Catholic Fire

The word Advent comes from the Latin word advenio, which means "to come to," and denotes the coming of Christ. Advent is a time to prepare our hearts and souls for the Savior’s three comings: (1) the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love at Christmas, (2) Christ’s coming in Holy Communion and through grace, and (3) His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world. In her inspirational book, Advent with St. Teresa of Calcutta: Daily Meditations , author Heidi Hess Saxton presents twenty-eight daily meditations based on the wisdom of St. Teresa of Calcutta as it relates to each day’s Scripture readings. With an Introduction written by Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle and a Foreword by Bishop Robert Barron, this beautiful devotional assists us in entering into the peace, joy, and love of this liturgical season. The book is divided into six sections: each of the four weeks of Advent, the Christmas week through Epiphany, and the feasts days a...

Today is Day 1 of the Virtual Book Tour for Ornamental Graces by Carolyn Astfalk. Brief Summary After his duplicitous girlfriend left, Dan Malone spent six months in a tailspin of despair and destruction: emotional, physical, and spiritual. Just when his life seems to be back on track, he meets Emily Kowalski, younger sister of his new best friend. Emily’s the kind of girl he’d always dreamed of—sweet, smart, and sincere. But he’s made a mess of his life and ruined his chances for earning the love and trust of a woman like her. Could Dan be the man Emily’s been waiting for? How could he be when every time they get close he pulls away? And will he ever be free from his shady past and the ex-girlfriend who refuses to stay there? My Review Carolyn Astfalk is a gifted writer who had me hooked from page one in Ornamental Graces . This is not just a good love story, but it is a great one! It is hard for me to believe that this is only Carolyn’s second novel! While her firs...

I enjoy adult coloring books. As a psychologist, I am keenly aware of the healing power of art therapy and how it can help reduce stress and tension and allow the person to focus and to express their emotions and their creativity. When I color, I feel relaxed and youthful again in the sense that I am allowing myself to play, to have fun, and to be like a child again. It is a wonderful escape from the everyday stresses of work, home, and family life. At Play in God’s Creation:An Illuminating Coloring Book  (written by Tara M. Owens and illustrated by Daniel W. Sorenson) is a beautiful coloring book that contains intriguing illustrations of flowers, trees, mountains, valleys, shells, butterflies, animals, oceans, and many scenes from nature. It guides you through arched pathways, intricate mazes, and open fields, providing spiritual direction along the way, with each drawing containing a quote from scripture, the saints, or mystics who guide you on the contemplative journey. ...

Many of us struggle to understand the mystery of suffering in our lives. In fact, one of the most frequently asked questions by people of all faiths is, “Why would a loving God allow pain and suffering?” People often perceive pain and suffering as a punishment, rather than as a medicine or as a healing balm, which helps us grow closer to God. Redemptive suffering is something that we might understand intellectually, but have difficulty putting into practice. Even the great saints struggled to make sense out of the suffering and trials they endured. In Jeannie Ewing’s book, “From Grief to Grace: The Journey From Tragedy to Triumph” , she shares her own poignant struggle with suffering and grief,  recounting the story of the birth of  her daughter, Sarah, who was congenitally  diagnosed with a rare genetic condition known as Apert Syndrome, which is characterized by facial abnormalities and fused fingers.  Although Jeannie initially experienced heartbreak, loss,...

In The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime , Manuel (Manny) and Karee Santos share the secrets of securing a lifetime of authentic love and mutual joy in marriage. Karee Santos, a marriage columnist, and Dr. Manuel Santos, a psychiatrist who has been counseling couples for more than fifteen years, have teamed up to compose a comprehensive manual which enables couples to find a deep, lasting, and satisfying love through a sacramental marriage. The Four Keys to Everlasting Love was written for both engaged couples preparing for marriage as well as couples in all seasons of marriage. Using real-life stories, biblical principles, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the teachings of St. John Paul II, the Santoses witness to the significance of a sacramental marriage. The Santoses effectively accomplish this by telling their own captivating story: how they overcame personality, culture, and religious differences; how they lea...

Bishop Robert Barron comments on the New York Times Bestseller, All The Light We Cannot See.

Lisa Mladinich is a lovely lady with whom I have been acquainted for many years. When I heard she had written True Radiance: Finding Grace in the Second Half of Life , I knew I had to read it. Lisa is exactly the kind of woman you desire to emulate – she is beautiful, intelligent, graceful, wise, congenial, passionate about her faith, and gifted in many areas. A former actress, she is a Catholic wife and mother, a catechist and workshop leader, and the author of three books. Even before opening this book, I had high expectations. After reading it, all my expectations were not only met, but they were exceeded. True Radiance is a beautiful book written for women  in the second half of their lives, which is intended to: guide them to gratitude, help them appreciate their inner beauty, and renew their spirit by developing a deep faith in God.  The chapters focus on: authentic feminine beauty, the sacramentality of our changing bodies, understanding and caring for our agi...

