Drawing Close to the Holy Spirit - Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, OP - Keys to a Transformed Life and Joyful Heart

Drawing Close to the Holy Spirit: 

Keys to a Transformed Life and Joyful Heart

Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, OP

Sophia Institute Press

ISBN 9781644135068

eISBN 9781644135075

ASIN B09BBFJL4B

I read this as part of Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading. It is an excellent read. It was read transitioning into Lent, with part of the volume before Ash Wednesday and about half the lessons after. It was hard to stay at just a chapter a week with the School of Reading, but it was worth it to slow down with this volume. The beginning of the description of this book states:

“What a marvelous difference drawing close to the Holy Spirit makes in our lives!

Regardless of our past, or the trials afflicting us now or those we may face in the future, when we draw near to the Holy Spirit, our lives change for the better. Closeness with the Holy Spirit is the "secret" of holiness and happiness.

In this short yet penetrating work, Sr. Mary Ann Fatula reflects on how tenderly and powerfully the Holy Spirit offers us the precious gift of intimacy with Himself. Through the graces of our Baptism and Confirmation, the Holy Spirit-- the Third Divine Person who is the Father's and Son's sublime Love for Each other -- gives Himself to us to be our "Beloved," our mighty Healer, our intimate Friend and Consoler, our constant Companion and Strength, our gentle Teacher and Guide.”

The chapters in the work are:

Introduction

1. The Gift of Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

2. Loving the Person of Love

3. Prayer Inspired by the Holy Spirit

4. Our Healer and Comforter

5. Intimacy with the Holy Spirit and Our Baptism and Confirmation

Select Bibliography

Index of Scriptural Citations

Index of Names and Subjects

About the Author

About the author we are informed:

“Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, O.P., Ph.D., served as a professor of theology at Ohio Dominican University and for more than thirty years taught theology there. Sr. Mary Ann is the author of Catherine of Siena’s Way, The Holy Spirit: Unbounded Gift of Joy, and Thomas Aquinas, Preacher and Friend. Her most recent book is Heaven’s Splendor, published by Sophia Institute Press.”

I highlighted a few passages while reading this work, some of them are:

“Intimacy with the Holy Spirit is the “secret” of holiness, and of true happiness.”

“Intimacy with the Holy Spirit is at the very core of our Christian life (Gal. 5: 25) and is the blossoming within us of the most profound graces of our Baptism and Confirmation.”

“And, just as intimacy with the Holy Spirit inflamed the apostles’ zeal in proclaiming the risen Lord, it fills us also with a peace and joy that cannot help attracting others to the Lord.”

“The insights in this small book are drawn from saints whose secret of holiness and happiness was their own intimacy with the Holy Spirit. May these saints, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, help us to realize that the same “mighty Champion” who was victorious in them also wants to fill us with His transforming love and joy (Rom. 5: 5; Gal. 5: 22–23).”

“By our own experience, we learn that intimacy with the Holy Spirit is the secret of a transformed life and a joyful heart.”

“When we ask the Holy Spirit to possess us, we, too, will experience the immense difference that closeness with the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. Not only in the good times, but also when everything seems to be going wrong, let us give ourselves and all of our problems, all that causes us worry, stress, and anxiety, completely to the Holy Spirit. If we rely not on ourselves but on the Holy Spirit’s strength and grace, we, like the saints, will find that wonderful changes that we are powerless to achieve by our own efforts alone, the Holy Spirit will accomplish in us and for us.”

“Closeness to the Holy Spirit is not a reward offered to holy people but rather a healing remedy and precious gift meant for every one of us.”

“Many of us already have experienced wonderful blessings of the Holy Spirit’s intimate love for us, even if we have not always realized that the Holy Spirit is the One who has so tenderly imparted them to us.”

“We begin to “see” more deeply the wonders of our Baptism and Confirmation, the mercy given to us in the sacraments of Penance and Anointing of the Sick and the beautiful sacraments of Marriage and Ordination. Our desire grows to do something good with our lives, to have more love in our hearts for those close to us and for those who are in need.”

“How consoling it is to realize that the love that is charity does not depend on our feelings but on the Holy Spirit, who permeates our will with His love. Because our love comes from the Holy Spirit of love within us, the closer we draw to the Holy Spirit, the easier and more delightful it is for us to give this love to one another.”

“The more intimate our friendship with the Holy Spirit becomes, the more the Holy Spirit’s love gives us the contentment and grace to be freed from destructive relationships. Increasingly, we are healed of the need to use or to depend on other human persons for our happiness.”

“The ancient hymn “Come Creator Spirit” 61 suggests to us some of these “sweetest of names,” which we can use in prayer that calms our hearts and brings peace to our souls: “Most dear Holy Spirit, my Comforter, heal my heart.” “Sweet Love, possess my soul.” “Most sweet Holy Spirit, protect me from all evil.” “Dear Holy Spirit, fill me with Your love.” “Most sweet Holy Spirit, draw me close to the Father and the Lord Jesus.””

