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A Catholic Woman’s Guide to Happiness
How you interact with and love each other? Are you not always aware or convinced of God’s love for you? Does happiness seem to elude you in certain circumstances of your life? Fear not! Noted author Rose Sweet is here to help in a new series of books with practical steps and tips to help the reader first remember God’s tender love for her andthen to love neighbor . . . so that the ups and downs of life and relationships will not diminish her joy. The Catholic Woman’s Guide series integrates classic Catholic theology (Theology of the Body and teachings on contemplative prayer) with Sweet’s unique brand of storytelling and humor and will help you to find and hold on to authentic happiness in every area of your life. In this first volume, The Catholic Women’s Guide to Happiness, Sweet takes you into the “Interior Life” to explore the attitudes, fears, and deepest desires that may keep you from greater joy. Topics Identifying what gives you the most pleasure, peace, contentment, and satisfaction. Recognizing when you may be hanging on too tightly to something you own, a power you possess, or even a person you love. Rooting out the specific fears that rob you of happiness. Hearing what the saints and mystics have said about happiness. Seeing hidden windows and doors that open to the deepest joys. Reordering your natural desires rather than repressing or rejecting them. Sweet points to the goodness and love of God as the true Source of all happiness and how to reconcile your longings with his special love for you. The Adventure awaits! Accompany Rose on this journey to true happiness in Christ!
111 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 14, 2018
16 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Rose Sweet
19 books9 followersRose is about relationships - she says if we don't get those right, we'll be stuck in a cycle of misery. "Love one another as I have loved you" had led Rose to share the timeless teaching of the four temperaments to understand a person's deepest emotional needs. "Look, you can love others the way YOU want, or they way THEY need to be loved. It's selfish to keep insisting they be like you." Rose offers practical help in not just improving any relationship but in reaching higher levels of authentic love. Who doesn't want that?
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 14, 2019
Do you ever see a book and think, immediately and with no doubt, "This isn't for me!"? The lovely floral cover and promise of the title of Rose Sweet's book was exactly that way with me. I expected to read a book filled with admonishments to pray more, to frequent the sacraments as much as possible, and to, in general, be a person I can't ever be (which is to say, holy and perfect).
Having read the book and found it to be a deep journey with a slightly scholarly bend, I find myself rather surprised to recommend it. Sweet spends the first chapter defining how she will use the word "happiness" and then proceeds to ramble along with deceptively short chapters. She invites you along the way a friend does, gently offering you a cup of coffee and something sweet, letting you get comfortable.
By the end of the book, though, you'll have explored the interior life and the call to happiness that we each experience. It sounds too good to be true, but it's not...and the way through the pages is quite enjoyable.
Having read the book and found it to be a deep journey with a slightly scholarly bend, I find myself rather surprised to recommend it. Sweet spends the first chapter defining how she will use the word "happiness" and then proceeds to ramble along with deceptively short chapters. She invites you along the way a friend does, gently offering you a cup of coffee and something sweet, letting you get comfortable.
By the end of the book, though, you'll have explored the interior life and the call to happiness that we each experience. It sounds too good to be true, but it's not...and the way through the pages is quite enjoyable.
July 1, 2021
Actually 3.5. It starts out a bit simplistic (using Disneyland as a metaphor for Heaven), but as it continues, the book goes quite a bit deeper and worthy of pondering over. Each chapter has several questions for personal reflection, some good, some less so.
December 23, 2024
This book is a great book! Recalling many of lives ups and downs along the way of life. I lived her telling personal stories but also providing anecdotes along the way. As well as quotes by great saints and popes! A very entertaining read!
February 5, 2023
This book surprised me, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I journaled every question and grew so much in my faith and happiness by reading it.
November 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. The author talks about deep spiritual things in a very relatable way. I will definitely be reading more of her books.
January 17, 2025
Parts of it were okay. Parts of it were more like "Really? Are you serious right now?" But I tried to not throw the baby out with the bath water.
At some point the author speaks about topics she clearly knows little about. She says "Contrary to meditation that manipulates the mind by simply sitting quietly, breathing, murmuring mantras, and clearing the mind, authentic Christian meditation fills the head and heart with the Lord" (pg 65).
I do not know a whole lot about the Buddhist practice of meditation, but I have read several books about Buddhism recently and anyone who has even the most *basic* level of knowledge on Buddhism knows that trying to "clear the mind" is rubbish and is not at all what mindfulness and meditation are about. It is more about noticing the thoughts.
Not sure what she means by manipulating the mind either. How is sitting quietly and breathing manipulation? Isn't that taking time to be present and aware. It gives you time to notice God's presence and grace. Seems a lot like the way prayers can be. Sitting quietly and just being present.
As much as I thought about stopping after realizing the author had discredited her trustworthiness in speaking on topics she was not well informed enough to speak on, I kept going. We all over-generalize our scope of knowledge at times.
Her "we can be too attached to our pets" (pg. 144) comment didn't make continuing much easier though. Seems like that's a situation for God to judge, not her, for she cannot know the value of a dog or cat or turtle's life, especially in someone else's life. Sometimes that rabbit is the only comfort and hope a person has.
And the "pets are easy" is quite the over-generalization again. Is it easy to decide how to proceed when your dog has a life-threatening illness and the dog is who helps your child feel calm and safe after dealing with their father's death? How is that easy to know what to do? Is it easy when you know that there's only so much money in the bank account and you have to decide between medication for yourself or food for your dog? Is it easy to see the grief that comes over your spouse when his childhood cat dies? Easy? It comes across as naive about the human-animal bond.
But still, sometimes there were a few gems to be found. I didn't want to fall into the all-or-nothing trap so I intentionally set out to find something in the book that was useful or had a positive message for me.
Favorite quotes:
"Your happy place is where God wants to speak specifically to YOUR heart and reveal some of his mysteries to you" (pg. 28). Ex. Hiking, out in nature, farm I grew up on, seeing beauty . . .)
She shared this quotation by D. von Hildebrand, "You have worth because of who you are, not what you do" (pg. 129) A good sentiment for more women (and all others, actually) to remember.
God loves us just as we are, but He also love us enough that he does want us to stay that way (pg. 162) (We are works in progress . . .and it's good to continue to work on growing the best versions of ourselves.)
A phrase from her friend caught my attention, "If you don't listen to your whispers, you'll end up listening to your screams" (pg. 162).
One really meaningful quotation was the "Donating to the needy? Don't worry or try to control how they will spend it. Generosity is about YOUR heart; let God take care of theirs" (pg. 172). (We see to many Christians worry that if they give the person on the corner a few dollars they will spend it on drugs/alcohol, etc. You are called to help those in need. Do your part and let God handle the rest. And what if they would have gone and bought themselves a sandwich with that money? Maybe your fears were unfounded to begin with.
At some point the author speaks about topics she clearly knows little about. She says "Contrary to meditation that manipulates the mind by simply sitting quietly, breathing, murmuring mantras, and clearing the mind, authentic Christian meditation fills the head and heart with the Lord" (pg 65).
I do not know a whole lot about the Buddhist practice of meditation, but I have read several books about Buddhism recently and anyone who has even the most *basic* level of knowledge on Buddhism knows that trying to "clear the mind" is rubbish and is not at all what mindfulness and meditation are about. It is more about noticing the thoughts.
Not sure what she means by manipulating the mind either. How is sitting quietly and breathing manipulation? Isn't that taking time to be present and aware. It gives you time to notice God's presence and grace. Seems a lot like the way prayers can be. Sitting quietly and just being present.
As much as I thought about stopping after realizing the author had discredited her trustworthiness in speaking on topics she was not well informed enough to speak on, I kept going. We all over-generalize our scope of knowledge at times.
Her "we can be too attached to our pets" (pg. 144) comment didn't make continuing much easier though. Seems like that's a situation for God to judge, not her, for she cannot know the value of a dog or cat or turtle's life, especially in someone else's life. Sometimes that rabbit is the only comfort and hope a person has.
And the "pets are easy" is quite the over-generalization again. Is it easy to decide how to proceed when your dog has a life-threatening illness and the dog is who helps your child feel calm and safe after dealing with their father's death? How is that easy to know what to do? Is it easy when you know that there's only so much money in the bank account and you have to decide between medication for yourself or food for your dog? Is it easy to see the grief that comes over your spouse when his childhood cat dies? Easy? It comes across as naive about the human-animal bond.
But still, sometimes there were a few gems to be found. I didn't want to fall into the all-or-nothing trap so I intentionally set out to find something in the book that was useful or had a positive message for me.
Favorite quotes:
"Your happy place is where God wants to speak specifically to YOUR heart and reveal some of his mysteries to you" (pg. 28). Ex. Hiking, out in nature, farm I grew up on, seeing beauty . . .)
She shared this quotation by D. von Hildebrand, "You have worth because of who you are, not what you do" (pg. 129) A good sentiment for more women (and all others, actually) to remember.
God loves us just as we are, but He also love us enough that he does want us to stay that way (pg. 162) (We are works in progress . . .and it's good to continue to work on growing the best versions of ourselves.)
A phrase from her friend caught my attention, "If you don't listen to your whispers, you'll end up listening to your screams" (pg. 162).
One really meaningful quotation was the "Donating to the needy? Don't worry or try to control how they will spend it. Generosity is about YOUR heart; let God take care of theirs" (pg. 172). (We see to many Christians worry that if they give the person on the corner a few dollars they will spend it on drugs/alcohol, etc. You are called to help those in need. Do your part and let God handle the rest. And what if they would have gone and bought themselves a sandwich with that money? Maybe your fears were unfounded to begin with.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews