True Serenity
30 Days with Thomas à Kempis
Great Spiritual Teachers
John Kirvan
ISBN 9781594711572
ASIN B005JD1M6Y
This is the fourteenth volume in the Great Spiritual Teachers series I have read. It is one of the older titles in the series, it was originally released in 1995, and was part of the rebranding in 2000’s, it has not been updated to the rebranding that started in 2024. Over a year ago I read my first book in the series, it was Born to Do This: 30 Days with Joan of Arc by Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, and loved it and the concept of the series. I have read one almost every month since that first one, and if I can track down all the out of print, will do so until I finish all 24 released to date in the series.
The description of this volume states:
“Hailed as Christianity’s second bestseller, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas Kempis is made accessible to the modern reader in condensed and accessible form. This attractively redesigned edition of True Serenity presents the wisdom of Kempiss fifteenth-century classic in a months worth of daily devotions."”
About the series we are informed:
“Each book in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. For each day there is a brief and accessible morning meditation drawn from the mystic's writings, a simple mantra for use throughout the day, and a night prayer to focus one's thoughts as the day ends. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.”
I believe there are 16 volumes in this series currently in print. There are also a number that are currently out of print, The oldest I have seen are from the mid 90’s and it looks like they went through a rebranding and format change in the mid 00’s, and they have undergone yet another rebranding in the 2020’s including some new titles available in the series. I must admit I do not recall running across this series prior to that first volume on Joan. I have however added all of them to my ‘to be read list’. I love the most recent rebranding, and hope Ave Maria completes the rebranding across all volumes, and brings back into print some of the volumes currently not available; specifically the volumes on John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Mother Theresa and others. This specific volume was released in 1995, making it one of the oldest in the series.
The sections in this volume are:
Foreword
Thomas A Kempis And The Imitation Of Christ
How To Pray This Book
Thirty Days With Thomas A Kempis
One Final Word
While reading this I several a few passages, some of them are:
“Life is an ongoing journey of change and choice, a surrendering of the old and a trust in new beginnings. What these saints ultimately realized-and revealed to others-is that refining a relationship with God is the life choice on which all else is built.”
“As Teresa of Avila taught her nuns so well, "Learn to see God in the details of your life, for He is everywhere."”
“Life is an empty journey without the companionship ship of God. And developing a sense of divine intimacy requires time set aside to be with God in prayer, reflection, and contemplation.”
“But in our own times, we must admit, many have never even heard of The Imitation of Christ and many others have relegated it to history as propagating a spirituality that is out of date and out of touch.”
“We have gotten used to a life centered on a search for self. I read a Kempis is to be challenged to turn that world inside out, upside down. Our search for self, he insists, must give way to a search for God. In God alone, we are told, we will finally find ourselves.”
“A second theme runs through the meditation passages. sages. It is God's promise of everlasting, true peace and rest to anyone who loves and serves him. The cost of this peace will be to put God above everything else, above the "world," above self. Any other peace is illusory, any other price is not enough.”
“The purpose of this book is to open a gate for you, to make accessible one of the world's great spiritual masterpieces, The Imitation of Christ, and the spiritual experience and wisdom of its writer, Thomas a Kempis. This is not a book for mere reading. It invites you to meditate and pray its words on a daily basis over a period of thirty days.”
“My friend, let not the world’s fair and subtle words move you, for the kingdom of heaven lives not in their words but in virtuous works.”
“Do not read and study just to be thought wise, but rather to still the world in your spirit and to hear more clearly my voice. This shall be more profitable to you than the knowledge of many difficult and subtle questions.”
“Inflame my heart and enlighten my understanding. Bring sorrow to my heart for the sins of my life and comfort to my soul. Let the only wisdom I seek be yours, 0 Lord.”
“My friend, you shall never be safe from temptation and tribulation in this life. Therefore you will need to protect your spirit as long as you live. For you live and walk among spiritual enemies who will trouble and vex you from every side; Unless you use at all times and in all places the shield of patience, your spirit shall very soon be wounded.”
“Grant me a night of silence with you. Keep me in your embrace through the night, give me quiet rest and your peace, now and forever. Amen.”
“O Lord, you have been with me all through the day. Now evening has come. The shadows have lengthened into darkness. Let my busy world now grow quiet, the feverish concerns of my day be stilled, my work put away.”
