Blog Tour: Seven Saints for Seven Virtues

Jean Heimann

Blog Tour Interview with Jean Heimann, Author of  Seven Saints for Seven Virtues 

Donna-Marie: Jean, I've enjoyed your blog Catholic Fire for years. Now you have a book! Your book is beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. You have selected seven stellar saints to write about in your book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues. Why did you select these specific saints?

Jean Heimann: Before I began writing my book, I prayed about which saints I should write about and the Holy Spirit guided me in their selection. I also had a personal relationship with the saints I write about in the book, that is, I communicate with them on a regular basis in my daily prayers and ask them to intercede in specific situations. These particular saints possess the virtues that I discuss in the book.  They are, in fact, heroic models of the virtues. 

Donna-Marie: What are the seven virtues you write about?

Jean: The seven virtues I discuss are: charity, chastity, diligence, humility, kindness, patience, and temperance.

Donna-Marie: Why did you select these particular virtues?

Jean: These seven virtues are known as the heavenly virtues, which are in opposition to the seven vices or the seven deadly sins. I wanted to show my readers that it is possible to turn away from the seven deadly sins – greed, lust, sloth, pride, envy, anger, and gluttony and to overcome them by practicing the virtues of charity, chastity, diligence, humility, kindness, patience, and temperance.

Donna-Marie: What audience did you have in mind when writing your book?

Jean: The book was written for adolescents and adults, both male and female, Catholic and non-Catholic who desire to develop virtues, to love God more in this life, and to spend their eternity with him in the next life. In other words, it is written for people who desire to grow in holiness.

Donna-Marie: Can you tell us a bout the format of your book?

Jean: Each chapter begins with a saint quote about the specific virtue to be discussed in that chapter. Then, I give a brief biography of the saint, discussing why that saint is a model of that virtue, including various examples of how the saint modeled that virtue in his or her life. I follow that with a definition of the virtues, explaining it thoroughly, and follow that with a modern day model of the virtue. Each chapter ends with a prayer.

Donna-Marie: What is the best way to describe the purpose of your book? 

Jean: The purpose of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues is to assist people who are interested in drawing closer to the Lord how to do that by providing them with saints to show them the way.  I explain how to concretely take the steps to acquire heavenly virtues and to help them through the example modern models, and with prayer – my prayers, their own prayers, and the prayers of the saints.

Donna-Marie: Can you share a modern day example who is a model of a specific virtue? 

Jean: In the chapter on chastity, my modern day model of chastity is Rebecca Dussault, a thirty-three year-old wife and mother of four, and an elite athlete, who modeled the virtue in her single life and who continues to model it as a married woman and mother. I show how chastity is possible for a lay person who is out in the world and that it is not just a virtue for religious who have taken a vow of celibacy.

Donna-Marie: Which groups would benefit from reading your book.

Jean: In a Catholic parish – RCIA groups, marriage preparation groups, youth groups, adult formation groups, book groups. Any person – Christian or non-Christian—who desires to grow in their spiritual life will benefit from reading this book.

Donna-Marie: Where did you get the idea for writing this book?

Jean: I have been interested in the saints since I was a child and renewed that interest when I returned to the Catholic Church after a long absence. In fact, the saints helped draw me back to my Faith.  I developed a deep admiration and devotion toward the saints who drew me closer to the Heart of Jesus.

Donna-Marie: What qualifies you to write a book on the saints and the virtues?

Jean: My deep devotion to the saints, my desire to guide others to grow in holiness, and my love for God are the best qualifiers I can think of.  I also have experience as a psychologist and educator, as a writer, and as a Catholic wife and mother, to lead others, in a gentle and compassionate way, down the narrow road to eternal life. My Master’s degree in Theology adds depth to my understanding of God and His great love for each one of us.

Donna-Marie: Thank you very much for sharing with us. May God bless all who read your book!

A review in the National Catholic Register

Here's a review of my book Bringing Lent Home with Saint Therese of Lisieux from the National Catholic Register:

Go on Thérèse’s Lenten Retreat

Book review of Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux

by Jean M. Heimann, Register Correspondent Saturday, Mar 22, 2014 8:55 AM Comment

Feel free to order here: www.donnacooperoboyle.com

Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families

By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Ave Maria Press, 2013

96 pages, $2.95

To order: avemariapress.com

During Lent, Catholic parents have the valuable opportunity to catechize their children about the true meaning of this beautiful liturgical season and offer their children — and themselves — opportunities to grow in holiness.

In Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families, popular author and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle leads families on a retreat, using St. Thérèse of Lisieux as a spiritual guide to anchor domestic churches in prayer, fasting and almsgiving this Lenten season.

The wisdom of St. Thérèse guides families through each day of Lent — all the way through to Easter Sunday. Each day’s devotional reading offers a quote from the Little Flower and a brief excerpt from her life, as well as fasting and almsgiving suggestions, points to ponder and a simple yet poignant prayer.

The parent reflections in the book are particularly moving. Here is one example:

"The Blessed Mother has much to teach us. She remained with her Son, Jesus, to the bitter end and witnessed every drop of blood he shed on our behalf. While in his agony on the cross, Jesus gave his Mother Mary to all of us to be our Mother.

While Mary won’t always perform miracles for us as she did with St. Thérèse the day she was cured of her illness, Mary will work miracles in our hearts and will indeed bring us closer to her Son. We need to ask her to guide us."

Calling to mind important Catholic truth and saintly wisdom, this booklet offers both spiritual depth and practicality of format. The saint’s spirituality is shared in an easy-to-understand manner, even for children. The short devotions are perfect for busy families’ schedules, and the suggested activities for fasting and almsgiving are creative and doable.

As a doctor of the Church whose spiritual doctrine consists of the "Little Way," St. Thérèse is an excellent spiritual guide and model of holiness for both children and adults, especially for Lent.

This booklet is a beautiful spiritual companion for your family this Lent — and Lenten seasons to come.

Jean M. Heimann blogs at CatholicFire.blogspot.com.

Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/site/article/go-on-thereses-lenten-retreat/#ixzz2wnlH3C99


God bless you and yours!

Our Lady of Guadalupe

"Five centuries ago, in the country now known as Mexico, senseless human sacrifices were performed. Between 20,000 and 50,000 human beings were murdered a year in the Aztec empire. Most of them were slaves and included men, as well as women, and children. An early Mexican historian estimated that one out of every five children in Mexico was sacrificed to the gods.

The climax of these ritualistic killings came in 1487 when a new temple (ornately decorated with snakes) was dedicated in what is now modern day Mexico City. In a single ceremony that lasted four days and four nights, accompanied by the constant beating of giant drums made of snakeskin, the Aztec ruler and demon worshiper Tlacaellel presided over the sacrifice of more than 80,000 men.

It was Our Lady of Guadalupe who crushed the head of the wicked serpent in 1531.

For, it was then that she appeared to a poor, humble, uneducated man, Juan Diego. In bare feet, he walked every Saturday and Sunday to church, departing before dawn, to be on time for Mass and religious instruction.

On December 9, 1531, when Juan Diego was on his way to morning Mass, the Blessed Mother appeared to him on Tepeyac Hill, the outskirts of what is...( Continued here)