The Seven Storey Mountain is one of the most famous books ever written about a man's search for faith and peace. It tells of the growing restlessness of a brilliant and passionate young man, who at the age of twenty-six, takes vows in one of the most demanding Catholic orders—the Trappist monks.

At the Abbey of Gethsemani, "the four walls of my new freedom," Thomas Merton struggles to withdraw from the world, but only after he has fully immersed himself in it. At the abbey, he wrote this extraordinary testament, a unique spiritual autobiography that has been recognized as one of the most influential religious works of our time.

Translated into more than twenty languages, it has touched millions of lives.

Here it is — the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics throughout the world believe in common. This book is the catechism (the word means instruction) that will serve as the standard for all future catechisms.

The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes, and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject.

Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith.

Here is a positive, coherent, and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.

The Revised Standard Version is the English translation of the Christian biblical canon, composed of the Old and New Testaments. This revision is based on the 1901 American Standard Version and attempts to provide an accessible and literal English translation.