book review
Radical Jesus
"Jesus was a radical. He reminds us at every turn that God's ways are not a slight variation of man's ways, but they are in fact radically different. Embrace any one of Jesus' teachings seriously and some of the people around you are bound to think that you are taking it a little too far. His teachings don't invite us to the mediocre middle. The…
Read more
book review
A Twist on 60/60
"Offer each hour or activity of your day to God as a prayer for a specific intention. Set an alarm to go off each hour. Take a deep breath and lift the coming hour up to God. Ten seconds at the beginning of each hour will change your life." page 66 Resisting Happiness by Matthew Kelly This is an interesting idea to build off the 60/60 I wrote about here . …
Read more
Book Recommendations
Ponderings
"Thus, the matter in which the Carmelites follow the gospel takes on a deeply Marian character. Mary: magnifies the Lord and exults in the wonders of his merciful love (cf. Lk 1:46); listens to and ponders in her heart all the things concerning Jesus (cf. Lk :19, 51); identifies herself with her people, especially those in need, the spirtually and materially po…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Fear Silence?
"Isn’t it a shame that we live in a society that so fears silence. We turn the radios on in our rooms, the TVs on in our dens, the stereos on in our cars, and when we are not near any of these places, we plug iPods into our ears—anything to avoid silence. Yet silence itself is the language of God! I’ll let you in on something I just recently learned: set aside a…
Read more
Prayer
Faithfulness Over Quantity
"There is a risk of taking on more than one could handle and end up discouraged. A relatively short time (twenty minutes or half an hour), spent faithfully on mental prayer every day, is better than two hours now and then." page 84 This is a gentle reminder that faithfulness beats quantity. A moment in prayer daily beats hours of prayer that leads to dis…
Read more
book review
St. Therese's Mission of Love
"She had wanted to have all vocations, because she wanted to love Jesus to the point of madness and serve the Church in all possible ways. The breadth of her desires tormented her. She found peace of soul only when she realized, with the help of Scripture, that the greatest service she could render the Church, one that contained all others in itself, was to keep…
Read more
Wound of Love
"Above all, mental prayer ultimately consists of keeping this wound of love open, preventing it from healing over. Here is yet another guide to what we should do in prayer. When the smarting of the wound becomes less keen through routine, laziness, and loss of our first love, then we need to take action, wake up, stir up the heart and stimulate it to love by m…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Learn Everything Else
"When you meet a wise person, listen to him and you will learn wisdom; when you meet a foolish person, listen to him and you will learn patience; when you are alone, listen to God, and you will learn everything else." Phil sent me this recently. I thought it was a handy little image and wanted to share it with you. When it comes to the Word, we must realiz…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Books Read: August 2023 Edition
An Exorcist Tells His Story by Fr. Gabriele Amorth Living with the Monks by Jesse Itzler Brick by Brick by David Robertson Lego Ninjago Season 11 by William N. Andrews Lego Ninjago School for Crooks by Meredith Rusu Friends 2 by Lego Friends Friends 1 by Lego Friends The Lego Story by Jens Andersen Learning Humility by Richard J. Foster Inheritance by Katharine McG…
Read more
Prayer
Thirst for the Beloved
"Experience shows that to pray well and to be brought to the state of passive prayer in which God and the soul communicate in depth, the heart must be pierced—pierced, that is, by the love of God, wounded by thirst for the Beloved. Only through such a wound can prayer truly descend into the heart and lodge there. God must touch us at such a deep level of our b…
Read more
Prayer
Mental Prayer
Mental prayer can be described as a form of contemplation in which one seeks to deepen their relationship with God through inward reflection, silent meditation, and attentive listening. This type of prayer involves focusing one's mind and heart on God's presence within oneself and in the world, and allowing God's love and grace to transform one's thou…
Read more
Book Recommendations
We are Dust
"I think how little children please their parents just as much when they are asleep as when they are awake; I think how doctors put patients to sleep in order to do operations. And finally, I think how 'the Lord sees our weakness, he remembers that we are but dust'" page 52 'the Lord sees our weakness, he remembers that we are but dust' How …
Read more
Book Recommendations
Love - It's What Counts
"Remember: the value of mental prayer is not measured by how many things we do. On the contrary: the closer prayer comes to that simple act of love, the more it is worth. Normally, too, prayer becomes more simple the further we progress in the spiritual life." page 57 "St. Teresa of Avila says, 'In prayer, what counts is not to think a lot but to l…
Read more
Prayer
God is Always Active
"What matters in mental prayer is not so much what we do, as what God does in us. It is enormously liberating to know this, for sometimes we can do nothing at all in mental prayer. Really, though, it doesn’t matter much, because even if we can’t do anything, God can. In fact, he is always acting in the depths of our soul, even if we don’t realize it. The essenti…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Weakness
"What feels best for you may not be best for the people around you. For that matter, it may not be good for you either. Someone with genuine self-esteem understands that self-fulfillment is not about self-satisfaction. Thus he is willing to deny his own desires for the sake of the future, for the sake of the people around him, and for the sake of his immortal so…
Read more
Prayer
Are You Too Busy Working For God?
