Are You Praying with a Small Cup?
“Picture a small child leaning into a big overwhelming and overflowing waterfall - holding out a very small cup. He is receiving a tiny amount of the water flowing..."
What is a Daily Examen and Why Pray It?
St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit Order, popularized the daily Examen in his classic work, The Spiritual Exercises. The Examen, or examination of conscience, is typically prayed at the ...
What Does It Mean to be a Catholic Mystic?
Have you marveled at accounts of the saints who received spiritual consolations and supernatural experiences, then wondered how they achieved that "special something" beyond the rest of us? We ofte...
Read St. Teresa of Avila's Famous Poem, in Her Own Handwriting
St. Teresa of Avila (1515–1582), the great Spanish Carmelite nun, mystic, and Doctor of the Church, most famous for her classic spiritual writings, The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, al...
Cling To The Rosary as the Creeper Clings To The Tree
Now I understand more deeply what Mother Teresa meant when she said to "cling to the Rosary as the creeper clings to the tree, for without Our Lady we cannot stand." A creeper vine cannot survive o...
5 Reasons for Seeking Spiritual Silence & How to Begin
Silence does not come naturally to me. My brain is frequently spinning plates. I am inclined to "talk to think." Retreating interiorly in silence and prayer takes focus and discipline for us extro...
“Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise...
A Patron Saint for Finding Patience: St. Monica
As a mother of nine children, I need patience. It is a daily requirement, in fact. However, requirements do not automatically produce results. If I had a nickel for every time someone said to me "Y...
The Meaning & Hope in the Assumption of Mary
As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, the Church reminds us of her singular role and honors her as the Queen of Heaven, first among the saints. What should Catholics know about t...
How to Redeem Your Wasted Time and Help Save the World By Praying the Rosary
"Make the most of the time, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5:16) Traffic delays. Long commutes. Endless lines. We often consider the time we spend just waiting for something as time wasted. But...