Podcast appearances and mentions of connie rossini

Join Dan Burke on Divine Intimacy Radio as he discusses the mindfulness myth with Susan Brinkmann and Connie Rossini. Don't miss out on the final part of this insightful series!

Join Dan Burke on Divine Intimacy Radio as he discusses the mindfulness myth with Susan Brinkmann and Connie Rossini. Don't miss out on the final part of this insightful series!

Join Dan Burke on Divine Intimacy Radio as he discusses the mindfulness myth with Susan Brinkmann and Connie Rossini. Don't miss out on the final part of this insightful series!

Join Dan Burke on Divine Intimacy Radio as he discusses the mindfulness myth with Susan Brinkmann and Connie Rossini. Don't miss out on the first part of this insightful series.

7/27/21 - Today's show features the personal testimony of Connie Rossini. Connie gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of several books, including “Trusting God with St. Thérèse” and The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila written with Dan Burke. Besides her blog Contemplative Homeschool, she has a new website named after her book, Is Centering Prayer Catholic? She is a writer for the diocesan press and is the founder of the Authentic Contemplative Prayer Group on Facebook.

7/1/21 - Connie Rossini gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of several books, including “Trusting God with St. Thérèse” and The Contemplative Rosary with St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Avila written with Dan Burke. Besides her blog Contemplative Homeschool, she has a new website named after her book, Is Centering Prayer Catholic? She is a writer for the diocesan press and is the founder of the Authentic Contemplative Prayer Group on Facebook.

The Contemplative Rosary Pt. 3 With Connie Rossini on Divine Intimacy Radio Resources: Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits - Dan Burke The Contemplative Rosary - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini The Contemplative Rosary App (phones and tablets only) Lenten Journey with Mother Mary - Fr. Edward Looney A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness - Susan Brinkmann OCDS Avila-Institute.org/events - website Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online Apostoli Viae - website Sophia Institute – website Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Connie Rossini Into the Deep - Dan Burke Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity  - Fr. Chad A Ripperger PhD The Discernment of Spirits - Fr. Timothy Gallager Questions? Send an e-mail to Questions@myavila.com or call 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

The Contemplative Rosary Pt. 4 With Connie Rossini on Divine Intimacy Radio Resources: Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits - Dan Burke The Contemplative Rosary - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini The Contemplative Rosary App (phones and tablets only) Lenten Journey with Mother Mary - Fr. Edward Looney A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness - Susan Brinkmann OCDS Avila-Institute.org/events - website Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online Apostoli Viae - website Sophia Institute – website Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Connie Rossini Into the Deep - Dan Burke Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity  - Fr. Chad A Ripperger PhD The Discernment of Spirits - Fr. Timothy Gallager Questions? Send an e-mail to Questions@myavila.com or call 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

The Contemplative Rosary Pt. 2 With Connie Rossini on Divine Intimacy Radio Resources: Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits - Dan Burke The Contemplative Rosary - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini The Contemplative Rosary App (phones and tablets only) Lenten Journey with Mother Mary - Fr. Edward Looney A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness - Susan Brinkmann OCDS Avila-Institute.org/events - website Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online Apostoli Viae - website Sophia Institute – website Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Connie Rossini Into the Deep - Dan Burke Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity  - Fr. Chad A Ripperger PhD The Discernment of Spirits - Fr. Timothy Gallager Questions? Send an e-mail to Questions@myavila.com or call 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

The Contemplative Rosary Pt. 1 With Connie Rossini on Divine Intimacy Radio Resources: Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits - Dan Burke The Contemplative Rosary - Dan Burke and Connie Rossini The Contemplative Rosary App (phones and tablets only) Lenten Journey with Mother Mary - Fr. Edward Looney A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness - Susan Brinkmann OCDS Avila-Institute.org/events - website Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online Apostoli Viae - website Sophia Institute – website Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Connie Rossini Into the Deep - Dan Burke Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity  - Fr. Chad A Ripperger PhD The Discernment of Spirits - Fr. Timothy Gallager Questions? Send an e-mail to Questions@myavila.com or call 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

The Mindfulness Myth Part 2 - Join Dan Burke, Susan Brinkmann, and Connie Rossini as they discuss mindfulness, its history, and why its a problem on this episode of Divine Intimacy Radio. Resources: Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits - Dan Burke (Brand-new and available for advance purchase!) A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness - Susan Brinkmann OCDS Spiritualdirection.com -  website Avila-Institute.org/events - website EWTN Global Catholic Radio Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online Apostoli Viae - website Sophia Institute – website Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Connie Rossini Into the Deep - Dan Burke Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity  - Fr. Chad A Ripperger PhD The Discernment of Spirits - Fr. Timothy Gallager Questions? Send an e-mail to Questions@myavila.com or call 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

In this episode of Living the Gospel of Life, Catholic evangelist Leticia Velasquez interviews Catholic author Connie Rossini. (October 13, 2019)

The Mindfulness Myth Part 1 - Join Dan Burke, Susan Brinkmann, and Connie Rossini as they discuss mindfulness, its history, and why its a problem on this episode of Divine Intimacy Radio. Resources: Spiritualdirection.com -  website Avila-Institute.org/events - website EWTN Global Catholic Radio Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation EWTN Religious Catalogue – online Apostoli Viae - website Sophia Institute – website Is Centering Prayer Catholic? - Connie Rossini Into the Deep - Dan Burke Deliverance Prayers: For Use by the Laity  - Fr. Chad A Ripperger PhD The Discernment of Spirits - Fr. Timothy Gallager Questions? Send an e-mail to Questions@myavila.com or call 818-646-7729. Please leave your name, location, and question(s).