I have been reading and reviewing Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s books for the past seven years and have been a big fan. Donna-Marie has served as an inspiration to me and to all women, speaking to us in a gentle, gracious manner, guiding us spiritually, with wisdom and love. Now, she has written a book (her twentieth) that tops them all. In The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross , she shares her life story. And, what a story it is! In this candid, astonishing autobiographical account, this soft-spoken, delicate, and devout Catholic media celebrity reveals the shocking struggles she has tackled in life. She became engaged to a drug addict who held her against her will, threatening harm to her family. She faced miscarriages, abuse, serious illness, divorce, financial difficulties, custody battles, and single motherhood – all with great inner strength and tremendous courage. Through God’s providence, she met Mother Teresa, th...

When I decided to read and review Carolyn Astfalk’s novel Stay with Me , I had heard beforehand that it was really good.  In my opinion, this inspirational Christian romance is better than good. It’s fantastic!  It is filled with everything that makes a story appealing – romance, suspense, action, and humor. It is a fast-moving, extremely addictive book that you won’t want to put down. The characters are so real that I instantly felt connected to them and could easily relate to their life situations and empathize with their dilemmas. Before I go any further, allow me to give you just a taste of what I am talking about. Twenty-four year-old Rebecca, raised in a strict, fundamentalist faith, finally moves out of her father’s home into an apartment of her own, away from her domineering father. She accidentally meets Chris, an attractive and congenial young man who asks her out on a date. As she gets to know Chris, a Catholic convert, she is attracted by his virtues, his str...

I have never been on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, but with Marge Fenelon’s new book, Our Lady ,  Undoer of Knots: A Living Novena , I feel as if I have actually traveled there. In Our Lady, Undoer of Knots: A Living Novena, Fenelon takes us on her Holy Land trip, as she follows Pope Francis in his historic 2014 pilgrimage to the sacred sites. She reflects on the nine sacred sites, the inspiring words of the Holy Father, and the knots that obstruct the peace there, comparing them to the common knots that prevent each of us from experiencing interior peace in our daily lives. As we travel along on the nine-day pilgrimage, Fenelon shares fervent novena prayers to Our Lady for each of the nine days. She also poses thoughtful questions which encourage us to delve deeper and to untangle the knots. The various knots include: injustice, separation, confusion, hopelessness, grief and loss, discord, betrayal, envy and pride, and affliction. The Our Lady Undoer of Knots novena is...

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at RAnn’s Place for Sunday Snippets , where we share posts from the previous week. Here are my posts from this past week: St. Peter Damian: Monk, Bishop, Cardinal, Reformer, and Doctor of the Church Seven Quick Takes St. Conrad of Piacenza, Holy Hermit and Healer Ash Wednesday Seven Holy Founders of the Order of Servites Book Review: From the Hub to the Heart St. Gilbert of Sempringham: Man of Charity, Humility, and Piety What are you doing for Lent? Lenten Activities 2015

I am pleased to participate in Andy LaVallee’s book-launch blog tour, hosted by Ellen Gable Hrkach of Full Quiver Publishing.   Entrepreneur Andrew LaValee was living in the fast lane and had no strong desire to return to his Catholic faith. After all, why should someone who is worldly successful and who has achieved nearly all his goals in life, go searching for something he is not particularly interested in finding? In From the Hub to the Heart , Andy LaValee and Leticia Velasquez share his captivating conversion story. He grew up in a tough neighborhood in Boston and spent most of his adult life drinking, gambling, and swearing. Then, one day, he met Jim Cavaziel (the actor who portrayed Jesus in The Passion of the Christ), who dared Andy to visit Medjugorje, a poor, obscure village in Croatia, where it has been alleged that the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing for the past thirty years. His initial reaction to this challenge was, “No way am I going to fly fifteen ...

Spiritual direction has been an essential part of Catholic tradition since the earliest days of the Church when desert fathers were sought out for their wisdom and guidance. Today, a renewed interest in attaining personal holiness and an ever-increasing attraction to monastic spirituality has put spiritual direction in the spotlight. In 2012, Emmaus Road Publishing released Navigating the Interior Life: Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God by Executive Director of the National Catholic Register, Dan Burke. In it, Burke emphatically emphasized the importance and necessity of spiritual direction for Catholics in their spiritual journey. Now Peter Kreeft, a seasoned author whom I greatly admire for his natural genius on topics of faith, has written a book on spiritual direction that Dan Burke describes as “his opus.” In Practical Theology: Spiritual Direction from Saint Thomas Aquinas , Kreeft has combined 358 useful insights from Aquinas’ masterpiece, the 4000 page Summa ...