"Let those who are fully taken up with activity, who imagine they can move the world by their preaching and their other external works, reflect here for a moment; they will easily understand that they would be much more useful to the Church, and more pleasing to the Lord, not to mention the good example they would set around them, if they dedicated half their …
Read more
A Pleasing Sacrifice
"The priest’s next prayer makes even clearer the connection between the gifts of bread and wine and the giver who offers them to God. The priest prays, 'With humble spirit and contrite heart may we be accepted by you, O Lord, and may our sacrifice in your sight this day be pleasing to you, Lord God.' Notice how the sacrifice envisioned in this prayer is…
Read more
Review
Books Read: July 2023 Edition
Holy Thirst by Paraclete Press Catechesis and Ritual: The Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis Misled by Allen Parr Majesty by Katharine McGee American Royals by Katharine McGee On the Incarnation by St. Athanasius We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak Too Much Money by Dominick Dunne The Microstress Effect by Ro…
Read more
Prayer
Prayers for August 2023
“Consecrating ourselves to Mary means accepting her help to offer ourselves and the whole of mankind to him who is holy, infinitely holy; it means accepting her help—by having recourse to her motherly heart, which beneath the cross was opened to love for every human being, for the whole world—in order to offer the world, the individual human being, mankind as a whole…
Read more
Prayer
Not Enough Tme
"THE PROBLEM OF NOT ENOUGH TIME 'I’d really like to do mental prayer, but I don’t have the time.' How often this has been said! And in a hyperactive world like our own, the difficulty is a real one and should not be underestimated. But time is not always the real problem. That real problem is knowing what really matters in life. As a contemporary aut…
Read more
Quality Time with God - Read His Word
"To hear the words of God is a serious matter. At Mount Sinai, the people of Israel prepared themselves for three days before God spoke to them the words of the covenant. In the Mass, we prepare ourselves for this holy encounter with God’s Word through the Introductory Rites— the sign of the cross, the Confiteor, the Kyrie, and the Gloria. Having marked ourselv…
Read more
Prayer
Rescue Your Time
"Regarding this problem of time, we should make an act of faith in Jesus’ promise: 'There is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or land, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time!' (Mk 10:29). It is legitimate to apply this to chronological time as well: whoever giv…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Here Am I
"It is God who by His presence creates the holy ground which man discovers by recollecting himself and where, having done so, he stands. God shows man the place where he really belongs, where he will find himself and his true world; where the call can reach him and where he must answer it. Recollectedness, therefore, is the condition which enables man to say, …
Read more
Book Recommendations
Dark Night
"We have mentioned here the 'night of the spirit,' the great trial of passive purification, by means of which God works in the very depths of the soul, and thus prepares her for the supreme ascent and final transformation. This trial is a terrible one, a veritable purgatory here below, according to St John of the Cross, who has described the angu…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Who You Truly Are
"And a fourth and last meaning: to recollect oneself is to awaken. With people who are not recollected there is always something tense, some preoccupation; and as soon as this preoccupation and tension lessens, they become all of a sudden empty and listless. When there is no object which draws them, no motive which pushes or stimulus which agitates them, then t…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Put on Jesus
"To imitate Jesus is no longer copy Jesus, but to be transformed into Jesus, to become Jesus. It is no loner to bring out in herself the features of the beloved Model, but to allow Christ to develop and reproduce himself in her. It is the imitation ab intra . There is no question of becoming merely like Jesus, but of being one with Jesus, the God-Man... …
Read more
Prayer
Put Down the Phone!
