Tuesday, 17 June 2025

St Mary's General Hospital Chapel Kitchener Ontario A Photo Essay

St Mary's General Hospital Chapel Kitchener Ontario
A Photo Essay

Last year my mother-in-law took a spill and spend some time in recovery at this hospital. My kids and I spend some time in the chapel and I appreciated the history. This is a photo essay of the chapel.

St Mary's General Hospital Chapel Kitchener Ontario A Photo Essay 1

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St Mary's General Hospital Chapel Kitchener Ontario A Photo Essay 10

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St Mary's General Hospital Chapel Kitchener Ontario A Photo Essay Stations 1

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St Mary's General Hospital Chapel Kitchener Ontario A Photo Essay Stations 14

I especially appreciated the Stations of the cross, and the statues of Joseph and Mary; there is a plaque on the wall stating:

"A gift from the founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton, the statues of Mary and Joseph were cast in 1861 and graced the original Motherhouse chapel for the next ninety-four years. They were relocated from the Motherhouse chapel in Dundas in 1955, and remained there until its closing in 2019. In 2023, they arrived in their new home ... the chapel of St. Mary's General Hospital Kitchener. 

May their presence in this chapel be a reminder that we are richly blessed."

We are informed on the hospital website that:

"The Resurrection chapel is open at all times and is available for the use of all who wish to access it for the purpose of quiet prayer and reflection. It is located on the third floor of the hospital. This sacred space is also used for our Interdenominational Services, Catholic Mass, Memorial Services and more."

St. Mary's General Hospital
911 Queen’s Boulevard
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
N2M 1B2


Monday, 16 June 2025

Macbeth - William Shakespeare - The Pelican Shakespeare

Macbeth
William Shakespeare
Stephen Orgel (Editor)
ISBN 9780143128564
eISBN 9780698410732
ASIN B0113LYE38

Macbeth - William Shakespeare - The Pelican Shakespeare

Five years back I started reading Shakespeare again, as my children were being introduced to it in High school. Then three years ago my son who is now 17 found he had a love for the Bard and for his plays, much as I did at that age. We had been sticking to the Oxford School Shakespeare editions as those were the versions they were reading in school, in fact I have read The Tragedy of Macbeth three times in that version over the last 5 years, so this year I decided to read this version. I have read it twice as my kids were reading it in school, and before going to see Goblin MacBeth. It was time to switch up the edition I was reading. We loved that the Pelican has the complete works of Shakespeare in individual volumes, and we have been picking those up to read, he gets the physical and I grab the eBooks. I loved that there are eBooks for all volumes in this series. This year we picked up tickets for three Shakespeare plays at The Stratford Festival, including this play, we did three of the Bards plays there last year and year before as well. This year his little sister aged 14 joined us for the live version of this one and now has a deep love for Shakespears’s plays both on stage and in the written format. She was amazed by the production and by the story in the play.

The Pelican Classics were among my favourite editions of the plays when I was a youth myself. I often hunted used bookstores for the hard cover edition. I think the last time I read this would have been about 35-40 years ago. And even though I have not yet seen a production it came back quickly. The description of this edition states:

“This edition of Macbeth is edited with an introduction by series editor Stephen Orgel. and was recently repackaged with cover art by Manuja Waldia. Waldia received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the Pelican Shakespeare series. Cover artist Manuja Waldia received a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators for the Pelican Shakespeare series.
 
The legendary Pelican Shakespeare series features authoritative and meticulously researched texts paired with scholarship by renowned Shakespeareans. Each book includes an essay on the theatrical world of Shakespeare’s time, an introduction to the individual play, and a detailed note on the text used. Updated by general editors Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, these easy-to-read editions incorporate over thirty years of Shakespeare scholarship undertaken since the original series, edited by Alfred Harbage, appeared between 1956 and 1967. With stunning new covers, definitive texts, and illuminating essays, the Pelican Shakespeare will remain a valued resource for students, teachers, and theater professionals for many years to come.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.”

