An apostolate of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites community of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Dayton, Ohio.
Carmelite Conversations Podcast
Jan. 3, 2017

The Christmas Grace and Epiphany of St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux is a Giant Soul among the Saints being one of the Doctors of the Church. On this her birthday (Jan 2), Guest Marika Zimmerman and Host Frances Harry talk about her famous Christmas Conversion. We go into a great deal of in-depth di...

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Dec. 13, 2016

The Signs, Saints, and Silences of Advent—to Help Us Grow Spiritually Guest: Colleen Sollinger, OCDS

Have you ever had the experience of arriving at Christmas and suddenly get this sinking feeling that you have hardly done anything to grow spiritually during the Advent season? Colleen Sollinger, our guest on Carmelite Conversation, helps us with some id...

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Dec. 6, 2016

True Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and a Message for Christmas 2016

It is always important for each of us to take deliberate steps to make the most of our preparation for the Advent Season. In this particular conversation, Mark and Frances present an interesting idea of one way we can begin and continue that preparation....

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Nov. 29, 2016

Interview of Co-Host Mark Danis on a Week with the Friars…in Preparation for Advent

Taking time off from our regular routine and getting away to specifically ponder and pray features prominently in growing in the interior life of the spiritual journey. The Advent season is a perfect time for all to detach from the world and focus on the...

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Nov. 22, 2016

Praying the Rosary

Many Catholics, even very faithful Catholics, have simply fallen away from the practice of praying the Rosary. This is indeed an unfortunate set of circumstances. Many of the Church's greatest Saints have consistently reminded us of the importance of the...

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Nov. 15, 2016

Introduction to Pere Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD

Coming up Nov. 19, 2016, Pere Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD (born Henri Grialou), will be beatified. Many Carmelites and those interested in Prayer and Carmelite Spirituality, will recognize his name from some of the prominent books he authored. W...

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Nov. 8, 2016

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity and our Incarnation in Christ

One of the most profound and important teachings of the New Testament is our need to, as St. Paul says, "Put On Christ." We must actually allow Christ to both continue to live His life through us, and renew His mystery of salvation for those come in cont...

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Nov. 2, 2016

Lessons from St. Therese of Lisieux on Death and Dying

As we approach All Saints Day and All Souls Day, our thoughts turn to the topic of “Death & Dying.” Many people try to avoid thinking about that topic, as it brings on feelings of anxiety…or gloom…or fear. The fact of the matter is, we gain much wisdom b...

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Oct. 18, 2016

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity: Beginning the Journey of Sainthood

It is not everyday that we get a new Carmelite Saint, but it happened again on 16 October of 2016 when the Church Canonized Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity. In this conversation Mark and Frances discuss the importance of St. Elizabeth's Canonization, her ...

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Oct. 11, 2016

Intimate Friendship with Jesus Christ—from the Perspective of St. Teresa of Avila

It was through the lens of intimate friendship with Jesus Christ that the many foundations of St. Teresa of Jesus (of Avila) were begun. In her book, “The Way of Perfection,” she wrote: “All my longing was and still is that since He {Jesus} has so many e...

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Oct. 4, 2016

Joy in Suffering

There is perhaps no greater challenge for those of us who are pursuing the spiritual life then that apparent dichotomy of pain and joy. St. Paul tells us that we must, like him, be a person of joy, and in fact, we should expect to experience joy even in ...

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Sept. 27, 2016

The Sign of the Cross

Think about one of the most common acts you perform every day as a Christian, the Sign of the Cross. Now ask yourself whether you truly understand the meaning of this sacramental act, or what it signifies to us Christians. In this program Mark and France...

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Sept. 20, 2016

Beginning Eucharistic Adoration with Guests: Teresa Gooding and Marika Zimmerman

What can you do to fight the suffocating plague of indifference and immorality? Eucharist Adoration!! Guests Teresa Gooding and Marika Zimmerman share the details on how to get started. What is Eucharistic Adoration and how does one go about doing this? ...

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Aug. 30, 2016

Purity of Heart: a Spiritual Perspective

We so often hear the phrase, ‘Purity of Heart’ but what does this actually mean. More importantly, what does it mean in a spiritual context. Many people rightly believe the definition includes such characteristics as keeping our thoughts pure or keeping ...

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Aug. 23, 2016

How to Introduce Contemplative Prayer to Children With Guest: Colleen Sollinger, OCDS

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. S...

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Aug. 16, 2016

Catholic Apps with guests, Jennifer Kane, OCDS and Tim Bete, OCDS

People have access to an amazing amount of technology thru their computers, tablets, and smartphones. How can this technology be used to help us grow in our spiritual life? How can it help us grow in prayer? How can we use it so it enhances our growth ra...

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Aug. 9, 2016

Humility: the Bedrock of Prayer and Spiritual Growth, Part Three

The conversation on humility continues in this 3rd program of 3. Why is “humility” such an important virtue among all the other virtues? What does a humble soul really look like? What characteristics does a truly humble soul have? What can help motivate ...

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Aug. 2, 2016

Humility: the Bedrock of Prayer and Spiritual Growth, Part Two

Guest: Chris Cotter, OCDS Without the virtue of humility, the house of our interior life falls, as humility is the bedrock foundation on which to build. Guest, Chris Cotter, continues the conversation about humility because of its great importance in our...

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July 26, 2016

Humility: the Bedrock of Prayer and Spiritual Growth, Part One

St. Teresa of Avila said: “There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.” With that in mind, we begin a “little study of humility.” We begin with St. Teresa’s quote: “Humility is to wa...

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July 19, 2016

The Grace of Contemplative Prayer, Part Three of Three

In the final segment of the three part series, Mark and Frances start with St. John of the Cross’s counsel on the attitude the soul should take during the transition to the beginning of the supernatural gift of contemplation. We then discuss different me...

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July 12, 2016

The Grace of Contemplative Prayer, Part Two of Three

In this segment, Mark and Frances delve into more of the particulars of the transition from active mental prayer to passive contemplative prayer. We start with a discussion of how to prepare for the gift of infused contemplation. St. Teresa of Avila reco...

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June 28, 2016

The Grace of Contemplative Prayer, Part One of Three

Join Mark and Frances on an introduction and discussion on contemplative prayer. We start by defining the words: prayer, grace, and contemplation. The word “contemplation” means many different things depending on the context and culture it is used. There...

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June 21, 2016

Silence and Poetry

In this second of a two part series, Mark and Frances continue a discussion of the important role of silence in our contemplative prayer life, and in our daily life. Building on the more objective list of the twelve degrees of silence they discussed in t...

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June 14, 2016

The Role of Silence in Prayer

Here Mark and Frances reintroduce a topic they believe does not get enough attention in our discussion of contemplative prayer or even in conversations about the spiritual journey. The topic is the important role of silence in our daily prayer and in our...

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