Transcript: Peace…it's a funny thing how this lovely fruit of the Holy Spirit seems so close yet so far at times.  It seems just out of our grasp most days and right when we think it's within our reach, it slips through our fingers.  It appears that the harder we try the further we are from the most highly coveted gift - the Lord's Peace.  After all, that's why we stressed about educating ourselves as young adults and finding the highest paying job we could get without experience.  That's why we endured a job we hated for so many years so we could move up the ladder of success and finally be at Peace.  That's why we married him – to share our misery with someone and find healing and finally be at Peace.  Or we married him so we could raise the family we only dreamed of and take trips and make memories and finally be at Peace.  Once we were married, we worked ourselves to death inside or outside the home to make sure our family had everything they needed and finally be at Peace.  We volunteer at our parishes, tithe at Mass, give to the homeless to alleviate the gnawing dis-ease in our hearts and satisfy our desire to give-back to finally be at Peace.  But somehow, Peace seems to escape us.  There's always a loved one who makes that wrong choices, a job that gives us no security, one health condition after another, and there's always something breaking down at home, or a car that needs repair.  There's never enough money, never enough patience, never enough Peace! Please keep in mind that, when I speak about being anxious or sad, I'm not talking about clinical depression and anxiety.  When I encourage you to have peace in all circumstances, I'm not asking that we be content with extreme cases of abuse or catastrophic events.  I'm referring to the everyday life situations we find ourselves in as friends, moms, daughters, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers. How do we find the Lord's Peace?  We know prayer is the answer.  It's absolutely the answer but often a short-lived answer that lasts up until we lose our wallet, a family member's in an accident, we get rejected by someone we love, or we get laid-off.  Then no amount of prayer can settle the dis-ease in our hearts.  Our prayers turn into pleading for relief from the pain and suffering.  “Dear Lord, please take this cup from me!” How many times do we get trapped in the if-only's.  If only I earned more money, I wouldn't have to work so much.  If only I could afford a housekeeper or a cook, I could spend more time with the kids, grandkids, and my husband.  If only I had more time, I'd spend more time in prayer.  If only that difficult person saw things from my point-of-view, we'd get along better.  Instead of embracing the Will of God, the world tells us that only WE can decide what's best for us.  That somehow, we, with our little minds and limited foresight can decide what brings us to the ultimate peace and happiness.  It's in our human nature to want to design our life and fill it with worldly things only to find that we're chasing the wind and building houses out of sand. In any case, the fallacy of “balance” stems from our belief that Peace can be acquired from something outside ourselves.  The world tells us that balance means taking time to indulge ourselves in a massage, time alone to read a good book, treat ourselves to something we love, or spend more time with the kids.  These things are definitely good and necessary, but they are not the answer to attaining balance and ultimately, the Lord's Peace. We can't make Peace happen.  Peace is a gift from the Prince of Peace himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.  All we can DO is prepare our interior dispositions to receive this beautiful grace.  We are made for God.   My sisters-in-Christ, the core of every evil we will ever face starts in the same place for all of us – our tireless and relentless thoughts.  The enemy starts with the same weapon – placing doubt in our hearts of God's love and good Will for us.  When we lose our Peace, it is a sign that our Faith is being attacked. In the book, Searching For and Maintaining Peace, by Fr. Jacques Phillipe, he says that only by acquiring the Lord's peace of heart and mind is God able to perform good works.  He illustrates it this way.  “Consider the surface of the lake, above which the sun is shining.  If the surface of the lake is peaceful and tranquil, the sun will be reflected in the lake; and the more peaceful the lake, the more perfectly will it be reflected.  If, on the contrary, the surface of the lake is agitated, undulating, then the image of the sun cannot be reflected in it.” Does this mean God asks us to do nothing to change our situation? Does this mean we should take on a passive role and simply not take responsibility for our lives? Fr. Jacques Phillipe says that we should take action and do everything to resolve the conflicts in our lives, BUT only with the gentle and peaceful disposition of the Holy Spirit.  Not with discouragement, dis-ease, agitation, or excessive rushing. Does this mean we need to become self-centered, insensitive, or indifferent to our own needs or the needs of others? On the contrary, having true peace and total dependence on God frees us to love and be of greater service to others.  This was one of Saint Teresa of Calcutta's secret of life-long service. So we've come to the questions.  What is the necessary disposition of heart in order to attain the Lord's peace? If peace is not inaction and laziness, then what must I DO? How do we get there? My husband and I were late bloomers.  We met in our mid-thirties, got married, had our first child when I was 36 and the other 3 in our 40's.  Having lived the single life for so long, I had a lot of time to think about the kind of man I wanted to marry, the house I wanted, the car I wanted, the trips I wanted to take, the number of children I wanted to have naturally with no anesthesia, the kind of stay-at-home mom I wanted to be, you name it, I visualized it.  Of course, because I spent my younger years absorbing what the world teaches…you can be what you want to be, you can have what you want to have, and no one knows what makes you happy better than you.  I clearly remember asking God to send me a man with a strong Catholic faith and prayer life.  That was the most important thing to me.  Having been raised in a dysfunctional home with an absent father, I knew in my heart that my path to healing had to come from God and I wanted a man who would lead our family to Jesus through prayer.  But I think God looked at my list of things I wanted in life and laughed.  He was like nope, nope, nope, nope, strong Catholic man – ok, nope, and nope.  One thing I've learned is that when God says “yes” to something, He gives it abundantly.  He blessed me with a man who has 4 uncles who are Catholic priests and a sister whose a nun.  My husband makes it a point that we pray as a family daily and a weekly family Rosary.  When we met I was whoa, Lord, I'm not that Catholic yet but I'm so grateful.  I will honor and cherish this man for the rest of my life.  But nothing else on my little list came to fruition and it drove me crazy.  The world says I deserve what I want so why don't I have it?  As a real go-getter, I was all for going after what you want and working relentlessly to get it.  To ask God what He wanted wasn't even an option.  My brothers and sisters, one of the biggest sources of pain we experience is learning to let-go of our ideas of what life should be and embrace what God knows is best for us.  Not because He doesn't want us to experience the beauty of His Creation in this life, but because he wants us to experience the beauty of Heaven in the life hereafter.  True love, true beauty, true Peace. Sometimes we overthink and worry so much that we remove ourselves from the only place we're ever going to find Peace – the dwelling place of the Lord called “the present moment.” Father J.P. de Cassaude wrote in his book Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence that, “The present moment is the manifestation of the Name of God and the coming of His Kingdom.  The present moment is always the ambassador who declares the order of God.  