“It is no wonder that, as we draw near to the Holy Spirit in prayer, our love for our Father and trust in His provident care for us also deepen.”

“These varying kinds of prayer, inspired by the Holy Spirit within us, help us to form a habit of prayer throughout the day. Whatever we are doing, we can be humming, singing, or praying in our hearts. The Holy Spirit may inspire us to pray to our Father, to rest in His love, to thank and praise Him for His tender care and providence.”

“It is the Holy Spirit who increases our desire to attend Mass more frequently, to receive the precious gift of the Lord Jesus in the Eucharist, and even to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, nourishing our souls with Sacred Scripture and with writings of the saints.”

“Let us simply ask the Holy Spirit to heal us and our loved ones, to free our minds and hearts, to heal our bodies and souls, our thoughts and memories, our emotions and desires.”

“The sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation is another powerful means of healing for us, not only for our sins but also for the pain and wounds that often cause our sins.”

“Wondrous sacrament of mercy! Through the sacred words of the confessor, Jesus Himself forgives us, and we are made free by the power of the Holy Spirit!”

“Enfolding us in His love, the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, is at work in every event of our lives, gently drawing us home to Heaven’s joy.”

“Regardless of how young we were when we were baptized, or how old we are when we begin to treasure and cooperate with our baptismal graces, it is never too late to ask the Holy Spirit to bring them to marvelous fruition in us.”

“After Pentecost, the apostles lived always in the intimate presence of the Holy Spirit, their constant Companion and beloved Friend.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. Many, many years ago when I was a first year student in University there was a very popular book by  Pentecostal minister Benny Hinn, called Good Morning, Holy Spirit, and though I neither endorse the book or author now, I remember the transformative power it had at the time on those who read it. This volume will have that same power, but is built upon the history of the church and the saints down through the ages. It is a book that can have lasting impact to change lives and through those changed lives to influence and help inspire change in others. 

This book will inspire us to grow in our relationship with the third member of the trinity, and through that growth, have even better relations with the Father and the son. It is a book that will challenge, but in a good way and inspire change. It will help us grow in understanding and in living our faith.

This was an excellent read as part of Father Mark Goring’s Saint Mark’s School of Reading. And again this time there was a guest talk by Sr. Elizabeth Marie and Fr. Isaac Longworth. It is an excellent volume. I encourage you to pick it up and read, and maybe join the school of reading and watch the videos that correspond to each chapter. This is a volume that has the power to change lives!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! 

Books by Sr. Mary Ann Fatula, OP:

Catherine of Siena’s Way

Drawing Close to the Holy Spirit

Heaven’s Splendor 

The Holy Spirit: Unbounded Gift of Joy

The Triune God of Christian Faith

The Wonders of the Mass and the Eucharist

Thomas Aquinas, Preacher and Friend

…

Prayer of the Day Pope John Paul I

 Pope John Paul I

Prayer of the Day

God our Father,

in your wise and loving care

you made your servant, John Paul,

Pope and teacher of all your Church

He did the work of Christ on earth.

May your Son welcome him to eternal glory.

May your servant whom you appointed 

high priest of your flock

be counted now among the priests

in the life of your kingdom.

Amen.

This prayer is from a prayer card from Portraits of Saints, I bought a few lots of seconds and this was one of them. I have an every growing selection of prayer cards from various sources, I keep a stack in a stand on my desk and rotate through them. Sometimes one really catches my attention and I add that prayer to my daily prayers.

 

Relates posts and links:

Prayer of the Day Posts

Prayer Book Reviews

My Prayer Notebook. 

My Daily Prayer List April 2024

...

Reviews of books about Pope John Paul I:
John Paul I - Stephen Dean

Love Is a Journey: The Inspiring Life and Legacy of Pope John Paul I - Mo Guernon

Gods Candidate the life and times of Pope John Paul I - Paul Spackman

...

Prayer of the Day Pope John Paul I 

...

Books by Pope John Paul I:
Illustrissimi
A Passionate Adventure: Living the Catholic Faith Today

...

Spiritual Warfare Fighting the Good Fight - Vivian Boland - CTS Deeper Christianity Series

Spiritual Warfare: 

Fighting the Good Fight

Deeper Christianity Series

Vivian Boland

Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781784692728

eISBN 9781784692728

ASIN B071SJBYHM

CTS Booklet SP16

Over the last several years, I have read many books from the Catholic Truth Society, over 430 of them in fact, many read more than once; this all since the spring of 2018. Most were good reads; some were great reads; and a few are exceptional. This is another excellent offering, as are the others in this series I have read. It is the fifteenth in the Deeper Christianity Series that I have read, many of them have been read twice.  I have also read a few other volumes by Father Vivian Boland across a few of the CTS Series. This series is one of my favourites. This booklet was originally published 2007 and the eBook was released in 2017. The description of this volume is:

“This booklet enlightens the struggle against the self and temptation by searching the wisdom of the scriptures, giving us hope because Christ has defeated death and is always by our side to help us in every battle.

