How can Catholics living in these depraved times strive for holiness – which is what all of us are callled to, regardless of our state in life – when the whole world seems to have given in to the devil?
Much prayer and penance are certainly necessary, and, it goes without saying, God’s grace (and our cooperation with it). But we are also blessed to have glorious examples of Christian life, faith and virtue in the numerous Catholic saints – holy men and women who, following our Lord and his teaching, worked for His greater glory and for the salvation of souls. They lived and fought for the Truth, in many cases sacrificing everything, including their very lives, in defense of the faith and the Holy Mother Church.
Devotion to the saints is an important part of our faith. (For any non-Catholics: we venerate and honor the saints, but do not worship them; worship and adoration are reserved for God alone. By honoring His saints we ultimately give glory to Him. Veneration of saints and martyrs, and of their relics, is an ancient practice going back to the very first centuries of the Church.) We pray to the saints for intercession; that they, who are glorified in Heaven, may supplicate and intercede on our behalf before God to help us obtain the graces we need.
Furthermore, the saints are the best role-models for us who are still struggling here on earth, trying to live holy lives in order that we too may one day be united to God in heaven. The world has their own ‘heroes’ and role-models… who, in selling their souls for temporal rewards and pleasures, safely lead their followers on that shiny, wide road to hell. They must not be our heroes!
God calls us to be holy… and He gives us the saints to inspire and guide us. They, who in their own lives experienced difficulties and struggled with weaknesses as we do, yet succeeded in achieving sanctity, have traced out for us the path to heaven; we must imitate them in putting God first, bearing (and offering up) our crosses, and always doing His Holy Will.
Reading biographies and writings of saints helps us to keep our focus on God and our ultimate goal (salvation). Their examples of faith, virtue, courage, perfect love of God and total abandonment to Him show us how we, too, can overcome the obstacles, use our sufferings and work for His greater glory in our own ungodly times. They prove sanctity is possible and achievable for every one of us – if only we want it!
All Saints (Albrecht Durer)
Butler’s Lives of the Saints is a good source for concise biographies. Online entries can be accessed here: The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints. (Audio and text files can also be found at LibriVox.)
Countless traditional Catholic writings and biographies of Saints, Church Fathers, Doctors and Popes can be found online – have a look at the Free Traditional Catholic Books page.
Some of my favorite Saints are listed below (click on the name to read a brief biography).
St. Pius V, Dominican friar, Pope, confessor, defender of Europe at Lepanto
St. Charles Borromeo, cardinal, archbishop of Milan, Apostle of the Council of Trent and Counter-Reformation
St. Alphonsus de Liguori, bishop, confessor, founder, Doctor of moral theology
St. Vincent Ferrer, Dominician preacher, missionary, confessor, ‘Angel of the Apocalypse’
St. Athanasius, bishop, patriarch of Alexandria, Doctor of the Church, defender of the Faith against Arian heresy
St. Augustine, bishop, confessor, Doctor of the Church
Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
St. Gregory the Great, Pope, confessor, Doctor of the Church
St. Leo the Great, Pope, confessor, Doctor of the Church
St. Pius X, Pope, confessor
St. John Vianney (Cure of Ars), confessor
St. Padre Pio, Capuchin friar, confessor, mystic and stigmatist
St. Andre Bessette (Brother Andre), the Miracle Man of Montreal
St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Franciscan mission preacher, confessor (this saint, and his famous sermon linked here, was instrumental in my conversion)
St. Bernardine of Siena, Franciscan preacher, confessor, ‘Apostle of Italy’
St. John Capistran, Franciscan preacher, confessor, ‘Soldier Saint’, defender of Europe against the Turks
St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Augustinian friar, confessor, patron of the poor souls in the Purgatory
St. Peter of Alcantara, Franciscan friar, confessor, mystic
St. Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot
St. Martin of Tours, bishop, confessor
St. Ferdinand III, King of Castile and Leon
St. Louis IX, King of France
St. Philomena, virgin and martyr
St. Gemma Galgani, virgin, mystic, stigmatist
Bl. Alexandrina Maria da Costa, virgin, mystic, victim soul
St. Veronica Giuliani, virgin, mystic, stigmatist
St. Margaret of Cortona, penitent
St. Lydwine of Schiedam, virgin, mystic, victim soul
Ven. Maria of Jesus of Agreda, virgin, mystic
St. Mother Maravillas of Jesus, virgin, Discalced Carmelite, foundress
St. Anna Schäffer, virgin, victim soul, stigmatist
un site tres bien ficelé
A prayer come true I’ve struggled trying to find book shops even downloads it’s made my day finding this web site
likewise, I have also struggled to find stores that carry these types of books, but one day my friend shared me this link and wow it’s like a goldmine filled with treasures!
