Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus - Fr. William F. Prospero and Fr. James Kubicki

Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus 

Fr. William F. Prospero 

Fr. James Kubicki (Editor)

Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network

Ave Maria Press

ISBN 9781594716386

eISBN 9781594716393

ASIN B01N1MY5GL

I had never encountered this version of this devotion previously. I stumbled upon it while working on a review of a different one. I picked it up immediately after reading the description. Every Friday during the year I try and pray a Stations of the Cross, and also each day through Lent. I am not sure I have every actually hit the whole year but I try. At the beginning of lent in 2026 I went through my collection of Stations and found I had 10 I had not got around to praying yet. I have read 5 so far and now have 12 I have not read … I have a found a few others while researching reviews including this volume. 

The description of this volume states:

“This personal Way of the Cross from the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network beautifully expresses the deep connection between the Eucharist and the Cross. At each of the fourteen stations, readers are encouraged to offer themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by uniting their sufferings with his in the Eucharist.

The spirituality of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network comes to life in meditations on the classic Catholic Lenten devotion, the Stations of the Cross. Recalling the dramatic events of Jesus’ passion and death helps readers enter more fully into the celebration of the Mass that makes these events present in a real way. Focusing on the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the stations affirm how he gave up his body—his very heart—out of love for all.

Originally written by Rev. Will Prospero, S.J. (1965-2014), and edited by Rev. James Kubicki, S.J., former national director of the Apostleship of Prayer (now the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network), these stations are already beloved by followers of the ministry. Stations of the Cross with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus is beautifully illustrated with artwork of the Stations of the Cross located in the School Sisters of St. Francis’s St. Joseph Chapel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.”

The chapters in the volume are:

Introduction

Opening Reflection

First Station

Second Station

Third Station

Fourth Station

Fifth Station

Sixth Station

Seventh Station

Eighth Station

Ninth Station

Tenth Station

Eleventh Station

Twelfth Station

Thirteenth Station

Fourteenth Station

Concluding Reflection

A sample day is:

“Third Station

Jesus Falls the First Time

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.

Hebrews 4:15–16

I adore you, O Christ, and I bless you,

Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world.

Jesus falls under the heavy Cross, which overcomes his weakened body. Jesus’ heart falls in disappointment. The weight of the ingratitude and indifference toward his mission finally overcomes him. His heart aches with frustration. Jesus remembers how carefully he communicated the teachings of the kingdom of God. He remembers how much effort he put into listening to people’s concerns and into healing and helping them. All this seems a waste now as he lies facedown on the ground.

Yet Jesus does not despair. His aching heart grasps for the promise of his Father—a promise that somehow still holds true. He picks himself up and continues on the way.

How easily my heart falls. I fall under the weight of the smallest temptation. I grasp for what does not belong to me. I easily despair when things don’t go my way. I complain at the smallest inconvenience. I have a heart of stone. I ignore the blessings of God and fail to believe his promises.

The Eucharist is nourishment that gives me strength to persevere in facing life’s challenges and the temptations that come my way. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, present in the Eucharist, gives me the courage and hope to keep going when I feel weak and overwhelmed.

Prayer: Jesus, change my heart! Make it strong in difficult times. Open my heart to receive faith; help me trust in your promise and your strength. Fill my heart with hope in you, not in my own accomplishments or power. Fill my heart with pure love so that I may desire you alone in all things.

Heart of Jesus, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament,

I offer myself with you for the salvation of all.”

I highlighted a number of passages while reading and praying my way through his volume. Some of them are:

“These reflections, which Fr. Will shared with me some years ago, are an expression of that love. During Holy Week 2014, while Fr. Will was suffering from kidney cancer and chemotherapy, which compromised his immune system and allowed an incipient fungal pneumonia to attack, I offered them on the weekly Apostleship of Prayer radio show. A listener was so moved that he asked me to get them published. I asked Fr. Will’s permission to edit them for publication, and he agreed. Ave Maria Press also saw their value and graciously agreed to publish them.”

“Fr. Will lived these reflections. He walked the Way of the Cross with Jesus, surrendering himself to the incomprehensible and perfect will of the Father. He made his final surrender on a feast of Mary, the woman of his life, the one whom St. John Paul II called “the Woman of the Eucharist.” Fr. Will died on September 8, 2014. These reflections are intended for private rather than public or group use. They are the fruit of eucharistic adoration and are an ideal prayer for holy hours and visits to the Blessed Sacrament.”

“This meditation on the Stations of the Cross provides a way to appreciate what Jesus did out of love for each of us. Nothing is more insulting to our Lord than when those who profess faith in him take for granted what he did and what he continues to do at each celebration of the Eucharist.”

“Thank you, Lord Jesus, for every moment of your passion, offered for the salvation of the world. Increase my awareness and appreciation of the wounds you suffered for love of me, and help me to gratefully offer myself back to you. Amen.”

“The Sacred Heart of Jesus, present in the Eucharist, gives me the courage and hope to keep going when I feel weak and overwhelmed.”

“Living life to the full means living every moment in the heart of God.”

