Surely the most deeply-rooted need of the human soul, its purest aspiration, is for the closest possible union with God. As one turns over the pages of this little work, written by Blessed Albert the Great towards the end of his life, when that great soul had ripened and matured, one feels that here indeed is the ideal of one's hopes. (From the Preface)
Chapters
1 00 - Preface 5 min 2 01 - Of the Highest Perfection which Man Can Attain Unto in this Life 4 min 3 02 - How a Man May Despise All Things and Cleave to Christ Alone 4 min 4 03 - The Law of Man's Perfection in this Life 3 min 5 04 - That Our Labour Must Be With the Understanding and Not With the Senses 6 min 6 05 - Of Purity of Heart, Which is to be Sought Above All Else 7 min 7 06 - That a Man Truly Devout Must Seek God in Purity of Mind and Heart 5 min 8 07 - On the Practice of Interior Recollection 6 min 9 08 - That a Truly Devout Man Should Commit Himself to God in All That Befalls Him 5 min 10 09 - The Contemplation of God is to be Preferred Above All Other Exercises 7 min 11 10 - That We Should Not Be Too Solicitous for Actual and Sensible Devotion, but Desire Rather the Union of Our Will with God 5 min 12 11 - In What Manner We Should Resist Temptation and Endure Trials 4 min 13 12 - The Power of the Love of God 6 min 14 13 - Of the Nature and Advantages of Prayer - of Interior Recollection 5 min 15 14 - That Everything Should be Judged According to the Testimony of our Conscience 5 min 16 15 - On the Contempt of Self: How it is Acquired: its Profit to the Soul 7 min 17 16 - The Providence of God, Which Watches Over All Things 9 min
