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Dear Father John, I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and I still have difficulties with Mary. Don’t get me wrong – I believe all the dogma and doctrine fully, but when it comes to praying to Mary, I don’t seem to get it. What role is she supposed to have in my pursuit … Read more
The Problem with “Praying to Saints” At one time in my life I viewed Christians as shallow people blindly following silly rules. As I was to discover, these perceptions were not only wrong, they were worlds away from reality. The root cause of my misconception was my confident ignorance. Until I allowed Christians to speak … Read more
Dear Father John, I am a convert to the Catholic faith, and I still have difficulties with Mary. Don’t get me wrong – I believe all the dogma and doctrine fully, but when it comes to praying to Mary, I don’t seem to get it. What role is she supposed to have in my pursuit … Read more
Our Lady of Good Remedy Novena History 800 years ago Christians were being captured and sold into slavery by the thousands, and nobody knew what to do about it. Then, in the year 1198, a man had an idea. St. John of Matha founded the Trinitarians to go to the slave markets, buy the … Read more
Dear Father John, I thought I understood, more or less, how the Holy Spirit works in our lives. But in a recent faith sharing group, a question came up that made me wonder. Someone asked if the Holy Spirit would or would not be with un-baptized persons if they ask Holy Spirit to dwell in … Read more
Editor’s Note: In part I, we looked at how sin matters and factors of personality, temptation and turmoil that play a part in scrupulosity. Dear Father John, I seem to be struggling with scrupulosity. However, when I read St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, they exhort that any small sin or … Read more
Abandonment XVI – The Hidden Work of Divine Love What great truths are hidden from the eyes even of Christians who think themselves most enlightened! How few among them understand that every cross, every circumstance, every leading of the will of God gives us God Himself in a way that can best be explained by … Read more
TEN COMMANDMENTS OF SCRUPULOSITY Important Note: If you do not specifically struggle with scrupulosity, this advice is not likely to apply to you. If you have any questions about the advice or overcoming the struggle of scrupulosity, it is very important that you meet with your spiritual director for guidance. You shall not repeat a … Read more
Dear Father John, I seem to be struggling with scrupulosity. However, when I read St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, they exhort that any small sin or attachment can keep us from union with God. How do I know if I am scrupulous or just sensitive to sin? How do I avoid … Read more
St. Teresa, I am committed to developing my prayer life and life of virtue but I am feeling isolated, lonely, and I am struggling. What should I do? A great evil it is for a soul to be alone in the midst of so many dangers. It seems to me that if I should have … Read more
Struggling with Violent Content of Psalms Dear Father John, Lately I have started praying the Psalms, even using some of the Liturgy of the Hours. Every once in awhile, I run across sections that throw me for a loop. I mean, there are phrases like “Destroy them in your anger, destroy them till they are … Read more
Dear Father John, What are the key characteristics of good spiritual direction? There are three ways to answer this question, depending on the point of view. From the point of view of the person receiving it, spiritual direction is an extremely useful (many would say essential) help for growing in holiness, which is the same … Read more
What infidelity there is in the world! How unworthy are men’s thoughts of God! We constantly complain of His action in a way we would not use towards the lowest of workmen about his trade. We would reduce God’s action to the limits and rules of our feeble reason. We presume to imagine that we … Read more
Dear Father John, what is a “Program of Life” and why is it important to my spiritual progress and Spiritual Direction? One of the enemies of good spiritual direction is excessive subjectivity. We all have urgent personal issues that come and go; they occupy our attention and energy intensely for brief periods, but they really … Read more
Dear Father John, what is the best way to find a Spiritual Director? Should it be your pastor? A friend? Or someone whom you do not know when you begin? Finding a spiritual director usually follows four steps: First, you need to remember what spiritual direction is all about. The role of a spiritual director … Read more
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and for ever, ” says the Apostle (Hebrews 13:8). From the beginning of the world He was, as God, the source of the life of righteous souls. From the first moment of His incarnation, His humanity shared this prerogative of His divinity. He is working within us throughout our whole lives. The … Read more
Foundational to any sound spiritual direction is the idea that there actually is a tangible direction to discover. That is, the practice presumes that spiritual truth is an expression of objective reality – just as objective and real as a map of your own hometown. For instance, if you asked someone to give you directions … Read more
Deep Conversion, Deep Prayer By Father Thomas Dubay, S.M., a retreat master and a spiritual director. “As in his other popular writings, Father Thomas Dubay’s style is profound and meditative yet clear and readable. He gives an overview of the spiritual life for anyone seeking to grow in the love of God and neighbor. An … Read more
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