Based on the commonly accepted chronological order of Shakespeare’s plays this is right about the middle of the pack, with a performance recorder in 1601. The sections in this volume prior to the text of the play are:

Publisher’s Note
The Theatrical World
William Shakespeare Of Stratford-Upon-Avon, Gentleman
The Question Of Authorship
The Texts of Shakespeare
Introduction
Note on the Text

Macbeth
Names of the Actors
I.1 Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches.
I.2 Alarum within. Enter King [Duncan], Malcolm, Donalbain, Lennox, with Attendants, meeting a bleeding Captain.
I.3 Thunder. Enter the three Witches.
I.4 Flourish. Enter King [Duncan], Lennox, Malcolm, Donalbain, and Attendants.
I.5 Enter Macbeth’s Wife, alone, with a letter.
I.6 Hautboys and torches. Enter King [Duncan], Malcolm, Donalbain, Banquo, Lennox, Macduff, Ross, Angus, and Attendants.
I.7 Hautboys. Torches. Enter a Sewer, and divers Servants with dishes and service over the stage. Then enter Macbeth.
II.1 Enter Banquo, and Fleance, with a torch before him.
II.2 Enter Lady [Macbeth].
II.3 Enter a Porter. Knocking within.
II.4 Enter Ross with an Old Man.
III.1 Enter Banquo.
III.2 Enter Macbeth’s Lady and a Servant.
III.3 Enter three Murderers.
III.4 Banquet prepared. Enter Macbeth, Lady [Macbeth], Ross, Lennox, Lords, and Attendants.
III.5 Thunder. Enter the three Witches, meeting Hecate.
III.6 Enter Lennox and another Lord.
IV.1 Thunder. Enter the three Witches.
IV.2 Enter Macduff’s Wife, her Son, and Ross.
IV.3 Enter Malcolm and Macduff.
V.1 Enter a Doctor of Physic and a Waiting Gentlewoman.
V.2 Drum and Colors. Enter Menteith, Caithness, Angus, Lennox, Soldiers.
V.3 Enter Macbeth, Doctor, and Attendants.
V.4 Drum and Colors. Enter Malcolm, Siward, Macduff, Siward’s Son, Menteith, Caithness, Angus, [Lennox, Ross,] and Soldiers, marching.
V.5 Enter Macbeth, Seyton, and Soldiers, with Drum and Colors.
V.6 Drum and Colors. Enter Malcolm, Siward, Macduff, and their Army, with boughs.
V.7 Enter Macbeth.
V.8 Enter Macbeth.

The publishers note states:

“Certain textual features of the new Pelican Shakespeare should be particularly noted. All lines are numbered that contain a word, phrase, or allusion explained in the glossarial notes. In addition, for convenience, every tenth line is also numbered, in italics when no annotation is indicated. The intrusive and often inaccurate place headings inserted by early editors are omitted (as has become standard practice), but for the convenience of those who miss them, an indication of locale now appears as the first item in the annotation of each scene.

In the interest of both elegance and utility, each speech prefix is set in a separate line when the speakers’ lines are in verse, except when those words form the second half of a verse line. Thus the verse form of the speech is kept visually intact. What is printed as verse and what is printed as prose has, in general, the authority of the original texts. Departures from the original texts in this regard have the authority only of editorial tradition and the judgment of the Pelican editors; and, in a few instances, are admittedly arbitrary.”

And the introduction begins with:

“SHAKESPEARE’S SCOTTISH TRAGEDY was written early in the reign of James I, the Scottish king who succeeded Queen Elizabeth on the English throne in 1603. It is impossible to date the play precisely, but certain allusions – especially to the Gunpowder Plot, the Jesuit attempt to blow up Parliament in 1605, and the subsequent trial of the conspirators – suggest a date in 1606. The impulse to write a Scottish play must have been in the broadest sense political: the king who had, as one of his first official acts, taken Shakespeare’s company under his patronage, so that the Lord Chamberlain’s Men became the King’s Men, traced his ancestry back to Banquo. But there is little about the play to suggest that Shakespeare’s purpose was to celebrate his patron’s lineage, just as there is nothing straightforward about the history Shakespeare chose to dramatize.”

Later we are informed:

“Though there is no record of a court performance, King James surely must have wanted to see a play that included both witches and his ancestors. Indeed, whether or not King James was in the audience, the fact that it is the witches who provide the royal entertainment can hardly be accidental. The king was intensely interested in witchcraft. He attended witch trials whenever he could, and considered himself an expert on the theory and practice of sorcery. His dialogue on the subject, Daemonology, first published in Edinburgh in 1597, was reissued (three times) upon his accession to the English throne in 1603. This and the Basilikon Doron, his philosophy of kingship, were the two works through which he chose to introduce himself to his English subjects: witchcraft and kingship have an intimate relationship in the Jacobean royal ideology.”

The introduction concludes with:

“The addition is significant, and revealing: in Shakespeare, Macduff, fulfilling the prophecy, is simply acting as Malcolm’s agent, the man not born of woman acting for the king uncontaminated by women. But why does virtue need an agent, while vice can act for itself? And what about the agent: does the unanswered question about Macduff abandoning his family not linger in the back of our minds? Does his willingness to condone the vices Malcolm invents for himself not say something disturbing about the quality of Macduff as a hero? Is he not, in fact, the pragmatic soldier who does what needs to be done so that the saintly king can stay clear of the complexities and”

This play comprises 5 acts and a total of 28 scenes. This play falls in about two thirds of the way through the list of plays by Shakespeare, with the dates 605-1606 associated with it. The play is immensely popular and is performed time and again, often with changes in location and time. And it is among my favourites of his works.

With a dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks. I do so because I can change the colour of the page and the font, and also change the font. I really wish that with eBooks of plays such as this one that there would be 2 copies of the play. One completely unadorned, no footnotes or end notes. And the other with the usual accompanying notes. I want a reader’s edition of the play to just be able to read it. Second if that is not to happen, I wish the notes were at the end of the act or even the end of the whole play. But that is just a personal preference. The Pelican Classics were originally published between 1956 and 1967. The Complete Pelican Shakespeare was first published in 1969. With this edition having copyright dates of 1956, 1971, 2000, and 2016. Making it one of the most currently revised that I have read. I believe the Pelican if one of the few editions to have released all 38 plays and the volume of Sonnets, as separate editions. Some other academic publishers limited to specific popular editions, and even then have not released eBooks of them all. (OUP School Shakespeare less than half have eBook editions) As such I am thankful that all 39 volumes from this series are available and available digitally. 

I am glad I picked this up to read with my son before going to see a performance later in the year. It reminded me how much I loved these editions when I was young and we have started collecting the eBook versions now. If you are looking for a good copy of the play to read or study I can easily recommend this edition.

Other Posts Related to Shakespeare:
As You Like It - Pelican Shakespeare 
The Winter's Tale - Pelican Shakespeare

Reviews of Stratford Shakespeare Productions:
Richard III – 2022
Hamlet – 2022
King Lear – 2023
The Winter's Tale - 2025  

Reviews of Shakespeare Movies:
Cymbeline – 2014

All Pelican Shakespeare Individual Titles

Sunday, 15 June 2025

Prayer of the Day Litany in Honour of St. Michael

Litany in Honour of St. Michael   
Prayer of the Day  

Prayer of the Day Litany in Honour of St. Michael  An Icon

Lord, have mercy on us.  
Christ, have mercy on us. 
Lord, have mercy on us.  
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us.  
God the Father of Heaven,  
Have mercy on us. 
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,  
Have mercy on us.  
God the Holy Spirit,  
Have mercy on us.  
Holy Trinity, one God,  
Have mercy on us. 
 
Holy Mary, Queen of Angels, Pray for us.  
St. Michael,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, filled with the wisdom of God,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, perfect adorer of the Incarnate Word,  
Pray for us. 
St. Michael, crowned with honour and glory,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, most powerful Prince of the armies of the Lord, 
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, standard-bearer of the most Holy Trinity,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, guardian of Paradise,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, guide and comforter of the people of Israel,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, splendour and fortress of the Church Militant,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, honour and joy of the Church Triumphant,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, light of Angels,  
St. Michael, bulwark of orthodox believers,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, strength of those who fight under the standard of the Cross,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, light and confidence of Souls at the hour of death,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, our most sure aid,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, our help in all adversities,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, herald of the everlasting sentence,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, consoler of Souls detained in the flames of Purgatory,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, whom the Lord has charged to receive Souls after death,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, our prince,  
Pray for us.  
St. Michael, our advocate,  
Pray for us.  

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,  
spare us O Lord.  
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,  
graciously hear us O Lord.  
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,  
have mercy on us. 
 
Christ, hear us.  
Christ, graciously hear us.  

V. Pray for us, O glorious St. Michael, Prince of the Church of Jesus Christ.  
R. That we may be made worthy of His promises.  

Let us pray.  
Sanctify us, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus, with Thy holy blessing, and grant us, by the intercession of St. Michael, that wisdom which teaches us to lay up treasures in Heaven by exchanging the goods of this world for those of eternity, Thou who lives and reigns world without end. 

