him, to journey to holiness in Him to find the fullness of His life as human persons. But HOW? How do we "work out our salvation"? What are we to expect along the journey? The Ordinary Path to Holiness is also a book. In this book, the way found and lived by the great saints is described: the way proven in the crucible of the heroes of the Faith. The way is walked in stages: three stages. Each stage of the journey has its own graces and trials; each has its own opportunities and difficulties. Listen to an audio interview of Thomas Richard on EWTN's Bookmark, with Doug Keck, on this book! (RealPlayer needed.)
To see the Table of Contents, scroll down...
This book may be ordered from: Alba House -- Amazon -- Barnes & Noble -- EWTN Religious Catalogue

The first (1999) printing of The Ordinary Path to Holiness by R. Thomas Richard Conversion Publishing, Norwich CT
Paperback, 192 pgs, ISBN 0-9759466-1-7. Remaining inventory may be made available soon. Email Fidelis Publications for information.

This is a book for life-long Catholics seeking a deeper interior life... "The Ordinary Path to Holiness will be an immense help in understanding the spiritual journey for anyone who is beginning to make progress in the spiritual life. It will also be a good review for those familiar with the Catholic literature on this important subject."                                    Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, Founder of The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal "For the Catholic seeking holiness this book will open a world of spiritual treasures (the riches of Christ and His saints). After reading The Ordinary Path to Holiness, the reader will be better prepared to drink from the deep fountains of spiritual wisdom found in the teachings of the great Catholic mystics and saints."                                                                                     Review in The Catholic Faith magazine ...and for converts to the Faith... "Many converts struggle in the transition from their previous spiritualities into the sometimes debilitating width, depth, breadth and height of Catholic mystical spirituality. Where does one begin? I believe that this is the best summary of basic Catholic spirituality I have found yet, and therefore is a great place to begin."                                                                 Marcus Grodi, Founder of The Coming Home Network ...an integral presentation: "Profound and practical, The Ordinary Path to Holiness shares an approach to the spiritual life that integrates Scripture, liturgy and doctrine. This book feeds both head and heart."                                                             Scott Hahn, Founder of Institute of Applied Biblical Studies Reviews: National Catholic Register, March 30 - April 5, 2003: "Sanctity: It isn't just for priests and nuns anymore. This, roughly, is how the average American Catholic perceived the Second Vatican Council's teaching about the universal call to holiness. An explosion of books, periodicals, workshops and tapes on spirituality followed, often testifying more to a hunger for novelty than to an understanding of, or interest in, spiritual theology. Eclecticism (a little centering prayer, a few breathing exercises, etc.) encouraged a cafeteria-Catholicism mentality. In recent years the Vatican has had to respond to the centrifugal forces by issuing specific warnings about Eastern meditation and New Age spirituality. It is refreshing then, to read The Ordinary Path to Holiness, a book firmly rooted in the tradition of Catholic spiritual theology. The author, R. Thomas Richard, a married layman, has 'been elsewhere; done those things: Before returning to the Church, he served as a Protestant pastor, earned a graduate degree and worked in religious education. He is a well-qualified guide for the many Catholic lay people who are unaware of the spiritual riches in their own tradition. 'Catholic spirituality... is universal ('catholic') in scope; it is truly human in subject, having God as object,' he writes. 'It has developed over many centuries, through the lived experience, holiness, and wisdom of many true saints. Catholic spirituality is wisdom learned in the crucible of divine testing and purifiction. It is simply Christianity, revealed to His holy ones in the experience of their life-offering.' The great strength of this book lies in its description of sanctification as a slow and 'ordinary' spiritual development. Since the early days of the Church, homilies and treatises have noted three stages of spiritual growth: the beginners, the proficient (those making progress) and the perfect. Richard helpfully compares these stages to phases in a person's development from childhood to adulthood. 'The onset of rationality, separating infancy from childhood, is analogous to conversion and acceptance of God -- a most rational human act,' he writes. To each group God offers a 'way' of advancing. The purgative way purifies those who are just setting out on their journey to the Father. The illuminative way enlightens those who are committed to Christ so they may better understand and obey the Lord. The unitive way leads the devout soul to mystical union with the Trinity. This 'ordinary' progress of the Christian soul is clearly presented, relying on classical works of spirituality by St. Teresa of Avila and the theological synthesis of the 20th-century Dominican Father Garrigou-Lagrange. Richard's book is at the same time up-to-date, quoting extensively from Vatican II documents and the new Catechism. In the later chapters, Richard discusses Scripture, prayer and the sacraments as means of preserving and nourishing the life of the soul. The excellent section on the Eucharist examines a wealth of New Testament passages. The pages on marriage, though inspiring, are less thorough. In a final chapter, 'Holiness in Suffering and Dying,' the author relates the anointing of the sick and everyday difficulties and crosses to the mystery of kenosis: Christ's self-emptying and sacrifice for our salvation. Read this book and see why, if you want to grow spiritually, there's no place like the Catholic faith. Even if -- or maybe especially if -- you're just an 'ordinary' Christian." -Michael J. Miller --Crux of the News, January 27, 2003 "Finding God Ordinarily: While we are all born into the world, we are reborn into God's love at baptism. But it is through our ordinary seeking that we can fulfill our life's mission: To become part of a new creation, closer to God. The Ordinary Path to Holiness by convert and former college professor, R. Thomas Richard, now director of ministry formation for the Diocese of Norwich, CT, charts a way through spiritual growth that explores similarities to physical and emotional growth and explains the stages our spiritual lives go through to reach our ultimate goal. Also, by using scripture and prayer (interior thoughts and exterior actions) and the sacraments and the Mass, Christians seeking holiness can find their way from the beginning, or purgative stage, through the proficient, or illuminative stage, to the perfect, or unitive stage, while on their journey. An interesting chapter brings together the seven petitions of the traditional 'Our Father' with the interior journey of the soul written by St. Teresa of Avila."