“Mary breaks through difficult situations to be with me in my suffering. Human suffering attracts the attentive heart of our Blessed Mother. Her motherly care cannot be stifled by evil. Her Immaculate Heart intensely suffers Jesus’ passion and continues to suffer my passion with me. She shows me how to find meaning in my sufferings by uniting them with the sufferings of Jesus, which bring salvation to the world.”

“Highlight(pink) - Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross > Page 20 · Location 206

When I come to know that Jesus’ heart suffers for love of me, I am changed. I realize that my suffering has a meaningful purpose in God’s heart.”

“Fear stifles faith; courage, in the midst of suffering, builds up faith.”

“In the midst of my suffering, there is a temptation to fear that God will abandon me to misery. It is particularly difficult to trust God when I am down on the ground, unable to look up. Jesus wants to come to me and give me courage.”

“Of what barriers do I need to be stripped? What fears prevent my full exposure to Jesus? In Holy Communion I receive the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. Does Jesus receive in return my real presence, or do I try to hide parts of myself or my day from him?”

“Faith, hope, and love all reside in the human heart. Jesus’ heart, sacred and pure, was so totally conformed to the will of God that it embodied the seeds of eternal life, which were poured out in every thought, word, and deed of Jesus. Jesus’ whole life was a living sacrifice of praise, a pouring out of himself in love of God and humanity. In my meditation on Jesus’ Way of the Cross, I try to relate my own struggles and sacrifices to the suffering Christ. This happens through prayer. When I pray, I make present in my memory all the sacrifices of my day and unite them to the offering of Jesus’ heart in Holy Mass. In this way, my prayer can change the world. Prayer joined to sacrifice constitutes the most powerful force in human history.” 

I hope that sample station and quotes give you a feel for this version of this devotion. This one is recommended for personal devotion but I could see it working well with a small group or family setting. I was really blessed by reading this stations. And I know it is one that will make it into my rotation regularly.

This is a great version of this devotional practice. A version of this devotion I can easily recommend. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! For all Stations of the Cross review click here. 

Conspiracy 365 April - Gabrielle Lord

Conspiracy 365 April
Gabrielle Lord
Scholastic
ISBN 9780340996478

ISBN 9781935279532

ASIN B00ZPT4LT2

I read the first two volumes in this series back in 2011, I had planned on reading them one a month as they were released. But that did not happen. My son just started reading them in his late teens so I decided to pick them back up and finish the series. IO read March last month and this month ripped through April.

When I read the first 2 it was a new series from Scholastic, Conspiracy 365, is another unique approach to books that will draw readers in and keep them addicted. Much like the 39 Clues or Skeleton Creek books, it approaches storytelling in a new and different way that with draw an addicted following of readers. The story is about the life of Callum (Cal) Ormond. Almost like a year-long version of the TV series 24. The story will be told over 12 books, one released each month. And we now know the story continued with a shorter follow up series.

The description of this volume states:

“On New Year's Eve Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning...

"They killed your father. They'll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days!"

Hurled into a life on the run, with a price on his head, the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone. Hunted by the law and ruthless criminals, Cal must somehow uncover the truth about his father's mysterious death and a history-changing secret.

Who can he turn to, who can he trust, when the whole world seems to want him dead?

The clock is tinking. Any second could be his last.

It's a do-or-die when a high speed chase goes wrong, and leaves Cal exposed to his enemies.

If he survives he must decipher the Ormond Riddle, and risk emerging from hiding to save his family. But even if he makes it to December 31 alive, will his family ever be the same again?

The clock is ticking. He has 245 days left.”

This fourth instalment keeps up the fast-pace and the plot becomes even more entangled even more so as the story progresses. Cal is a fugitive on the run. He realizes that the threats against him and his family are even more than he had previously suspected. He finds out they are planning on taking his sister off life support. So no matter the risk he has to try and get to her and stop it. But that s after a crazy car chase. Stories are being told about him, and what he has done that are complete fabrications. He has one friend he can trust and a girl he is hoping he can trust. But the risks are so high and the danger so real. Can cal find a way to figure out the mystery? He only has 246 days left to figure it out.

These books were originally published in Australia and North America by Scholastic, unfortunately it appears eBook editions were never released in Canada. An intense instalment in a great series.

These books have a few cool features. In each book, the page numbers start at the highest and count down. The chapter and section headings are Dates and Time. This was an excellent fourth instalment in the series and I know I will have to read all 12 books; the story is so good I cannot put it down. Give them a try you will not be disappointed.

Books by Gabrielle Lord:
Conspiracy 365:
Series Overview
January (2011)
February (2011)

March (2011)
April (2011)
May (2011)
June (2011)
July (2011)
August (2011)
September (2011)
October (2011)
November (2011)
December (2011)

…

Conspiracy 365 Black Ops:

Missing (2013)

Hunted (2013)

Endgame (2013)

…

48 Hours Series:

The Vanishing (2017)

The Medusa Curse (2017)

…

Gemma Lincoln:

Feeding the Demons (1999)

Baby Did a Bad Thing (2002)

Spiking the Girl (2004)

Shattered (2007)

Death by Beauty (2012)

…

Jack McCain:

Death Delights (2001)

Lethal Factor (2003)

Dirty Weekend (2005)

…

Other Books:

