What You Should Read During Ordinary Time

I love reading through book lists for various seasons in our Catholic calendar. There’s just so many good spiritual reads out there that correlate to Lent, Advent, Easter, Christmas, et cetera! But there’s one season that gets a little neglected. What about recommendations for Ordinary Time?

Wonder no more! Here are four awesome books written by saints that are perfect for the ordinary seasons of the year.

1. Divine Mercy In My Soul, by Saint Faustina Kowalska

Have you heard of the Chaplet Of Divine Mercy? Saint Faustina first gave us this famous prayer. I am currently in the middle of reading her life’s diary. St Faustina lived between 1905 and 1938, and is best known for her mystic visions of Christ, Who gave her a special mission to share His Divine Mercy with the world.

Written mostly in reflective contemplation, Faustina shares in her “notebooks” her visions, prayers, experiences, and interior soul in all its great sufferings and triumphs. This book really makes you reflect on how much there is to come after death and how our lives here on earth determine the eternity for our souls.

The introduction and appendixes are great additions to learn the full story of her canonization. It’s fascinating to see how all her visions of the future played out over the last century! This book is often recommended through Lent, but I find that I can read it slower and absorb it better during Ordinary Time.

2. Finding God’s Will For You, by Saint Francis de Sales

Cards on the table, I haven’t read this one yet. But it’s next on my list! Saint Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Church, writes a beautiful guide for everyone who is looking for God’s will in their own life. He talks about what God’s will is, how He reveals it to His children, and how even the most random, inexplicable events in life are meant to lead you to Christ.

I’m really excited to pick up this book and learn how to conform my heart to His will, spot common dangers, grow in the virtues, recognize whether a thought comes from God, and so much more.

An interesting promise of this book is that Saint Francis offers practical advice for determining the speed of making decisions—sometimes we need to act quickly and decide something in an instant, and sometimes we need to take lots of time to pray and reflect. Everyday life often requires both, so ipso facto, this would be another great read for Ordinary Time!

3. Story Of A Soul, by Saint Therese of Lisieux

St Therese is a saint to whom I can really relate. She was sick a lot, she had no mystic visions or prophecies, and she was a homebody who just wanted to be with her sisters in the Carmelite convent. Despite her everyday, humdrum life—or perhaps because of it—Saint Therese has been named a Doctor of the Church, alongside huge names such as Thomas Aquinas and Francis de Sales.

She is famed for her “little way” and for truly embracing the spirit of doing small things with great love. The book can come across as a little “mushy” or over-emotional, but seriously, read through it anyway. After you’re done, you’ll be surprised how much of it sticks with you and you’ll want to read it again.

Reflecting on her seemingly inconsequential daily life shows just how much Jesus is waiting for us in every possible way, no matter where we are or what we are doing. If “everyday holiness” is not a good theme for Ordinary Time, I don’t know what is!

4. Three To Get Married, by Venerable Fulton Sheen

Okay, so he’s not a saint yet, but I bet he will be very soon! Fulton Sheen writes full explanations about the origin, meaning, and mystery of love in all its facets. Famous for saying a marriage is between man, woman, and God, he offers a great read for those of you who are on the path to the wedding. BUT, even if you’re as single as a mailbox on a dead end road, I would still recommend this book to you during Ordinary Time.

Why? It doesn’t center on how-to-make-your-marriage-work. It is an understanding of love, which every person on earth has been given in spades. Learning about God’s love and its reflection in humanity is helpful for everybody. Pick it up when you’re looking to deepen your understanding of social relationships of any sort!

Bonus Books (I couldn’t stop at four, sorry...)

Although the authors are not canonized saints, these three spiritual books are also great options during Ordinary Time.

1. The Problem of Pain, by CS Lewis.  This one covers exactly what it says it does: he tackles the age-old question “If God is good, why does He make us suffer?” Its quality language and philosophical accuracy covers every question I could think of regarding pain.

2. Men, Women, and the Mystery Of Love, by Edward Sri. This one breaks down St. John Paul II’s “Love and Responsibility.” It’s easy to read with relatable content for singles, couples, and groups. Study questions after each chapter!

3. Answers, Not Promises, by Mother Angelica. I’m a big fan of Catholics with a sense of humor! Mother Angelica, witty star of EWTN, writes down-to-earth advice, unfailing common sense, crazy personal stories, and heaps of encouragement for every reader.

If you want to find more awesome books, here are seven classic books by saints, and here is a huge list of books, essays, and works by/about saints. Whether you’re looking for essays on Christ’s love or for a full dissertation on the rejected historical heresies in Catholicism (seriously, I am not kidding), this list will have something for you.  Happy reading!