Carolyn Humphreys, O.C.D.S.

CAROLYN HUMPHREYS, O.C.D.S., O.T.R/L. is a Discalced Carmelite secular and registered occupational therapist. She is the author of the books: From Ash to Fire: A Contemporary Journey through the Interior Castle of Teresa of Avila, Carmel Land of the Soul: Living Contemplatively in Today’s World, Mystics in the Making: Lay Women in Today's Church, Everyday Holiness: A Guide to Living Here and Getting to Eternity and Living Through Cancer: A Practical Guide to Cancer Related Concerns. Her latest book, Courage Through Chronic Disease, was published by the National Catholic Bioethics Center. Her articles have been in several Catholic periodicals. You can find her reflections online at contemplativechristianityorg.wordpress.com

Faith in Focus

Many aspects of society hide the importance of God and faith from humanity.  Society reminds us that we are out of touch with modern times. The strong winds of modern thinking can scatter us asunder. At times, it seems we are so buffeted by...

The Ear of the Heart

Prayer can be like an hourglass at its narrowest point. At this point everything flows to it and everything flows from it. All flow is silent. Silence is a great help to listening. Listening to God is a little more difficult than listening to a...

Stumbling Blocks

Despite contrary feelings or inclinations toward prayer, we pray. Prayer is more powerful when we pray even though we would rather do something else. At times, praying morning prayer at an early hour may be annoying. We would rather sleep in, relax...

Prayer and Service

Although prayer and service have many splendors within Christianity, one cannot exist without the other. Prayer is spiritual respiration to the soul, which oxygenates Christian service. Pope John XXIII said, “Perfume all your actions with the life...

Honesty is Still the Best Policy

Thomas Jefferson wrote: “Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” The heart of truth is honesty. A person is as good as his or her promise. It is said that ‘my word is my bond’ was used before written documents were common...

Sacred Signs Around Us

Sacred signs around and within us indicate God’s presence in our lives. By acknowledging them, we acknowledge the divinity of God and the mystery in us. We become more aware of God’s presence as our sensitivity to his attributes in people who live...

Grief

“To weep is to make less the depths of grief.” (Shakespeare)  Grief is as much a part of life as joy. Grief can overshadow us in many ways. We grieve at the anticipation of the loss of a loved one, at the loss of a loved one and in different ways at...

The Interior Castle

Prayer is less a work of mental exercise than it is a rest in God’s love. In his book, Creative Prayer, Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh relates the following story: “I remember one of the first people who came to me for advice when I was ordained...

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