Amen. 
  
St. Michael The Archangel History, Lent and Prayers - Maria Alinne Costa

History, Lent and Prayers
Inspirativa Editora
ASIN B0C8GL23H2

In 2024 I picked up the above volume because Father Mike Schmitz posted a video on St Michael’s Lent. I tried searching up some information about it and this was the only volume in English I could find. I picked two Litanies to pray each day through the Saint Michael's Lent. This one I prayer in the evenings, and the other in the morning. For years this one, Prayer to Saint Michael, has been part of my daily prayers, often prayer throughout the day.


Saturday, 14 June 2025

Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith - Jacques Philippe

Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith
Jacques Philippe
Timothée Berthon (Editor)
Neal Carter (Translator)
Scepter Publishers
ISBN 
9781594173974
eISBN 9781594173981
ASIN B0B71Q6KHX

Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith - Jacques Philippe

My introduction to the writings of father Jacques Philippe was Time For God, which I first read 15 years ago. I have reread that book four times now and every time I read it, I get something more out of it. And when he has a new book come out in French, I eagerly await it being available in English. This time it looks like the two editions are publishing at the same time, and this is the third book I have read in the Nine Days Series. Nine Days to Welcome Peace and Nine Days to Rediscover the Joy of Prayer both were an excellent reads, and this one was as well. I will be extra diligent about keeping my eyes open for other books in this series. Father Philippe states about this series that:

“The “Nine Days to” collection offers a guided retreat to be lived at home or on vacation, in the subway or on the train, for people who have little time but wish to devote ten minutes a day to spiritual growth.

Each book in the collection offers nine days of inspiring meditations that surround a specific theme for advancement in the spiritual life. Each serves as both a school of prayer and an authentic tool of self-transformation.

Two meditations are offered for each day. One can be experienced in the morning and the other at any opportune moment during the day or evening.

The journey includes reflection exercises, the Word of God, a meditation from a saint or another great spiritual author, and a resolution—all geared to help the participant dive into an authentic spiritual experience.”

The description of this volume states:

“Faith, simply put, places us in real contact with God. Faith is our strength as Christians, because it teaches us to rely on Him in all things. Often lived most fervently when experiencing spiritual desolation, faith bears the fruit of peace, hope, and love. Take nine days with Fr. Jacques to meditate on your faith and learn how to deepen and strengthen it, so that through both times of ease and times of burden, your faith can keep you focused on God, as he faithfully keeps his focus on you.”

When I read this volume I did part in the morning and part at lunch. Returning to it at lunch helped to focus my afternoon in a new way. 

The chapters in this volume are:

First Day: 
     Faith, a Source of Life
Second Day: 
     My Faith Is the Faith of the Church
Third Day: 
     Faith: Gift of God and Human Decision
Fourth Day: 
     Faith, Hope, and Love
Fifth Day: 
     Faith Grows in Prayer
Sixth Day: 
     Faith Put to the Test
Seventh Day: 
     Living in the Simplicity of Faith
Eighth Day: 
     Celebrating, Sharing, and Declaring Our Faith
Ninth Day: 
     Giving Ourselves to Mary to Partake in Her Faith

And each of the nine days follows this pattern:

Introduction
Invitation To Contemplation
Sign Of The Cross
Prayer To The Holy Spirit
The Word of God
Meditation From Fr. Jacques Philippe
Prayer
A Grace to Request
Light from a Faithful Witness
Meditate on the Word
Blessing

The format changed slightly with this volume over the previous two. The sections in each day vary slightly from the other volumes currently available in the series. The section The Light from a Faithful Witness sometimes comprises quotes from more than one source. Each day is preceded by a full color photo from Christian artworks. We are not told where the excerpts from Father Phillipe are from, or if they were written specifically for this book, or this series. But in the grand scheme of things that does not matter. In the preface to the other volume it states that these meditations are available as a pamphlet or on CD. So I assume the original French versions come from retreats that Father Philippe has lead. And even if in English we do not have access to the audio, the book itself makes a wonderful 9-day personal retreat. It could also used by a group or family. I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume, some of them are:

“The “Nine Days to” collection offers a guided retreat to be lived at home or on vacation, in the subway or on the train, for people who have little time but wish to devote ten minutes a day to spiritual growth.”

“The journey includes reflection exercises, the Word of God, a meditation from a saint or another great spiritual author, and a resolution—all geared to help the participant dive into an authentic spiritual experience.”

“We could say that, in a sense, all our sins and all our faults come from a lack of faith. We don’t believe enough in God’s power and love, and in the end that is our real problem.”

“Our only problem is our lack of faith. If we live through our difficulties and personal limits with faith, if we put them in God’s hands with full trust, he will take care of us, and even those events in our lives that seem to be the most negative will wind up being positive.”

“This is essential: Faith gives us life, real life on this earth, the eternal life of the Kingdom. It puts us in true contact with God, lets us touch God. And our God is the God of life!”

“Faith is a beautiful adventure; we don’t always know where it will lead us!”

“The two aspects of faith, the subjective aspect—this personal act of belonging—and the objective aspect—the content of faith, the truths to which we adhere—are actually closely linked to each other. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said, “There exists a profound unity between the act by which we believe and the content to which we give our assent.””

“Faith is a gift of God’s mercy. It isn’t based upon personal merit; it’s simply a gift that he gives us, whether through our education, from our family, or by the grace of a moment of conversion.”

“But this gift from God comes through a personal decision: Faith is also a decision by a person, a fully human act. It is an act that is possible thanks to God’s help, but an act that also implicates our freedom, our intelligence, and our will.”

“There are moments in life when faith is natural, easy. But there are other moments when it is a courageous decision, a fight. We could have a thousand reasons to doubt, to not trust God, to revolt against him, but, in spite of all that, we decide to believe.”

“Living in faith means walking in light, but doesn’t mean that we can understand everything, explain everything, master everything—far from it. Sometimes we see what we believe, but sometimes we must believe without seeing, to accept plodding along in a bit of darkness while putting all our trust in God.”

“These virtues are called the theological virtues because they unite us to God, letting us enter into God’s life. They are a gift from God but also a decision by man.”

“When we are fearful, doubtful, worried, or discouraged, the heart closes and becomes incapable of loving.”

“We must also recognize that loving isn’t always easy, and that some acts of love, like forgiveness or love of enemies, require a lot of hope and faith.”

“The question we are going to consider now for the next five days is, How do we grow in faith? How can faith be developed and strengthened in our lives?”

“The first response, and perhaps the most important one, is faithfulness to prayer. That is, persevering in prayer without getting discouraged, as Jesus says in the Gospel.”

“The simplest and most normal way of expressing our faith, and therefore of making it grow, is to pray, addressing ourselves to God, putting ourselves in his presence.”

“The very fact of praying is an act of faith. If I pray, I believe that God exists, I believe that he is interested in me, and I believe that he loves me and listens to me.”

“Praying isn’t always about seeing, feeling, experiencing, or understanding. Even in the greatest poverty, in dry spells, even with distractions, if our prayer is an act of faith, it will really make us touch God, whose secret movements will little by little strengthen and grow our faith.”

“What shall we do during these times of trial? We must not despair or be worried. We must persevere in prayer, confiding in God and making acts of faith and trust.”

“It’s necessary to accept these difficult times, living one day at a time, humbly, simply, accepting that we cannot understand or master everything.”

“I take a few moments to compose myself. I put myself in the present moment. . . . I breathe calmly. I put aside all worries and stress, and I confidently welcome God’s presence. He is here, close to me, and he loves me.”

I hope those quotes give you a feel for the volume. This is another excellent resource for spiritual growth from Father Philippe. And I know I will be reading them all as the series becomes available and will return to them again and again. It is a wonderful little volume. I highly recommend this and also the other Nine Days book that is available, really anything by Father Philippe.

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

Other Books By Fr. Jacques Philippe
From Scepter:

Called to Life
Time For God
Interior Freedom
In the School of the Holy Spirit
The Way of Trust and Love - A Retreat Guided By St. Therese of Lisieux
Thirsting for Prayer
Real Mercy: Mary, Forgiveness, and Trust

Fire and Light: Learning to Receive the Gift of God
The Eight Doors of the Kingdom: Meditations on the Beatitudes
Nine Days to Rediscover the Joy of Prayer
Nine Days to Welcome Peace
Nine Days to Strengthen Your Faith
Priestly Fatherhood
Prayer: Oxygen for the Soul


St Paul's Alba House:
Searching for and Maintaining Peace
Discerning Your Vocation: A Catholic Guide for Young Adults (Forward)
...

Pauline Books and Media:

Time For God
...