“Lord you know what is best for me. Give me what you will, as much as you will, and when you will. Do with me as you know best, as it most pleases you, and as is most to your honor.”
“Take heart, Turn to me for comfort And put your whole trust in my mercy”
“I must remember that you are the source of comfort for all those who call on you, and that without you there is no real comfort in our times of trouble. Let me never forget that you are always near. Let me take heart and turn to you and put my whole trust in your mercy.”
“It is often asked whether one is rich, strong, fair, able, a good writer, a good singer, or a good laborer. But it is seldom asked whether that person is poor in spirit, patient, meek, devout, or inwardly turned to God. The world judges by appearances but we must look to the Spirit.”
“But our old enemies resist our turn to goodness in every way, and hour after hour assault us to see if they can catch us unaware. Therefore stay awake, and pray that you be not turned from your spiritual goals by temptation (3:49).”
“This book was created to be nothing more than a gateway-a gateway to the spiritual wisdom of a specific teacher, and a gateway opening on your own spiritual path. You may decide that Thomas a Kempis is someone whose experience of God is one that you wish to follow more closely and deeply. In that case you should get a copy of the entire text of The Imitation of Christ and pray it as you have prayed this gateway journey.”
Each day follows the same format with three main sections from a newer book in the series:
MY DAY BEGINS: “As the day begins set aside a quiet moment in a quiet place to do the reading provided for the day
The passages are short; they never run more than a couple of hundred words. They have been carefully selected, though, to give a spiritual focus, a spiritual center to your whole day. They are designed to remind you, as another day begins, of your own existence at a spiritual level. They are meant to put you in the presence of the spiritual master who is your companion and teacher on this journey. This is especially true of this journey with Catherine of Siena. The readings are her report of God’s words to her, God’s side of the dialogue. And since the purpose of the passage is to remind you that at every moment during you are in the presence of a God who invites you continually, but quietly, to live in and through him, what better source than the words of God himself?”
ALL THROUGH YOUR DAY: “Immediately following the day’s reading you will find a single sentence, a meditation in the form of a mantra, a phrase meant as a companion for your spirit as it moves through a busy day. Write it down on a 3" x 5" card or on the appropriate page of your daybook. Look at it as often as you can. Repeat it quietly to yourself, and go on your way.
It is not meant to stop you in your tracks or to distract you from responsibilities but simply, gently, to remind you of the presence of God and your desire to respond to this presence.”
MY DAY IS ENDING: “This is a time for letting go of the day, for entering a world of imaginative prayer … This exercise is not meant to last more than a few minutes. End it when you are comfortable doing so. It has two parts. The first, in keeping with Catherine’s model, is a personal response to the words spoken by God in the day’s reading. Just as God has spoken to you, so you speak to God. Second, you are invited to turn to the familiarity of a prayer based on Catherine’s own words. It is an act of trust and confidence, an entryway into peaceful sleep, a simple evening prayer that gathers together the spiritual character of the day that is now ending as it began—in the presence of God.
It is a time for summary and closure.”
A sample day is:
“DAY 13
My Day Begins
My friend, says our Savior Christ,
here is how you should pray for what you desire:
Lord if it be your will, be it done as | ask;
and if it be to your praise, be it fulfilled in your name.
And if you see it good and profitable to me,
give me grace to use it in your honor.
But if you know it to be harmful to me
then take from me such desire.
Every desire does not come from the Holy Spirit
even though it may seem right and good,
for it is sometimes very difficult to judge
whether a good spirit or an evil one
is behind this or that desire;
or whether you are being moved
only of your own spirit.
Many are deceived in the end
who first seem to have been moved
by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, with fear of God
and with meekness of heart,
you should desire and ask
whatever comes to your mind,
and forsaking yourself completely
commit all things to God and say:
Lord you know what is best for me.
Give me what you will,
as much as you will,
and when you will.
Do with me as you know best,
as it most pleases you,
and as is most to your honor.
I am your creature and in your hands.
Lead me where you will.
Iam your servant, ready to do all things
that you command,
for I desire not to live to myself but to you (3:15).
All Through The Day
You, Lord, know what is best for me.
My Day Is Ending
O Lord,
you have been with me all through the day.
