Incandescence: 365 Readings with Women Mystics

Incandescence was reprinted in May 2005 and re-issued in 2008 as A Little Daily Wisdom.

Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence and The Divine Hours Series (from the foreword)
This small collection really is, in substance and detail, a house of God where all who dare, may enter.

Catholic News Service (March 9, 2006)
Some daily entries are breathtaking in the lush, sensual imagery that describes the souls exquisite intimacy with God, while others offer practical advice about strong emotions or sensitivity in human relationships.

Lynn M. Browne, Catholic Library World (December 9, 2005)
Incandescence is a book that is perfect for starting the day or ending the day with a short meditation. It is 365 readings from seventeen medieval women mystics, including Julian of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Teresa of Avila, and others. The book consists of a foreword by Phyllis Tickle, an introduction, daily readings, capsule biographies of the mystics cited, and a good further reading and source list. The choices of readings are well made, and the book is well laid out and crafted. All in all, this is a great compilation of poems, songs, meditations, prayers and theological writings by some of our greatest female mystics and theologians.

Carmen Acevedo Butcher has produced a wonderful, contemplative, prayerful book. These women mystics wrote of a God of Love and our relationship with this God using beautiful language, symbolism and imagery. Butcher writes of Incandescence that "as a sort of mystics primer, it presents their most representative, most arresting, most convincing passages, and is intended to help readers create a cell or quiet space for focusing on God's love in the midst of busy lives." Butcher has in some instances modernized translations and condensed passages, so there would be some benefit to checking out primary sources with regard to any scholarly use of this book, but as a daily devotional it is fantastic.

Hopefully, exposure to and reflection on these spiritual readings would open the door for the reader to a wider exploration of the work and theologies of these amazing medieval holy women who still have so much of relevance to say to us today. I have already purchased and distributed numerous copies of this book as gifts to loved ones. I highly recommend it.