The Third Spiritual Alphabet

The Third Spiritual Alphabet by Fray Francisco de Osuna enjoyed incredible renown in times past for being the single most influential book on the Spiritual Life and Prayer among the writings and Mystical contributions of Saint Teresa of Avila. She in fact recounts that this book was given to her at a time when she was still far from the heights of prayer she enjoyed in her later years, and that the counsels of Fray Francisco de Osuna initiated her full conversion toward a deep life of contemplation, and instructed her in its earliest steps.

For this reason many of the Carmelite School recognize this Master of the Franciscan School as being of great importance to their Spirituality, being as he is, in a sense, the Master of the Discalced Reform.

Beyond this, Fray Francisco’s Third Spiritual Alphabet is without doubt an incredibly influential work for the Franciscan School as well, and those that follow their Spirituality. We believe firmly that any movement and push toward a reform of the Franciscan Order will come principally from a return to the Contemplative life of Recollection so essential to the Franciscan Vocation as exemplified by the life of Holy Father Saint Francis, and as practiced and taught by the great Masters of this Tradition.

In our new edition we have entirely re-typeset the Public domain translation of the Spanish done by the “Benedictine from Stanbrook”, though we have made a specific adjustment to the Table of Contents and use of the Index of the old Edition.

In this edition we have modified the translation so as to make every letter of the “Spiritual Alphabet” truly begin with its appropriate letter of the Alphabet in the English Language, so that all the treatises are in Alphabetical Order in accordance with the Original Spanish. We believe this to be of immense importance for the usefulness of this book, and falls directly in line with Fray Osuna’s intention for the Spiritual Alphabet, namely, that it be an easy, memorable, and useful tool for forming souls in the school of Contemplative prayer.

Finally, we have included a “Question and Answer” Section for the most common spiritual questions asked by most people entering into the spiritual life, with their answer as found within this Spiritual Alphabet