The Way is Love

The little way of living with less. It's a funny world we live in. Over the course of my life the mantra of MORE MORE MORE seems to have been pushed to the public in unimaginable ways in a relentless attempt to have us all become the fruit of industry.

We consumers, consume and much effort is made to move people to consumption and more often than not, OVER consumption. Somewhere along the way I wanted to simplify, to have less, do more with less and use what I have rather than contribute to the excess of a modern world, bent on having me play the obedient role of consumer.

Living with less.

In her book, The Little Way of living with Less, Laraine Bennet takes the simple teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux and blends it with a method of reducing one's life, in size and footprint and getting back to essentials.

She shares personal stories we can all relate to and takes downsizing to a spiritual level by incorporating the teachings of this great Saint in order to help humble us a little and live our lives consciously with less material and more spiritual.

The Little Way

Consuming a volume like this will help you see clearly the minor messes in your life that might be hindering your progress. We can be thankful for the Saints who are wonderful examples, even in modern times of how to move our life toward God and detach from the material things which can weigh us down.

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The Journey to Mount Carmel - Father Jeffrey Kirby STL

The Journey to Mount Carmel is a spiritual path. The Spiritual way can be long and arduous and one must face difficulties along the way. Carmel, or more properly Mount Carmel, has a special place in Christian contemplative Spirituality. The profit Elijah first went to this mountain to live in its caves, to get away from the exterior noise of the the outside world and begin to listen for God's voice from within an inner and private sanctum.

Oh Elijiah's journey to Mount Carmel,

500 years before Christ offered the solitude of a hermitic life in service to God and from that silence God gifted his prophecy through a select few who went to the mountain to listen to Him.

The term Carmelite takes its name from mount Carmel and at a moment when the church was again in need of contemplative force, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to Saint Simon stock and gave him the instructions on the Brown Scapular.

The Saints who've worn the Brown scapular are too many to name here. The Brown Scapular is worn by clergy and laity alike. Once invested in and having taken the vows of this sacred promise, one wears the scapular daily for life as a sign of love and devotion to Jesus and the His Mother. The promises of wearing the scapular are not primary the reason for wearing it, through many since can attest to the how accepting the scapular is life altering.

Wearing the brown scapular is part of the journey to mount carmel.

The ceremony is brief and beautiful, personal and permanent. It changes you.

To help prepare for the investiture ceremony Fr. Jeffrey Kirby has written a wonderful volume with complete instructions and he joins us to talk about the process.

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You are called to Greatness

You are called to greatness. Good books are good books. You can pick them up anytime and re-read them and they always have something new to offer. This is certainly true of sacred scripture.

In the Case of "you are called to greatness" by Father Leo Trese,

who left a legacy of Hemmingwayesque simple, clear, direct practical teaching with his books, we can immerse in the profound nature of his solid teaching.

Reading this volume is a strong refresher of good catechism and also a great barometer of where I am in the life of faith. To explore and understand virtue the way it is taught in this book by father Leo was, as one small example a joyful reminder of a rich perspective.

Father Trese left us in 1970, but this book encourages us to remember not only that we are called to greatness but practically hear and live the invitation to that call to greatness. There may be good teachers today, but there is a solid a grounded feeling here, rooted in practical tools for modern living.

Joining me to talk about "You are called to Greatness"

Is Michael Lichens from Sophia Institute Press.

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The Diary of Saint Gemma, gives me great pause for reflection. I always admire young saints ability to be so certain, or rather to listen so obediently to God's call to them from a young age.

Saint Gemma Galliani's life is no exception.

Her diary has all the rantings of a young Catholic, living the struggle of attempting to live in perfect love and union with Christ. To choose to leave the worldly life and enter into a deep spiritual life, full of its pain and grace, heartbreak and loneliness, longing and desire for heaven and sanctity.

It is striking and inspiring to read about the intimate conversations she has with Jesus, or lady of sorrows and her Guardian Angel. Sometimes i even felt a bit too close while reading this book, almost a voyeur into what the saints must endure to purge themselves of sin while still lining in a human body and striving for the beatific vision immediately after this life ends.

In the case of Saint Gemma,

who died at just 25 years of age, we really get a sense of how much the stigmatist wanted to enter into Christs sufferings, to gladly wear and feel the pain of his crown of thorns and write about the experiences at the request of her spiritual director.

In her diary we have a raw an honest document of what it took for her to become a saint. Here to talk about the book is Kristen van Uden.

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The idea of being a pilgrim still fascinates me. I like to arrive at unknown places with an empty mind and to have it filled with the knowledge the place and surroundings have to offer. Being a pilgrim, to me is arriving humbly and hungry and walking away satisfied and enriched.

That is how I felt after reading Pilgrimage to the Museum. It's no secret that the Met in New York City is a must see museum for anyone who wants to understand, study or just experience art. My guest today Stephen Auth has created a unique pathway through that museum, giving a virtual tour in book form that leaves you in wonder and also enriched. His keen eye, detailed descriptions and straight forward storytelling has you come away with lessons in art, history, theology and at the same times touches the heart by relating complex history through the works found in the Met.

I have never been on a tour with Stephen, but in the end it feels like I have been on a lovely journey through one of the worlds greatest museums.

Steve and his wife have been wandering this museum for years and when they began looking at the work through their Catholic faith the tours emerged to share wheat they were learning.

Steve is a member of the Regnum Christi movement and sits on the national board of the Lumen Institute, which he helped found in New York. With his wife, Evelyn, he has led the New York City street mission for ten years.

Today on The Way is Love we welcome Back Adam Blai with his new book, the Exorcism Files. In this volume Adam draws from his extensive experience as a lay person assisting with Exorcisms around the world. The book is a collection of his experiences presented as short stories which highlights the seemingly innocent pitfalls and practices which allow a person to become demonically oppressed or even possessed.

