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Dear Father John, I have heard that most saints have had spiritual directors in their lives. Why would a saint need spiritual direction? Is there something about the human condition that does not allow spiritual progress without this kind of assistance? Let me answer your question with a question: Why did God choose to save … Read more
Lectio Divina and the Practice of Teresian Prayer I don’t ever recall reading a book, looking at the price tag, and then thinking to myself that I would have been happy if I had paid double the price. This book is one of a kind in that sense. With respect to the content, if you … Read more
Dear Father John, I have been working on my prayer life consistently for a few years. During this time I have been on retreats and other similar activities. I have noticed a strange pattern: the conservative groups I have had contact with talk a lot about spiritual warfare, but the less traditionalist groups don’t. Until … Read more
Dear Father John, I have been working on my prayer life consistently for a few years. During this time I have been on retreats and other similar activities. I have noticed a strange pattern: the conservative groups I have had contact with talk a lot about spiritual warfare, but the less traditionalist groups don’t. Until … Read more
The Second Most Important Thing… Let’s face it; life is fast-paced. We never have enough time to do everything we want to. We rush around from commitment to commitment and still can’t squeeze everything in – especially something like prayer, which is not only difficult and demanding, but its results are most often intangible. So, … Read more
Dear Father John, I have a question about preparing for meditation. I have been deeply blessed by the insight you and have provided with respect to meditation recently. I wonder if what I am seeking as a fruit of meditation is too lofty. Why? Because it doesn’t change day to day and I don’t perceive … Read more
There is a New Version of the Liturgy of the Hours … and it’s known as The Mundelein Psalter For those of you who love the Liturgy of the Hours but prefer more traditional forms and chant, the Mundelein Psalter is a beautiful work. Here are a few of the details about it: Translations of … Read more
Make a Decision… Decide. You’ve got to decide. Once and for all. If you don’t decide, really make a firm, specific, concrete decision to build your life on the earthquake-resistant foundation of prayer, then your life won’t be earthquake resistant. If God matters to you, then you will spend time with him – that’s prayer. … Read more
My reading in the gospel this morning made me laugh (Luke 5:12-16). Here’s the breakdown. Jesus heals – Jesus tells the healed to not tell anyone – the word gets out anyway – a crowd gathers – Jesus leaves to pray! I can just imagine a dumbfounded group of people, particularly the disciples, saying “Hey, … Read more
Dear Father John, I am new to spiritual direction. After asking a newly ordained priest if he would be my spiritual director, he graciously accepted…thanks be to God. We have met several times over the past eight months, however, at our last meeting he caught me off guard. It had been four months since our … Read more
Sufferings of Longing for my God Woe is me, woe is me, Lord, how very long has been this exile! And it passes with great sufferings of longing for my God! Lord, what can a soul placed in this prison do? O Jesus, how long is the life of humans, even though it … Read more
Dear Father John, I have been following your blog since the beginning, and I have noticed a pattern in your answers – a pattern that disturbs me. You seem consistently to counsel people against trusting in their experience of God. You seem to recommend instead a kind of abstract faith. But didn’t Jesus become man … Read more
The workings of God within us carry out in the course of time the designs which Eternal Wisdom has formed in regard to everything. In God all things have their own design, and His wisdom alone knows what that is. Though you read the will of God in regard to others, this knowledge cannot direct … Read more
Pope Benedict XVI Recommends Spiritual Direction VATICAN CITY, SEPT. 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Everyone — priests, religious, laypeople — and especially youth, should have a spiritual director to help them in the Christian life, says Benedict XVI. The Pope affirmed this today when he reflected on Symeon the New Theologian during the general audience held in … Read more
Dear Father John, I am a fairly recent convert to the faith. My conversion took place over a period of 3 years in which I had a series of powerful experiences of God’s presence and action in my life. It wasn’t just coming into the Church for me – it was discovering that Jesus is … Read more
It is only because they do not know how to make use of God’s action that so many Christians spend their lives anxiously pursuing a multitude of methods of perfection. These might prove useful if ordained by God’s will, but they actually become injurious the moment they keep us from simply surrendering ourselves to God’s … Read more
Dear Father John, I am a busy executive and struggle to make time for prayer. What should I do? I do want to improve my prayer life but I just struggle with time. The desire to improve your prayer life is a sign of God’s presence and action in your soul. Be grateful for it … Read more
There are many ways to understand God’s leading in our lives. One way, came as a helpful surprise during spiritual direction. My director asked me, “What is the Holy Spirit leading you to focus on at this time?” As a reflex, I reached over to my daily planner and quickly flipped back through the pages … Read more
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