Please, include my favorite St. Therese of Lisieux
So far your site seems traditional which to me means pre-Vatican II. Happiness!
i join bro David Hayward to thank GOD really for a prayer come through for such a brilliant work and easy way of accessing and also upgrading once knowledge. thanks.
It is a good venture
Please include Blessed Kunjachan
I still want to know more about the saints.
Please find the following book for me
MESSAGE OF MERCIFUL LOVE TO LITTLE SOULS
By “Marguerite”
It’s not available in pdf format but here is the audiobook (in 9 parts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nciP6VFpcQo&list=PLMjnwmE6pjfoJoG5kUKBeBKwskPMpd72s. (Or you can purchase a used copy on abebooks.com or amazon.com.) God bless.
https://www.ourladyofamerica.com/whatsnew/VictimSoulsofGodsMercifulLove.pdf
Ave Maria! this is amazing, i’m so proud to be a Catholics…
Meister Eckhart
St John of the Cross
Julian of Norwich
John of Ruysbroeck
Ave maria! this is very helpful….i think this is a gem for souls who hungers for truth that is holy and pure…May the good Lord bless you and keep you.
nos cum prole pia
benedicat virgo maria.
This is amazing website. I am writing from Pakistan where Church is a tiny minority. We need resources that nourish Catholic faith. May our Lord Jesus Christ bless you and your work.
Many thanks for your comment and prayers. Glad the site is of some help to you. God bless you.
Existe-t-il une version en ligne de l’Histoire de saint Dominique de M.-H Vicaire, O.P. ?
Or ¿is there a scan of the English translation online:
M.-H. Vicaire, O.P., Saint Dominic and His Times.
Gratia Dei tecum.
https://archive.org/details/SaintDominicAndHisTimes
Busco libros de Santa Hildegarda.
Hace tiempo vi unos pero ahora no los encuentro. Necesito ayuda.
Gracias por su comentario. Encontré los siguientes libros de Santa Hildegarda en Español: “Libro de las Causas y Remedios de las Enfermedades”- http://www.hildegardiana.es/5pdf/causas_y_remedios.pdf; “Libro de las Obras Divinas” – http://www.hildegardiana.es/5pdf/libro_obras_divinas.pdf; “Libro de los Méritos de la Vida” – http://www.hildegardiana.es/5pdf/libro_meritos_de_la_vida.pdf; y aquí una biografía de la santa: http://www.ignaciodarnaude.com/espiritualismo/Hildegard%20Von%20Bingen%20y%20la%20tradicion%20visionaria%20de%20Occidente,V.Cirlot.pdf.pdf. Varias otras obras: http://www.hildegardiana.es/36otrasobras.html. Dios la bendiga.
Gracias, gracias, gracias por la atención prestada a mi comentario.
Emma Pérez
The first American Sain’t was St. Cabrini. If you could please add her it would be appreciated.
Unfortunately the only book I could find in electronic format is this one: https://archive.org/details/travelsofmotherfrancesxaviercabrini/page/n3/mode/2up. God bless.
Here is one: https://isidore.co/calibre#book_id=7977&library_id=CalibreLibrary&panel=book_details. God bless.
Thank you for this book/novena site.
Thanks for the wonderful job. I find it hard to download ‘the three ages of the interior life’ by Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange. Is there any way you can help me out? I would be be very grateful.
Thank you for your comment. You can find them (both volumes) here: https://isidore.co/calibre#book_id=8024&library_id=CalibreLibrary&panel=book_list&search=%22three%20ages%22&sort=timestamp.desc. Or also here, in text version: https://www.ecatholic2000.com/lagrange/interior1/interior.shtml. God bless.
Thank you very much.
Thank you for this site.
William Wise
Please find a book in Tamil and English as well for me on
St. Devesahayam.
I heard so many monks and Catholics talking holy things, thinks I’ve never heard before, things before my time, things that requires a divine mind, until I heard it myself, I heard in the substance of its truth, that time for storming heaven to win exceedingly from the divine bounty all the necessary graces affording my favorite inspirations, is now no longer a desire in faith, since now I can see my favorite author and books. Deo Gratias et Mariae to you Trad Catholic books for free.
Looking at this in November, 2023 and first want to thank you for providing these links to the writings of so many of our saints but must add that some of the links don’t work any longer. Even so, as the destruction of the one, true Catholic faith continues on for more than 60 years now, at least those faithful can find the glorious truth because of your efforts.