The heart always pronounces its fiat. The soul pours itself forth by all these means into its center and goal; it never stops, it travels by all winds; all routes and methods advance it equally on its journey to the high sea of the Infinite.  Everything is a means and an instrument of holiness; everything without any exception.  The ‘one thing necessary' is always to be found by the soul in the present moment.  There is no need to choose between prayer and silence, privacy or conversation, reading or writing, reflection or the abandonment of thought, the frequentation or avoidance of spiritual people, abundance or famine, illness or health, life or death; the ‘one-thing necessary' is what each moment produces by God's design.  In this consists the stripping, the self-abnegation, the renunciation of the creature in order to be nothing by or for oneself, in order to remain as regards everything in God's order at His pleasure, finding one's only contentment in bearing the present moment, as if there were nothing else in the world to expect.” Here are 4 ways we can prepare our hearts to receive the gift of Peace… 1 - Bring to light the subtle ways the enemy agitates you by journaling all your worries and fears in a notebook then turning them into a prayer of abandonment to Divine Providence. I find journaling to be a tremendous tool for healing and spiritual growth and all you need is a 50 cent spiral notebook and a pen.  This is what I did to help me heal from a horrifying event that caused me serious spiritual, mental and emotional trauma.  Back in 2010, my husband and I were living in a Mexican border town, when 3 armed me home invaded us.  I had lost my peace for a very long time but journaling helped me return my heart to God and gain a little bit of the Lord's peace, that of which I had never known before the incident.  Father Jacques Phillipe says that God doesn't expect us to be perfectly peaceful in times of turmoil.  Our efforts to trust Him more and more each time will be rewarded with the grace of His Peace.  It is not necessary to resolve every problem, what's necessary is that we open our hearts bit by bit to trust Him more and more and remain still. Let us ask the Lord for His peace and increased trust in God because only this way can we make right decisions and see things clearly.  St Ignatius of Loyola says that in the spiritual life, there are moments of peace and consolation and there are moments of struggle and desolation.  We won't always feel the Lord near us but it's small acts of Faith, in spite of how we feel, that help us earn the grace of Peace.   2 - Establish a daily practice of mental prayer. Saint Teresa of Ávila says: “Mental prayer, in my opinion, is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Connie Rossini, author of The QA Guide to Mental Prayer, says that, “Teresa sees two aspects to mental prayer: sharing with a friend (remembering that this Friend is far above you, but nevertheless calls you into an intimate relationship with himself); and time set aside specifically to be alone with God. The word mental signifies that this prayer comes from your own mind, rather than being written down by some-one else, as in vocal prayer. It is usually a silent prayer,but does not always have to be. When you spend time with a friend, you do not usually recite to him or her someone else's words about friendship. When you spend time with a spouse, you don't usually read Shakespeare's sonnets to that person. Instead, you speak from the heart. You know you can share your deepest self with your companion, because you love one another and will not reject each other. The time you spend together draws you even closer.”   3 - Embrace little acts of mortification to slowly detach yourself from your own Will. Father John Bartunek says in an article on SpiritualDirection.com that, “The root word for “mortification” comes from the Latin, mors and mortis, and it translates as “death.” In the spiritual life, therefore, mortification refers to voluntary actions by which we gradually “put to death” all of our vices, sinful habits, and the self-centered tendencies that lurk beneath them. Spiritual writers use terms like abnegation, sacrifice, self-sacrifice, and self-denial to refer to the same thing. CCC #2015 says, “The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes: He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.” St. John of the Cross says that we must aim to have perfect detachment from created things in order to be perfectly attached to God and go to Heaven.  In heaven, souls have perfect detachment, where as in hell, we have constant attachments… no exceptions, no middle ground.  4 - Practice self-abandonment to God's Will through conscious acts of Faith. CCC #305 Jesus asks for childlike abandonment to the providence of our heavenly Father who takes care of his children's smallest needs: "Therefore do not be anxious, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?". . . Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." In Father JP de Caussade's book, Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, he says, “The will of God gives to all things a supernatural and divine value for the soul submitting to it. The duties it imposes, and those it contains, with all the matters over which it is diffused, become holy and perfect, because, being unlimited in power, everything it touches shares its divine character. But in order not to stray either to the right or to the left the soul should only attend to those inspirations which it believes it has received from God, by the fact that these inspirations do not withdraw it from the duties of its state. Those duties are the most clear manifestation of the will of God, and nothing should take their place; in them there is nothing to fear, nothing to exclude, nor anything to be chosen. The time occupied in the fulfilment of these duties is very precious and very salutary for the soul by the indubitable fact that it is spent in accomplishing this holy will. The entire virtue of all that is called holy is in its approximation to this order established by God; therefore nothing should be rejected, nothing sought after, but everything accepted that is ordained and nothing attempted contrary to the will of God.” This is very good news but what does this mean? It means that as long we strive to fulfill our duties according to our state in life, we are living in accordance to the Will of God.  This is self-abandonment to the Will of God.  It is simple.  We as humans, complicate things by interjecting our own wills and ideas of what we think life should be.  Living in the present moment and devoting every little and seemingly insignificant action to glorify God is all that's needed to abandon ourselves to Divine Providence.  This sanctifies everything we do if we make our desire to do God's Will first in our lives.  Therefore, mopping the floor, if done for the glory of God, is just as sanctifying as going overseas as a missionary.  Cooking your family meals or playing with your children is just as sanctifying as serving the poor in a half-way house.  St. Therese of Lisieux, who wanted more than anything to work as a missionary, never had the opportunity to do so, but her laying in bed, suffering for the love of Christ, writing Story of a Soul, and devoting her days and nights to prayer, sanctified her earthly life which evidently lead her Heaven.  She says, “I understood that all we accomplish, however brilliant, is worth nothing without love."  And Saint Therese revealed the secret to attaining the Lord's Peace in this life when she said, “Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in his father's arms." My brothers and sisters in Christ, let us take comfort in John 16:33 “I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” Live in the present moment. “Do not be anxious about tomorrow.” Trust in God with all your heart.  Don't be tormented, God will give you what you need at the right time.  Let's pray together as the Lord taught us… In the name of the Father… Our Father, who art in Heaven… You'll find the transcript to this episode at TheCatholicServant.com/peace and please share it with someone who may need today's message.  And, also continue to send me your prayer requests to Alexandra@TheCatholicServant.com so we can lift you up in prayer during our next family Rosary. May you have a blessed and prayerful week.

