Carmelite Conversations

What do we know about St. Joseph from Scripture?  What does Scripture tell us about his faith?  Guest, Marika Zimmerman, shares about the virtue of faith and the importance of faith as well as applying it to the person of St. Joseph. We also discuss what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says about faith and the characteristics of faith.  How does the faith of St. Joseph apply to our times toda...

What were some of the most significant Biblical accounts in St. Joseph’s life?  What do these accounts tell us about the silence of St. Joseph?  What was the key to St. Joseph’s silent serenity?  How does St. Joseph model asceticism and recollection for us today?  What are some devotions that we could take up this Lenten season?

Who is called to be a Secular Discalced Carmelite? How do you distinguish between those who are called and those who are not called?  What are some principles that you can use to discern the vocation to the OCDS?  Guest, Colleen Sollinger, shares 6 distinct elements that, considered in totality, paint a good picture of a soul who is called to the Order of the Discalced Carmelite Seculars. Having b...

In this second part of the two part series titled, 'Fifteen Days of Prayer with Blessed Fr. Marie-Eugene and the Child Jesus,' Mark and Frances explore more deeply the need for each of us, as we begin to make more progress in prayer, to begin to dispose ourselves more completely to the Lord's will. Our entire lives must become a total self-giving in exactly the same way as Christ gave Himself to H...

Mark and Frances chat with Sally Read, author of the book, Night's Bright Darkness: A Modern Conversion Story. Sally was staunchly atheist yet converted to Catholicism in the space of only nine months. In 2010, she was heralded as one of the bright young writers of the British poetry scene. Feminist and deeply anti-Catholic, she was writing a book about female sexuality when, during her research,...

St. Therese of Lisieux is a Giant Soul among the Saints being one of the Doctors of the Church. On this her birthday (Jan 2), Guest Marika Zimmerman and Host Frances Harry talk about her famous Christmas Conversion. We go into a great deal of in-depth discussion about this moment. What was the conversion all about? When did it occur? How did St. Therese describe this event about the “magic shoes”...

Have you ever had the experience of arriving at Christmas and suddenly get this sinking feeling that you have hardly done anything to grow spiritually during the Advent season? Colleen Sollinger, our guest on Carmelite Conversation, helps us with some ideas on various ways we may prepare our hearts and souls for the Incarnation of Christ. What do the signs used in Advent mean and how might they he...

It is always important for each of us to take deliberate steps to make the most of our preparation for the Advent Season. In this particular conversation, Mark and Frances present an interesting idea of one way we can begin and continue that preparation. Drawing from previous conversations on the prayer of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, they reemphasize the request of Elizabeth to have the Holy Spi...

Taking time off from our regular routine and getting away to specifically ponder and pray features prominently in growing in the interior life of the spiritual journey. The Advent season is a perfect time for all to detach from the world and focus on the life of Christ in our soul. Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen said “The Spirit of the Advent liturgy, commemorating the age-long expectation of th...

Many Catholics, even very faithful Catholics, have simply fallen away from the practice of praying the Rosary. This is indeed an unfortunate set of circumstances. Many of the Church's greatest Saints have consistently reminded us of the importance of the Rosary especially its use as a strong defense and even a spiritual weapon against the demons and their assaults. In this conversation Mark and Fr...

Coming up Nov. 19, 2016, Pere Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD (born Henri Grialou), will be beatified. Many Carmelites and those interested in Prayer and Carmelite Spirituality, will recognize his name from some of the prominent books he authored. Who is this Friar? What is he know for? How can he help us today on our spiritual journey? What was his testament? What is our responsibility? How...

One of the most profound and important teachings of the New Testament is our need to, as St. Paul says, "Put On Christ." We must actually allow Christ to both continue to live His life through us, and renew His mystery of salvation for those come in contact with throughout our lives. Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, The Order of Carmel's newest Saint, was particularly taken by this teaching and mad...

As we approach All Saints Day and All Souls Day, our thoughts turn to the topic of “Death & Dying.” Many people try to avoid thinking about that topic, as it brings on feelings of anxiety…or gloom…or fear. The fact of the matter is, we gain much wisdom by pondering death during our life. As the old saying goes: “The art of living well is in knowing how to die well.” What is death? How does one pre...

It is not everyday that we get a new Carmelite Saint, but it happened again on 16 October of 2016 when the Church Canonized Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity. In this conversation Mark and Frances discuss the importance of St. Elizabeth's Canonization, her primary message of Silence, Solitude and Prayer, and what this message might mean for the Church and the world at this time in history. It is alwa...

It was through the lens of intimate friendship with Jesus Christ that the many foundations of St. Teresa of Jesus (of Avila) were begun. In her book, “The Way of Perfection,” she wrote: “All my longing was and still is that since He {Jesus} has so many enemies and so few friends that these few friends be good ones. As a result, I resolved to do the little that was in my power; that is, to follow t...

There is perhaps no greater challenge for those of us who are pursuing the spiritual life then that apparent dichotomy of pain and joy. St. Paul tells us that we must, like him, be a person of joy, and in fact, we should expect to experience joy even in our most difficult times. In this compelling conversation on the top of suffering and joy, Mark and Frances share some insights from one of the mo...

Think about one of the most common acts you perform every day as a Christian, the Sign of the Cross. Now ask yourself whether you truly understand the meaning of this sacramental act, or what it signifies to us Christians. In this program Mark and Frances begin by providing a history of the development of Sign of the Cross. Next they discuss the three most significant meanings expressed within thi...

What can you do to fight the suffocating plague of indifference and immorality? Eucharist Adoration!! Guests Teresa Gooding and Marika Zimmerman share the details on how to get started. What is Eucharistic Adoration and how does one go about doing this? What if your parish doesn’t have Eucharistic Adoration? How would you go about setting it up? What do the Popes say about spending time with Our L...

We so often hear the phrase, ‘Purity of Heart’ but what does this actually mean. More importantly, what does it mean in a spiritual context. Many people rightly believe the definition includes such characteristics as keeping our thoughts pure or keeping our bodies chaste, and this is certainly true, but neither of these elements go far enough. According to the Danish philosopher, Soren Kiergegaard...

Parents have a very important obligation to teach their children how to pray. Secular Discalced Carmelite, Colleen Sollinger, has much to share with us on this topic. She is a mother of 6 and has homeschooled all of them. 2 of the 6 are in college now. She is also a formatter for the OCDS Community in Dayton. She shares tips on how to set the stage for prayer, providing opportunities for children...

People have access to an amazing amount of technology thru their computers, tablets, and smartphones. How can this technology be used to help us grow in our spiritual life? How can it help us grow in prayer? How can we use it so it enhances our growth rather than becoming a distraction? How can it help those with a vocation to the Carmelites? CatholicApptitude.org Founder, Jennifer Kane has much t...

The conversation on humility continues in this 3rd program of 3. Why is “humility” such an important virtue among all the other virtues? What does a humble soul really look like? What characteristics does a truly humble soul have? What can help motivate us to want to grow in humility? How can we conquer our natural and sinful inclinations so as to grow in humility? What are some images that serve...

Guest: Chris Cotter, OCDS Without the virtue of humility, the house of our interior life falls, as humility is the bedrock foundation on which to build. Guest, Chris Cotter, continues the conversation about humility because of its great importance in our growth. Pope Francis said recently at the World Youth Day in Poland: “Thus, contrary to our expectations and perhaps even our desires, the kingdo...

St. Teresa of Avila said: “There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.” With that in mind, we begin a “little study of humility.” We begin with St. Teresa’s quote: “Humility is to walk in truth.” We must walk in the truth of who we are and who we are before God. To walk in truth is to act in justice. What does St. Teresa teach...

In the final segment of the three part series, Mark and Frances start with St. John of the Cross’s counsel on the attitude the soul should take during the transition to the beginning of the supernatural gift of contemplation. We then discuss different metaphors that may help one to understand what this is like. We then bring up descriptions of contemplation by our saints and others. Finally, what...