Every Christian is engaged in an ongoing struggle against the self, and against temptation, striving to gain the blessings of the Kingdom of God. This booklet enlightens the struggle by searching the wisdom of the scriptures. It gives hope to everyone, because Christ is always by our side to help us in every battle, and he has already defeated death and sin.”

The chapters in the book are:

Introduction

The Struggle with Ourselves

Not Just Flesh and Blood

Wrestling with God

Christ, Our Champion

I highlighted numerous passages while reading this volume, some of them are:

“In recent years Scupoli’s work is not so well known, perhaps because the themes of self-denial, self-distrust, and even doing violence to oneself in order to follow Christ, trouble rather than encourage people. But any serious spiritual teaching involves discipline and the practice of asceticism, a readiness to engage in the struggle with oneself, with the powers of the spiritual world, and with the mystery of how we come to prefer God’s will to our own.”

“In 1943 a French Jesuit, Henri de Lubac, wrote an essay called Spiritual Warfare. In this work the future Cardinal identifies the attack on it by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche as the greatest contemporary challenge facing Christianity.”

“The warfare in which the Christian must engage is on many levels, then, not just the personal moral and spiritual quest but also the social intellectual and political contest, what has more recently come to be called ‘the culture war’.”

“The language of combat and warfare is not fashionable in spirituality or theology today. It is clearly open to misunderstanding and abuse.”

“In 1996 John Paul II wrote that spiritual combat is ‘a demanding reality which is not always given due attention today’ (Vita consecrata § 38).”

“Spiritual warfare, the struggle against sin and temptation, involves battles at each corner of this triangle, sometimes in relation to oneself, sometimes in relation to the challenges posed to us by others and our dealings with them, sometimes with regard to God.”

“The threefold asceticism of Lent, which is the threefold asceticism of the Christian life at any time, consists of almsgiving, prayer and fasting.”

“Over indulgence in food and drink is always possible and it is often easier to find excuses for it than to recognise it simply as temptation.”

“Fasting cannot be simply a personal challenge to see if we can meet certain spiritual targets, a visit to a kind of spiritual gymnasium. Modesty in our intake of food and drink, and even abstinence from them, supports concentration and meditation, reminds us of the needs of others, and helps us to acknowledge the gifts of God.”

“Anyone who follows Christ must be poor, chaste and obedient. In publicly making profession of these vows, religious thus become a witness and sign to the Church as a whole of its own deepest reality and calling.”

“The struggle with temptation brings about a growth in self-knowledge. We learn about our weaknesses and blind spots, about the depth of our commitments and about the extent to which we are ready to serve God.”

“In practice it is only through temptation that we come to distinguish what we really value from what we think we value. The struggle with temptation helps to clarify this difference for us.”

“The ascetical practices of fasting, almsgiving and prayer already strengthen us in virtue and prepare us for temptation. In Lent we turn our minds to the testing and training that Christian life requires but Lent serves simply to recall us to things that ought to mark our life always:”

“In his Spiritual Combat, Scupoli identifies four ‘most sure and necessary weapons’ in the spiritual warfare against self • distrust of oneself • trust in God • spiritual exercises • prayer.”

“In the first chapter we proposed a triangular model for the spiritual struggle: temptation has three aspects (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life), there is a triangle in which we must live (relating to self, others, God), the classical works of asceticism are three (fasting, almsgiving, prayer), and the vows of religion, seeking to confront directly the threefold root of sin in us, are also three (chastity, poverty, obedience).”

“Sin is a power working through us for which we cannot be asked to bear full responsibility. Although we strengthen the power of sin by our choices and actions, sin itself is more powerful than us, something in which we are unavoidably caught up. This has always been part of the Church’s doctrine of original sin: we find ourselves in a situation not of our own making which nevertheless means we are alienated from God.”

“It is not an evasion of responsibility to say we must contend with powers that are more than flesh and blood. It is, once again, simply to recognise the reality of our situation. The moral and spiritual struggle of the individual Christian is his way of participating in the great battle.”

This is an excellent volume. I have been aware of Scupolis volume and even picked up 2 different editions of it and have read both:

The Spiritual Combat - Lorenzo Scupoli

The Spiritual Combat For the 21st Century Christian - Lorenzo Scupoli

This book served as a great refresher and reminder. Much of the material I was familiar with, but at this stage in life really needed the reminder. There are some things going on at work and home; that needed approaching from different angles, and this book helped with that.

This book is one of those ones that I believe we really need today, in our current day and age with all that is going on in the world, and even the church. We need solid teaching, and spiritual nourishment, and to be prepared for the battles. I will likely return to this booklet again. This is an excellent read in a wonderful series. The CTS Deeper Christianity Series of books is written in such a way that they can easily be read in any order. Pick and choose the ones that interest you, read them in order, or jump around. I have been blessed by all the book in this series that I have read and can easily recommend this book and the series.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews:  2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For reviews of other books in the CTS Deeper Christianity Series click here.

Books in the Deeper Christianity Series:
7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit 
8 Deadly Sins Learning to Defend the Life of Grace 

Art and Prayer  

Catholic Architecture 
Christian Fasting Disciplining the Body, Awakening the Spirit 

Christian Meaning of Time 

Deepening Prayer Life Defined by Prayer 

Depths of Scripture 
Desire & Delight 
Faith, Hope and Love The Theological Virtues 
Fruits of the Holy Spirit Living a Happy Life 
Icons 
Lectio Divina Spiritual Reading of the Bible 
Kingdom of God 

Making Sunday Special 
Mary in the Liturgy 
Mary Mysteries of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
Providence and Prayer 
Prayer in Sadness and Sorrow 
Prudence, Justice, Courage, and Temperance 
Purgatory A Mystery of Love 
Rediscovering Virtue The Art of Christian Living 

Spiritual Warfare Fighting the Good Fight  

Teachings on Prayer  

The Call to Evangelise: Founded on loving intimacy with the Lord 
The Church's Year Unfolding the Mysteries of Christ 
The Gift of Prayer 

The Name of God The Revelation of the Merciful Presence of God 
The Trinity and the Spiritual Life 

Understanding The Story Of The Bible 
Union with God 
…

Books by Father Vivian Boland:

Ideas in God According to Saint Thomas Aquinas
8 Deadly Sins: Learning to Defend the Life of Grace
Spiritual Warfare Fighting the Good Fight  
Reconciliation: The Mercy of Christ
Don't Put Out the Burning Bush
Watchmen Raise Their Voices

Thomas Aquinas The Mind In Love

…

Prayers for those in Spiritual Affliction - Bishop Julian Porteous - CTS Prayers and Devotions

Prayers for those in Spiritual Affliction

Bishop Julian Porteous

CTS Prayers and Devotions

Catholic Truth Society

ISBN 9781860827921

eISBN 9781784692834

ASIN B07214F5L1

CTS Booklet D750

I have read over 80 books and booklets that are part of the CTS Prayers & Devotions Series. Some of the earlier ones are just mark CTS Devotions, but more recent ones have both Prayers and Devotions listed as the series name. This series has spanned decades. It has had books come in and out of print. This volume was published in the 2012 and the eBook was released in 2017Over the last several years I have fallen in love with the books and booklets from the Catholic Truth Society. As of the reading of this volume I have read over 430 volumes. And still have almost 200 on my ‘wishlist’. But back to the volume at hand. 

The description of this volume states:

“This booklet brings together prayers for deliverance, St Patrick’s breastplate, the prayers of Pope Leo XIII, and others, offering a real weapon for the spiritual battle we are all called to fight.

In his introduction to this special collection of prayers, Bishop Julian Porteous of Sydney shows that all sins give the devil a chance and that although he is a defeated enemy, there are many ways in which he can gain a damaging foothold in people's lives. This booklet draws on the Church's vast treasury, bringing together prayers for deliverance, St Patrick's breastplate, the prayers of Pope Leo XIII, and many others. It offers a real weapon for the spiritual battle we are all called to fight.”

The chapters in the book are:

Introduction

Renewal of Baptismal Promises

The Lord’s Prayer

The Psalms

Texts from the Gospels

Anima Christi

Prayers invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer of Pope Leo XIII

Prayer to St Michael the Archangel

Guardian Angel Prayer

Prayer against Every Evil

Prayer for Inner Healing

Prayer for Deliverance

A Personal Prayer

Prayer for Protection and Deliverance

Prayer for Protection of Family

Prayer of Blessing for Buildings

Putting on the Armour of God

St Patrick’s Breastplate

Litany of the Most Precious Blood

Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Litany of the Saints

I highlighted a few of passages while working through this volume, some of them are:

“The booklet draws on the spiritual tradition of the Church in offering a variety of prayers. Different prayers will be suited for different needs and situations.”

“Points of entry for the power of evil to gain influence over our lives can be from such experiences as trauma or an area where we have been wounded. It can be due to habitual sin of a serious kind where a person has begun to lose control over behaviour. It can be the result of involvement in the occult where a person seeking power through other than divine influences allows demonic entry. Or it can have an origin in past generations where there have been sinful patterns or curses from our ancestry.”

“Then too, increased interest these days in other religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, or various pagan religions can lead people outside the protection of the Christian faith. The adopting of various practices emerging from these non-Christian sources–like Yoga and Reiki–is fraught with danger. Even a Christian delving into these practices can be spiritually affected without realising it.”

“Dabbling in the occult, which is quite widespread, is a more immediate opportunity for demonic activity. Any form of divinisation–séances, fortune telling, Ouija boards, tarot cards–is a sin against faith and invites in evil spirits. Even “white magic”–Wicca, for instance–sought as a source of healing can lead to deception and the influence of demons.”

“The general rise of interest in the New Age has become a significant source for people coming under the influence of the powers of darkness. Even what may appear innocuous can become the doorway to entry into a dark and dangerous world.”

“Finally, mention needs to be made of specific engagement with satanic rites. There are indications that there is a rise in this sort of activity and a morbid fascination with dark rituals. This, of course, is a most dangerous activity and will have deep and lasting consequences.”

“The Christian still must contend daily with temptation to sin. The Church has traditionally urged every believer to live in Christ and use prayer, fasting and the sacramental life-particularly the Rite of Penance-as ordinary means to resist temptation and grow in holiness.”

“May this booklet be a source of spiritual comfort and a means of obtaining grace and protection from God.”

“Fr Gabriel Amorth, exorcist of the Diocese of Rome, in his book, “An exorcist tells his story,” offers a number of prayers of deliverance suitable for lay people to use. The Prayer against Every Evil, Prayer for Inner Healing and Prayer for Deliverance are included here. These prayers can be recommended to lay people experiencing evil spirits, or can be adapted by priests to pray with such people.”

Many of the prayers in this volume I was familiar with. Some were new to me, especially those by Father Gabriel Amorth. This final quote I share really hit home for me. 

“Some people can come under the influence of the powers of evil in more explicit ways. Some find themselves caught in forms of oppression. If we describe temptation as an inclination coming from without, oppression is something whereby a person senses that they are in the grip of forces that are quite overwhelming. This is the case where we experience a very strong drive to do something that we know is damaging to ourselves or to others. It can be drug taking, binge drinking, gambling, stealing or pornography. This is the area of addictions. A person here senses the power of an attraction to do something that is damaging to themselves and which is quite overwhelming. There is the feeling that the addiction is too strong to resist. Our freedom to decide is diminished. This attraction is oppressive. We can find that giving in to the craving only makes it more difficult to resist next time. We can find that we have become trapped. This is the lot of the drug addict, the alcoholic, the gambler.”

At the beginning of the pandemic I lost a brother through addiction. Since then I have discovered Matt Talbot, and pray a few prayers to him daily, but The above paragraph and some of the prayers regarding addiction were especially impactful. My other surviving brother and I have talked about the long history of addiction in our family. He is addicted to board games and I am addicted to books, which is better than alcohol or other substances but still an addiction. 

I have worked through this volume once and will keep it on my bedside table I have a small collection of prayer books there. It is an excellent volume. I can easily recommend this volume it would be a great addition to any school, home, or church. Another excellent prayer book from the CTS.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For reviews of other books in the CTS Prayers & Devotions series click here.

Books by Julian Porteous:

A New Wine & Fresh Wineskins

After the Heart of God

Become What You Are

Becoming Missionary Disciples

Foundations: Preparing the Church in Australia for the Plenary Council and Beyond

Life of Fr John Gerard

New Evangelisation: Developing Evangelical Preaching

New Evangelisation: Pastoral Strategy for the Church at the Beginning of the Third Millennium

Prayers for Those in Spiritual Affliction

Saint Brendan's A Journey - The Story of an Australian Catholic Parish 1898-1998

Streams of Grace: Spiritual Movements That Shaped the Church

…

Words of Encouragement - Rev Daniel Considine, SJ - CTS Books

Words of Encouragement 

Rev Daniel Considine, SJ

Rev. F. Devas (Editor)

Catholic Truth Society

ISBN 9781860820144

eISBN 9781784692889

ASIN B07214LYM6

CTS Booklet D256

Over the last several years I have fallen in love with the books and booklets from the Catholic Truth Society. As of the reading of this volume I have read over 430 volumes. And still have almost 200 on my ‘wishlist’.  

The description of this volume states:

“A classic collection of reflections on the Christian life: from sorrow, patience and monotony, to joy, prayer and trust in the Lord.

Father Considine was particularly sympathetic to those he believed to be overanxious in their approach to God. His Words of Encouragement have helped generations of ordinary people who, though honest and sincere, often find themselves timid and puzzled. His ability to relate the Gospel to the practical and immediate needs of the individual remains as convincing as it ever was.”

The description of the original 1979 version of this booklet states:

“A classic collection of reflections: from Sorrow, Patience and Monotony, to Joy, Prayer and Trust in the Lord. Father Considine died in 1928. He had become famous for his remarkable retreats. His manner was marked by extraordinary simplicity and directness. He was particularly sympathetic to those he believed to be over-anxious in their approach to God. His Words of Encouragement have helped generations of ordinary people who, though honest and sincere, often find themselves timid and puzzled. His ability to relate the Gospel to the practical and immediate needs of the individual remains as convincing as it ever was.”

This book was originally published in 1979, reprinted in 1997 and the eBook released in 2017. The chapters in the book are:

Foreword

Unworthy thoughts about God

A Wrong Kind of Sorrow

The Yoke of the Lord

Spiritual Energy

Practical Self-Denial

The Lord is with You

Trust in the Lord

Divine Providence

Devotion to the Sacred Heart

The Habit of Perfection

The Spirit of Joy

Patience and Perseverance

Diffidence and Generosity

Reflections on the Old Year

Looking Forward

Familiarity with Our Lord

‘Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?’

