The Imitation of Christ by the saintly Thomas à Kempis, CRV, speaks to true Christian souls of all generations, reminding them of the shortness of time and the length of eternity. For 500 years this timeless work has been a powerful tool for sanctifying countless Catholic souls. Since its publication in 1418, The Imitation of Christ has been second in popularity only to the Bible with Catholics and Christians of all creeds. The late Father John Hardon, S.J. said of the Imitation "Its basic theme is that since Jesus Christ is true God and true man, by imitating Christ as man, the Christian becomes more like Christ who is God".