The Imitation of Christ is the second most widely read spiritual book after the Bible. A spiritual classic it has had an astonishing impact on the lives of saints, peasants, and popes for centuries. It speaks to the soul of every Christian, reminding them of the fleeting nature of earthly joy and the eternity of happiness with God. Thomas a Kempis was a late Medieval Catholic monk and author of The Imitation of Christ, one of the best known Christian books on devotion. He was a copyist and writer, copied two Bibles. His important works include a series of sermons to the novices of St.Augustine monastery, including Prayers and Meditations on the Life of Christ, Meditations on the Incarnation of Christ, Of True Compunction of Heart, Soliloquy of the Soul, Garden of Roses, Valley of Lilies, and a Life of St. Lidwina of Schiedam.