Download this episode In this episode, I share the terrifying experience of my family's home invasion by the cartel, what it taught me about myself, and meeting God in the present moment.  I discuss: what it means to meet God in the present moment,  what are some obstacles that prevent us from being present to God, and what we can do to better our relationship with God in the "here and now." Here's the transcript: Back in October 2010, my husband and I were living in a Mexican border town  -  we were there for 3 years.  Our first born was only 3 months old when we were home invaded by the Cartel in our apartment.  They home invaded every apartment in the building.  We were held at gun-point by 3 armed men.  Everything of value, which wasn't much at the time was stolen, but we are thankful none of us were physically hurt although the psychological trauma stayed with me for years.  I suffered from PTSD.  I was angry…very angry at the perpetrators.  I re-lived the moment every single day in my mind asking myself: What should I have done differently? Could Peter and I have avoided it? I tried to live the best I could, why did this happen to me? I was suspicious of everyone all the time.  I was on-edge about the smallest things.  My heart would race at every sound in the middle of the night.  I lost my sense of safety within my own home.  I had insomnia.  I struggled to pray.  I had a little baby and struggled to stay present for her.  When I went into a trance-like state, deep in thought re-living the event, re-living the fear, everything and everyone else disappeared.  I would lose awareness of my husband and baby and be trapped in a state of fear.  I wanted to blame someone, anyone, but there was no one to blame.  God simply allowed it. For those fearful moments in time, Satan had won.  He conquered my every thought and feeling.  He conquered days, weeks, months, and years after the event itself.  What happened?  One minute I was this faithful and prayerful human being and the next minute I'm a blubbering mess of doubt, fear, anger, and regret.  I thought I had lost it…but in reality, God was revealing to me how little my faith in God had really been – if it was even there at all.  Chances are, my sense of security was 99% faith in myself, and only 1% faith in God.  I realized my sense of control was a part of the fallacy I was secretly living with.  We prime ourselves for sin with our capacity to live outside the present moment and stay within the confines of our little minds.  Listening to the little messages in our heads that the evil one plays over and over again is one of the subtle ways we move outside the present moment where God dwells. What does it mean to meet God in the present moment?  In my story, it was clear I was not in the presence of God during fearful times. Sure, God was physically present since He is in all created things.  Myself, being part of His creation should be always present to God but since we are created with intelligence, or mind, and a “will,” I have a choice. It was obvious I was not present to my family.  Although they were physically present to me, I was not spiritually present to them.  When my mind was consumed with fear, my family might as well not have been there at all. As Father John Hardon, points out in many of his writings, being in the presence of God requires a relationship between ourselves and God.  Having an “awareness” is simply not enough.  If I take my daughters to the park and they go off to play, I can be aware they are physically there. But if I'm on my phone the entire time and fail to have a relationship exchange, such as play with them, talk with them, or show affection, I might as well not be there.  I can argue that it counts to be there to make sure they don't get hurt, to pick them up if they fall, but that's not a relationship, that's a one-way transaction.  A stranger can pick up a child who's fallen without having a relationship.  But a stranger cannot exchange trust, love, respect, and deep abiding regard for the other without a relationship. From my observations, to be in the presence of God means having the willingness to make a concerted effort to think of God in a loving way by lifting-up of the heart and mind to the one who is always gazing at us with Love.  We must be involved in a three-fold manner – will, heart, and mind.  Do you remember the first time you fell in love?  What was it like?  Everyday, you wanted nothing more than to gaze into the eyes of your beloved.  You listened to every word.  You observed every gesture.  You groveled with gratitude at every little gift you were given.  At least until the honeymoon period wore off.  Tough times came around, children came around, bills came around. Now all of sudden you were lucky if you didn't have to repeat yourself 10 times to get things done around the house.  You were lucky to get a please or thank you.  You were lucky if you had help with the dishes once in a while.  This is where you had to strengthen your “will” to show your love for the other.  Now you really had to make deliberate efforts to listen, communicate, forgive, make happy memories, and be of service to each other.  It's the same with our relationship with God.  God doesn't stop loving us in the most intense way.  Even when we fail to think of Him, He is ever present in the Eucharist.  He is ever willing to shepherd us when we're lost.  Ever willing to forgive his prodigal children. Are we always present to God?  Yes.  Is God always present to us?  No.  What are some obstacles that prevent us from living in the “here-and-now?” Acedia or Spiritual Sloth.  What is acedia?  Sometimes we think of it as slowness to get something done.  But it's actually doing everything else except the one thing I should be doing.  It's called Acedia but St. Thomas Aquinas called it Sloth.  Antidote from Fr. Mike Schmitz is to stop yourself and do that thing you're supposed to do such as pray instead of going around doing other things.  