A Guide to Christian Meditation Dear Catholic Spiritual Direction Friends, Many of you know that Father John’s book, The Better Part is in its third printing. In the beginning of The Better Part Father John provided us with a brief but profound guide to Christian meditation. The good news is that now you can … Read more
Dear Father John, Your recent comments on frustration, impatience and the need for humility and how to grow in it have been insightful and practical. Thank you so much! However, I would like to know how you would advise going about making an “act of humility”. I am familiar with the Litany of Humility, but … Read more
Jesus I Trust in You – from the Mundelein Psalter From the Mundelein Psalter: The morn had spread her crimson rays, When range the skies with shouts of praise; Earth joined the joyful hymn to swell, That brought despair to vanquished hell. ———- He comes victorious from the grave, The Lord omnipotent to save, And … Read more
Dear Father John, I have been working on my spiritual life for a long time. But no matter how much I work on it, I find myself falling into impatience again and again. I try and try, but can’t seem to be patient. What am I doing wrong? You will not like the answer to … Read more
Dear CSD Friends, Father John received this note from a friend and thought you might enjoy it… Dan Dear Friends and Family, I had a beautiful little miracle happen that I want to share with you. I resolved last week to make a special effort to offer little sacrifices throughout the day to show my … Read more
Dear Father John, My question is on behalf of my 11-year-old son, Matthew. Matthew decided to give up sweets for Lent. He did this completely on his own and just announced it on Ash Wednesday. (I am giving up my favorite indulgence, chocolate). At two weeks into Lent my poor little Matthew is in misery … Read more
Dear Father Joseph, maybe this isn’t the place (or blog) to post such a question, but what would you say to someone who doesn’t really *like* praying? I’m not saying it should be enjoyable or entertaining, etc., but I never feel any desire to pray, and when I do pray it’s just plain awkward, unpleasant, … Read more
Dear Father John, I am trying to pray the Litany of Humility with special reverence and attentiveness during this Lent, and in doing so the following question keeps recurring to me: In the Litany of Humility, the second request is: “From the desire of being loved, Lord Jesus, free me!” How am I to understand … Read more
Litany of Humility O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me. From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus. From the desire of being praised, … Read more
These are the golden rules proposed by St John of the Cross for total detachment: The soul must always be inclined ‘not to the easiest thing, but to the hardest; not to the tastiest, but to the most insipid; not to the things that give the greatest pleasure, but to those that give the least; … Read more
“O Lord, You have created me for Yourself, to love You and to enjoy You, infinite Good, ineffable Beauty; do not permit me to lose sight of this sublime end toward which I must tend; do not permit me to wander among the wretched satisfactions that vain, feeble creatures can offer me. “O my Lord, … Read more
Dear Catholic Spiritual Direction: We are but days into Lent, and, after being to our church’s Way of the Cross tonight, I’m overwhelmed with the “low” that Lent is already. Are we to embrace the low to make the joy of Easter even greater, or is there still joy to be found in the 40 … Read more
Saint Paul would not likely find many friends in some corners of the Church today – nor would Jesus for that matter. Primarily because they use what our culture would consider harsh language when dealing with sin in the Christian life. Paul uses the language of an elite athlete, the language of self-discipline and severe … Read more
STUNNER! Pope Practiced Self-Mortification by Jimmy Akin So various circles have been atwitter about news reports that Pope John Paul II practiced certain forms of self-mortification or, in the immortal words of the Associated Press, “John Paul II used belt to whip himself.” It is not surprising that our pleasure-obsessed culture would find this unusual, … Read more
I recently had the opportunity to speak to a great group of men at parish here in Colorado about my conversion to the Catholic faith. One of the things I shared was the unusual amount of personal suffering I have experienced. The short list of loss includes a brother and sister in their thirties and … Read more
Dear Father John, I pray quite a bit…mostly because I have had some suffering in my life that has drained me, even spiritually. I pray for many things, but mostly, I pray for my own faith. One day, as I was praying, I said to Christ, “I feel like I’m alone in my suffering, yet … Read more
There is a time when the soul lives in God and a time when God lives in the soul. What is appropriate to one of these times is not fitting to the other. When God lives in the soul, it should surrender itself completely to His providence. When the soul lives in God, it must … Read more
This beautiful four week study guide will help take you deeper into the passion during Lent. It has four units of study, 1) Faith, 2) Hope, 3) Love, and 4) forgiveness. Place your order soon in order to get your books in time for Lent. When you purchase Catholic materials through this site you become … Read more
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