Don’t you love the idea, the notion, the concept of a fresh start? I love to read about new beginnings. Or listen to life-changing stories and testimonies of people. They renew and energize us. They give us the opportunity to lift up our heads and our hearts and look toward the future. I am convinced … Read more
Why is it that the smallest inconvenience can set some people off while others maintain calm in the face of great adversity? What is the difference between those who know peace on earth, and those who don’t? The difference is in how they approach life and what they bring to it. These people possess a seemingly … Read more
Dear Father John, I am looking forward to Advent and Christmas this year with a little bit of enthusiasm and a lot of anxiety. I know it should be the other way around: a lot of enthusiasm and a little bit of anxiety. What am I doing wrong? How can I reverse the proportion? Progress … Read more
We have all done it–said too much or said the wrong thing and regretted it later. Too often, opening our mouths releases gossip, complaints, or destructive words. Our tongue is a concealed weapon–the most lethal. “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who … Read more
Even though she died in 1309, Saint Angela of Foligno helps us appreciate the enlightenment that can come from a life of penance. It was a time not unlike our own. Epicureanism was destroying society even as great saints attempted to help their contemporaries see that there is so much more than the short-term pleasures … Read more
The Three Ways: Longing for the Face of God Navigating the Interior Life (Part III of IV) In our first post of this series we covered an introduction to the concept of the three ways of the interior life. In part II we covered the first of the three ways. In this post we will … Read more
The Three Ways: Longing for the Face of God and “Navigating the Interior Life” (Part II of IV) In our last post we introduced the concept of the three ways. In this post and those following we will explore general descriptions of each phase with help from a classic in Catholic spiritual literature, The Soul … Read more
How Can I Forgive When I Can’t Forget? While many people believe forgetting an injury is part of forgiveness, Fr. Justin Waltz, pastor of St. Leo’s Church in Minot, ND, suggested just the opposite. In fact, he stated that forgetting is not even possible. “The only type of forgetting I have heard of is stuffing,” … Read more
While working as a Chaplain Associate a few years ago, I visited “Joe” in his hospital room. He stopped drinking about ten days before but was getting very sick. “Drinking is stupid,” he said, “I never used to drink. One day I had a little bit, and then a little more and then I was … Read more
How Being a Baptist Prepared Me to be a Good Catholic (II of IV) Life, As I Find It I’ve been reminiscing about how my formative years as a Baptist actually helped me get to Catholicism – and continue to impact my Catholic life. It may surprise some that being a Baptist taught me to … Read more
Fr. Fortea, how can one tell if a vision is demonic in origin or is a psychiatric problem? The best way to discern if something is demonic in origin or merely a psychiatric problem is through the passage of time. If something that seems extraordinary (e.g., a vision or a locution) is a mental illness, … Read more
Dear Father John, I am a recent “revert” to Catholicism – and I am so glad to be so! Recently, a friend of mine published a book about finding female power through sacred global feminine symbols. This involves, from her perspective, abandoning all patriarchal religious traditions. I never bought into radical feminism – in fact, in college I … Read more
Dear Father John, I have started saying a daily Morning Offering Prayer in which I ask God with the help of His Grace that I remain all day in a spirit of praise and thanksgiving and that all of my actions be for the purpose of doing His will. However, I find I cannot remain in this spirit … Read more
At the center of the spiritual life is the real presence of Christ Jesus given to us in the Eucharistic worship He instituted for our sake. Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church, reminds us of the proper disposition we must maintain throughout our worship. It is a disposition of quaerere Deum, a reverent … Read more
Drive-By Advice Life, As I Find It I’ve been grateful to those who wrote with advice about handling my Evangelical Protestant friends and family. The only problem, I think, is that some of the advice assumes two things. First, that I’m talking to a willing or eager non-Catholic who really wants to know about it. … Read more
Dear Father John, since bad spirits are very manipulative by nature is it possible for bad spirits to present themselves as good in certain circumstances in order to fulfill their plan and if so, what are some ways to distinguish that representation? Yes indeed, evil spirits are experts at deception. Our Lord, speaking of the devil, … Read more
Life, As I Find It My work often takes me to England – a country I love, in no small part because my wife is English and my son was born there. I have gone with friends and co-workers who sometimes surprise me with their reactions to things that are unfamiliar. One might say, “That’s … Read more
The Cross of Christ brings His glorious grace into the focus of contemplation. It is a difficult mystery to dwell on. The heart sometimes finds itself weary and sometimes even too discouraged to fix its gaze on the agony of the Lord. This is where frequent confession and humble examination of conscience can help the … Read more
© 2026 Spiritual Direction. All rights reserved.
