This is one of the most helpful modern spiritual books that I have ever read. Through the words of some of the greatest Christian spiritual writers of all time Martin presents a clear roadmap for all those who seriously desire to grow in holiness. In giving the reader enough background on the lives of these saints, beautifully selected and organized quotes, and personal reflection, one sees the remarkable consistency in the spiritual journey. The lessons are as relevant today as they were centuries ago. Those who have already read (or attempted to read) any or all of the spiritual classics that Martin quotes extensively will ubdoubtedly find new inspiration and clarity through this book. Those who have not been previously exposed to these spiritual treasures have a special treat waiting for them- Birth and/or growth of a true desire to aim for the summit rather than being content with anything less. In this future classic, true to its title, one finds both the what and how of "The fulfillment of all desire".

What better way to become a saint than to study what the saints and doctors of the church have said?

Martin does a wonderful job of bringing together writings from all different periods of the church and blending them into a coherent and interesting story. There is advice from Teresa of Avila, John of the the Cross, Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, Francis De Sales, and the Little Flower, among others.

In easy to understand bites, Martin gives to his readers an alternate reality to the concerns of this world. It is realizing and putting into perspective that this life is only for God.

For someone who achieves great union, "the fire of contemplation burns so strong that there is no desire to ever leave the time of prayer" (p 389". This book will help lead you to that state.

A well written review and composite of 7 Doctors of the Church with their spiritual journey advice.

Ralph Martin shows the reader the path to a rich prayer life through the eyes of the saints and modern day saints to be. Having read about the lives of some of the saints mentioned, Martin does a good job of choosing the key parts of their lives and experiences that create the best picture of a deepening relationship with God. There is much here for consideration and contemplation for those who seek to move closer to the Lord.

Martin brings together scripture and the writings of the major doctors of the church in a guidebook for the soul. I highly recommended this book whether you are new to or veteran reader of books on Catholic spirituality. Life changing - your relationship with God can not help but to evolve as you read this book. Thank you Mr. Martin for this beautifully written book, 15 years in the making by his own admission.

Ralph Martin took 10 years to write this book and it was intended to help him in his Christian walk. The effort has certainly paid off! I am currently on the chapter concerning prayer which is full of insight, wisdom and with practical steps to increase one's prayer life in effectiveness and depth. This is not to say that the preceeding chapters were not helpful; they have their contribution and corroborated much of what I have come to understand about the Christian walk, however each reader will find his or her own particular section which speaks to a special need or supplies insight. This is an owner's manual in operational Christianity which will be of great value in anyone's library.

This by far breaks down for the common person Spirituality of some of the
great Church Doctors .I feel that ths book is a must have for those of us trying to deepen our spirituality. Ralph Martin put much work and Thought in The Fulfillment of all Desire,and it really shows.
Rich

If I could recommend a book to all my family, friends and anyone who said "do you know of a good book" this is the book I would recommend. It is so beautifully written and so thought compelling you will never be the same. My mom said, "I can hardly wait to finish it so I can read it again!"

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Outstanding and very readable study of the Saints of the Church and their struggles to attain what our Saviour intends for all man kind. Scripture based and appropriate for all believers of Jesus Christ.

This is a truly inspirational book. It confirms the fact that if we stay focused on God, everything we go through in life, will draw us even closer to our Heavenly Father, if we open ourselves to His Holy Will. The Saints that have gone before us didn't allow themselves to be led astray by material things and false gods. They are here to help us if we Pray to them and ask for their intersession.

This book has given me the encouragement to continue on the journey our Lord is leading me on and to never look back, or question His Plan for my life. With the Grace of God and His Loving guidance, I can do all things because He is with me every step of the way. Where I am weak, He is ever so strong.

Thank you for this inspiring book, Mr. Martin and all thanks and Praise to our God who inspired you to write it. Well done!

Wake up America. Don't continue to waste your talent, time and treasures. Your eternity depends on it. This book will show you the way.

Ralph Martin has done an excellent job in bringing to us in a simple way the wisdon and experience of the Doctors of the Church to show us the way to holiness. This book is truly a guide to respond to God's call. I have this book by my side everyday that I come before the Lord in prayer.

For those who are truly desiring growth in their spiritual life, this book is excellent. Ralph Martin includes many wonderful insights and quotes from such holy men and woman as St. John of the Cross, St. Theresa of Avila, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Terese of the Child Jesus and more. Excellent resource!