SingTala:
Time For God
I Choose to be Free: the Power of Faith Hope & Charity (a different edition of Interior Freedom)
...

Contributed to:

Father Jacques Philippe's Books from Scepter


Friday, 13 June 2025

Set Your Heart Free 30 Days with Francis de Sales - John Kirvan - Great Spiritual Teachers Series

Set Your Heart Free: 
30 Days with Francis de Sales 
John Kirvan (Editor)
ISBN 9781594711534
eISBN 9781594715129
ASIN B0736KPQB2


This is the sixth volume in the Great Spiritual Teachers series I have read, last year the first I read 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 much by and about Saint Francis de Sales and was eager to work my way through this volume. I picked this as the next in the series to read.

The description of this volume states:

“Set Your Heart Free by Francis de Sales offers readers the same spiritual wisdom, encouragement, and spellbinding insights that once drew people from all over Europe to this saint's door. Drawn from Francis's immensely popular writings, this prayer resource for individuals or groups emboldens readers to encounter God and pray in their own unique way.”

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 16 volumes in this series currently in print, including the first I read last year that was new and another I am currently reading that releases this year. There are also a number that are currently out of print, The oldest I have seen are from the mid 90’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, including the first in the series I read. I must admit I do not recall running across this series prior to that first volume on Joan. I have however added a number 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. But back to this work.

While reading this I highlighted a several passages, some of them are:

“For four-and-a-half centuries Francis de Sales has been in and out of style, at one moment riding the wave of popularity, at another left behind. Yet every generation that has read his books and letters has found in them a wise and warm, moderate and gentle companion for their spiritual journey. He comes across as psychologically insightful, as someone whose advice you can trust.”

“In his writing, Francis was unique for his times and remains important to this day. Unlike so many others, he did not write for priests and nuns, for the walled spirituality of the cloister. Instead, he wrote for people with families to feed, clothe, and educate. While this is not uncommon today, what remains unusual is his ability to make the loftiest goals of mystical tradition accessible to men and women busy in the everyday workplace without compromising their demands.”

“An Introduction to Devout Life outlines five stages in the development of the soul: (1) attaining a firm resolution to the devout life; (2) prayer and the sacraments; (3) the practice of virtues including patience, meekness, humility, obedience, chastity, and poverty; (4) some ordinary temptations and how to overcome them, and (5) renewing and confirming the soul in devotion. The meditations and prayers of this book follow the same path, flowing smoothly from one stage to the next. We pray that you find this introduction to Francis’ spirituality accessible and enriching.”

“The books in the Great Spiritual Teachers series provide an introduction to the spiritual insights and wisdom of some of history’s most extraordinary saints. Through these pages, you’re invited to a place beyond mere reading, into an experience of daily prayer and meditation. You’ll be accompanied by a spiritual teacher whose wisdom will awaken, enrich, and empower your walk with the Lord.”

“The goal is to hear the voice of God through the words of the saints.”

“Be conscientious in all you are called upon to do, but do not let hurry, upset, anxiety, and nervousness, get in the way of common sense and good judgment, and prevent you from doing well what God calls you to do.”

“Do not let anxiety sabotage your search for God.”

“Our role is to be ready, to receive God’s gifts with an open heart—carefully, humbly, and serenely.”

“My Day Begins Stop worrying. Whatever it is that you must do to follow the path that God has shown you do to the best of your ability. And when you have done it, move on to the next thing.”

“If you hope to succeed in whatever you do, place your trust totally in God’s providence. Cooperate with him, then rest secure that whatever happens, will be best for you.”

“Don’t waste your time dreaming of being someone else. Don’t try to be someone else. Work and pray at being yourself. Be who you are, where you are. Concentrate on the little everyday problems and pains that beset you. Reserve your best efforts, expend your spiritual energy on what is right before you. This is what God asks of you. This is all he asks of you: that you live and respond to his grace in the here and now. To do anything else is to waste your time.”

“God will do what is best for us. Most likely he will lead us little by little, one small step at a time, So we need to be patient with everyone, with everything, but especially with ourselves and with God.”

“When, however, you have done whatever you can do, used whatever God has put within your reach, await the outcome with patient resignation. If God sees fit to overcome the evils, cure the illness, or whatever, thank him humbly. But if, on the other hand, he permits the evil to triumph, patiently bless his holy name and surrender yourself to his will for you.”

“Trust who you are, not what “they” think you are.”

