Imitation of Christ in a Year Schedule

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The goal of this podcast is to read the Imitation of Christ in 1 year - but not cover to cover. Instead, the daily readings have been organized to correspond with and guide the listener through the Three Stages of the Spiritual Life- the Purgative, the Illuminative, and the Unitive. We are starting in the beginner stage, the Purgative State, which has been divided into 5 degrees.

You will notice that certain days on the schedule are highlighted in bold red; these indicate days when a reading is repeated. This means it's a chapter that has been previously read and is now being revisited. Keep in mind that "The Imitation of Christ" is a devotional book intended for spiritual contemplation and meditation. Despite the brevity of the chapters, they are rich in spiritual insights and cover multiple topics within a single chapter. Therefore, it is beneficial to revisit the material frequently for reflection. During the initial 71 days, there are 13 instances of repeated readings.

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The Purgative State.

1st Degree: Compunction of Heart

Day 1 - Book 1, Chapter 21: Compunction of Heart

Day 2 - Book 2, Chapter 3: The Joy of a Good Conscience

Day 3 - Book 3, Chapter 4: Detestation of sin

Day 4 - Book 3, Chapter 53: Detestation of Sin

Day 5 - Book 1, Chapter 1: Vanity of the World

Day 6 - Book 1, Chapter 22: Human Misery

Day 7 - Book 1, Chapter 23: Death

Day 8 - Book 1, Chapter 24: Trials of Sinners

Day 9 - Book 3, Chapter 20: An avowel of our infirmities and of the miseries of life

Day 10 - Book 3, Chapter 47: Desire of eternal life

Day 11 - Book 3, Chapter 48: Desire of eternal life

Day 12 - Book 3, Chapter 49: Desire of eternal life

Day 13 - Book 3, Chapter 3: Diligence of worldings

Day 14 - Book 4, Chapter 9: Deploring our sins

The Purgative State.

2nd Degree: Fight Against Temptation

Day 15 - Book 1, Chapters 13: Resisting temptation

Day 16 - Book 1, Chapters 7 and 11: Avoiding arrogance and acquiring peace

Day 17 - Book 3, Chapter 6: Proof of a True Lover

Day 18 - Book 3, Chapter 12: Acquiring patience and striving against concupiscence

Day 19 - Book 3, Chapter 23: Four things which bring peace

Day 20 - Book 3, Chapter 35: There is no security from temptation in life

Day 21 - Book 4, Chapter 10: Holy Communion is not to be taken lightly

Day 22 - Book 4, Chapter 18: Against curious searching

Day 23 - Book 1, Chapters 8 and 10: Guarding against too much intimacy and avoiding superfluity of words.

Day 24 - Book 1, Chapter 20: The love of solitude

Day 25 - Book 2, Chapter 7: Avoiding vain hope and arrogance

Day 26 - Book 3, Chapters 26 and 42: The excellence of a free mind and peace is not to be placed in men.

The Purgative State.

3rd Degree: Advancing daily in the Spiritual Life

Day 27 - Book 1, Chapter 1: Necessity of overcoming self

Day 28 - Book 1, Chapter 19: Shun idleness

Day 29 - Book 1, Chapter 22: Renew resolutions

Day 30 - Book 1, Chapter 19: Renew resolutions

Day 31 - Book 1, Chapters 6 and 11: To mortify ourselves

Day 32 - Book 1, Chapter 25: Be fervent

Day 33 - Book 1, Chapter 19: Be faithful to our exercises

The Purgative State.

4th Degree: Extirpation of bad habits which result from frequent acts of sin

Day 34 - Book 1, Chapter 20 - Curiosity

Day 35 - Book 1, Chapters 10 and 7: Talking too much and pride and vain expectations

Day 36 - Book 1, Chapter 13: False unconcernedness

Day 37: Book 1, Chapter 4 and Book 3, Chapter 45: Indiscreet credulousness

Day 38: Book 1, Chapters 8 and 9: Familiarity and Attachment to one's opinion

Day 39: Book 1, Chapter 14; Book 2, Chapter 5; Book 3, Chapter 24: To forget one's self and to judge others

Day 40: Book 3, Chapter 43: Vain science (knowledge)

Day 41: Book 3, Chapter 58: Vain science (knowledge)

Day 42: Book 3, Chapter 57: Discouragement

Day 43: Book 3, Chapter 32: Discouragement

Day 44: Book 1, Chapters 7 and 22: Attachment to Things of this World

The Purgative State.

