Category: Catholic Psychology
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Wounded Vessels, Transfigured Soul: Healing through the Imago Dei
Wounded Vessel CallsImago Dei WithinWakens divine light ~ Dr. Thomas Maples “I am forgotten like the unremembered dead; I am like a shattered vessel.” ~ Ps 31:13 (NABRE) What happens when you remove the protective case from your phone, hold it screen-down above your head, and drop it onto concrete? (Please don’t try this at…
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Caregiver Burnout: How to Heed the Call for Self-Care
Think about the most selfless, dedicated person in your life. Maybe it’s a healthcare worker pushing through back-to-back shifts. Perhaps it’s a teacher staying late night after night, a social worker, or that one friend who is always the designated shoulder to cry on. Many of these caring roles put people at risk for caregiver…
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The Architecture of Identity: Mask, Persona, & The Psychology of the Pharisee
Whitewashed tombs aboundWhat lies beneath sacred ground Spring’s faith renewal ~ Thomas C. Maples Introduction Looking back at the last decade, have you noticed the unprecedented focus on narcissism? Have you watched the “selfie generation” delve ever deeper into a hunger for validation—snapping countless daily photos hoping one will finally capture, project, or manufacture an…
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Healing the Monkey Mind: Modern Forms of Christian Mindfulness
Monkey mind takes flight Center stage, our human plight Christ breathes life within Thomas C. Maples The Anatomy of Monkey Mind: Anxiety and the Human Plight Racing thoughts? They swing from branch to branch in the noisy cacophony of our internal neural forest. From a distance, we might imagine wild monkeys leaping through the canopy completely carefree,…
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Why the Mass Heals: Contemplative Stillness, Depth Psychology, and the Somatic Liturgy
To your call I fallDaylight breaks through heavy rainStillness calls my soul ~Thomas C. Maples Somatic Liturgy and Building the Inner Sanctum To mend the tensions of the soul, my thought processes immediately turn to the chatter of what came first: the chicken or the egg. Or maybe, as we have explored in Thomistic hylomorphism,…
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Soma Sancta: Somatic Dissociation and Spiritual Healing
Rain sweeps mud to moldGentle voice calls soul to saySpringtime Spirit’s play ~Thomas C Maples “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” ~ John 1:14 Breaking Down the Wall In our foundational inquiry into the Soma Sancta, we confronted a staggering truth: we do not merely inhabit a body like a ghost…
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Soma Sancta: The Sacred Path of Body-Soul Integration
Inhabit SomaSanctifies the Path to SoulSpring Calling Awaits Thomas C. Maples The Theology of the Sancta Soma “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in…
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From A to Ω: Finding Zeal in a Life Well Lived
Alpha calls the dawnZeal, fuel this journey AheadOmega calls thee ~Thomas C. Maples The Alpha of Intentionality: Beginning with Purpose Every morning I awaken and say two simple words: “Thank You.” I begin each day like this because, no matter what happens next, I have at least expressed gratitude for the simple act of receiving…
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Yearning for the Yoke: Theosis, Self-Realization, and the Sacred Yes
Yearning for Your yokeDeep soul seeks light from your graceSpirit whispers Yes! ~Thomas Maples The Anatomy of Yearning: Why We Crave More Than the World Can Offer During the COVID-19 lockdown, I found myself wanting more than my vocation required. I felt as though I was carrying an invisible yoke, a weight on my shoulders.…
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To Witness God’s Work: A Guide to the Spirit’s Gift of Wonder and Wisdom
To Witness Your WorkWonder and Wisdom Lead MeSpring of Spirit’s Gift ~Thomas C. Maples Cultivating Holy Wonder: The Psychology of Spiritual Awe “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.” — T.S. Eliot,…
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Unity Unbound: Agape (Love) as Beacon of Hope
Unity as the Unbound Beacon Love is a beaconBeautifully set aboundOne note… Unity ~Thomas C. Maples Unity is more elusive than ever, distracted by endless noise. How can we intentionally focus on unity and find genuine peace amid modern chaos? A woman, once known as the life of the party, was surrounded by 5,000 close…
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The Alchemy of the Restless Soul: Turning Psychological Static into Divine Understanding
Understanding LoveIn Psyche. Let Spirit riseCalls the Sacred Heart ~Thomas C. Maples The Restless Soul: Psyche at Play Beyond Knowledge: The Shadow-Work of Insight Understanding. How many people truly have it? No, not knowledge—not facts or data—but true insight into that which we experience. It is the “knowing” that lies in the shadows behind the…