“Thank you for all the gifts of this day, for my fellow travelers, my brothers and sisters who in peace and love are your special gifts to me. With an offering I offer you the silence of this night where there is no place for anger. Let the sun go down gently on a heart warmed by peace and love for my fellow travelers on the way to a blessed life with you. And with a prayer for …”

“Lift up your heart gently, accept your failure without wallowing in your weakness. Admit your guilt in God’s sight. Then with good heart, with courage and confidence in his mercy, start over again.”

“Peace does not mean living without pain. You lose peace not when you are trouble free, but when you cease to be dependent on God and fail in your duties.”

“Thank you for all the gifts of this day, for being there for me when doubt inevitably came and threatened to replace my confidence in you with anxiety. With your strength I can send it on its way like the temptation that it is.”

A sample day is:

Day 13
My Day Begins

Do you remember how,
when you were a small child,
you would take an abandoned carton
or a fistful of sand
and turn it into a castle?

Inevitably, it seemed,
someone would knock it over.
Your heart would be broken.

But now we understand that those things
that were so earthshaking
when we were children
were in the end not all that important.
Our world did not end when our castles fell.

Yet here we are,
still frantic and anxious
about the frail castles of our adult years.
They too will fall
and it will not matter that much
in the light of eternity.
But it takes a while
to gain this perspective.

We can spend our days
running in circles,
obsessed by a thousand things,
convinced that each one of them
is all-important to our happiness.

Or we can stop for a moment
and think of eternity.
Then we see how very unimportant
are the thousand concerns
that clutter our minds
and preoccupy our souls.
How little they matter!

All Through the Day

What really matters?

My Day Is Ending

With gratitude
Thank you for all the gifts of this day,
for letting me end this day
remembering
that however frantic and anxious
I might have been
about the frail castles of my life,
in the light of eternity,
they do not matter.

With an offering
I offer you the silence of this night.
Take the abandoned cartons
and bits of sand
out of which
I still build my castles
and make of these frail dreams,
these scattered, hurried moments
of my day,
something that will last
through eternity.

And with a prayer for ...”

Day 24 also really struck me:

Day Twenty-Four
My Day Begins

Whenever your spirit is troubled,
take some advice from St. Augustine:

“Make haste, like David, to cry out:
‘Have mercy on me, O Lord,’
that he may stretch forth his hand
to moderate your anger
or whatever it is that troubles you.”

Imitate the apostles
who when they found themselves
caught in a raging storm,
called upon God to help them.
He will still your anger
as he stilled the seas
and replace it with his peace.

Remember however, to pray calmly and gently.

As soon as you are aware
of having given into anger or whatever,
repair your mistake immediately
with an act of kindness
to the person you have hurt.

If you tell a lie,
the best thing
is to recall it
as soon as you can.

The best cure for anger
is an immediate act of gentleness.
New wounds are the easiest to heal.

All Through the Day

Have mercy on me, O Lord.

My Day Is Ending

With gratitude
Thank you for all the gifts of this day,
for responding to my anger
with your gentleness,
for answering my petty lies
with your truth,
for healing my wounds
and those I have wounded.

With an offering
I offer you the silence of this night
and a soul too often troubled.
Have mercy on me, O Lord.
Stretch forth your hand.
Rescue me from the storms
that threaten my soul,
and replace them
with your peace.

And with a prayer for ...”

The volume ends with a section called ONE FINAL WORD that states:

“This book was created to be nothing more than a gateway—a gateway to the spiritual wisdom of a specific teacher and a gateway opening on your own spiritual path.

You may decide that Francis de Sales is someone whose experience of God is one that you wish to follow more closely and deeply. In that case you should read more of him. His Introduction to the Devout Life on which much of this book has been based is the most available. You might also try his Treatise on the Love of God. But in many ways, the most readable and accessible of all his works are his letters. There are many editions, each offering a different selection.

You may, on the other hand, decide that his experience and teaching 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 found.”

I think that final word is very important. Having now read 6 volumes in this series, and currently working on a seventh, I find that some speak to me more than others. With one almost every day was like an eureka moment, others are more work and fewer moments. But I can 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. 

This was one of the volumes I really connected with. This is a great volume, it is one I really enjoyed reading. I can easily recommend this volume 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.

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

Great Spiritual Teachers Series From Ave Maria Press

Books in the Great Spiritual Teachers Series:
Abide in love: the Gospel spirituality of John the Evangelist – John Kirvan 
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 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  
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