Sympathy and the Want of it

Monotony

Distractions in Prayer

Injustice and the Value of a Grievance

Antipathies

Trials and Temptations

Venial or little Sins

Sanctification

Sorrow

The Care of God for Me

Sayings

The Great Mystery

I highlighted a number of passages while working through this volume, some of them are:

“These Words of Encouragement are selections made from various notes taken of Father Considine’s instructions and conferences, and from letters written by him; and the section bearing here the title The Great Mystery is from a report, revised by him, of a sermon he preached at the Farm Street church in London, on the Feast of Corpus Christi, 1921.”

“The practical and immediate needs of the individual, and an individual always earnest and honest, but often timid and puzzled, were the object of Father Considine’s solicitude; such individuals will find now in his written words what others found in them when they were first spoken–not only encouragement but also enlightenment.”

“Do not say, God evidently, from my capabilities, does not care much for me; does not expect much from me. God craves your love. Ask, ask, ask for graces and you will assuredly get them.”

“Do what you are doing. Some people always have one eye on the past and the other on the future, instead of both on the present. Don’t waste time deploring the past and being apprehensive of the future.”

“Grace will be given to meet each day the difficulties of that day. There are very few people who would not be good at their own job if they would only develop the power of concentration.”

“Think of God in goodness. Have a good opinion of God. God loves us to think well of Him, to trust Him, to think lovingly of Him. Do not think God does not forgive easily.”

“It is great mistake to think that without bodily austerities we cannot draw very near to God. Without bodily austerities we can withdraw all obstacles between Himself and ourselves; we can get a very intimate knowledge of Him and can please Him very much.”

“The people we live with are not omniscient. They may be excellent, and have the best intentions, but they make mistakes; they may form hard judgments. Let us ask God to give us patience to bear with ourselves and to bear with others.”

“Let us put the axe to the root of those faults which keep us from Our Lord. It is not the reading of pious books, or the saying of long prayers, or science, or knowledge, which introduces the Child Jesus into our hearts. It is the love, it is the longing for Him to be there, that brings Him. It is the real effort that it costs us to put the axe to the root.”

“Our Lord calls us each in our different way. I am not speaking of a religious vocation, but a call to lead a better life.”

“Our Lord wants to be Master of your heart, and Master all the day long. Our Lord lives in your heart. He does not want you to tell Him in so many words that you love Him; He knows you cannot be praying all day. But He wants you always to be thinking of Him, to feel that He is with you. People are not intimate with Him because they think they can’t be, so they don’t try.”

“It is not so much our mind as our heart that God wants in prayer. When the heart is not turned away from God, distractions (which are often purely physical) are not to be noticed or worried about.”

“To remain in God’s presence, and to abandon myself to the pleasure of His presence, is excellent.”

“Approach Him by love; abide with Him in love. He wants you to live with Him now; to make a Friend of Him now. He wants you to let Him so take possession of your heart, that even while you are still living here your happiness may be in Him, your strength be founded on Him.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. When I was in university, I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ, there was a series of booklets by the founder Bill Bright, called Transferable Concepts, and by reading them many times you could almost memorize them and the message so that you could share it. This volume reminds me a lot of those books, but specifically geared for Catholics, and I believe written for Catholic Clergy and Seminarians.

I have worked through this volume once and will keep it on my bedside table and likely work through it from time to time. It is an excellent edition to work through. I can easily recommend this volume it would be a great addition to any Catholics library or prayer corner.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

Sermon Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time 2025 Joonbin Lim

Sermon Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time 2025

Joonbin Lim

1St Reading: 1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9, 12-13, 22-25

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 

Gospel: Luke 6:27-38

(Note: This sermon really struck me. It was an excellent sermon from our transitional deacon. It is posted here with permission.)

If there is anyone who thinks that living according to today’s Gospel is easy, please let me know… If someone were to slap me on one cheek, I would probably slap them on both cheeks.

Today’s readings talk about this difficult teaching of Jesus about loving our enemy. This is the most difficult teaching that all of us would have difficulty to live it out. About 25 years ago, I served in the military. While I learned many things during my service, the most difficult part was having to obey the orders of my superiors. At that time, there were incidents in the military caused by such harassment and beatings. some of them would harass or physically abuse their subordinates for no reason. It was an unhealthy military culture.

Among my superiors, there was one in particular who frequently tormented my comrades and me. As privates, my fellow soldiers and I were beaten almost every night in the boiler room or restroom. There was no justifiable reason for the abuse. Then, one day, a close comrade of mine was beaten so badly that he lost consciousness. When we went on perimeter guard duty, we carried rifles, bullets, and grenades. 