"No sooner has he started to pray than conjured up by his inner unrest, all sorts of other things clamor for attention: a task at work, a conversation, an errand, a newspaper, a book. All these suddenly appear most important, and prayer seems a sheer waste of time. But no sooner has he stopped praying than there is plenty of time, and he fritters it away with …
Read more
Book Recommendations
The beauty of God
"Each flower, each blade of grass, each insect says to her, 'See how beautiful God is!...'" page 35 "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 1 Corinthians 13:12 If the beauty that is around us is seeing in a mirror dimly, how Beautiful is …
Read more
Review
Books Read: June 2023 Edition
The Art of Praying by Romano Guardini A Biblical Walk Through The Mass by Edward Sri The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg - reread Smarter Faster Better by Charles Duhigg - reread The Fault in Our Stars by John Green The Letters of Ignatius by St. Ignatius Time for God by Jacques Philippe Tomorrowmind by Gabriella Rosen Kellerman Turtles All the Way Down by John Gree…
Read more
Pray
Prayers for July 2023
Dances around in delight. What a wonderful month for novenas! How do you choose? For those that don't know St. Therese is my patron saint and I consider St. Ignatius and St. Alphonsus patrons as well. I will be praying a novena to Sts Louis and Zelie Martin found here , St Ignatius found here , and St. Alphonsus found here . What about you?
Read more
Prayer
Forget Your Feelings
"It is often asserted that true prayer cannot be willed or ordered, but must flow spontaneously, like water from the spring, from within. If this does not happen, if it does not well up from our innermost being, one had better not pray at all, for forced prayer is untrue and unnatural. This sounds, at first, convincing; however, if one has gained a fuller under…
Read more
Book Recommendations
It's Not About Me
"For what she asks of Christ is to live his own life in her, and for his own sake, not for hers . She wants Jesus to continue his own life within her, not to bein in her a new life...She will feel the heart of Christ beat within her breast; Christ will henceforth live his own life in her. She has made her own all the interests, views, loves and desires of C…
Read more
Prayer
Importance of Mental Prayer
"First, we need to be convinced of the vital importance of mental prayer. 'He who avoids prayer is avoiding everything that is good,' said St. John of the Cross. All the saints have spent time praying. Those who were most involved in the service of their neighbor were also contemplatives. St. Vincent de Paul began each day with two or three hours of men…
Read more
Prayer
In God's Presence
"To hear the words of God is a serious matter. At Mount Sinai, the people of Israel prepared themselves for three days before God spoke to them the words of the covenant. In the Mass, we prepare ourselves for this holy encounter with God's Word through the Introductory Rites - the Sign of the Cross, the Confiteor, the Kyrie , and the Gloria . Having marked…
Read more
Prayer
Discouragement in Prayer
"Since purity of intention consists of seeking and pleasing God instead of oneself, the devil sometimes tries to discourage us with the following argument. 'How can you imagine your prayer could ever please God, when you are so full of faults!' The reply is truth at the heart of the Gospel- a truth that the Holy Spirit moved St. Therese of Lisieux to r…
Read more
Prayer
We Are The Tabernacle
"Therefore the illustrious contemplative often complained that many souls given to prayer seek God very far from them in a distant Heaven, instead of seeking and very easily finding him in their own heart."pg 11 We are the Tabernacle! Oh Lord, reveal yourself to me in a new way!
Read more
Prayer
Perpetual Adoration
"Not enough stress is laid on the fact that, though we cannot, whenever we wish, enjoy the company of the God-Man on our altars, it is, however, possible for us to withdraw, like St. Catherine of Siena, into ourselves to commune with the God of our hearts." pg 4 Drawing our attention to our Lord's dwelling place within, we enter adoration. As we mov…
Read more
Book Recommendations
Proud Title of Nobility
"The divine adoption through sanctifying grace received in baptism, the mysterious participation in the Divine Nature, the incorporation with Christ, the mystic priesthood of all Christians, and above all the real presence of God in human souls, are all so many proud titles of nobility of which they are not even conscious. They bear God within them, and do no…
Read more
Just a Thought
As I sat in church waiting for the Eucharist Procession to begin, I was praying that God draws me closer to him when he revealed a truth to me. I was saying, "God draw me to you" while acting like a feral cat caught in a trap trying to get away. It was so helpful for me to see the desires of my heart versus reality. How often are you a feral cat?
