Catholic Audiobook in a Month Podcast

In today’s episode we hear about six applications of Confidence in God: In relation to past sins On occasion of daily faults In failures In darkness and dryness (Aridities) In fears concerning the future In desires for holiness (no matter how great)

In today’s episode…. We hear how confidence opens the flood gates of God’s benefits. We learn that what God inspires me to ask for is what He wills to give. And how if we obtain little from God it is because we ask little. We are cautioned about an excess of confidence—the sin of presumption.

On today’s episode… The 2nd foundation of Confidence in God—Love of God for us is a merciful love. The 3rd foundation—How God’s Justice rewards good as well as punishes evil.

On today’s episode we hear: How one’s helplessness can be a strength since it draws the help of a father. How we can have confidence in this help. About having confidence in God’s love for us.

On today’s episode we hear: How the truly poor in spirit remains perfectly detached. That we must remain poor for life. How St. Thérèse wished to appear empty handed before God and why. About the forgetting of fellow creatures and placing one’s happiness in being forgotten.

Today we hear about: How the soul who realizes her poverty has but to turn trustfully to God, whose goodness supplies for all. Surest means of lacking nothing is to possess nothing A father only gives to a child what is necessary in the moment (Our daily bread)

Today we hear about: Rejoicing when we experience our litleness and helplessness. How God loves the least and the weak. How we must always remain little at any age.

In this episode, we will break down the first mark of spiritual childhood—the characteristic of being small. Fr. Gabriel invites us to embrace a path where we become 'very, very little' before God, illustrating that this littleness is intrinsically linked to humility. In a detailed reading that spans pages 9 to 11 of the paperback edition, we shall learn that, in the eyes of the divine, we are not...

In today's episode, we will delve into Chapter 1, Sections 2 and 3, covering pages 4-8 of the paperback. This session specifically focuses on the qualities we must embody as children of God—embracing our littleness and weakness while wholeheartedly committing ourselves to His divine will.

In today's episode, we read Chapter 1, Section 1,  a reflection about our identity as children of God, shaped by the sacrament of baptism and inviting us to approach our Heavenly Father with the innocence and trust characteristic of a child. The core theme of this reading centers on the concept of spiritual childhood, an aspect of our Christian faith that emphasizes our relationship with God as a...

This month’s book is  The “Little Way” of Spiritual Childhood by Fr. Gabriel Martin, a French priest and close confidant of St. Therese's family. He also gave the homilies for both her beatification and her canonization. Fr. Martin's work, written just 26 years after St. Therese's passing, seeks to make accessible her teachings on  the “Little Way.” Topics will include: Spiritual Childhood Littlen...

In the Book’s concluding podcast, William Wilson summarizes the key teachings of Br. Lawrence: practicing the presence, abandonment, distractions, faith, suffering & sickness, and more. William also previews next month’s book.

As we draw nearer to the end of B’r. Lawrence’s life, we witness a man who embraces suffering as a sacred call, transforming pain into a vehicle for divine love. He reflects on his singular desire: to suffer for the love of God. In a remarkable testament to his faith, he chooses to endure the agony of illness with a spirit of gratitude. Even when he experiences sharp, debilitating pain, his fervor...

The episode further uncovers the physical tribulations that Nicolas faced, particularly his battles with gout and other debilitating illnesses. His acceptance of suffering is shown as he engages in conversations with his physician, revealing his unique perspective on life and death. He notably expressed a poignant sentiment: "Ah, sir, your remedies succeed too well. You have delayed my happiness,"...

Brother Lawrence's profound faith anchored his spiritual journey. It was this faith that kindled a burning desire within him to seek God above all, leading him to perceive created things as trivial in comparison to divine love. This faith transcended mere intellectual assent and deepened his reverence for holy mysteries, particularly for the sacrament of the altar, where the unseen presence of Chr...

Throughout this episode, you will hear about Br. Lawrence’s physical suffering—a painful ulcer on his leg that led to his temporary removal from the kitchen where he had worked diligently for thirty years. But rather than seeing this as a setback, Br. Lawrence viewed this shift in his assignment as an opportunity to deepen his relationship with God.

Brother Lawrence struggled during the early years of his religious life, a span where sorrow and desolation marked his spiritual pursuits. He was said to have no true taste for prayer and experienced nights filled with anguish at the foot of the holy altar—where his faith remained his only support. This testament to fortitude resonates deeply, reminding us of the night faced by saints such as St....

William shares about uncovering a rare edition of Brother Lawrence's writings from 1727, a remarkable find considering it was only 36 years after his death. ( Life of Nicolas Herman-1727 )  It's a period marked by the Counter-Reformation under the reign of Louis XV, with the allure of religious fervor beginning to wane among the French nobility, giving way to the rationalism of the Enlightenment....

In the fourteenth letter, Brother Lawrence writes to express his deep concern for Rev. Mother’s prolonged suffering. He encourages her to shift her perspective, seeing her trials as divine tokens of God's love. Rather than seeking relief through human remedies, he advises her to wholly surrender her anguish into the hands of God, trusting that her resignation may bring her healing. Moving to the f...

Brother Lawrence begins his Eleventh Letter to Madame with a heartfelt note on the importance of trusting in God at all times. He emphasizes that confidence in God is essential, especially during moments of loss and suffering. The letter encourages Madame to view her reliance on God as a nurturing friendship, reassuring her that divine love is paramount above all earthly attachments. Moving to the...

This episode covers Letters 7 through 10: Letter 7: Brother Lawrence begins with an earnest call to seek the invaluable treasures of the gospel. Letter 8: Brother Lawrence extends encouragement to his friends, urging them to cultivate a continual awareness of God. Letter 9: Brother Lawrence addresses a common struggle that many believers face: wandering thoughts during prayer. Letter 10: Brother L...

Today you will hear Letter 6, in which Brother Lawrence defends his approach to spiritual practice, emphasizing a life dedicated to the constant awareness of God's presence. Brother Lawrence shares his profound journey, illustrating not only the challenges he faced in the early years of his spiritual quest but also the transformative power of humility and faith. In his communication with a Reveren...

The fourth letter, addressed to a Reverend Mother, reveals Brother Lawrence's wisdom on the appropriate use of devotional practices. While acknowledging the importance of these practices as pathways to experiencing God’s presence, he emphasizes that they should not become ends in themselves. Instead, he guides us to focus on maintaining a heart that rests in the Divine, asserting that the true exe...

In the second letter,  which we'll read today, Brother Lawrence recounts the sentiments of a “fellow member” of their society, who has dedicated over forty years to religious life. (Really it’s him!) This devout individual exemplifies the essence of practicing the presence of God, illustrating how consistent devotion results in grace. We learn how this person’s soul is perpetually nourished by the...

This episode marks a transition as we shift from third-person accounts of Brother Lawrence's spirituality to his own first-person reflections captured in his letters. We begin with the preface, originally penned in 1692, which sets the stage by acknowledging the legacy of the Carmelites and highlighting Brother Lawrence, who humbly sought to avoid the spotlight during his life. The preface describ...