From that day on, I constantly harbored thoughts of revenge against that superior. However, I carried a rosary that my father had given me. Whenever thoughts of revenge arose, I prayed. Over time, many things began to change. That superior also changed, and I, too, was transformed. The beatings and harassment gradually decreased. When I eventually became a superior myself, I made sure that such abuse did not happen under my command. It wasn’t that I did anything special, but in my pain and hardship, I earnestly prayed to the Lord. I also endured those difficult times by thinking of my parents at home and the people I loved. 

My anger and desire for revenge did not suddenly turn into prayer overnight. It took a very long time of inner conflict and painful moments.

We live in a world that is so divided. Our individual differences have created pillars of biases and prejudices within us that often make us intolerant to each other. Instead of celebrating unity amidst our diversity, it even fosters division and continuously creating our own niche which leads to aversion to those whom we label as the “others.” 

Loving someone is only possible when that person meets our expectation. Loving someone is only possible when that person reciprocates everything that we do. Loving someone became so limited only to those who belong to our family, friends, peers, group and community. The rest especially to those whom we don’t like and those who have hurt us becomes our enemy. As much as possible we want to get rid of them. 

How can we love those people who caused us so much pain, brokenness and mental anguish? How can we love those people who are the reason of all our pain and suffering? 

“Loving the way God loves us is what makes us His children” which is the theme of our reflection today. God loves us very much without conditions. As His children we are ought to love the way he loves us. We are loved even we are sinners. This is how God loves us. Even how many times we disobey him and reject His will, God will never surrender on loving us. 

There is no such thing as category when we truly love. Everyone is worthy of our love for it is in loving like God loves reflects of who we really are as his children. But how can we really love like God does. 

First, we can only love like what God does if we recognize the goodness in every person. This is the most basic that we need to remember. There is an innate goodness within us because we are created by God in his own image and likeness. Second, we can only love like what God does if we believe that every person is redeemed by God through Jesus Christ. Our innate goodness is ruined by the bondage of sin and this is the reason why we cannot love like God does. It’s not the gravity of our sins that he sees on us but that innate goodness and this can only be restored by his pure and unconditional love through the works of his Son, Jesus Christ. 

Lastly, only Jesus in his spirit who can animate and inspire us to love like God does even our enemies. We can only love like what God does if we live out everything what Jesus Christ has done. Jesus gave us something that stretches us from the things that we are used to. He gave us an extra challenge to love not just our friends but even our enemies. This is the heart of Luke’s gospel today when Jesus reminded his disciples: “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” This is the most difficult teaching of Jesus but once we do it we will experience what true love is and how it feels to be God’s children. This teaching is not just inscribed by Jesus on stone tablets but he engraved it in our heart. We can only love like God does if we follow the teachings of Christ and let it be the standard of what loving is.

Related Posts:

The Colors of the Church Year
The Privilege of Altar Serving
Serving God, Altar Serving and Learning to Listen
Saturday 18th Week or Ordinary Time
Twenty-Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 2017
Twenty-Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2017
34th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2017 Christ the King – Solemnity

Advent 2017 Reading Plan Preparing for the Season
1st Sunday of Advent 2017
Second Sunday of Advent 2017
Another Lonely Night - A Flash Fiction Story
Third Sunday of Advent 2017
Fourth Sunday of Advent 2017
Christmas 2017
I have sinned greatly ... a reflection.
Can you not with with me one hour?
I need God and I need the Catholic Church
Cedarcrest Retreat 2018 a Reflection and Photo Essay

Second Sunday of Advent 2018

Sermon Sermon Seventh Sunday Ordinary Time 2025 Joonbin Lim

...

Note: Link to all posts about St. Agnes Parish.

Louis Marie de Montfort His Life, Message and Teaching - Rev Paul Allerton SMM - CTS Biographies

Louis Marie de Montfort: 

His Life, Message and Teaching

CTS Biographies

CTS Great Saints 

Paul Allerton SMM

Catholic Truth Society
ISBN 9781784690946

eISBN 9781784692414

ASIN B072HN8WT2

CTS Booklet B765

I discovered the books and booklets of the Catholic Truth Society in 2018. Since that time I have read over 430 different titles, and many of them more than once. This is one that was original part of the CTS Great Saints Series, but is not part of the CTS Biographies. This volume was originally published as part of the CTS Great Saints Series, which is a subset of the CTS Biographies. The eBook edition still had the Great Saints cover but the print edition is currently out of print. This booklet was first published in 2016 and the eBook released in 2017. There is also an older biography of this saint in the CTS Great Saints Series by Alan J. Foster that was published in 2004, that I plan to track down and review as well.

The descriptions of this volume is:

“A fascinating reflection on the life and legacy of one of the greatest teachers of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary the world has ever seen.

St Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort is one of the greatest teachers of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary the world has ever seen. His teaching and preaching renewed large areas of North-west France until his death in 1716, work continued to this day by religious institutes inspired by him.

Written for the 300th anniversary of his death, this booklet offers a fascinating reflection on his life and the legacy he left to the whole Church.”

