Finding God in Times of Depression

 

Whether you suffer from depression year-round or it rears its ugly head in the colder months due to the lack of sunlight, Finding God in Times of Depression by Sr. Kathryn J. Hermes, FSP, offers some short, soothing prayers and reflections to aid you in turning to God for help and healing in your time of need.

Sr. Kathryn Hermes understands the feelings and challenges of depression as she has personally experienced them. She shares that “a stroke when [she] was twenty-one melted into years of emotional struggles with the darkness and doubt that depression brings.” She knows what it is like to feel that “the gentle breezes of spring will never again bless our life” and that in those difficult moments, “we most need to know we are not alone. We long for the warmth and assurance of Jesus’ tender care” (2-3).

The irony is that when we most need to turn to God, it can be a great struggle to find the motivation or the words to pray. We are often tired and barely holding on. Doing anything can feel like a monumental feat. While at those times, we can turn to the wonderful standard prayers of our faith, such as the Our Father or Hail Mary, or simply call on the name of Jesus, it can also be helpful to have reflections and prayers geared to the experience we are facing.

Sr. Kathryn provides thirty excerpts from Scripture, along with reflections and short prayers to help on the journey through depression. There is also a collection of prayers at the end of the book, including the beautiful “I Believe” by Maire nic Dhia, which expresses the desire to believe and trust in God.

As Sr. Kathryn reminds us, “God is not put off by a desolate heart’s cry . . . our heart’s pleading is itself a prayer” (23). The Scripture passages she has chosen to share in this work emphasize that we are not alone in our feelings of desolation and discouragement. Many of those who have walked before us have struggled in similar ways and turned to God in their distress. God hears our prayers and accompanies us in our personal darkness, even when we feel abandoned and on our own. We are encouraged to “remember that Jesus is walking with [us] through it all” (8).

Finding God in Times of Depression is a small purse-sized book, perfect for carrying with you to use when you have a free moment or for keeping on a prayer table or nightstand. It can provide hope in the midst of the trial of depression and remind you to turn to God for hope and comfort. 

 

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Shadows: Visible and Invisible - a new Hallowtide anthology

 

Today, I am thrilled to be hosting the blog tour for Shadows: Visible and Invisible, a Hallowtide anthology by the Catholic Teen Book authors.

The talented Catholic Teen Book authors have combined their talents to create another exciting short story anthology. This time, the theme is Hallowtide, October 31^st, November 1^st, and November 2^nd, otherwise known as All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day.

One of the interesting customs I learned about in reading these stories is “souling,” where people would go door to door, promising prayers for the dead in exchange for soul cakes. It’s similar to Trick or Treating but with a spiritual dimension. I pray for the Souls in Purgatory every day, and so I loved that these stories emphasized the importance of praying for the dead.

Grace and the Grave Robber by Leslea Wahl is a contemporary tale about a teen boy talking to his grandmother about whether to go to a Halloween party or a church-sponsored function. His grandmother shares a story about when she was young and her encounter with an unexpected man.

Bogey in the Belfrey is a historical work by Carolyn Astfalk that features Polish Hallowtide traditions and mysterious sounds coming from a choir loft.

Corinna Turner shares a dystopian tale in A Very Jurassic Hallowtide. When the main characters dig up a human bone, they pray for the dead and fast for souls, thinking it is the bone of a long-lost man, but when they discover whose bone it really is, they question whether they should be making the effort.

In Lucy and the Forbidden Secret, Antony Kolenc takes readers back to a monastery in 1186. Lucy’s father has just died and another sister takes a great risk to retrieve a special candle to pray for him.

Theresa Linden offers the contemporary tale Helpless. Vanessa doesn’t believe in ghosts but when she is hurt and stranded in a cemetery, she may change her mind.

Marie C. Keiser contributes a sci-fi story, At the End of His Tether, that takes place on a spaceship where a teen is chosen to be part of the cemetery crew taking care of remembrances.

The final story is a speculative work by T.M. Gaouette. The Far End of the Cemetery is an other-worldly tale about a soul waiting to get to heaven.

There is something for everyone in Shadows: Visible and Invisible. Fans of Catholic Teen Books may recognize some of the characters from other works, but you don’t need to have read those books to appreciate these tales. They are enjoyable for teens and adults and may even inspire you to pray for the dead.  