5th Degree: Overcome our passions and subject them to reason

Day 45: Book 1, Chapter 1: Love of harmful creatures.

Day 46: Book 3, Chapter 54: Self-love and the love of Jesus Christ

Day 47: Book 3, Chapter 27: Self-love and the love of Jesus Christ

Day 48: Book 2, Chapter 7: Self-love and the love of Jesus Christ

Day 49: Book 1, Chapter 2: Desires

Day 50: Book 1, Chapters 6 and 9: Desires

Day 51: Book 3, Chapters 15 and 33: Desires

Day 52: Book 1, Chapter 20: Joy

Day 53: Book 2, Chapter 6: Joy

Day 54: Book 2, Chapter 9: Joy

Day 55: Book 3, Chapters 10 and 16: Joy

Day 56: Book 1, Chapter 21: Sadness

Day 57: Book 3, Chapter 50: Sadness

Day 58: Book 1, Chapter 25: Hope

Day 59: Book 3, Chapter 30: Hope

Day 60: Book 3, Chapter 7: Hope

Day 61: Book 3, Chapter 59: Hope

Day 62: Book 1, Chapter 23: Fear

Day 63: Book 3, Chapter 57: Fear

Day 64: Book 3, Chapters 6 and 7: Intrepidity

Day 65: Book 2, Chapter 3 and Book 3, Chapter 18: Anger and Patience

Day 66: Book 3, Chapter 19: Anger and Patience

Day 67: Book 3, Chapter 35: Anger and Patience

Day 68: Book 1, Chapters 1 and 2: Flight or disdain

Day 69: Book 2, Chapter 1: Flight or disdain

Day 70: Book 3, Chapter 32: Flight or disdain

Day 71: Book 3, Chapter 41: Flight or disdain

This ends the Purgative State.

The Illuminative State.

After having the purgative state destroy sin and its causes, now we must do good-- that is to say, we must practice virtue. "Virtue is but the love of what we ought to love," says St. Augustine. The practice of virtue constitutes the illuminative state.

Day 72 - Book 2, Chapter 2 and Book 3, Chapter 4: Humility

Day 73 - Book 3, Chapter 7: Humility

Day 74 - Book 3, Chapters 8 and 9: Humility

Day 75 - Book 3, Chapter 13 and 14: Humility

Day 76 - Book 3, Chapter 20: Humility

Day 77 - Book 3, Chapter 40 and 41: Humility

Day 78 - Book 3, Chapter 46: Humility

Day 79 - Book 3, Chapter 50: Humility

Day 80 - Book 1, Chapter 22: Patience

Day 81 - Book 2, Chapter 10: Patience

Day 82 - Book 2, Chapters 3 and 11: Patience

Day 83 - Book 2, Chapter 12: Patience

Day 84: Book 3, Chapter 12: Patience

Day 85 - Book 3, Chapter 18: Patience

Day 86: Book 3, Chapter 19: Patience

Day 87 - Book 3, Chapters 28 and 29: Patience

Day 88 - Book 3, Chapter 30: Patience

Day 89 - Book 3, Chapter 36: Patience

Day 90 - Book 3, Chapter 46: Patience

Day 91 - Book 3, Chapter 47 and Chapter 51: Patience

Day 92 - Book 3, Chapter 53: Patience

Day 93 - Book 3, Chapter 59: Patience

Day 94 - Book 1, Chapters 15 and 16: Brotherly Love

Day 95 - Book 1, Chapter 9: Obedience

Day 96 - Book 3, Chapter 13: Obedience

Day 97 - Book 3, Chapter 49: Obedience

Day 98 - Book 1, Chapter 3: Prudence

Day 99 - Book 1, Chapter 4 and Book 3, Chapter 38: Prudence

Day 100 - Book 1, Chapter 6 and 11: Peace of Heart

Day 101 - Book 3, Chapter 23: Peace of Heart

Day 102 - Book 3, Chapter 25: Peace of Heart

Day 103 - Book 2, Chapter 10: Gratitude

Day 104 - Book 3, Chapter 10: Gratitude

Day 105 - Book 3, Chapter 22: Gratitude

Day 106 - Book 3, Chapters 3 and 5: Gratitude