I just finished reading Lisa M. Hendey’s book, The Grace of Yes: Eight Virtues for Generous Living. This book is truly amazing. I have to admit that I have not read Lisa’s previous books, but do read her posts on Patheos and New Evangelizers, which I consistently find very appealing. Hendey is a wonderful writer. She writes clearly, articulately, honestly, with much encouragement and optimism. I met Lisa at a conference and was impressed by how friendly, natural, and open she was, unconcerned about making an impression, but very confident in her own skin. After reading this book, I understand why – she is a woman of faith and humility. In The Grace of Yes , Lisa discusses eight virtues each one of us needs to acquire in order to say "Yes!" to God and His will in our life. I am not exactly sure of the origin of each of these virtues, as some appear to be more psychological than theological. The virtues consist of: belief (faith), generativity, creativity, integrity, ...

By Justin S. Steele, Imprimatur: Most Rev. Michael O. Jackels, released April 5, 2013, 260 pages, Light of Christ Press, Available in paperback ($14.95.) from Light of Christ Press . Justin S. Steele graduated in 2012 with a Masters degree in Theology from Newman University in Wichita, KS. He serves as a full-time Youth Minister. He and his wife have four children and one on the way. Reviewed by JEAN M. HEIMANN, M. A. Theology, author of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues , freelance writer, psychologist, and oblate with the Community of St. John. Praying Made Me Catholic: With the Biblical and Historical Reasons Why I Must Remain Catholic  is Justin S. Steele’s captivating conversion story. Raised as a non-denominational Christian, Steele was taught many Protestant and Seventh-day Adventist misconceptions about the Catholic Church, which distorted his perceptions of Catholicism. However, that did not prevent him from learning the truth. Thirteen family moves (due to dad’s w...

Sarah Reinhard has written an absolutely awesome review of my new book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues at the National Catholic Register today. You can read it HERE .

Today, Alice Berger at Berger's Book Reviews is our hostess for the blog tour. You can read her review of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues HERE. Here is the blog tour schedule: Saturday, Oct. 18 -- Seven Angels Four Kids One Family Jane Lebak Sunday, Oct. 19 -- Spiritual Woman   Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur Monday, Oct. 20 -- Cause of our Joy  Leticia Velasquez Tuesday, Oct. 21 -- View from the Domestic Church Donna-Marie Cooper-O'Boyle Wednesday, Oct. 22 -- Entering into the Mystery Janet Moore

Need a break from all the Synod news? Karee Santos at Can We Cana? A Community to Support Catholic Marriages has written a brilliant review of my new book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtue s, entitled  "How Sinner-Turned-Saint Augustine Can Teach You Temperance."  Take a look and please share her post with your friends and followers. Thank you!

1. My new book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues , was officially released on the Feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary!  I have been told that it should be on the shelves of bookstores next week. Lisa Hendey has written a beautiful forward for the book, which has been endorsed by Pat Gohn and Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle. 2. The book blog tour is from Monday, October 13 - Wednesday, October 22.  Be sure to stop by Catholic Fire to check out the blog tour schedule! 3. Today Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur posted her review of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues at Catholic Mom.  Thank you, Patrice, for this wonderful review! 4. This past week has been filled with activity. On Respect Life Sunday , we prayed the rosary and held up signs to support the sanctity of human life in the public square, as part of the pro-life chain .   Afterwards, we attended an activity in our parish, which included a meal, entertainment, and Adoration. 5. On the Feast of the Holy Rosary...

By CONNIE ROSSINI, released July 14, 2014, 260 pages, Four Waters Press, Available in digital ($3.99) and paperback ($14.04) editions at Amazon.com. and paperback at Barnes and Noble ($14.23). Connie Rossini writes a spirituality column for the diocesan newspapers of New Ulm, Minnesota and La Crosse, Wisconsin. Besides maintaining her blog Contemplative Homeschool, she is a columnist at SpiritualDirection.com and administers Catholic Spirituality Blogs Network. She is the author of the free e-book "Five Lessons from the Carmelite Saints That Will Change Your Life." Reviewed by JEAN M. HEIMANN, M. A. Theology, author of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues, freelance writer, retired psychologist, and oblate with the Community of St. John. Trusting God with St. Therese , by Connie Rossini is a remarkable story of suffering and grace. The main theme of Trusting God with St. Therese is learning to trust God in the midst of suffering and through God’s grace, using our su...