Adam Blai presents readers with enlightening true stories and traces their causation. Whether people provided a gateway through Ouija boards, tarot cards, Reiki, Yoga, or martial arts, Blai reports from firsthand observation how they were lured into the occult.

As much as one might think that practices which have become "mainstream" Adam has witnessed how people have been horribly affected by willing to engage in these practices.

Blai demonstrates that there is a supernatural enemy in this world who is trying to destroy us. Perhaps author Mike Aquilina says it best.

"I don't envy Adam Blai's knowledge of the world of demons. His knowledge is hard won. But I am grateful to him for telling us what we need to know for the spiritual combat we call the Christian life."

I feel it necessary to give a fair warning that we will be speaking about Satan, demons and the evil spirits encountered by personally by Adam in his work in the Catholic Diocese. Casting out demons goes back to Christ and he gave this power to the Apostles on day of Pentecoste. Exorcisms are done by trained Catholic Priests and Adam has assisted and witnessed many exorcisms.

Celestial beings are no myth. They have been written about for centuries. Long before UFO's and Aliens became the popular culture, saints and mystics, pontiff and prophets were tuned to the messages from God through the Holy Angles.

Nine Choirs strong, an unimaginable number of Angels were created at the moment of creation. God assigned one to each and every one of us to be our protector and friend. Our very own Angel Guardian. If you are hearing my voice right now, count yourself as a person who has a Guardian Angel.

The Holy Angles are to be taken seriously. Throughout scripture we see the Angels, announcing, assisting, overseeing and protecting. From Job to Christ himself the Holy Angles of God assiduously love Him and carry our his Will. They are infused with incredible powers, incredible love, devotion, intellect and wisdom and can in an instant discern, defend and act on your behalf.

For any of you listening who think that the work of the Holy Angels is mere fantasy or that these mystical and beautiful creatures sent from heaven are not among us and impacting our lives, I pray that you look and listen more closely to all that is in plain sight about them, especially in Holy Scripture and the Doctrine of the Holy Catholic Church.

Father Robert Nixon, who spoke with us after his translation of a book on Humility is back today, to share with us his insights and discoveries when translating the work of Italian St. Aloysius Gonzaga, Meditations on the Holy Angels

Gonzaga is a patron Saint of youth and he left us at the tender age of twenty three. The saint understood the Angels and left an incredible work which now thanks to Father Nixon's dedication is available in English for the first time.

Father Nixon joins us from Australia to discuss the work, Meditations on Holy Angels written in the 15th century by St. Aloysius Gonzaga.

KNOW THYSELF: The Game of Temperaments

Know Thyself: The Game of Temperaments is created by Larraine Bennett. She is here to speak with us about the types of Temperaments and the new game created to discover and learn about them.

You think you know yourself?

We are all born with distinct personality traits. Some love going to parties, while others seek solitude. Some are naturally brash and assertive, while others are content to just get along.

Temperaments are a part of the way we're made.

Ancient philosophers identified four basic temperaments that wise thinkers through the ages have used to understand human nature.

Author Laraine Bennett, has a master's degree in Philosophy and has co-authored 6 books with her husband, Art, and one solo book, A Year of Grace: 365 Reflections for Caregivers. She helped create the popular TemperamentQuiz.com. and has been married to husband for 45 years. They have 4 adult children and 8 grandchildren.

Laraine has developed a board game called, Know Thyself! The Game of Temperaments – the first game to help you identify, understand, and appreciate your own temperament, and those of your friends and family.

Take charge or follow the lead? Jump in feet first or analyze and contemplate? Introvert or extrovert? Focused or distractible?

All of these traits point to the temperament you were born with. Which one is yours, and how much of the others do you have?

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Peace be with you. That is the name of the book and the sentiment of our show today here on The Way is Love Podcast. Who isn't searching for peace daily in these times? It seems that less and less of what we are presented with involves the peace and tenderness of heart that humanity needs in the times we are living through.

The book "Peace be with you" by Father Narcisco Irala is just what one might be looking for. If you like manuals and books that give you concrete instructions on helping yourself and other people then revisit this volume originally published in 1969.

But we have evolved so much since then you might be saying? Reading through this volume I really felt a call back to action. I like a book that has a pragmatic approach and a Formula for Happiness at its onset.

It's refreshing to read a book that has quotes like this one. "Every morning," says the Doctor of Gentleness, St. Francis de Sales, "prepare your soul for a tranquil day."

Peace be with you is published by Sophia Press and our guest is Kirsten Van Uden.

A Surfer's Guide to the Soul, Bear Woznick, a masters World Champion Tandem surfer lays out a fascinating life. His book recounts his life in Faith, battling himself, life and the elements. I confess, I read this book in one sitting. It's amazing how the things you need to hear arrive at your doorstep in one way or another.

If you like adventure, if you want to feel like you are sitting down with a good friend, whose openness and willingness to share his failures as much as his success', while the whole time putting you at ease then this is a great read for you.

If you are on any kind of journey, then there is probably one that Bear has been on in his life that you can resonate with.

Praise for A Surfer's Guide to the Soul

Maybe Melody Green, author, speaker, songwriter describes it best in the first pages of this book.

"Find out how one man enjoys the highs, embraces the lows, and survives and grows from the inevitable wipeouts. Whether you surf or not, this book will challenge you in new ways to let go, dive deep, and give your all to God."

Bear describes the sensations of his soul and the ocean.

"To me, bodysurfing was the most intimate I could ever hope to be with creation. Even then, I sensed that being one with the wave was in some way being one with my Creator.

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