Jesus was a perfect example. Then ask yourself, “how can I love well in this moment, in this place as Christ loved?” Buying-in to the Worldly “Belief in Oneself” rather than Poverty of Spirit.   Remedy this by taking St. Therese of Lisieux's advice, she said, “Jesus has chosen to show me the only way which leads to the Divine Furnace of love; it is the way of childlike self-surrender, the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in its father's arms.” Inconsistent Prayer Life.  Make prayer your priority.  Set aside time to pray. Dryness in Prayer.  Stay perseverant and push through dryness in prayer.  What is dryness?  It's a lack of consolation in prayer.  Consolations do not necessarily you have a greater degree of God's favor and not having consolations doesn't mean you've fallen in disfavor. Mental Noise and Distractions in Prayer.  This is normal and everyone experiences this.  Falling asleep during prayer falls into this realm.  Some things you can do is to pray first thing in the morning or do a calming activity before prayer.   Pre-occupation with Self.  Being preoccupied with your own feelings, family, worries, short-comings, sinfulness, financial issues, work, etc., are all ploys to take your attention away from God. Spiritual Gluttony.  Sometimes we fall into spiritual gluttony and begin disproportionately reading spiritual books, attending retreats, taking on too many volunteer opportunities.  We tend to convince ourselves that these things can take the place of having a relationship with God.  Catholic Servants how does living in the present moment benefit our vocation?  What can happen if we do not? *Praise God in all things *Seek refuge in God in times of trial – childlike trust in the Lord *Be joyful in our vocation *Be ready to forgive our transgressors, including ourselves *Be able to recognize Christ in the eyes of the poor   Here are some things we can do better our capacity to be in God's Presence… Practice Mental Prayer. Saint Teresa of Avila said, “Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” Connie Rossini wrote the Q and A Guide to Mental Prayer states, “Teresa sees two aspects to mental prayer: sharing with a friend (remembering that this Friend is far above you, but nevertheless calls you into an intimate relationship with himself); and time set aside specifically to be alone with God. The word mental signifies that this prayer comes from your own mind, rather than being written down by some-one else, as in vocal prayer. It is usually a silent prayer, but does not always have to be (see Question 11). When you spend time with a friend, you do not usually recite to him or her someone else's words about friendship. When you spend time with a spouse, you don't usually read Shakespeare's sonnets to that person. Instead, you speak from the heart. You know you can share your deepest self with your com-panion, because you love one another and will not reject each other. The time you spend together draws you even closer.  Some authors include both meditation and contemplation in the term mental prayer, which is the way it is used in this book.18 Other authors use the term mental prayer as a synonym for meditation. Since mental prayer is a sharing, you should expect God to reveal himself in some way to you as well. In fact. John of the Cross said that all true prayer brings an increase in knowledge of God. In meditation, God primarily reveals himself through Scripture and the truths of the Faith. In contemplation, he gives an experiential knowledge of him-self that you cannot put into words.” Philippians 4:6-8 Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?  Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them.  If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?' or ‘What are we to drink?' or ‘What are we to wear?'  All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.  Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. Psalm 9:2-3 I will praise you, LORD, with all my heart; I will declare all your wondrous deeds. I will delight and rejoice in you; I will sing hymns to your name, Most High. Psalm 16:8-11 I keep the LORD always before me; with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure, For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor let your devout one see the pit. You will show me the path to life, abounding joy in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever.     CCC # 2697-2699 Prayer is the life of the new heart. It ought to animate us at every moment. But we tend to forget him who is our life and our all.  This is why the Fathers of the spiritual life in the Deuteronomic and prophetic traditions insist that prayer is a remembrance of God often awakened by the memory of the heart: “We must remember God more often than we draw breath.” But we cannot pray “at all times” if we do not pray at specific times, consciously willing it. These are the special times of Christian prayer, both in intensity and duration. 2698 The Tradition of the Church proposes to the faithful certain rhythms of praying intended to nourish continual prayer. Some are daily, such as morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours. Sundays, centered on the Eucharist, are kept holy primarily by prayer. The cycle of the liturgical year and its great feasts are also basic rhythms of the Christian's life of prayer. 2699 The Lord leads all persons by paths and in ways pleasing to him, and each believer responds according to his heart's resolve and the personal expressions of his prayer. However, Christian Tradition has retained three major expressions of prayer: vocal, meditative, and contemplative. They have one basic trait in common: composure of heart. This vigilance in keeping the Word and dwelling in the presence of God makes these three expressions intense times in the life of prayer. Resources: Connie Rossini https://www.amazon.com/s?k=connie+rossini Cathechism of the Catholic Church http://ccc.usccb.org/flipbooks/catechism/files/assets/basic-html/toc.html# Father John Hardon http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/intro/livingpg.htm  

