Book Reviews and More: Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley, FSP

Growing in Self Esteem

Just A Minute Meditations

Marie Paul Curley, FSP

Pauline Books and Media

ISBN ‎9780819816917

eISBN 9780819816924

ASIN B0CW1B5KSB

Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley, FSP - Just A Minute Meditations

I have picked up a most of the volumes in this series over the years but had not got around to reading any of them until earlier this year. As of the writing of this review there are 7 volumes in the series, 4 authors with Sister Kathryn having penned 4 of the volumes. And to date only 1 is penned by Marie Paul Curley, FSP. I have four of them on my Kindle purchased over the last two years. But while researching for this review I have found out, at least a few of the volumes are a rebranding of volumes published 8 years ago under the titles “Mediations for …”.

The description of this edition states:

“Are you trapped by feelings of self-doubt or self-loathing? How do you cultivate a healthy self-esteem while living selflessly? Believe in God’s love for you and live with greater confidence and peace with help from this pocket-sized book of 30 meditations. Each meditation includes a Scripture passage, a brief reflection, and a short prayer. The book also features additional prayers to help you nurture a balanced self-esteem grounded in God.”

Another current description is:

“Are you trapped by feelings of self-doubt or self-loathing? How do you cultivate a healthy self-esteem while living selflessly?

This pocket-sized book of thirty meditations will help you believe in God's great love for you and live with greater confidence and peace. Each meditation includes a Scripture passage, a brief reflection by Sister Marie Paul Curley, FSP, and a short prayer. The book also features a short collection of additional prayers to help you nurture a balanced self-esteem grounded in God. Whether you are a beginner in prayer or seeking wisdom and direction for a difficult time, Growing in Self-Esteem offers guidance, support, and encouragement for your relationship with the Lord.

Growing in Self-Esteem is part of the Just a Minute Meditations series, a collection of themed meditation books to help you pray through the challenges of life.”

About the author we are informed:

“Sister Marie Paul Curley, FSP, is a Boston native and a professed Daughter of St. Paul since 1987. She speaks regularly on Salt + Light Radio Hour and has authored many books, including See Yourself through God's Eyes and Soul of Christ. Her personal passions include writing, exploring the connection between faith and the media arts, the spirituality of Blessed James Alberione, and Eucharistic spirituality.”

The chapters in this volume are:

Introduction

1. God Chose to Create You

2. God Will Never Forget You

3. God Never Makes Mistakes

4. God Can Fulfill Your Needs

5. You Are Called by God

6. You Don’t Need to Prove Yourself

7. God Can Free You from Fear

8. God Wants You to Be Honest

9. When You Doubt God’s Love

10. Your Fragility Is Blessed

11. You Are Lovable

12. Jesus’ Invitation to You

13. God’s Inexhaustible Mercy

14. God Works in Your Life

15. Cultivate a Grateful Heart

16. God Wants to Surprise You

17. Perfectionism Is a Myth

18. God Works through Your Weakness

19. Fix Your Gaze on Jesus

20. Your Life Is in God’s Hands

21. Be True to Yourself

22. God Draws Close to the Suffering

23. Your Vocation to Love

24. Forgiveness Will Free You

25. God Always Helps You to Grow

26. God Wants to Be Your Light

27. Failure Can Help You

28. God Is with You Always

29. Find Peace of Heart in Jesus

30. God Delights in Who You Are

Prayers

The prayers in a section at the end of the book are:

Lord, You Know Me

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

God’s Dream for Me

“I Am with You”

Jesus, Hold Me Close

You Are Always Thinking of Me

Struggling with Self-Doubt

In Times of Anxiety

Help Me to Have Perfect Trust

Unfailing Prayer for Hope

I Believe

A Prayer Just for Today

Back cover

I highlighted a few passages while working through this volume, they are:

“You may wonder if self-esteem is something that a person of faith should care about. You may have heard that followers of Christ don’t need self-esteem because they are supposed to be selfless. But growing in a healthy self-esteem is not about being selfish. A healthy self-esteem allows us to embrace God’s will for our lives and to live life with more joy.”

“I am excited to share this little collection of Scripture passages followed by reflections based on my experience in growing in self-esteem. I hope and pray that they will help you come to know just how much God loves and cherishes you!”

“God understands you and is tenderly faithful. God will always be at your side. Jesus’ entire life, but especially his passion, death, and resurrection, is constant proof that God is faithful and will never abandon you.”

“Do you see your mistakes and sometimes count them as evidence that you are worthless and no good? At times like this, you can remember that God does not see your mistakes as an insurmountable problem. God’s mercy is much bigger than any mistake.”

“Living in God’s love will give you the courage to use your God-given gifts and trust that God will provide for all your needs.”

“Jesus, I believe you are present in the Holy Eucharist in your Body, Blood, soul, and divinity. In the Eucharist, you long to heal today, just like you healed people while you lived on earth. Heal me too!”

“God offers us healing and forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconciliation, the celebration of God’s inexhaustible mercy and a renewal of relationship with God.”

“Perfectionism is a myth. While God makes many promises in Scripture, he never promises perfection. No matter how hard we try, we will never be perfect in this life. God always has our best interests at heart. He cares less about efficiency and results and more about our growth in faith and trust. To see a situation from God’s perspective can help us escape perfectionism.”

“Dear God, you freely give us grace because your Son, Jesus, gave his life for us. When I have anything to suffer, help me to offer it in union with Jesus so that I can become more like your Son.”

A sample day is:

“13 God’s Inexhaustible Mercy

Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ . . . [The younger son] squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need…. So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’”

Luke 15:11–14, 20, 22–24

Each time we become more aware of our sinfulness and seek forgiveness, we have an opportunity to grow closer to God. God never tires of bringing us new life!

God offers us healing and forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconciliation, the celebration of God’s inexhaustible mercy and a renewal of relationship with God.

In the ocean of God’s mercy, your shame and sinfulness become insignificant and are washed away. God’s forgiveness means that your guilt does not have the last word.

Jesus, you told the apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them” (John 20:23). I thank you for the amazing gift of the sacrament of Reconciliation. Help me to receive it often.”

I hope those quotes and sample day give you a feel for this book, and I believe the series. This was a good volume to read and pray through over a month. I benefitted from it, a couple of the days I ended up reading more than once. It is an easy volume to engage with, and you will benefit based on how much effort you put in. It would be a great book and series for teens, young adults and us older adults as well.

It is a good book and great series. I can easily recommend it.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books in the Just A Minute Meditations Series:

Embracing Hope in Christ – Kris Frank

Finding God In Times of Depression – Kathryn J. Hermes

Finding Inner Peace – Kathryn J. Hermes

Grieving with Christ – Mary Leonorr Wilson

Growing in Self Esteem - Marie Paul Curley

Healing After Betrayal – Kathryn J. Hermes

Trusting in God’s Love – Kathryn J. Hermes

…

Books by Sister Marie Paul Curley: