The Fire of Love

“Inflame my coldness with the fire of Your love, enlighten my blindness with the brightness of Your presence,” writes Thomas à Kempis in His classic work The Imitation of Christ.

The Imitation, beloved by Christians for centuries, is said to be the most widely read devotional work next to the Bible. In its pages, the author urges his readers to give themselves fully to God and to wholeheartedly follow Christ, becoming more like Him each day.

The Fire of Love is filled with specially chosen quotations from this renowned book. As you meditate on these excerpts, presented in a beautifully illustrated layout, you will be inspired to pursue greater love, devotion, and service for God.

Thomas à Kempis refers to Jesus as a “treasure” and as “a Good above all good.” He calls us to make seeking God and imitating Christ our highest goal, affirming with this heartfelt prayer, “By loving myself amiss, I lost myself; and seeking You alone and purely loving You, I have found both myself and You.”

Author Biography

Thomas à Kempis (1379-1471) was a German monk who emphasized the interior life with Christ and withdrawal from the attractions of the world. Born in the Rhineland town of Kempen, he attended a school at nearby Deventer in Holland started by Gerard Groote, founder of the Brothers of the Common Life. These brothers were devoted to prayer, simplicity, and union with God. When Thomas was nineteen, he entered the monastery of Mount St. Agnes, which the brothers had recently started near Zwolle in Holland. He spent the rest of his long life behind the walls of that monastery. Thomas devoted himself to praying, studying, copying manuscripts, teaching novices, offering Mass, and hearing the confessions of people who came to the monastery church. He wrote a number of sermons, letters, hymns, and information about the lives of the saints. Thomas is most famous for The Imitation of Christ, an instruction book on how to love God.