Download this episode Connie Rossini gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of Trusting God with St. Therese, The Q & A Guide to Mental Prayer, Is Centering Prayer Catholic?, and the series A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Children. She also co-wrote The Contemplative Rosary. Her spirituality column has been published in diocesan newspapers for over a decade. She blogs at Contemplative Homeschool. She is also a columnist for SpiritualDirection.com and runs the Facebook group Authentic Contemplative Prayer. Connie and her husband Dan have four sons. They currently reside in Omaha. In this episode, Connie discusses her new book The Q & A Guide to Mental Prayer  - an excellent compilation of 125 questions for people at every stage of the spiritual journey.  "This book will encourage you in times of dryness, inspire you to greater heights, and deepen your knowledge of true Catholic spirituality. You'll learn about problematic prayer practices, how to overcome distractions, and how to begin to meditate on Scripture." It is an authentically Catholic work that draws practical knowledge and wisdom from Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Francis de Sales, and Church documents. How to reach Connie: Website: https://contemplativehomeschool.com/ Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/connie.rossini.9 Authentic Contemplative Prayer Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/737852419689126/ Buy Connie's Books Here: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=connie+rossini Additional Resources: SpiritualDirection.com: https://spiritualdirection.com/ Divine Intimacy Radio Podcast: https://spiritualdirection.com/divine-intimacy-radio-podcast