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#OpenBook for October 2024

 Welcome to #OpenBook. I'm joining up with Carolyn Astfalk who hosts an #OpenBook Linkup on CatholicMom.com. Here's what I've been reading this past month. The dates indicate when I finished the books. Thanks for stopping by!

 

9/5/24 Unforgotten - Shelley Shepard Gray - This is a suspense-filled Amish romance. Bethanne was attacked by a man she had a crush on and it has taken her seven years to begin to rejoin society. A young man wants to court her, but she keeps pushing him away because he was friends with the man who attacked her. Meanwhile, her English cousin Candace recently won a local beauty pageant, but she has a stalker who won't stop until Candace belongs to him. And while the handsome police officer assigned to protect her will do all he can to keep her safe, it might not be enough. The suspense in this one definitely kept me turning pages. (Read for a book review publication).

9/6/24 His Angels at Our Side: Understanding Their Power in Our Souls and the World - Fr. John Horgan - My mother has a hard time reading, so every once in a while, she'll ask me to read a book for her and summarize it. This was one of those books. It was an interesting look at various angels and their role in our lives and the lives of the saints. Fr. Horgan describes various angel's roles in Scripture as well as Christian Tradition has taught us about angels. It is also a manual in living a faith-filled life. It definitely makes you think more about the angels and may convince you to ask them for help in your life.  

9-7-24 Maria: A Novel of Maria Von Trapp - Michelle Moran - I had been looking forward to reading this one for a while and was excited when it came in on my library holds list. In this novel, Michelle Moran explores the true story of Maria Von Trapp as compared to the version of her life shown in The Sound of Music. This tale has Maria seeking to meet with Oscar Hammerstein as the finishing touches are being put on the play. Hammerstein sends his staffer, Fran, to meet with her and try to allay her concerns. Fran listens as Maria shares her story and her objections to the portrayal. This is a very good story, which I enjoyed, but it was also a bit sad to lose the illusion from The Sound of Music. I won't be able to view that movie in the same way again. 

9-12-24 In Her Studio - This isn't technically a book; it is a magazine, but it comes in at 160 pages and is more like a coffee-table book so I decided I could include it. It is a lovely magazine about women's creativity and their art studios (however big or small they may be). I delighted in this celebration of women exploring their creative gifts. The magazine comes out quarterly. Single Issues are available on Amazon or you can subscribe and get back issues at https://stampington.com/in-her-studio/

9-15-24 The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You Into Expecting the Worst and What You Can Do About It - David Carbonell, Ph.D. - I worry a lot, and mid-life challenges aren't helping the problem. I do recommend this book for people who worry. I liked that it offered strategies to help rather than simply saying to go on medication (I know medication can help; I just don't want to go that route. I have no judgment for people that do choose to take anti-anxiety medicine. I know it can be a life-changer.) Anyway, I'm going to type up a sheet of some of the suggestions from this book and hang it up where I can see it on a regular basis to remind me to use them! Hopefully, it will help.

9-15-24 The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner's Ready: 112 Fast and Fabulous Recipes for Slightly Impatient Home Cooks - Ree Drummond - I'm really not a cookbook person. Nor am I a Pioneer Woman fan - watching her is a near occasion of sin for me as envy rears its ugly head! However, I saw this at the library and picked it up for my food-loving daughter. It really does have some amazing recipes in it and I enjoyed looking at the beautiful photos. 

9-19-24 Shadows Visible & Invisible - Catholic Teen Book Writers - I always look forward to the story anthologies put out by the talented Catholic Teen Book writers. This collection is perfect for Hallowtide - October 31, November 1, and November 2nd - and is full of stories that will appeal to both teens and adults. This story collection emphasizes praying for the dead, which is wonderful. Several of the stories referenced a tradition of "souling" which was something I hadn't heard of before. People will promise to pray for the dead in exchange for soul cakes, which is similar to Trick or Treating but with a faith dimension.  