Fortress (1980)

Tooth and Claw (1983)

Jumbo (1986)

Salt (1990)

Whipping Boy (1992)

The Stranger Inside: An Erotic Adventure (1994)

Bones (1995)

The Sharp End (1998)

Monkey Undercover (2006)

…

The Ruling Class - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - The Fixer Book 1

The Ruling Class

aka: The Fixer

The Fixer Book 1

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Bloomsbury YA

ISBN 9781547618743

eISBN 9781547620159

ASIN B0FCBKHDPM

Three year my daughter and I read The Naturals together. Or rather I read them, and she was reading one in class and had to wait before moving on. We both really enjoyed the series. Then my daughter was reading Nobody and again wanted me to read it so I could be a sounding board for her theories while she was working through it. Now we have started this. She is reading the rebranded edition in a physical copy called ‘The Ruling Class’  I have the eBook of the older edition I picked up when we were reading her other books called ‘The Fixer’. And when I stopped at the local bookstore to pick up book 2 for my daughter they had both the earlier and current titled versions of it in stock. But no matter which version you pick up it is a great read!

The description of this volume states:

“When Tess Kendrick is sent to stay with her older sister in Washington, D.C. she has no idea that Ivy is the Capitol's go-to "fixer," a person who can make powerful people's scandals disappear with a snap of her fingers. Tess never thought she and Ivy had much in common, but when she enrolls at the exclusive Hardwicke School, she soon finds herself thrust into the role of high school fixer, solving problems for the children of the D.C. elite.

Secrets pile up as each sister lives a double life, and their worlds come crashing together when a scandal from the halls of Hardwicke reaches Capitol Hill. As the stakes turn deadly, Tess must uncover who's behind the power play before she becomes a target herself.

Previously published as The Fixer.”

About the author we are informed:

“Is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty acclaimed young adult novels, including the Inheritance Games, the Naturals, and the Debutantes series, and The Lovely and the Lost. Jen is also a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. She received her PhD from Yale University in 2012 and was a professor of psychology and professional writing for many years.”

In the older edition it is:

“JENNIFER LYNN BARNES has written more than a dozen young adult novels, including The Fixer, The Long Game, the Raised by Wolves series, and the Naturals series. She has advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science. She received her PhD from Yale University and is now a professor of psychology and writing.”

It had been almost 2 years to the day since I list finished a volume from Barnes. Even though this is a different series and different characters the writing style was such that it was almost like a visit with an old friend. In some ways this has a fell of a Ray Donovan for teens and young adults. I ripped thought it one afternoon, and my daughter loves it. She has come up with some pretty sound theories and even dismissed some earlier ones as she progresses through the book. It is in some way a school story, but one with some pretty series twists in the beltway inner circle in Washington. But not all things are as they appear and Tess lands right in the middle of it while being yanked from the only home she has ever really known. The story is filled with layers of plots and secrets galore. And unfortunately Tess and her sister both appear to be natural fixers and are working the same issues from different sides. Will it bring them together or pull them apart? 

The story moves at a quick pace. Both Tess and Ivy have had their lives upended, and with more than one body they might just be in grave danger. Find out if they can find a way to work together, and with the help of those who care about them come out of this? 

Parts of this story are very moving and the action is intense. I know a few people who have gone through what Tess finds out and Barnes does an excellent job capturing it. A great little read, that leaves you desperate for the second volume! 

Well done Barnes! Well Done.

Books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes:

The Lovely and the Lost (2019)

Nobody (2013)

     formerly At First Sight

Every Other Day (2011)

…

The Naturals Series:

The Naturals (2013)

Killer Instinct (2014)

All In (2015)

Bad Blood (2016)

Twelve (2017)

…

The Inheritance Games Series:

The Inheritance Games (2020)

The Hawthorne Legacy (2021)

The Final Gambit (2022)

The Brothers Hawthorne (2023)

…

Debutantes Series:

Little White Lies (2018)

Deadly Little Scandals (2019)

…

The Fixer Series:

The Ruling Class 

     formerly The Fixer (2015)

Lessons in Power

     Formerly The Long Game (2016)

…

Raised by Wolves Series:

Raised by Wolves (2010)

Sweet Sixteen (2015)

Trial by Fire (2011)

Taken by Storm (2012)

…

The Squad Series:

Perfect Cover (2008)

Killer Spirit (2008)

…

Tattoo Series:

Tattoo (2007)

Fate (2009)

…

Golden Series:

Golden (2006)

Platinum (2007)

…

Living in the Presence of God The Everyday Spirituality of Brother Lawrence - John J. Kirvan - Great Spiritual Teachers Series

Living in the Presence of God The Everyday Spirituality of Brother Lawrence

Great Spiritual Teachers

John J. Kirvan

Ave Maria Press

ISBN 9780877936015

ISBN 0877936013

This is the sixteenth volume in the Great Spiritual Teachers series I have read, It is one of the ones that is currently out of print. It is one of the oldest titles in the series, it was originally released in 1997, and I believe it was not part of either rebranding’s the series has gone through. Two Years ago I read my first book in the series, it was Born to Do This: 30 Days with Joan of Arc by Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, and loved it and the concept of the series. I have read one almost every month since that first one, and if I can track down all the out of print, will do so until I finish all 24 released to date in the series. This one was harder to track down but well worth the effort.

