St. John of the Cross
The Two Wings of the Soul
Two things serve as wings for the soul to rise toward union with God: loving compassion and self-detachment. We often think of holiness as a matter of giving things up. Yet detachment without love can become little more than self-discipline. St. John of the Cross teaches us that the journey toward union with God requires both freedom from disordered attachments and…
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St. Francis
Radical Witness: St. Francis continued
What If We Truly Gave Everything to Christ? What would happen if we truly gave everything to Christ? Not just the comfortable parts of our lives or the time we have left over, but everything ? In his homily for the Feast of St. Francis, Fr. Jantz challenged us to consider the extraordinary difference that one person, completely surrendered to Christ, can make in the …
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St. Francis
St. Francis of Assissi: Beautiful Homily
I was profoundly moved by Fr. Jantz' homily on the Feast of St. Francis. It is approximately from 14:15 to 31:10. Here are my notes from it: Three lessons from Francis's Canticle of the Creatures 1. Gratitude and poverty (Brother Sun, Sister Moon) St. Francis wrote the Canticle near the end of his life, when he was almost blind. He praised the beauty of…
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St. John of the Cross
God Is Not Absent
"O Lord, my God, you are no stranger to those who do not estrange themselves from you. How do they say that it is you who absent yourself?" -St. John of the Cross How often do we mistake God's silence for His absence? There are seasons when prayer feels empty, when our hearts seem cold, and when God appears far away. Yet St. John of the Cross reminds…
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books
Books Read: September 2026
He Who Fights with Monsters by Shirtaloon Exit Strategy by Lee Child Storm Front by Jim Butcher The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan by Liesl Clark You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith A Father Who Keeps His Promises by Scott Hahn The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson Safe by Jessica Baum, LMHC When I Was You by Ambe…
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books
Books Read: August 2026
From Clutter to Clarity by Kerri Richardson Prayer Primer by Thomas Dubay Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison Lapvona By Ottessa Moshfegh Litanies of the Heart by Gerry Ken Crete, phD Kiss, Marry, Kill by Lori Gold Cackle by Rachel Harrison Bitter Brew by William Knoedelseder A Muddied Murder by Wendy Tyson Rooted in Deceit by Wendy Tyson Sowing Malice by Wendy Tyson …
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Carmelite
Little Things
In The Practice of the Presence of God , Brother Lawrence offers one of the simplest descriptions of the spiritual life: “Thoughts count for little, love does everything.” He does not illustrate this with some heroic act of sacrifice. He tells us about making an omelet. He turns it in the pan for the love of God. When his work is finished, he adores the God who gave…
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