Ascetical Practices - 30 Days with Teresa of Avila, Day 26/Pt. 2

Ascetical Practice
30 Days with Teresa of Avila
Part 2, Day 26 Reflections
Divine Intimacy Radio

When St. Teresa’s brother expressed a desire to practice physical mortification she gave him some spiritual direction. Dan and Melissa discuss ascetical practice, or acesis, and spiritual progress as they reflect on letters from St. Teresa in the book 30 Days with Teresa of Avila.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

What is a hair shirt? How is it used in the spiritual life?
The role of the Holy Spirit in physical ascetical practices.
How can one avoid the sin of pride when practicing ascesis?
Discerning whether, or how, to practice mortification.
Interior mortification vs. external mortification.
What are the benefits of ascetical practices?
What are the fruits of suffering? Is voluntary suffering as fruitful as involuntary suffering?

Resources:

30 Days with Teresa of Avila – Dan Burke and Anthony Lilles
Reflections on Day 26 – Part 1
Dr. Anthony Lilles
Hair shirt – New Advent link
Pelagianism – New Advent link
Voluntarism – New Advent link
Avila Institute – Link
1 Corinthians 9:27 – USCCB Bible link: “I drive [or buffet] my body and train it”
Fr. Barron Comments on Pope John Paul II and Self-Mortification– Fr. Robert Barron video on “Taking the discipline” on spiritualdirection.com
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Dan Burke

Dan Burke is the past President and C.O.O. of EWTN's worldwide news network. He is presently the founder and President of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to priests, deacons, religious, and laity in 90 countries and prepares men for seminary in over 40 dioceses. Dan is the author and editor of numerous books on authentic Catholic spirituality and hosts the Divine Intimacy Radio show with his wife, Stephanie, which is broadcast weekly on EWTN Radio. Past episodes can be found, along with thousands of articles on the interior life, at SpiritualDirection.com. In his deep commitment to the advancement of faithful Catholic spirituality, he is also the founder of Apostoli Viae, a world-wide, private association of the faithful dedicated to living and advancing the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church. Most importantly, Dan is a blessed husband, father of four, grandfather of one—and grateful to be Catholic.