The description of this volume states:

“Living in the Presence of God is a thirty-day spiritual journey based on the classic work of Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God. For over three centuries those who have pursued their soul’s dreams amidst unremitting demands on their time have welcomed the wisdom of this simple Carmelite cook and sandal-maker. Discover how Brother Lawrence can guide you in the midst of the hectic pace of your life.

If I were a preacher I would, above all other things preach the practice of the presence of God. For there is nothing in the world sweeter or more delightful than a continual conversation with God. Brother Lawrence.”

Another states:

“This book maps out a thirty-day spiritual journey based on the classic work of Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God. Discover how Brother Lawrence's insights can guide you in the midst of the hectic pace of your life.”

About the series we are informed:

“Each book in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provides a month of daily readings from one of Christianity's most beloved spiritual guides. For each day there is a brief and accessible morning meditation drawn from the mystic's writings, a simple mantra for use throughout the day, and a night prayer to focus one's thoughts as the day ends. These easy-to-use books are the perfect prayer companion for busy people who want to root their spiritual practice in the solid ground of these great spiritual teachers.”

I believe there are 17 volumes in this series currently in print, but only 15 of those have digital editions. There are also a number that are currently out of print, The oldest I have seen are from the late 1080’s and it looks like they went through a rebranding and format change in the mid 00’s, and they have undergone yet another rebranding in the 2020’s including some new titles available in the series. I must admit I do not recall running across this series prior to that first volume on Joan. I have however added all of them to my ‘to be read list’. I love the most recent rebranding, and hope Ave Maria completes the rebranding across all volumes, and brings back into print some of the volumes currently not available; specifically the volumes on John of the Cross, Evelyn Underhill, Mother Theresa and others. This specific volume was released in 2021, making it one of the oldest in the series. 

The sections in this volume are:

Brother Lawrence 

How to Pray This Book 

Thirty Days with Brother Lawrence 

One Final Word 

While reading this I numerous passages, some of them are:

“If I were a preacher I would, above all other things, preach the practice of the presence of God. For there is nothing in the world sweeter or more delightful than a continual conversation with God. I would advise the whole world to take it up, so necessary do I consider it, and so easy.”

“There is something deeply encouraging and reassuring about a spirituality born in the steamy air of a kitchen and honed at a shoemaker's bench. It carries no trace of a hothouse world of spiritual luxury, exotic experience and leisure for the soul. It blossoms in a world where time is itself a luxury and the only space is where you find yourself.”

“He began by reading all the right spiritual books, but each, he said, sent him off in a different direction, confusing his search for God rather than aiding it. So out of sheer need-and deep insight – he reduced his spiritual life to setting out to love God above all else, nurturing that love by consciously staying in God's presence, thinking about God as often as possible, and praying all the while he fulfilled the pedestrian but life-supporting duties of a cook and sandal- maker.”

“In over three centuries there have been hundreds of editions in many languages of the work generally called The Practice of the Presence of God. It is not a book conceived and written by Lawrence, but a compilation of various materials. As a result, one edition can vary quite greatly from another in its contents. Generally speaking, you will find the sixteen letters from Lawrence to persons seeking his spiritual advice. There is also a gathering of maxims in which Lawrence sums up in his own words the basics of a spiritual life lived in the presence of God. You may also find a eulogy composed in the year following his death by someone who had great access to Lawrence while he was alive.”

“The thirty meditations in this book are designed to provide a concentrated, meditative exposure to the principle ideas that characterized the life and teachings of Brother Lawrence. Any one meditation may bring together passages from several sources and each has been composed in the first person so that Lawrence is presented as speaking directly to you, a seeker after his hard won wisdom.”

“A word of advice: read slowly. Very slowly. The meditation has been broken down into sense lines to help you do just this. Don't read just to get to the end, but to savor each part of the meditation. You never know what short phrase, what word, will trigger a response in your spirit. Give the words a chance. After all, you are not just reading this passage, you are praying it. You are establishing a mood of serenity for your whole day. What's the rush?”

“Forgive my sins.

Accept all that I am,

all that I could be,

that in return

I might have nothing but you,

only you,

all of you.”

“Without the continuous help of God

we cannot escape the dangers

that abound in this life.

So how can you expect his continuous help

unless you pray for it continually?

But how can you pray to him continually

unless you are in his presence?

And how can you be in his presence

unless you think of him often?

And how can you think of him often

unless you develop

the habit of living in his presence?”

“Stay with me Lord

as another day living in your presence

fades into darkness

and silence.”

“Walk with God

in simple faith,

with humility and with love,

and try diligently

to do nothing and think nothing

that would displease hi1n.

Make it your goal to persevere

simply and solely in his presence,

maintaining

habitual,

silent,

and secret

conversation of your soul with God.

And trust that when you have done

all you can do,

he will do

what is best for you.”

“There is no great art or science

to living in the presence of God.

You need only a heart

determined to apply itself

to no one or no thing but God.”

“The key to living in the presence of God

is putting behind you everything

that you realize is not leading to him.

Only then will you become aware of

his presence within you.”

“My mind wanders.

So will yours.

But do not allow yourself

to become upset and worried.

Rather go on working

to keep out of your mind

anything and everything

that might interrupt

your sense of his presence,

your thoughts of him.”

“Prayer is nothing else

but being aware of the presence of God.

It does not end

when the appointed times for "prayer" have passed.

For we pray whenever we do our ordinary tasks,

not with a view of pleasing others,

but as far as we are capable,

in order to please God.”

“All the fine speeches I hear about God,

everything I have read about him,

all that I have come to feel about him,

have never been enough to satisfy me.”

“This is the time

to make good and effective

acts of resignation to his will,

for even one such act

could lead to spiritual growth.”

“For despite my sinfulness

you will, I know and trust,

continue to bestow

your blessings on me.

Help 1ny unbelief.

Replace my fear with joy.”

“Let your infinite graciousness

fill the night,

hearing my prayers before they are said,

knowing what I want and need

before I know myself.”

“Let us make way for grace.

And let us not lose any time.

For we know not

how much time is left to us.”

“For in whatever place I find myself,

I can always do little things,

indeed all things,

for the love of God.

So can you.”

“So if you cannot serve him

where you are,

you will serve him

where he wants you to be.”

“If you turn inward

and faithfully practice the presence of God

it is possible

that your soul will become so intimate with God

that you will find yourself

spending practically all your time

in one continual act of prayer.”

Each day follows the same format with three main sections:

MY DAY BEGINS: “As the day begins set aside a quiet moment in a quiet place to do the reading provided for the day

The passages are short; they never run more than a couple of hundred words. They have been carefully selected, though, to give a spiritual focus, a spiritual center to your whole day. They are designed to remind you, as another day begins, of your own existence at a spiritual level. They are meant to put you in the presence of the spiritual master who is your companion and teacher on this journey. This is especially true of this journey with Catherine of Siena. The readings are her report of God’s words to her, God’s side of the dialogue. And since the purpose of the passage is to remind you that at every moment during you are in the presence of a God who invites you continually, but quietly, to live in and through him, what better source than the words of God himself?”

ALL THROUGH YOUR DAY: “Immediately following the day’s reading you will find a single sentence, a meditation in the form of a mantra, a phrase meant as a companion for your spirit as it moves through a busy day. Write it down on a 3" x 5" card or on the appropriate page of your daybook. Look at it as often as you can. Repeat it quietly to yourself, and go on your way.

It is not meant to stop you in your tracks or to distract you from responsibilities but simply, gently, to remind you of the presence of God and your desire to respond to this presence.”

MY DAY IS ENDING: “This is a time for letting go of the day, for entering a world of imaginative prayer … This exercise is not meant to last more than a few minutes. End it when you are comfortable doing so. It has two parts. The first, in keeping with Catherine’s model, is a personal response to the words spoken by God in the day’s reading. Just as God has spoken to you, so you speak to God. Second, you are invited to turn to the familiarity of a prayer based on Catherine’s own words. It is an act of trust and confidence, an entryway into peaceful sleep, a simple evening prayer that gathers together the spiritual character of the day that is now ending as it began—in the presence of God.

It is a time for summary and closure.”

A sample day is:

“DAY 13

 My Day Begins 

When you pray,

don't multiply your words.

Many words and long speeches

are an excuse for your mind to wander.

Instead, present yourself to God

like a speechless beggar

at a rich man's gate.

Your only task is

to stay in the presence of God.

But when you pray,

if your mind does wander from God,

do not get upset.

Trouble and disquiet

are more likely to distract your soul

than bring it back to prayer.

Tranquillity is the key.

Just persevere

and God will have pity on you.

All Through The Day

Just persevere.

My Day Is Ending

Stay with me Lord

as another day living in your presence

fades into darkness

and silence.

Now is not the time

to search for words,

or to conjure up great thoughts,

but for silence.

I am a speechless beggar

at a rich man's gate.

My only task is

to stay in your presence.

Hear, I beg you,

what I cannot say,

what I need not say.”

I wanted to share the One Final Word section:

“Towards the end of his life, looking back over decades of single minded attention to the presence of God, Brother Lawrence confessed to being surprised:

I came to the monastery these many years ago

thinking that I would pay

for my awkwardness and faults

by sacrificing to Cod

my life and all its pleasures.

But God has disappointed me.

I have n1et with nothing

but satisfaction.

You can expect the same.

God always surprises, never disappoints, whatever spiritual path you take, whether it is that lived and recommended by Brother Lawrence or by some other great spiritual teacher.

If you decide that the path of Brother Lawrence is one that you wish to follow more closely and deeply, read and study the entire text of The Practice of the Presence of God, one that contains his letters, his maxims and other supplementary material.

You may, however, decide that his experience has not helped you. There are many other teachers. Somewhere there is the right teacher for your own, very special, absolutely unique journey of the spirit. You will find your teacher; you will discover your path.

We would not be searching, as St. Augustine reminds us, if we had not already been found.”

