CSD Book Club – 33 Days to Morning Glory (Week 7 of 7)

After the Consecration… Because of the greatness of this gift, we should strive all the more to unite ourselves with Mary and aim to do everything through her, with her, and in her.  At least out of gratitude, we should make it our aim to have an attitude of growing mindfulness of and dependence on her.  Yet there should be more at work here than just trying to be grateful to Mary. ... Read More

CSD Book Club – 33 Days to Morning Glory (Week 5 of 7)

The Intimacy of Devotion [Let] us try in a special way to come as close as the human heart can come to the Heart of Jesus and try to understand as much as possible Jesus’ terrible pain caused him by our sins and His Thirst for our love…Thank God our Lady was there to understand fully the thirst of Jesus for love.  She must have straight away said, “I satiate Your thirst with my love... Read More

CSD Book Club – 33 Days to Morning Glory (Week 4 of 7)

A Kiss from His Sacred Heart Do we yet realize the mysterious link between the darkness we sometimes experience in our own lives and that of the Lord’s suffering?  Let us ponder Mother Teresa’s words on suffering that come from her own experience and so, like her, become better lovers of the Heart of Jesus: Suffering, pain, sorrow, humiliation, feelings of loneliness, are nothing but the... Read More

I am with You Always: Encounters with the Risen Lord in Prayer

“Behold, I am with you always unto the end of time.”  (Matthew 28:20) These last words of the Risen Christ to the Apostles before He ascended into heaven are words that live in our ongoing encounters with the Son of God today.  Because He has not abandoned us and is at work in the world, He is able to open our prayer to a real conversation with Him and, in the tender but unexpected... Read More

CSD Book Club – Navigating the Interior Life (Week 4 of 6)

Mother Mary Many persons delude themselves maintaining that they reach union with God without having continuous recourse to our Lord who is the way, the truth, and the life. Another error would consist in wishing to go to our Lord without going first to Mary…Protestants have fallen into this last error. Without going as far as this deviation, there are Catholics who do not see clearly enough... Read More

An Answer to a Question: What is Contemplation?

Recently, Dan received an interesting question and after we talked about it, I asked whether I might respond.  Here is the question: “Is the terminology for prayer different from Ignatian to that of Carmelite spirituality? I’m a Secular Carmelite and I just went on an Ignatian retreat. My understanding of contemplation was that it was a complete gift with no activity on our part.... Read More

The Glory of Christ Crucified

The Cross of Christ brings His glorious grace into the focus of contemplation.  It is a difficult mystery to dwell on.  The heart sometimes finds itself weary and sometimes even too discouraged to fix its gaze on the agony of the Lord.  This is where frequent confession and humble examination of conscience can help the practice of mental prayer – which is a humbled gaze of the heart... Read More

Charity’s Infinite Overflowing Flood in the Midst of Trial

Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity (1880 – 1906), a contemporary of St. Therese of Lisieux, is a Carmelite mystic from Dijon, France.   Her profound theological reflections are given in a tumultuous time, one not unlike our own.  The French government had begun to attack religious freedom with the intention of evicting religious orders and confiscating their properties.   The local bishop... Read More

CSD Book Club – Journal of a Soul (Week 5 of 12)

The Sorrows of Motherhood During this retreat, the Lord has been pleased to show me yet again all the importance for me, and for the success of my priestly ministry, of the spirit of sacrifice, which I desire shall from now on ever more inspire my conduct ‘as a servant and prisoner of Jesus Christ.’ And also I want all the undertakings in which I shall take part during this present year... Read More

Video – What is Christian Meditation?

Father John Bartunek and Dan Burke discuss Christian Meditation: What is Christian meditation? How is it distinct from non-Christian eastern meditation? How is it different from vocal prayer? What are the most important things to understand about Christian meditation and developing a personal relationship with Christ? About Dan BurkeDan is the founder of Roman Catholic Spiritual Direction... Read More

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