In the middle ages, The Golden Legend was the second most read book (after the Holy Bible) and was the means by which the lives of the Saints were disseminated through all of Europe. It was the fuel that fed the fire of fervent devotion to the Saints that characterized the Age of Faith.

This Catholic classic was written about 1260 AD by the saintly Dominican Blessed Jacobus de Voragine and contains one hundred and eighty-two (182) chapters, each one covering an important feast day or the life of a Saint, all arranged according to the order of the liturgical year. Blessed Jacobus compiled his lives from Scripture, the works of the Fathers of the Church and spiritual writers that were popular in his day.

But the fascinating vignettes of The Golden Legend do not merely relate the events in the lives of the Saints. No, The Golden Legend is much more. The author explains all the symbolism of the events of the saint's life and of the particular feast day, drawing on intriguing circumstances of nature, numbers, person, and astronomy. All of this delivered in the style of the medieval storyteller, so it's not merely informative, but morally edifying and incredibly entertaining.

Originally, The Golden Legend was used by priests in preaching to the people. But before long, the laity began reading the book themselves - in Latin and in the vernacular. This excellent English translation by Fr. William Granger Ryan will strengthen your Faith and help your devotion to the Saints, just as it did for our fellow Catholics hundreds of years ago. The Catholic family's storybook par excellence.

791 total pages in two volumes (sold only as a set). Softcover, index.