The Diamond Castle

by Alexander Flögel

Overview

The Diamond Castle is a beautiful text for children on Saint Teresa of Avila's work, Interior Castle. It introduces the beauty and splendor of the soul as imagined through the metaphor of the soul as a diamond castle. Many of St. Teresa's doctrines are introduced through additional castle symbolism, as defined by St. Teresa. Most especially, the "room of self-knowledge, identification of Christ as King of the Castle who dwells in the center room, praying to Christ as His Majesty, the importance of the Our Father prayer, the importance of keeping your castle clean so the Splendor of Christ's glory will shine out, and much more.

The book includes a Ten Commandments pictorial, Glossary of terms used in the book, and key to the diamond castle symbols. An extensive reference of End Notes will assist catechists and academics who would like to explore the doctrines found in this first edition of The Diamond Castle.

The book is meant to be first in a series of books which will teach children and even adults on major themes surrounding an interior life of grace as realized through union with His Majesty, Christ the King.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940158391286
Publisher:	The Diamond Castle Project
Publication date:	05/18/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Theresa also goes by Terri. She grew up in Independence, Missouri with two brothers and a sister. They did not attend Catholic schools but the Catholic faith formed her as a woman who loved the Mass, and all things traditionally Catholic; the prayers, the Sacraments, the beauty and presence of Christ in the tabernacle and through reception of Holy Communion.

She learned more about the faith and how to live it fully as an adult through attendance at a weekend Cursillo Movement retreat. There she encountered the Lord's Divine Mercy and the devotional Divine Mercy Chaplet. It is there she found out about Adoration. It was life changing. Then when Pope John Paul II died, shows like Meet the Press which featured Fr. Fessio, then the Provost at Ave Maria University, discussing how now Saint John Paul II, inspired her to apply to study for a Master's degree in Pastoral Theology with the Institute for Pastoral Theology.

Theresa graduated with a Master's of Theological Studies from the Institute in 2009. Through the program, she encountered Saint Teresa of Avila's great work, Interior Castle, and after graduation subsequent study of the text led to an opportune time while teaching 4th grade religious education to use Saint Teresa's metaphor for the soul, the diamond castle, as a teaching tool to help students gasp the idea that they have a soul and the King of Glory dwells with in, and all that this entails in living an authentic spiritual life in Christ Jesus.

The lesson was put on paper while carefully selecting themes of doctrine from Interior Castle that could be grasped by the young. Adults, too, should benefit from the text. Antique Holy card images assist on many pages for a visual capture of certain thoughts.

Theresa is single and works from home and Advertising and Marketing Director for the Catholic news website, CruxNow.com. She blogs at EucharistMatters.blogspot.com.