Read more
Holiness
Holiness By Holding Open a Door?
Good morning all! Have I piqued your interest? This is me thinking out loud and might be heresy, but half of what comes into my brain is probably heresy. I don't mean to joke about heresy and I would never strive for that... but on to my point. You can hold open a thousand doors for others and never reach holiness. And you can hold open one door and reach …
Read more
Pray
Prayers for June 2023
There are so many wonderful prayers! This month we see Phil's patron saints day! I think it might be good for us to do a novena for our marriage to St. Anthony of Padua. I would also like to do one for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Maybe a novena to St. Maria Goretti for someone that I know who is struggling to forgive me. …
Read more
Review
Books Read: May 2023 Edition
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs River Marked by Patricia Briggs Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs Prayer by Hans Urs von Balthasar Moon Call…
Read more
Prayer
3 Practices to Grow Closer to God
Last time we spoke of stillness . I am still working on digital detox and I will try to remember to follow up on that as I may need to experiment. I'm struggling to give up phone time in my relax time. Here are some ways that I might encourage you to embrace to grow closer to Our Lord and Savior: 1. Prayer and Contemplation: "Prayer is the inner bath of…
Read more
Prayer
Prayers for May 2023
I will be honest and say this is the first month where I want to do too many novenas! I want to do one for the gifts of the Holy Spirit, for St. Joan of Arc, and for Corpus Christi. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. What are you going to do?
Read more
Review
Beauty Reviews: April 2023 Edition
*Royal Oils Nighttime Scalp Tonic Lotion - I really like this and believe it helped. *Avene Cicalfate+ Restorative protective cream - a really lovely moisturizer! *Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara - This is my absolute favorite mascara (for now). I love the wand and the formula. I have the least transfer on this than any other mascara. *NYX Bronze Retractable Eye …
Read more
Review
Books Read: April 2023 Edition
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel Subprime Attention Crisis by Tim Hwang Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis The Whole Bible Story by Dr. William H. Marty The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges The Promise of His Presence by Glenna Marshall Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges Home Sweet Maison by Danielle Postel-Vinay The Gospel According to John, Part Two b…
Read more
Prayer
Building Stillness in 5 Small Steps
As I learn more about Carmelite spirituality and mental prayer, the need for stillness impresses upon my soul. The Lord beckons me closer. Here are 5 small steps to help build this skill. Prayer: This involves turning your attention to God and communicating with him. By quieting your mind and heart, you can create a space for God to speak to you and for you to list…
Read more
Prayer
Prayers for April 2023
We start this month thick with prayers as Phil's mom passed this morning. I will be asking my family to join with me in saying a novena for Divine Mercy for Mrs. Elizabeth Butler Watson. April is the month of the Blessed Sacrament! April 7th consider a novena for St. Bernadette for healing from illness or those suffering from poverty. St. Bernadette's f…
Read more
Review
Beauty Reviews: March 2023 Edition
*CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion : I was surprised by this as I thought ultra light would mean not very moisturizing and that's not it at all. I would definitely use this again. NYX Pore Filler : This is nice, but at the end of the day I don't think my face looks better for having used this and I loathe how this goes everywhere when trying to dispe…
Read more
Review
Books Read: March 2023 Edition
The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond The Platonic Tradition by Peter Kreeft The Fourth Cup by Scott Hahn The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis De Montfort Beholding by Stahan Coleman Sweat by Bill Hayes The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahams 21 Ecumenical Councils that Shaped Catholic History and Beliefs by Fr. John W. O&#…
Read more
Review
Beauty Reviews: February 2023 Edition
*Grow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops - I love this stuff. Already broke open a jumbo bottle I picked up during the Sephora sale. L'Occitane Verveine Cooling Hand Cream Gel - I don't love this stuff. I think it dried out my hands even more. Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Primer - This was the first eyeshadow primer I used that made a difference. I thi…
Read more
Posts
