Dear Dan, I am a convert and a mom. I have recently decided that my faith needed deepening and have begun to delve deeper into it through prayer, confession, reading, talking to my priest etc. He told me about your site and today I came across an article you answered on spiritual development. You said, … Read more
Dear Carmelite Sisters, I feel like I am stuck in somewhere in mansion one or two. Is this normal? Where do most people get stuck in the journey through the mansions and is there any common way you can suggest that we get unstuck? Maybe I am just impatient. I feel like I should be … Read more
I was confirmed four years ago. I had a very powerful conversion and the first thing I tried to do was find a priest for a spiritual director. No luck. I did discover that not all priests are trained in spiritual direction. Every seminarian needs a director also and they would come first. The ratio … Read more
Dear Father John, I’m a new Catholic as of April, 2012. I received spiritual direction that was immensely helpful with a priest about four times, before I was received into the church. While in my first confession, that priest told me I needed ongoing spiritual direction for many specific reasons. He said I should contact … Read more
Worried about the world situation? About your spiritual life? Jesus gives us the hope-filled solution. Seek and accept his mercy. Start in the Eastertide, celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday, then continue with the devotion. Jesus himself called for this devotion and feast. He made his urgent, essential request through Polish mystic St. Faustina Kowalska, the first … Read more
Humorous Help for Latecomers Lent is Not Over ‘Til It’s Over! Lent is not over until it is over. Some of you have probably found yourself within the lenten season without any direction whatsoever. A brilliant priest, Fr. Shane Johnson, has created a humorous help for latecomers, but a very effective way of thinking our … Read more
Dear Dan, I have been Catholic for three years now, and am very grateful for the gift of faith. However, I have recently been struggling with resentment towards the Church – feeling that there are too many demands, hardships, that too much is being asked of me. How does one combat resentment? Dear Friend, welcome … Read more
Searching for Answers? Searching for Answers? You have come to the right place… SpiritualDirection.com Searching for Answers? Dear Friends, This is the right place to come for the answers to many questions or situations, including these among them: I need help with my faith. I need help with my faith in God. Catholic faith. … Read more
“The world is not only hungry for food, but also for beauty.” With those words, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta helps explain why Pope Benedict is encouraging us to return to Catholic art as a privileged place for prayer. The vision of a gifted, accomplished, faith-filled artist can reveal to us a glimpse of God’s beauty, sparking … Read more
I recently had the opportunity to interview with his Excellency Archbishop Naumann of the archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas for Register Radio on an important work going on in his archdiocese to train spiritual mentors. Because of the time constraints of the show we had to cut it down quite a bit. Below you will … Read more
Litany of Christ the King Lord, have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us,Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us.God, our Heavenly Father, Who has made firm for all ages your Son’s Throne,Have mercy on us.God the Son, Jesus, our Victim-High Priest, True Prophet, and … Read more
Dear Carmelite Sisters, how can I deepen my relationship with God when I am stuck in patterns of sin that I can’t seem to break? I’ve asked this question to several people at different times, but I really can’t seem to figure this out or make any progress. I am really grieved over this. Thank … Read more
Though a complete understanding of this document requires education in Church history and mystical and ascetic theology – on its face it clearly addresses many current popular teachings on prayer that should be of concern to every Catholic who seriously desires to deepen their understanding of what it means to truly engage with God. This … Read more
Dear Father John, I know you wrote before about consolation and desolation in the spiritual life. But I have a follow-up question. When we experience some kind of desolation, how do we know where it’s coming from? I mean, how do we know whether it’s really from God or not? This is a great question … Read more
Can a Catholic Have a Relationship with Jesus? I posted this over at the National Catholic Register and thought that you might find it helpful… We have our deacons and our religious directors, our priests and bishops and our cardinals … and our pope. We have confession, the Eucharist, penance, indulgences, litanies and prayers … Read more
I posted this over at the best Catholic Newspaper on the planet – National Catholic Register – thought you might enjoy it When Alonso Sanchez de Capeda decided to raise his daughter in a pious Catholic household, he did not anticipate his child of seven would run away in hopes of being martyred by the … Read more
Dear Father John, since receiving “The Better Part”, I have set aside a time every morning and have read and meditated on the meditation units. However, while I am receiving much help in my spiritual life, everything else in my life is falling apart. I have gotten very ill, have had to have many tests, … Read more
by Kathryn Marcellino, OCDS With Halloween right around the corner, we might ask ourselves if demons and evil spirits are real? The Church gives us an authoritative answer in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CC 414) which says, “Satan or the devil and the other demons are fallen angels who have freely refused to … Read more
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