Series expressions for the radially dependent absorption cross section and angle-averaged absorption heat source function within a stratified sphere are presented. A numerically stable and accurate algorithm for computation of the internal radiative properties, as well as the overall scattering and extinction of a stratified sphere having an arbitrary number of layers is developed. The results allow for direct estimation of the degree of penetration and intensity of radiative heating in radially inhomogeneous spherical particles, and also provide an estimate of the thermal emission coefficient of particles having a radial temperature distribution.