I really loved this volume and really wish it was in print and available digitally. I know a half dozen people I would give it to immediately! And that final section or something like it is in all the volumes. I hope those quotes and the sample days give you a feel for this excellent volume. I am very thankful I was able to track a copy of this one down. I have been reading The Practice of the Presence of God, for over thirty years now, since I first encountered it in Campus Ministry. It was really inspiring and encouraging to read this volume. It draws heavily from Brother Lawrence’s own words.

I have benefited from every volume I have read and I have completed more than half of the series. I have now read 16 volumes in this series, and currently working on a seventeenth I can state this is another great offering in the series. I find that some speak to me more than others. I can also state I benefited from the month with each person being profiled. And if I went back and did a volume again at a different point or season in life I might interact with it differently. And if this became available digitally would be one of the first I returned to after finishing them all. I already plan to circle back to both this volume and the volume on Joan and reread them once I have completed the series.

This is a great read, it is one I really enjoyed reading. I can easily recommend this volume, if you can track it down, and the series as a whole, and I look forward to reading others in the series. If you have not given any in this series a try this would be an excellent starting point or whichever one seems to call to you.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books in the Great Spiritual Teachers Series:

Abide in love: the Gospel spirituality of John the Evangelist – John Kirvan 

All Will Be Well - Julian of Norwich and John Kirvan 

Born to Do This - Joan of Arc and Jaymie Stuart Wolfe 

Come into the Silence - Thomas Merton 

Draw Ever Closer - Henri J. M. Nouwen and Robert M. Hamma  

Fear Not the Night - John of the Cross and John Kirvan 

God Awaits You Based on the Classic Spirituality of Meister - Richard Chilson 

Grace Through Simplicity - Evelyn Underhill and John Kirvan 

Hope Without Borders: 30 Days with Frances Xavier Cabrini - Amy J. Cattapan   

Let Nothing Disturb You - Teresa of Avila and John Kirvan  

Let There Be Light - Hildegard of Bingen and John Kirvan  

Living in the Presence of God - Brother Lawrence and John Kirvan 

Love Without Measure - Mother Teresa and John Kirvan 

Peace of Heart - Saint Francis of Assisi and John Kirvan 

Rejoice in the Lord - Augustine of Hippo and Trenton Mattingly  

Set Aside Every Fear - Catherine of Siena and John Kirvan  

Set Your Heart Free - Francis de Sales and John Kirvan 

Simply Surrender - Thérèse of Lisieux, Caroline Myss and John Kirvan    

That you may have life: let the mystics be your guide for Lent - John Kirvan 

True Serenity - Thomas a Kempis and John Kirvan  

We Are Beloved - Thea Bowman and Karianna Frey MS 

Where Only Love Can Go - The Cloud of Unknowing and John Kirvan  

You Shall Not Want: The Psalms - Richard Chilson 

...

Books by and about Brother Lawrence:

Practising the Presence of God: with Brother Lawrence - Jennifer Moorcroft - CTS Books

The Practice of the Presence of God - Whitaker House Edition

Living in the Presence of God The Everyday Spirituality of Brother Lawrence - John J. Kirvan - Great Spiritual Teachers Series  

…

Praying the Stations with Teenagers - Gwen Costello

Praying the Stations with Teenagers

Gwen Costello

Twenty-Third Publications

ISBN 9780896223868

Recently I went through the collection of Stations I had and found I had about 10 I have never read or reviewed and have made the commitment to try and make it through them this Lent, and I added 2 as I have been reading, praying, and reviewing my way through the collection. Of the 10 I started with 6 were from Twenty-Third Publications, and while researching this review I found a few others I am interested in.

This is the fourth of the Stations of the Cross I have read from Twenty-Third Publications in this series, I have read a few not part of this series from them as well. I really loved Praying the Stations Mary’s Way of the Cross, by Richard G. Furey CSsR and picked up several others in this series. But I was fairly disappointed in Praying the Stations with Saint John XXIII by Bill Huebsch; so had sort of ignored them the past few years. This year I will try and get through the 6 I have and then see about tracking down some others that piqued my interest. It appears versions of this devotion in this series have come in and out of print for years. I believe I have found 20 titles in this series, some out of print long enough I cannot find good cover images. 

This version of this devotion has been through a number of editions, I believed first published in 1988, the edition I read was a 6th printing from 2008. And there is even a more recent rebranded edition available on the Twenty-Third Publications site.

The description of this booklet states:

“This acclaimed booklet addresses many of the challenges teens confront today as they follow Jesus in their daily lives: peer pressure, drugs, alcohol, prejudice, and so on. A true conversion experience that has been widely used with 7th through 12th graders.”

This volume begins with:

“Before You Begin...

“If anyone wants to come with me, he or she must put aside self-interest, and then pick up the cross and follow me. Pursuing self-interest leads to nothing in the end, but putting aside self-interest for my sake leads to everything.’

Matthew 16:24 (adapted)

Jesus spoke these words to his first followers. And now he is speaking them to you. Yes, you. Though “only a teenager,” you are a person of great worth in Jesus’ eyes, so great that he is inviting you to follow him.

And how might you follow Jesus? First of all by putting aside your own selfish interests. This requires looking around you at other people and putting their needs before your own. By caring for others and taking responsibility for them you are picking up the cross to follow Jesus.

