CSD Book Club – The Imitation of Christ (Week 2 of 10)

On Death When you rise in the morning, think that you will not see evening; and when evening comes, do not be too certain that you will rise in the morning. Be always ready, therefore, and so live that death may not find you unprepared. For many, death comes suddenly and unexpectedly; the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. When your final hour arrives you will view your past... Read More

An Advent Resource from Fr. John Bartunek

Dear RCSD Friends, As you know, we believe that Fr. John provides some of the best spiritual resources available in the Church today. Thousands of you agreed when you voted his book The Better Part – A Christ Centered Resource for Personal Prayer in the top of the list of your all-time favorite resources. Many of you have also had the blessing of seeing Fr. John in a few of our recently... Read More

Hidden Delights

“The world is not only hungry for food, but also for beauty.” With those words, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta helps explain why Pope Benedict is encouraging us to return to Catholic art as a privileged place for prayer. The vision of a gifted, accomplished, faith-filled artist can reveal to us a glimpse of God’s beauty, sparking an encounter with his love – and that’s the heart... Read More

How should I prepare for Advent?

Q: Dear Father John, Advent is coming! Even from a distance I feel my shoulders tightening up from the stress of all the noise of the season that has nothing to do with Christ. Do you have any recommendations for how I might better prepare this year? Are you aware of any good books that I can use for spiritual reading through this season to help me to keep my eyes on Christ? A: Thank you for... Read More

3. The King is Coming (Matthew 2:1-6)

“Christ abode for nine months in the tent of Mary’s womb; he abides until the consummation of the ages in the tent of the Church’s faith; he will abide for ever and ever in the knowledge and love of the faithful soul.” - Blessed Isaac of Stella Matthew 2:1-6 After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east.... Read More

5. The Suffering Begins (Matthew 2:13-23)

“We needed an incarnate God who would die that we might live.” – St. Gregory Nazianzen Matthew 2:13-23: After they had left, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother with you, and escape into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, because Herod intends to search for the child and do away with him’. So Joseph got up and,... Read More

Finding God in Advent Activity

St. Teresa of Avila once said, “We must be careful in doing good works, even those of charity, not to fail to have frequent inward recourse to our God.” This is a necessary condition to be observed in order to prevent external activity from disturbing interior recollection. “I will never do anything with haste or agitation.” This was the constant resolution of St. Teresa... Read More

Advent Anxiety… What do I do? – Part III of III

Q: Dear Father John, I am looking forward to Advent and Christmas this year with a little bit of enthusiasm and a lot of anxiety. I know it should be the other way around: a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of anxiety. What am I doing wrong? How can I reverse the proportion? A: Attitudinal and practical adjustments can help us plug into the grace of this privileged liturgical season, and they... Read More

Advent Anxiety… What do I do? – Part II of III

Q: Dear Father John, I am looking forward to Advent and Christmas this year with a little bit of enthusiasm and a lot of anxiety. I know it should be the other way around: a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of anxiety. What am I doing wrong? How can I reverse the proportion? A: God has new, personalized, fresh graces ready for each of us during the liturgical season of Advent, as he does during... Read More

Advent Anxiety… What do I do? – Part I of III

Q: Dear Father John, I am looking forward to Advent and Christmas this year with a little bit of enthusiasm and a lot of anxiety. I know it should be the other way around: a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of anxiety. What am I doing wrong? How can I reverse the proportion? A: Progress on the path of holiness requires sincerity with God and sincerity with ourselves. How can we move forward... Read More

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