Hidden With Christ
thoughts on the hidden life and seasonal books for entering that hiddenness
short on time and want to jump to the books? Scroll down for the headline “Books…”
Use code SOMEDAY20 at Ave Maria Press and GINA10 at BlessedIsShe (BIS code works on all orders!)
Last year I discerned (is that word over-used in the Christian-sphere? I hope not.) that it was time to close my shop. Then I realized my blog was going with it, and my old email list for which I was paying almost $400/year to make no money with it.
What I didn’t realize last year was the depth to which God was calling me to enter into quiet and healing.
I thought I didn’t need healing.
I also didn’t realize the great suffering one of my closest family members was living through, no what sort of healing they were about to need.
“Your life is hidden with Christ in God.” -Colossians 3:3
That verse became my verse in 2024, and I wonder if God placed it that prior to 2025 so that it would settle in and take root, preparing me for the hiddenness of this year.
No more shop, no more blogging, no more email… all the more time for prayer, for Adoration, for early morning walks, for listening, for growing.
All the more time for healing. My family’s and my own. (we’re still works in progress. isn’t that true for all of us? every moment on earth can bring us towards wholeness or away from it. Lord make me whole. make me holy. make me Yours.)
I’ve spent hours pondering, sorting out my own heart, finding out who I am. At almost 45, it’s a strange place to be, figuring out who I am.
And so strange to realize how much healing I needed as I witnessed my loved one begin to heal from years of mental anguish.
It’s humbling.
So this year while I’ve pulled all the way back from the decade+ of blogging and designing, I’ve been walking (literally, almost every morning) with Mary, our dear Blessed Mother. I’ve taken her as my guide in humility, in the hidden-yet-active prayer life, in abiding.
I’m praying the rosary, offering for very specific intentions.
I’m reading Scripture (of course, that’s my favorite. 😉), in particular John 15:1-17 over and over, slowing down to meditate on the words. The best way to abide in Christ (outside the Sacrament of the Eucharist) is to immerse oneself in His Word. It’s a balm to my spirit.
Lastly, I’ve continued reading and praying with a few seasonal devotions. These aren’t necessary, but I cherish them because they give words to what I haven’t been able to articulate in my prayer, because they guide me when I’m distracted, because they keep me focused on a specific theme, deepening my interior life.
It’s the hidden life with Christ for me.
Books for the hidden, abiding-in-Christ life
I want to share with you some books for any season and books for the upcoming Advent season. They are among the devotions I’ve read (or plan to read) to help me enter more deeply into my relationship with the Lord, and then to carry that with me throughout every part of my day. Please share any favorites of yours in the comments! I’m also sharing codes you can use when shop for the books.
First in the list are Advent books! Y’all, Advent is less than 3 weeks away. This is also your reminder to go buy your Advent candles. (Pro-tip: Hobby Lobby has them for 50% off right now, making them less than $4. WIN.)
» Behold the Wonder: The Coming of Christ Through Mary’s Eyes from Ave Maria Press
"Mary’s hope, anchored in the angel’s greeting, encourages her to look for God’s light made visible within her. […] As we go with Mary, she prepares our eyes for that which eye has not seen, nor ear heard but for which the human heart has hoped.”
This lovely hard-cover book is meant for Sunday reading + major solemnities of the Christmas season. Each of the Sundays in Advent, Christmas, the Solemnity of Mary, and Epiphany have a beautiful lectio divina passage as well as artwork for visio divina. Highly recommend this book for women who want something and are sure that Sundays are THE day for them to add a little bit more to their prayer time. Use SOMEDAY20 for 20% off the title.
» In Time: Living in the Now and Not Yet, by Claire Dwyer for Blessed Is She
“We must reclaim our sense of the sacredness of the wait. […] And the realization that in the space of waiting... there is room and time for us to become who we must be to receive Him and be received into His Kingdom. […] Let us permit ourselves to ache for something in the great ‘not yet’. […] Jesus comes to Bethlehem to save the world, but He draws near to you to save your tired, longing heart.” -Claire Dwyer
Reading the intro makes me so excited for this devotional. I almost can’t wait (ironic?) for the practice of sacred waiting Claire invites the reader to with her writing. GINA10 for 10% off at Blessed Is she.
I also have an idea for the women reading: If you are also going to read this book from BIS, I’d like to open a special chat here on Substack for it. Interested?
» Gospel Studies from Blessed Is She
These are meant for prayerful reading of the Gospels, lectio divia style, rather than formal studies that cover history, meaning of words, etc. I’ve loved reading and journaling through these, like walking through Jesus’ life as told through the eyes of the Gospel writers. There are 3 available now and Luke’s will be coming soon.
» The Magnificat
I truly appreciate having the Magnificat. The variety of prayers and reflections with each day’s Mass readings, the morning and evening prayers you can also pray daily with Church, and the convenient size (I always tuck it in my purse for on-the-go reading) have made this a subscription I don’t hesitate to renew each year.
And with that, I’m signing off. It’s taken me three sit-downs with this draft to finish it. So goes life these days! Many calls away from the computer. Many invitations to love and serve. All with His grace! ;)
AMDG