In the following pages, walk the Stations of the Cross with Jesus. Open your mind and heart and allow him to speak to you, to teach you. In doing so you will lose nothing. Indeed, you will gain everything.”

A sample Station for this edition:

“Third Station

Jesus Falls the First Time

The worst thing that can happen to us is to fall flat on our faces in front of others: when we do or say something stupid, when we're not accepted for who we are, when we're laughed at for not looking right or dressing right. To be shut out is the worst way to fall flat. At school games or dances, we know there are kids who are on the outside looking in. But we don’t invite them in. What would our friends think? Jesus fell flat in front of the soldiers, in front of people who had believed in him, in front of his own mother. He was in this situation because he had spoken out and taken risks for others. Look where it got him. What must he have been thinking as he lost control and fell under the cross?

(Pause for silent reflection.)

Jesus, forgive us for the times we have shut others out and refused to help. Help us to be aware of their needs and to respond to them. Teach us how to follow you.”

The volume ends with:

“An Easter Prayer

Jesus, we know that your story didn’t end on Good Friday. Your “failure” was turned into victory on Easter morning. “Jesus is not here,” your messenger said: “he has been raised from the dead.”

As your followers, we know that rejection, loss, even death and dying, don’t necessarily mean failure. With your help, we can move through these experiences toward new life and resurrection. We can be turned around—as you were. Give us the courage, please, to accept the reality that life will always have its bright sides and dark sides, its joys and sorrows. And help us to believe that God has good things in store for us, too.

Amen. Alleluia.”

Overall am impressed with the series, especially after this fourth volume, and will give others in the series a try. This one was released my final year of secondary school and I am sure it could have been used there for the benefit of many. This was a good stations of the cross. I have a few stations I return to again and again. I am always willing to give another version of this devotion a try. I wish the other in the series were available digitally. With my dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks so I can change the font, font and page colour to make reading easier. 

I will read and review the others from the series I have tracked down and try to find the reaming few of the other volumes in the ‘Praying The Stations Series’ from Twenty-Third Publications. I try and pray a stations each Friday throughout the year, and every day during Lent. I do not see myself returning to this one often, even if a digital edition because available. But I did benefit from praying through it.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!  For all Stations of the Cross review click here. 

Books in the Praying The Stations With Series:

A Way of Reconciliation for Teens - Colleen Rainone 

Praying the Stations for Healing - David M. Knight 

Praying the Stations of the Cross for Seniors -  John van Bemmel 

Stations of the Cross for Older Adults - John Van Bemmel  

Praying the Stations for the Suffering, Ill, and Disabled - Holly B. Clark 

Praying the Stations Mary’s Way of the Cross

    aka Praying the Stations With Mary the Mother of Jesus – Richard Furey 

Praying the Stations of Mercy with Pope Francis - Bill Huebsch 

Praying the Stations Today’s Disciples - Sr. Christine Kreshko 

Praying the Stations with Catechists - Gwen Costello 

Praying the Stations with Children - Gwen Costello 

Praying the Stations with Faith and Courage - Richard Gribble 

Praying the Stations with John Paul II – Bill Huebsch 

Praying the Stations with Pope Francis - Bill Huebsch 

Praying the Stations with Saint John XXIII - Bill Huebsch 

Praying the Stations with Seniors – John Van Bemmel 

Praying the Stations with Teenagers - Gwen Costello 

Praying the Stations with Young Children - Diane Abajian 

Stations of the Cross for Today's Disciples - Christine Kresho 

The Mystery of the Cross: Praying the Stations with Pope Francis - David M. Knight 

Walking the Via Dolorosa Today - Laurin J. Wenig 

…

Other Stations from Twenty-Third Publications:

A Mother's Way of the Cross - Deborah McCann 

A Personal Way of the Cross - Isaias Powers 

An Illustrated Stations of the Cross - James Nisbet 

Stations of Hope: Praying the Stations of the Cross for Today - Father David M. Knight 

Stations of Strength Praying the Stations of the Cross in Times of Suffering - Alice Camille 

The People of the Way of the Cross - Marci Alborghetti 

The Stations of the Resurrection - Sister Catherine Duenne 

The Way of the Cross - William V Coleman 

The Way of the Cross for Parents - Susan Jones 

Via Lucis The Way of Light: Praying the Stations of the Resurrection - Glenn Byer

Walking with Jesus on the Way to Calvary - Kathy McGovern 

Way of Cross Religion Teachers - Gwen Costello 

...

357 Sunset - Jude Hardin - The Jack Reacher Experiment Book 5

357 Sunset 

Jack Reacher Experiment Book 5

Jude Hardin

ISBN 9781984984333

ASIN B077TNNTBY

First I want to state I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the rest in the series and the other two Reacher Series Jude has penned. Second a few years ago I read my first Reacher novel. I had picked up one for my dad, and after giving the back a read, I grabbed the eBook for myself. In under a year I had read all the Reacher Novels in print and all the books in the Hunt for Jack Reacher by Diane Capri. Since then I have read 58 books in the Reacher universe and am expanding out to the three series by Jude Hardin now.