This booklet is an excellent volume on this saint and it is part of a wonderful series and I can easily recommend it. The chapters in the booklet are:

Preface

Early Life

Training for the Priesthood

Early Hopes and Frustrations

Missions in the Diocese of Nantes

Last Years

The Legacy of a Saint

I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume some of them are:

“Louis Grignion was born on 31st January 1673 in the little town of Montfort-sur-Meu (then known as Montfort-la-Cane), approximately 30 km to the west of Rennes, the provincial capital of Brittany.”

“The only name given to him at his Baptism was Louis, though today he is better known as Louis Marie. It is likely that he took the name Marie, in honour of his beloved spiritual Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, at his Confirmation, though we have no certainty regarding this.”

“In all his missionary work as a priest as well as in his writings, the renewal of baptismal commitment was a privileged theme. For himself, Montfort was the place of his Baptism, his entry into the real life of relationship with God, so Montfort remained for him a very important place.”

“A more significant influence from this time at the Jesuit College was the strong emphasis placed by the Jesuits on devotion to the Blessed Virgin.”

“His growing awareness of Mary’s place is reflected in the numerous visits he used to make at this time to various shrines of Our Lady to be found in the town of Rennes.”

“Later, he would teach, both in his writings and in his preaching, that devotion to Mary is one of the most important means of being in the right relationship with Jesus himself; and here in Rennes, we can see the foundations of his teaching being solidly laid.”

“The trouble was that Louis Marie Grignion could never fit into this mould; he was not in the least concerned with making a career for himself, and his enthusiastic embracing of both devotion to the Blessed Virgin and the practice of penance was seen, both by many of the staff of the seminary as well as by most of the students, to be ‘over-the-top’.”

“A particular focal point of all his missions was a solemn renewal of the vows of Baptism. For this he would organise a special service which would often begin outside the church. The people would process into the church and make their way, one by one, to the baptismal font, where they would solemnly declare their intention to live up to their baptismal commitments and would bless themselves with the water in the font. They would then make their way to the altar or chapel of Our Lady, where they would make a special offering, asking her to aid them in their Christian lives.”

“Three hundred years after his death, St Louis Marie de Montfort continues to exert his influence in the Church, both as a missionary (through his followers in the Montfortian congregations) and as a fervent champion of Our Blessed Lady, his ‘good Mother’.”

“Sound teaching on the love of God for each one of us, genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin, the efficacy of meditation on the Rosary, and the importance for Christians of embracing the Cross of Christ: such is the written legacy of this great saint. May he long continue to inspire Christians of all ages and conditions, to be faithful witnesses to the Gospel.”

This is a short biography but it is still packed full of great information. Over the years I have done a few different versions of the Consecration to Mary, and plan to work through the CTS edition at some point. But reading more about the man and his life was absolutely fascinating. 

This is I believe the only volume published by Rev Paul Allerton, either from the CTS or any publishers. I did numerous searches and could only find this single volume. I think it is a pity his writing style reminds me of J.B. Midgley who wrote numerous volumes for the CTS and whose works grew my addiction to the books and booklets from the CTS. The writing is engaging and often entertaining, it is the story of the saints life but really draws you in. It is an excellent biography and one I can easily recommend, another great resource from the Catholic Truth Society.

  

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.

For reviews in the CTS Biographies Series Click here.

Books in the CTS Great Saints Series:
Antonio Rosmini - J.B. Midgley
Bernard of Clairvaux - J.B. Midgley
Benedict Patron of Europe - J.B. Midgley
Charles Borromeo - J.B. Midgley
Dominic - J.B. Midgley
Elizabeth of the Trinity The Great Carmelite Saint - Jennifer Moorcroft
Francis de Sales - J.B. Midgley
Gemma Galgani Gem of Christ John Paul Kirkham
George: Patron of England - J.B. Midgley
John Baptist de La Salle - J.B. Midgley
John of the Cross - Jennifer Moorcroft
John Vianney - J.B. Midgley
Louis Marie de Montfort His Life, Message and Teaching - Paul Allerton SMM

Louis Marie de Montfort - Alan J. Foster 
Martin de Porres - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
Patrick Missionary to the Irish - Thomas O’Loughlin 

Rita of Cascia - Glynn MacNiven-Johnston
Robert Bellarmine - J.B. Midgley
Saint Anthony of Padua - Jude Winkler
Saint Dominic and the Order of Preachers - Richard Finn
Saint Francis of Assisi - Jennifer Moorcroft
Saint Ignatius of Loyola – J.A. Philips
Saint John the Baptist - J.B. Midgley
Saint Padre Pio A Holy Priest - Jim Gallagher
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux - Vernon Johnson
Thomas Aquinas - Vivian Boland
Vincent de Paul - J.B. Midgley

Augustine of Hippo - Ben O'Rourke

Saint Catherine of Siena - Sister Mary O'Driscoll OP

Saint Teresa of Avila - Jennifer Moorcroft

Clare of Assisi - John Paul Kirkham 

John Bosco - Jennifer Moorcroft 

Hildegard of Bingen - Angelo Amato

…