The Incredulity of Thomas, Caravaggio

SO many great books are available for free online. We are truly spoiled. Below is my list of reading possibilities for Lent, including revered classics and lesser known works. With one exception, you will not have to spend a penny for any of these if you don’t mind reading them on a screen (or listening to audio versions).

Perhaps this list will help you plan for the season, which begins on February 14th this year. I hope you find food for meditation and study here. My suggestion is to pick two possibilities and then go back for more if and when you are ready. Many of these books were not written only for Lent, of course, and are of immense value all year.

Tremendous thanks are due to the Internet Archive, Traditional Catholic Books and others who make these treasures available at no cost.

LENTEN READING

Perfect Contrition: The Golden Key to Paradise, Fr. J. de Driesch
The Passion and the Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ, St. Alphonsus de Liguori
Of Prayer and Meditation, Venerable Louis of Granada
The Fewness of the Saved, Fr. Francis Xavier Godts
Meditations for Lent, St. Thomas Aquinas
Lenten Sermons, Fr. Augustine Wirth
Pope St. Leo the Great’s Sermons on Lent
The Mystery of the Crown of Thorns, A Passionist
What Jesus Saw from the Cross, Fr. A.G. Sertillanges
A Doctor at Calvary: the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ as described by a surgeon, Dr. Pierre Barbet
The Sacred Passion of Jesus Christ, Rev. Clarke
The Sufferings of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Fr. Thomas Jesus
Contemplations and Meditations on the Passion and Death… according to the Method of St. Ignatius (W. Eyre)
The Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Fr. A. Goodier
The Passion and Glory of Christ, Msgr. F.X. Poelz; kindle format here
History of the Passion, Fr. Arthur Devine
The History of the Sacred Passion, Fr. Luis de la Palma
The History of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Fr. J. Groenings
History of the Passion, Death, and Glorification of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ; Fr. J.E. Belser
The Passion of Our Lord; Cardinal de Lai
The Seven Words Spoken on the Cross; St. Robert Bellarmine; audiobook here
The Seven Words; Msgr. R.H. Benson
The Passion; Fr. M.J. Olliver
The Hours of the Passion, Fr. J. Mead
The Last Hours of Jesus, Fr. R. Gorman
Christ’s Darkest Hour, Fr. Clement H. Crock
Why the Cross?, Edward Leen
The lives of the Fathers of the Eastern Deserts, or, The wonders of God in the wilderness,
Richard Challoner
The Introduction to the Devout Life, St. Francis de Sales
The Soul of the Apostolate,  Abbot Chautard
Christ: The Ideal of the Monk, Abbot Marmion
The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis
The Spiritual Combat, Laurence Scupoli
Jesus Christ; His life, His teaching, and His work, Ferdinand Prat, S.J.
Christ and the Critics: A Defense of the Divinity of Jesus against the Attacks of Modern Skeptical Criticism, by Hilarin Felder, O.M.Cap.
The Ascent of Mount Carmel, by St. John of the Cross
The Ideal of Reparation, by Raoul Plus, S.J.
The Catholic Church alone: the one true Church of Christ, by Henry Dodridge
The Church and her Enemies, Fr. Michael Mueller
The Foot of the Cross, by Fr. Frederick William Faber
Spiritual Conferences, by Fr. Frederick William Faber
Meditations on the Life and Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Fr. J. Tauler
Under His Shadow: Devotional Studies in the Sacred Passion, Fr. F. Shea
Meditation on the Passion, Fr. R. Walsh
Prayers and Meditations on the Life of Christ, Thomas a Kempis
The Tragedy of Calvary, Fr. J. L. Meagher
Figures of the Passion of Our Lord, G. Miro
The Mysteries of Mount Calvary, Msgr, A. de Guevara
The Prodigal Son, the Sinner’s Return to God, Fr. Michael Muller
The Love of God and the Cross of Jesus, Fr. R. Garrigou-Lagrange: volume I, volume II
Abandonment to Divine Providence, Reverend Jean-Pierre de Caussade S.J.

See also Primary Resources for the Season of Lent

— Comments —

Anonymous writes:

Thank you so much for compiling this exhaustive list, and for doing so in a timely manner. It’s always disappointing when other sites do this the day before Ash Wednesday, or when one receives Lenten catalogs in the mail on St. Patrick’s Day.

Laura writes:

You’re welcome. I realized last year when I posted an abridged version of this during Lent, that it really was too late.

If someone wants to read about the Passion during Lent, they should not wait until Holy Week because that can fly by.

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