9-23-24 Hannah's Children: The Women Quietly Defying the Birth Dearth - Catherine Ruth Pakaluk - This book is about the five percent of American women who have five or more children. The author has a Ph.D. in economics and is the mother of eight children (and six additional step-children). She interviews these women in an effort to discover their "why" for having big families and to determine what we can do as a society to reverse the birth dearth (we are not currently replacing ourselves with births). When I was younger, I admit I didn't understand why people would want large families and may have said some (unintentional) uncharitable comments, for which I am truly sorry. 

As a homeschooler, I am friends with many women who have large families and do amazing things both inside and outside of their homes. I am frequently in awe of them. With only three children, I have one of the smaller families, and in my early days of homeschooling when I only had two children, there were some unkind comments sent my way about the size of my family (maybe those people have evolved as well - we can all use grace). And so, I can appreciate the women in this book because I know women like them, while at the same time acknowledging that God didn't in any way call me to that life.   

9-24-24 Living the Good Fight: A Mother's Journey of Faith, Hope, and AML Leukemia - Tracy Kearcher - Tracy is a mom who recently joined the Catholic homeschool co-op I belong to. When she found out I love to read, she gave me a copy of her memoir of fighting (and beating) AML Leukemia. It is a powerful story of endurance and faith. What a challenging road she had to face and she did it while keeping her faith. While at times this book is difficult to read, it is ultimately a work of hope and encouragement for others who might find themselves in difficult situations. You can learn more about Tracy and her efforts to raise funds for leukemia research at https://www.kearchercookiesforacure.com/

9-26-24 I Can Pray Anywhere - Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle; Illustrated by Jim Starr - This is a sweet picture book for toddlers/preschoolers with an important message. A little boy prays as he goes through his day, reminding children and the adults reading to them that we can pray anytime and anywhere! The illustrations add to the tender tale, bringing the little boy's day to life.
 

9-29-24 A Studio of Her Own: Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940 - Erica Hirshler - This was a fascinating look (with lots of photos) at women who were working as artists in Boston over a seventy year period. It talks about their lives, their work, and the challenges they faced trying to build careers in a male-dominated field. It also discusses the question women faced at that time of whether they could be artists and have a family. 
 

Since spring of 2019, I have been making my way through the Great Books Curriculum of Thomas Aquinas College (I'm currently working on the readings for junior year).

I'm making my way through a collection of Shakespeare's works. 

 

9/8/24 MacBeth - Shakespeare - I think The Scottish Play is my favorite Shakespeare play. I enjoy the psychological thriller aspects of it. It is one I have seen performed a few times, so it was familiar to me and I enjoyed the reread. It was originally written/performed in 1606 and is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy. It explores the perils of political ambition as well as the power of guilt and paranoia.  

9/8/24 The Tempest - Shakespeare - I'm giving myself credit for prior work on this one. My daughter had to read and perform in this play as part of her homeschool co-op last year, so I spent a lot of time with this play. It was written/performed in 1610-1611 and focuses on the shipwrecked Prospero and his daughter Miranda. Some of the themes include the use of magic, revenge, and complicated families. 

9/15/24 Sonnets - Shakespeare - Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets that were published in 1609. The first 126 are addressed to a young man. The last 28 refer to a woman. They deal with themes such as time, infidelity, love, jealousy, beauty, and mortality. 

And with that, I finished my summer of Shakespeare!

9-22-24 The Freedom of a Christian - Martin Luther - I had never read anything by Martin Luther other than the 95 Theses. This was published in 1520 and was directed to Pope Leo X. It sets forth much of Luther's ideas of justification by faith alone. While I had always heard that Luther was against works, that doesn't seem to be the case in this particular treatise. He was simply arguing that works should proceed from faith. Because we have faith, we do good works and follow God's will, but works by themselves won't get us God's grace. He also criticizes the role of the pope and the hierarchy. I found it very interesting to read. 

9-25-24 Decree Concerning Justification - Council of Trent - The Council of Trent met between 1545 and 1563 in response to the Protestant Reformation. This particular document emphasizes that people are justified by both faith and works, although faith is of primary importance. It also spoke out against the sin of presuming one is saved.

 

My thirteen-year-old daughter and I read the following book this month:

The Mother-Daughter Book Camp - Heather Vogel Frederick - We are about halfway through this final book in the series. The young ladies are spending their last summer before college as camp counselors at a sleep-away camp in New Hampshire. To help the young campers deal with homesickness, they start up a book club. This time, they are reading Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher.

 

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