The description of this book:

“About The Jack Reacher Experiment series

Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired.

DOB 14 October 2057.

Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher.

Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased.

He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening…

Note: The use of the name Jack Reacher, along with the use of story situations and supporting characters from the Jack Reacher universe, authorized by Lee Child. While sometimes referenced in the context of the story, the Jack Reacher character remains offstage in Kill Shot: The Jack Reacher Experiment Book 4.”

This volume like some of the others begins with:

“Rock Wahlman: Forty-one years old, United States Navy Master at Arms, E-8, retired. DOB 14 October 2057. Grew up in an orphanage, recently discovered that he is the product of a human cloning experiment, an exact genetic duplicate of a former army officer named Jack Reacher. Now someone wants all evidence of the experiment to be erased, which means that someone wants Wahlman to be erased. He’s on the run, desperate to survive, desperate to learn the truth about why all this is happening…”

Based on the page count this volume is more of a novella, the book in this series are available as 9 stand-alone stories or in 3 omnibus editions. I will continue to read and review the stand-alone editions because that is how I started the series. Back to the book at hand. I used adaptive technology and listed to the volume before this while travelling, this one I worked through while home sick. 

Even death can’t keep Reacher down, in a manner of speaking. Rock Wahlman is a clone of Reacher, but he was not the only one. In the first volume, on the night his life goes sideways, he tries and saves a man after his rig goes off the road and into water. The man he pulls from the water looks just like him. Having been raised in an orphanage this raises some questions. After an attempt on his life, he starts putting together the pieces. His life may have been different than Reacher’s but his determination when he is threatened is the same. 

Wahlman Is working to find info he needs to clear his name, and get his life back. He now has plans and hopes for a life. He wants a home a family, things he had never desired before. But before that can happen he needs evidence on the corrupt general that is trying to have him taken out. And now is he not only running from a rogue element in the Military, and the New Orleans’s Police, he is now on the run from a professional tracker, that has been brought in as a subcontractor. But a subcontractor with his own plan and eye on the prize.

Much like his generic source material, trouble just seems to find Wahlman. And in this one it hits in triplicate. Can he keep all the lines of defence straight? Can he watch his back and work towards a future? To find out read this excellent novella!

This is another well written story. That stays true to the original character and universe. It is a fun read in a good series. Even if this volume had not been set in the Reacher Universe I would have enjoyed it. The fact that it is only adds to the mystique that is Jack Reacher. It was good read and leaves you desperate for the next instalment in this series. This is a book and series I can easily recommend to fans of Reacher or anyone who love a good action thriller.

Books by Jude Hardin:

Books in the Jack Reacher Experiment Series:

Dead Ringer

Moving Target

No Escape 

Kill Shot

357 Sunset

Redline

End Game

Ricochet

Gone

…

The Reacher Experiment Books 1-3 

The Reacher Experiment Books 4-6 

The Reacher Experiment Books 7-9

…

The Reacher Experiment: The Complete Series Books 1-9

…

The Reacher Code Series:

Timestream 1

Timestream 2

Timestream 3

…

Jack Reacher Files Series:

Fugative

Choke

Hostage

Velocity

The Girl from the Wrong Side of Cordial 

…

Nicholas Colt Series:

Pocket-47

Crosscut

Snuff Tag 9

Rattled

Colt

Key Death

Blood Tattoo

The Blood Notebooks

...

Nicholas Colt Crossover Books:

Racked (with J.A. Konrath)

Lady 52 (with J.A. Konrath)

Sycamore Bluff

...

Midnight Creek Series:

The Cold Gray Adiós

A Single Red Alibi

...

Stranded in the Old West:

Frifter

lawless

...

Pickin' & Grin Inn Mystery Series:

Dead Ain't Your Color 

Friends in Freshly Dug Places

...

iSEAL Series:

iSeal

iSEAL 2

...

Other Books:

Codename: Hollowpoint

   aka Fused

A Thin Ribbon of Smoke

   aka Witness

Rocked

   aka Cage Fight

Au Revoir from a Bridge to Nowhere 

Fire and Ice

Choke

The Blood Notebooks

...

A prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

A prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

Prayer of the Day  

O Sacred Virgin of Guadalupe, show us that you are our Mother! Defend us in our temptations, console us in our griefs, and help us in all our needs! In danger, in sickness, in persecution, in bitterness, in abandonment, in the hour of our death, look upon us with compassionate eyes and never depart from us!

Amen. 

  

Note: Every so often I post a prayer I use as part of my daily prayers. I have been praying this one for a few years I do not recall where I originally came across it. 

Relates posts and links:

Prayer of the Day Posts

Prayer Book Reviews

My Prayer Notebook. 

My Daily Prayer List April 2024

My Daily Prayer List October 2025

...

Other posts about Guadalupe:

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua 

Message of Guadalupe - Gillian Rae - CTS Christian Shrines Series 

Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe - Josephine Nobisso and Virginia Esquinaldo

Mary at the Crossroads of History - Francis J. Hoffman aka Fr Rocky

The Memorare Moment - Francis J. Hoffman aka Fr Rocky

A Prayer of the Day Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe

A prayer to Our Lady of Guadalupe

...