The Catholic Writers Guild

When I invited CWG members to submit their Lenten devotionals for our blog-fest hear, Julie Davis raised a tentative hand.  She’s the author of Lord, Open My Heart, and when I asked her for more info, Julie wrote back sheepishly:

The devotional was last year’s annual Lenten devotional, contracted by Creative Communications for the Parish. (I was surprised they put my name on it, but since they did …).

You know, now that I think of it, the readings are from Year B so this may not work for people. Or it might. If you don’t want to do this because of that, it is fine. Creative Communications wanted it to be “evergreen” so there aren’t any specific attachments to feast days being attached to a date, etc. Because of that, it is Kindle-only now.

I happen to a huge Happy Catholic fan, so of course I think it’s worth a look.  The Amazon preview gives you a good feel for the overall package.  Meanwhile, a little Q&A with the author.

CWG Blog: Tell me about your devotional.  What’s it like?

Julie Davis:

It is daily reflections of 200 words or less on a bit of scripture each day. They are short, simple thoughts but designed to dig a little deeper and help us hold onto that thought for the day.

CWG Blog: Something that grabs me when I read your work — whether on your blog or in bigger works — is a strong sense of time and seasons.  Is that something that just comes naturally to you — are you just a naturally seasonally-oriented thinker?  Or is that a conscious effort on your part, perhaps a to-do list or personal goal?

Jen, you really surprised me with this question. I’d never thought of that before and, indeed, can’t really recognize it even when I think about it. So it must be inherent to my thinking.

I know that I try very hard to not think about the future more than I need to in order to be prepared for upcoming events. I tend to be a planner and worrier. When I converted and began reading Mother Teresa’s quotes about living in the moment that impressed me.

Also, for many years I’ve used the In Conversation with God daily devotionals. Written by a priest from Navarre University, which St. Josemaria Escriva helped to found, they are infused with a sense that one can grow in holiness through everyday life as an ordinary person who prays and strives to know Christ personally. I think that has sunk in over the years. Not that I’m holy yet, but that I live in hope of it eventually and all I have to do it with is my life every day. So perhaps that is reflected in my writing. An interesting thought that I hope is true. 🙂

If you are a looking for a bigger, sweeter piece of devotional pie, also consider Julie’s book Happy Catholic. You’ll feel like you’re cheating, since it’s fun and interesting and not at all penitential, but it’s a great way to kickstart the habit of seeing God in every day life.

This finishes up our series for this year, but feel free to recommend your favorite Lenten reading in the combox.  Happy Mardi Gras!

Jennifer Fitz

Jennifer Fitz is the author of The How-to Book of Evangelization: Everything You Need to Know But No One Ever Taught You from Our Sunday Visitor and Classroom Management for Catechists from Liguori Publications. She writes about all things evangelization and discipleship at jenniferfitz.substack.com. For updates on where else to find her, visit JenniferFitz.com.