Now evening has come.
The shadows have lengthened into darkness.
Let my busy world grow quiet,
the feverish concerns of my day be stilled,
my work put away.
Lord you know what is best for me.
Give me only what you will, when you will.
Do with me as you know best,
as it most pleases you, and is most to your honor.
I am your creation and I rest in your hands.
Lead me where you will.
I am your servant;
I desire to live not for myself but for you alone.
Grant me now a moment of silence with you.
Keep me in your embrace through the night,
give me quiet rest
and your peace,
now and forever.
Amen.”
A second that really impacted me is:
“DAY 16
My Day Begins
My friend,
why do you complain?
Consider my passion and the sufferings of my saints,
and you shall see that you suffer very little.
Remember how greatly others have suffered
in my name so that you may the more easily
bear your little griefs.
But whether your sufferings be great or little,
learn to bear them with patience.
The more you learn patience the wiser you shall be,
the more merit you shall have,
and the lighter will be your burden.
The patient soul,
whenever any adversity or wrong comes its way,
no matter from whom or what it may be,
or how often,
receives it thankfully,
as though it came from the hand of God,
and considers it a rich gift and a great blessing.
For we know that there is nothing
that we might suffer
that need pass without great merit.
Be ready therefore to do battle if you seek victory.
Without battle you will not achieve the crown of patience.
Resist strongly and suffer patiently.
For without labor no one can come to rest,
and without battle no one achieves victory.
O Lord Jesus,
make possible to me by grace
that which is not possible to me by nature.
You know well that I suffer very little
and that I am easily cast down by the smallest adversity.
Therefore, I pray that trouble and adversity
may hereafter, for your sake and in your name,
be welcomed by me,
for truly to suffer and be vexed for you is very good
and profitable for the health of my soul (3:19).
All Through The Day
My burden is light.
My Day Is Ending
O Lord,
you have been with me all through the day.
Now evening has come.
The shadows have lengthened into darkness.
Let my busy world grow quiet,
the feverish concerns of my day be stilled,
my work put away.
You have, Lord, taken this day to remind me
that without labor there is no rest,
without battle there is no victory.
Make possible to me, Lord Jesus, by your grace
that which seems impossible to me by nature.
It takes very little, the smallest adversity
to discourage me.
Let me by your grace,
begin again tomorrow.
But for now grant me a moment of your silence.
Keep me in your embrace through the night,
give me quiet rest
and your peace,
now and forever.
Amen.”
I hope those quotes and the sample days give you a feel for this excellent volume. This volume does not have the section Night Prayer to end the day that some have. But the My Day is Ending is mostly a prayer and as can be seen from the times I highlighted and shared them above.
I have now read 14 volumes in this series, and currently working on a fifteenth and final that has an digital edition available currently, and I can state this is another great offering in the series. I find that some speak to me more than others. With one I did not highlight as much as in previous volumes, or even extensive highlights. I still greatly enjoyed it. I can state I benefited from the month with each person being profiled. And if I went back and did a volume again at a different point or season in life I might interact with it differently. I already plan to circle back to both this volume and the volume on Joan and reread them once I have completed the series, or at least those I can track down.
I will note the eBook formatting on this is terrible. You can only highlight full paragraphs, and even then when I went to export my notes of share on Goodreads most only showed the first word. Hopefully when they rebrand this to the current branding the formatting will be fixed up.
This was one another of the volumes I connected with. This is a great read, it is one I really enjoyed reading it. I can easily recommend this volume and the series as a whole, and I look forward to reading others in the series. If you have not given any in this series a try this would be an excellent starting point or whichever one seems to call to you.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books in the Great Spiritual Teachers Series:
Abide in love: the Gospel spirituality of John the Evangelist – John Kirvan
Fear Not the Night - John of the Cross and John Kirvan
God Awaits You Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister - Richard Chilson
Grace Through Simplicity - Evelyn Underhill and John Kirvan
Living in the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence and John Kirvan
Love Without Measure - Mother Teresa and John Kirvan
That you may have life: let the mystics be your guide for Lent - John Kirvan
We Are Beloved - Thea Bowman and Karianna Frey MS
Where Only Love Can Go - The Cloud of Unknowing and John Kirvan
