In Hard Times, In All Times, Eat Sacred Words

“You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
For a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.”

— ‘Wild Geese‘ by Mary Oliver

Listen to Carmen’s first conversation with Contemplify on her revolutionary translation of Brother Lawrence here.

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an author, teacher, poet, and award-winning translator of spiritual texts. Today Carmen and I talk about the importance of practice; chanting, lectio divina,walking meditation, poetry, drawing, and other customized pecularily particular practices. Carmen models what her practices looks, sounds, and feels like shares the impact on her life. This conversation is a reminder that in times of anguish, joy, or suffering, practices keep our heart pumping and our internal hearth fired.

Visit Carmen at carmenbutcher.com | IG: @cab_phd |

Looking for a live practice with a dispersed community? A few options…

Episode Show Notes

Works by Carmen Acevedo Butcher

Resources & People Mentioned

  • Cloud of Unknowing by Carmen Acevedo Butcher
  • James Finley
  • Caedmon’s hymn (7th c)
  • ‘This is My Father’s World’ by Maltbie D. Babcock
  • ‘Wild Geese’ by Mary Oliver
  • Simone Weil
  • Phyllis Tickle
  • St. Hildegard of Bingen
  • St. Benedict
  • Brother Lawrence
  • Julian of Norwich
  • Gillian Welch
  • Dave Rawlings

Drink Recommended

  • No drink recommended, just eat nourishing & sacred words

photo of Carmen pulled from carmenbutcher.com