The Fulfillment of All Desire is the one volume to have as a contemporary summary and practical application of what a living spirituality is all about.A well written, well researched compendium of teachers of the spiritual journey within the Catholic tradition.
Ralph Martin's work will come to be recognized as a modern classic within this genre.

Second to none! This saintly leadership into holiness through lives of seven saints speaks to the very core of what God expects of all humans, to recognize the purpose for what God placed each and every person on the face of this earth to be. God desires us to love Him, will not force us, can exist without us, and yet guides us through the examples of others to serve Him in a capacity that we can all attain. The examples of prayerfullness are levels of deep communication with God and He with us.
You will find yourself in holiness in this book or it will find you at a depth that you can emerge to become more holy.

I am still reading this book - but I read a page or two - then rush to Amazon to order a copy for a friend who will love it; read another page or two or three - put it down, swooning a bit while running to the computer to order another copy for someone I know who will love it - at this rate I may never finish this book! But, this I know for certain - The Fulfillment of All Desire is going to be one of my favorite books of all time. It is already changing my life! I give it 10 stars so you must double my rating, Amazon!

Ralph Martin may have done his finest work and The Fulfullment of All Desire possibly will be his finest hour. This book does not just tell us what we need to do - and what we already know we need to do - it tells us how to do it!!! These Doctors of the Church have "been-there-and-back" and know how to help us find our way. As we listen and learn, we will begin to live the life of one with the Saintly Fulfillment of All Desire. Just order this book! I am working on "affection for sin" right now.

The Doctors are in! St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales (I am in his office), St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux. I have a message from one of these doctors and it is this: "In the first place it should be known that if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more." That is from John of the Cross.

I am still reading this book - but I read a page or two and then rush to Amazon to order a copy for a friend who will love it, read another page or two or three and put it down, swooning a bit while running to the computer to order another copy for someone I know will love it - at this rate I may never finish this book! But, this I know for certain - The Fulfillment of All Desire is a great book and will change your life. It is a 10 star book - so double my rating.

Ralph Martin has done his finest work and it just may be his finest hour. This book does not just tell us what we need to do, and what we already know we need to do - it tells us how to do it!!! These Doctors of the Church have been-there-and-back and know how to help us find our way. As we listen and learn, we will begin to live the life of one with the Saintly Fulfillment of All Desire. Just order this book! I am working on "affection for sin" right now.

The Doctors are in! St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales (I am in his office), St. Catherine of Siena, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux. I have a message from one of these doctors and it is this: "In the first place it should be known that if anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more." That is from John of the Cross.

The subtitle of this book is A Guidebook for the Journey to God Based on the Wisdom of the Saints. Ralph Martin, a leader within the renewal movement, has taught on this subject in many different settings and in many different ways. In this book he examines seven of the 33 Doctors of the church and how their writings contribute to the understanding of a spiritual journey. These studies are done through the three stages of spiritual growth.

Those three stages are: the purgative way, the illuminative way, and the unitive way. These are also the three major sections in this book. Yet throughout, he draws heavily upon our seven Doctors: Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Augustine, St. Francis De Sales, and St. Therese of Lisieux. This book is at least a third quotations, which takes us back to the source documents and draws out the spirituality of these saints to help us grow in our own lives.

The strength of this work is its accessible language; it is well written and opens up topics and authors that are not always approachable. Martin takes us on a journey through the saints and through our own spiritual lives. This book can be a roadmap that you use for spiritual growth, renewal, and to enrich your life - and through that the lives of those around you. Martin states: "What really holds us back from a wholehearted response to the call of Jesus, of Vatican II, of the repeated urgings of the Spirit, is not really the external circumstances of our lives, but the interior sluggishness of our hearts. We need to be clear that there will never be a better time or a better set of circumstances than now to respond wholeheartedly to the call to holiness. Who knows how much longer we'll be alive on this earth? We don't know how long we'll live or what the future holds. Now is the acceptable time. The very things we think are obstacles are the very means God is giving us to draw us to depend more deeply on Him." p.7 This book is designed to help overcome that internal sluggishness.

Martin then uses the three stages to examine the spiritual journey deeper into God. "Various attempts to classify the stages of spiritual growth have been made over the centuries. The predominant classification, used by a number of the Doctors we are drawing from and many other writers as well, is the three-stage division of purgative, illuminative, and unitive." p.11 Martin outlines how each stage has a number of characteristics and how the saints can help us move through each stage as we grow closer to God.

The drawback of this book is that if you have struggled with the original writings of these saints, there are so many quotes you will feel like you are reading them again. The strength is that Martin brings years of experience teaching and trying to learn from the saints and live out what he has learned. He will open them up to you in new and exciting ways.

This book will be a great pick for many reasons - first if you want to grow deeper in your spiritual life, second if you want to understand some of the Doctors of the church more, and finally if you have struggled with some of the mystics, this book will help you understand them more. This book will be a great addition to any Catholic library.

A differrent review of this book was published in The National Catholic Register January 14th 2007 as 'The Doctors Will See You'.

In this book, Professor Ralph Martin gives us a glimpse into the minds of several of the seminal spiritual doctors of the church. We know him as a philosopher and teacher from viewing EWTN. And here we see a coherent and lucid thinker ably assisting those who would get to know the spiritual life with St. Francis de Sales, St. Theresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and of course, St. Augustine, among others. He employs ample citation, meaty quotes and thoughtful interpretation in ordinary english language. It is a book for careful thinkers, though not what I would call a 'scholarly' work. Be that as it may, this is one of Dr. Martin's strong suits, he is able to render into clear thought, without stultifying, the profound treasure found in the writings of these great doctors of the church.

I do not give this the five star rating because in my mind 5/5 should be reserved to the optimal best, such as St. Augustine, or St. Thomas Aquinas' writings. 4/5 is hence a good score, as in my mind is a 'B' grade, reserving the 'A' for the greatest intellectual effort. We do great disservice to our students (and authors) if we grade them with the summum of grades, for example, the 'A' when, in fact, we realize that men like Immanuel Kant, or Edmund Husserl have published philsophical works which become the groundwork of thinking for thousands of years. In that case how do you distinguish a St. Augustine, or a St. Theresa Avila from a fairly diligent young, american student?

The title "the fulfillment of all desire" is a wonderful expression echoing St. Augustine's famous dictum: "My soul will not rest until it rests in Thee." A human soul that finds total satisfaction in the things of the world is most likely deceived without seeking the ultimate referent of good and happiness is, as Plato rightly observed, merely lving in a cave. The function of philosophy is to mature into true theology, and for those aspiring to such enlightenment this book is a great place to start.

This book is a must-read for anyone truly interested in following the teachings of Jesus and in being His disciple. In a very accessible style, Ralph Martin presents the teachings of six of the greatest saints in Church history, who by their lives and writings have bequeathed to us a treasury of wisdom. It's amazing how clearly Mr. Martin plumbs the spiritual depths of the likes of St. John of the Cross, St Augustine, and St. Teresa of Avila, among others, in such a way as to make their writings both compelling and comforting at the same time.

That being said, I warn you; if you don't want to be challenged in the way you are living your Christian life, then this book is not for you. With its penetrating exploration of Scripture and saints' writings, I can honestly say that "The Fulfillment of All Desire" has haunted me in a bittersweet way.

To sum up, I'm glad Ralph Martin wrote it, and by the grace of God, I will continue to muster up the courage to study it and most of all, try to live it. I can do no less, for Jesus taught, " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness, for they shall have their fill."-Matt. 5:6

This book is a must-read for anyone truly interested in following the teachings of Jesus and in being His disciple. In a very accessible style, Ralph Martin presents the teachings of six of the greatest saints in Church history, who by their lives and writings have bequeathed to us a treasury of wisdom. It's amazing how clearly Mr. Martin plumbs the spiritual depths of the likes of St. John of the Cross, St Augustine, and St. Teresa of Avila, among others, in such a way as to make their writings both compelling and comforting at the same time.

That being said, I warn you; if you don't want to be challenged in the way you are living your Christian life, then this book is not for you. With its penetrating exploration of Scripture and saints' writings, I can honestly say that "The Fulfillment of All Desire" has haunted me in a bittersweet way.

To sum up, I'm glad Ralph Martin wrote it, and by the grace of God, I will continue to muster up the courage to study it and most of all, try to live it. I can do no less, for Jesus taught, " Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for holiness, for they shall have their fill."-Matt. 5:6

For all those who have the DESIRE to live a Holy life, I feel this book
will be the greatest asset for your journey.