The Bridegroom Speaks

Perhaps more than any other time in history, we are aware of the lingering impact childhood trauma has on our growth and the relationships we’ll have throughout our lives, including our relationship with the Lord. When we are wounded in our early relationships with our mother, father or other primary caregiver we may enter our adult relationships feeling fearful, distrusting, guarded or other self-protective responses. This carries over into our relationship with the Lord and becomes an obstacle to the union He desires with us. He invites us to let Him into those early wounds and traumas so He can heal them; for the sake of deeper union with us and also so we can be made whole and re-integrated in body, mind, heart, spirit and soul.

Laura and Hope's Garden Spiritual Advisor, Father Michael Stalla, talk about the power of shifting our gaze, our perspective, off of the trial or darkness we are experiencing and onto Jesus. Jesus is light. He is hope. His life and death provide meaning for all of our suffering. May we keep our hearts open to Him, and allow His light to penetrate the darkness.

In this episode, Laura and Father Michael Stalla, spiritual advisor to Hope’s Garden, chat about their experiences of opening to the deep and intimate love of Christ the Bridegroom and the impact upon their lives.

"It’s not that Christ is asking us to be His spouse and no one else’s. He’s asking us to claim His spousal love as our first love and to let everything else flow from that and to bring that deep love, that personal love, that intimacy that’s in our hearts with Him as our Bridegroom, into all our other relationships. This is how our spiritual spouse-hood can bear fruit. Like the Bride in The Song of Songs, once He takes her into His wine cellar and she’s intoxicated with His love, then all she wants to do is spread that love. She wants everyone else to come to know the Bridegroom the way that she knows Him now." - Laura Ercolino

In this episode, Laura shares the story of being in Guadalupe, Mexico on pilgrimage and coming to understand the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe as it relates to our times and to Laura's own life. Christ's Living Roses (the Roses of Tepeyac) are blooming here in Hope's Garden, as we gather together to pray, heal and grow. This episode closes with members of the Sisterhood of Mary, Mystical Rose of God, praying a chaplet that Laura wrote, known as The Chaplet for the Bridegroom's Roses. We pray this chaplet daily for the healing of all of Christ's living Roses.

Laura describes the posture of open receptivity before the Bridegroom as that “big morning stretch” upon waking, opening our arms and our hands out wide and greeting Him by saying: "I am here, I am Your bride and I open myself to You again today. Let Your will be done in me. I am Yours and You are mine and I am open to receiving whatever it is that You have for me today. Whether it’s very little or very much or somewhere in between. Whether it’s suffering or it’s joy or joy in the suffering, I am here and I am Yours." Listen now to the third in a 3-part series of conversations with Abby Kyle, Director of Evangelization at Little Flower Catholic Church in South Bend, IN.

In part 2 of a 3 part conversation, Laura and Abby Kyle talk about our identity as Brides of Christ. Christ our Bridegroom is our one true eternal Love: King of our hearts and Spouse of our souls. Listen now as Laura and Abby reflect on the truth that we are always sought, waited for and loved by our Heavenly Bridegroom.

“Make two homes for thyself. One actual home and the other a spiritual home which thou are to carry with thee always.” St Catherine of Siena

The architect and builder of our spiritual homes is Christ. He awaits our opening to Him and inviting Him to partner with us in creating a safe and love-filled home where together we may always find rest and delight, safety and peace. A powerful tool He has provided us with for this endeavor is our imaginations, the gift of creativity. In a time of prayer, speak to the Spouse of your soul and ask Him to guide you in imagining your spiritual home. Perhaps the home in your heart resembles His childhood home in Nazareth, or a candle lit adoration chapel, or a quaint cottage by a lake. Listen as Laura and De share thoughts on their spiritual homes, in the heart of their hearts, with Jesus.

Laura talks with Abby Kyle, of Little Flower Catholic Church in South Bend, IN, about her encounters with Christ the Bridegroom. In this first of three episodes, Abby and Laura ponder the power of letting go of attachments in order to open to the one Attachment that alone is truly the fulfillment of all our desire.

In the second half of Father's talk, he makes very clear that shame is not of God and speaks of our inherent goodness and dignity. Listen now!

Jesus looks at you with only love. He sees and knows your heart, your desires, your pain. Unveiling our hearts to His gaze of love and compassion is healing. In today's episode, we share part 1 of a talk Father Allen Hoffa gave at our recent healing retreat for women healing from the trauma of betrayal. We share part 2 of Father's talk in Episode 17. May you be blessed!