My Utmost for His Highest

[Credo]

       Until the two-volume Breviarium is published later this year, or early next by the SSPX, I am looking for a good devotiomonal. Have any of you read or even heard of the book, My Utmost for His Highest? It was written by a Protestant named Oswald Chambers in the first-half of the 20th Century. It seems like a better-than-average daily devotional. My Utmost was recommended by someone claiming to be a 3rd Order Carmalite (likely in the Brown Scapular), and he recommended the book. What say you?

[DominusTecum]

I've heard of it, in fact, my mother has a copy. However, why would you want to use a protestant prayerbook? I would definitely not recommend this, because even if it is decent you will still very slowly and unnoticeably imbibe a protestant worldview from reading and praying with it. I would recommend, as a Catholic Prayerbook, any of the Fr. Lasance ones, but especially "My Prayer Book: Happiness in Goodness." This seems to be the predominant Fr. Lasance prayerbook out there, and it is excellent.

 

 

[lumengentleman]

Here's my personal opinion, having only briefly skimmed MUFHH, and that, many years ago ...

 

I don't necessarily have a problem with cautiously reading Protestant academics; biblical journals, commentaries, etc. in today's modern academic world are usually pretty denomination-neutral, so you won't find overtly "Protestant" ideas for the most part.  I was just telling someone recently that one of the best commentaries on Hebrews that I've ever read was written by an Anglican scholar, who wrote 600 pages on the subject of the Eucharist as the centerpiece of Hebrews, and showed how the early liturgies of the Church support this.  Absolutely fantastic work.

 

But MUFHH is a devotional work; and this is an entirely different arena.  This is spirituality.  This is not a realm, IMO, where we should be entrusting ourselves to Protestant ideas.

 

If you're looking for a good devotional, read St. Francis DeSales' Introduction to the Devout Life, or read the book that St. Francis DeSales himself carried around, Spiritual Combat.

 

After you've thoroughly mastered those books (good luck!) and have begun to live out the principles explained therein in your daily life (this will take you the rest of your life, BTW), then you can look at something like MUFHH - and when you do, you will be so utterly bored with Oswald Chambers' deficient outlook on spirituality that you probably won't bother.

 

If you're looking for something a bit lighter than St. Francis DeSales, then try a book like Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers (see here); I think a Protestant compiled and published this, but at least it's Catholic in its content.

 

EDITED TO ADD: You might also consider going through St. Alphonsus Ligouri's The Glories of Mary; short, bite-size chapters, with prayers at the end of each section.

[tradcatholicmom]

I've read MUFHH.  I actually just put it in the donation pile because I've lately in my own life seen teh danger of relying too much on Protestant materials.

 

I don't mind using Protestant materials when there is nothing Catholic available; especially for general apologetics, and I actually find there to be less of a problem with conservative Protestant materials then Novus Ordo Catholic materials. 

 

I wouldn't recommend it.  Anything good to be found in it can be found directly in Catholic writings and there is much that is deficent in it. 

 

If you haven't read "The Imitation of Christ" that is an excellent devotional book. 

[kzarah]

I read it but didn't get much out of it.

Daniel

 

[Reese]

 

If you haven't read "The Imitation of Christ" that is an excellent devotional book. 

 

 
  I agree.  I had forgotten about this Catholic treasure until it  was highly recommended by posters here.  I got a copy recently and  love it all over again.
 
  I have recently been tossing out lots of secular and non-Catholic "spiritual" books lately too. 
 
 

[Credo]

       What type of devotion, or frankly for that matter, any book in general would you give to someone who has not been "churched," but believes in God? Let me set the stage if I may. With the CHRIST'S MASS season advancing quickly, and knowing that people are supposed to be more open to spiritual things at this time of year, I thought I might drop a hint to a friend of mine about the need for Christ. We are talking about someone who (in no specific order):

1) College aged, but thankfully not in college

2) Has a "Touched by an Angle," type of faith (I can clarify if needs be)

3) Does in fact believe in angels (in the modern frilly, Hallmark way)

4) Is a girl

5) "Unchurched"

 

If not MUFHH, what? Thank-you!

[Bevois]

Lumen - When I read Hebrews, I thought briiliant epistle but why oh why doesn't the writer mention the Eucharist. I will have to re-read it now. Can you give any hints on key passages. Thanks.

[lumengentleman]

Lumen - When I read Hebrews, I thought briiliant epistle but why oh why doesn't the writer mention the Eucharist. I will have to re-read it now. Can you give any hints on key passages. Thanks.

 

Sure can, but this probably isn't the thread in which to do so ... maybe we should a new thread in the Scripture forum on the subject?

[Credo]

 

Lumen - When I read Hebrews, I thought briiliant epistle but why oh why doesn't the writer mention the Eucharist. I will have to re-read it now. Can you give any hints on key passages. Thanks.

 

Sure can, but this probably isn't the thread in which to do so ... maybe we should a new thread in the Scripture forum on the subject?

 

       I know this is a little off topic, but have any of you know the title to this song I am thinking of. It is a Prot. song as far as I can tell, but it does a wonderful job of going through the Bible, book by book, highlighting an attributes of God in each one (ie: the Caller of Repentance in Isaiah, Life in John's Gospel, the Liberator of Captives in Galatians, etc.) I know this is vague, but any help would be great!