In this episode of Rivers of Living Water, Mary Schwarz interviews Connie Rossini, author of Trusting God with St. Therese and the blog contemplativehomeschool.com concerning Why Trusting God So Difficult And What to Do About It. Recorded and aired on March 16, 2017.

Connie Rossini is blogger at contemplativehomeschool.com. She also is a frequent guest of Divine Mercy Radio with Dan Burke. Connie shares her own prayer life and how we can begin to let go and trust God more in our lives.

Parents have a very important obligation to teach their children how to pray. Secular Discalced Carmelite, Colleen Sollinger, has much to share with us on this topic. She is a mother of 6 and has homeschooled all of them. 2 of the 6 are in college now. She is also a formatter for the OCDS Community in Dayton. She shares tips on how to set the stage for prayer, providing opportunities for children to pray, and ways to make it personal and relative to their lives. She also gives ideas on how to appeal to your child’s own personality. Many resources are given to help in this most important journey to God through prayer. RESOURCES: BOOKS:“A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Choleric Child” by Connie Rossini; Four Waters Press.“Loyola Kids Book of Saints” by Amy Welborn; Loyola Press.“A Yearbook of Seasons and Celebrations,” by Joanna Bogle; Gracewing Press.“Prayer and Temperament: Different Prayer Forms for Different Personality Types,” by Chester P. Michael and Marie C. Norrisey; The Open Door, Inc.“Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux,” translated by John Clarke OCD; ICS Publications. WEBSITES:In the Heart of My Homeelizabethfoss.com Catholic All Yearcatholicallyear.com

On October 17, 2015, EWTN's National Catholic Register published an article by Connie Rossini entitled: "Why Centering Prayer Falls Short of True Intimacy With Christ." Through a series of poorly thought out refutations against Fr. Thomas Keating, one of the Roman Catholic Church's leading advocates for Centering Prayer, Rossini argues that Centering Prayer bears little resemblance to what mystics like St. Teresa of Avila experienced.In response to this position, Bishop Bryan works to develop a more enlightened understanding of Centering Prayer by discussing why it is an essential practice to those who seek a deeper relationship with Christ. Not only is Centering Prayer a vital tool to the esoteric Christian, it is something the conventional Church cannot afford to do without.

On October 17, 2015, EWTN's National Catholic Register published an article by Connie Rossini entitled: "Why Centering Prayer Falls Short of True Intimacy With Christ." Through a series of poorly thought out refutations against Fr. Thomas Keating, one of the Roman Catholic Church's leading advocates for Centering Prayer, Rossini argues that Centering Prayer bears little resemblance to what mystics like St. Teresa of Avila experienced.In response to this position, Bishop Bryan works to develop a more enlightened understanding of Centering Prayer by discussing why it is an essential practice to those who seek a deeper relationship with Christ. Not only is Centering Prayer a vital tool to the esoteric Christian, it is something the conventional Church cannot afford to do without.

One of the most difficult things for us as Christians to do is simply trust that the Lord is always in our lives, and always working in our best interest.  This trust can be made even more difficult when we face difficulties or tragedy in our lives, and it is made most difficult when we […]

How are these two homeschooling moms using the Carmelite Saints in teaching their children? Host Frances Harry interviews guests Colleen Sollinger and Connie Rossini about this topic. Colleen is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites and has had a long term interest in sharing Carmelite Spirituality with her family as well as in developing a “Carmelite Spirituality Youth Group.” Connie Rossini is an author/writer as well as diocesan columnist and has a great blog at: www.contemplativehomeschool.com. She is also the administrator of a Catholic Spirituality Blogs Network that has a community of 20+ blogging on the spiritual life. We will talk about how they teach the contemplative life and prayer to their children as well as get a peak at Connie’s E-book:”Five Lessons front the Carmelite Saints That Will Change Your Life.”

How are these two homeschooling moms using the Carmelite Saints in teaching their children? Host Frances Harry interviews guests Colleen Sollinger and Connie Rossini about this topic. Colleen is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites and has had a long term interest in sharing Carmelite Spirituality with her family as well as […]