Dear Dan, should I get spiritual direction from the priest who regularly takes my confession? I don’t know if he would be interested but I wanted to ask about the appropriateness of this approach before I ask him. Is there a downside? As with most questions we receive, yours is very encouraging. The first level … Read more
Dear Dan, I have recently sought the guidance of a Spiritual director which I would say was greatly influenced by your and Fr. John’s suggestions. My concern is that my Spiritual Director has suggested Centering Prayer. I’d appreciate it if you can share your thoughts on that. Thanks. First things first – I am greatly … Read more
What do you do when you are pretty sure your root sin is pride (based on self-reflection, common sins in confession, etc…) but your spiritual director doesn’t think it is true. Mine keeps telling me I am not proud — but we end up in this weird argument where I assert that I am and … Read more
Your How-to Guides to the Spiritual Life… Your How-to Guides to the Spiritual Life… Dear Catholic Spiritual Direction Friends, In a recent conversation with Father John Bartunek, he suggested that we group all of our recommend book resources in a way that might be more meaningful and helpful to you. So, we have updated … Read more
Catholic Spiritual Direction has come a long way from an idea to a substantive reality. The idea was that the people of God are hungry for God and that the best way to satisfy that hunger (after the sacraments of course) is through the unfathomable riches of faithful spiritual guidance of the Church. We didn’t … Read more
Dear Father John, My spiritual director recommended that I do some spiritual reading. He said spiritual reading is just reading about spiritual things. I don’t have a lot of extra time, and I am finding it hard to motivate myself to squeeze this new obligation into my schedule – it’s hard enough for me to … Read more
Editor’s note: In part two, we discussed how silence is important to self-knowledge. What is sacred silence? There are many scripture passages that convey important elements of a true God-ward silence. One that is sublimely concise is Psalm 46:10: Be still, and know that I am God This passage clearly reveals the type of silence … Read more
In Part I of this series we discussed the problem of spiritual delusion and darkness as a consequence of the lack of a God-ward self-knowledge. The purpose of this awareness is simply this: To reveal the sin(s) that hinder our relationship with God and that keep us from the fullness of God’s person, love, and … Read more
How are the brake lights on your car? Are they working properly? I have an experiment for you. Go out to your car all by yourself and try to verify that they are working. Back already? How did it go? Did you cheat and do the exercise in your head? That’s OK, let’s just go … Read more
Dear Catholic Spiritual Direction, how much are you supposed to reveal to your spiritual director on your first visit? Are you supposed to go back to your first sin, like a general confession? I have found a priest who is willing to be my spiritual director, and I just want to know how much and … Read more
Recommended Resources for Spiritual Growth Dear Catholic Spiritual Direction Friends, To find an easy to review list of all of our recommended resources for spiritual growth, for reading on the spiritual life, click here. You will find this and other lists of posts by topic in the upper right hand portion of each page. Please … Read more
Dear Dan, My director is a wonderful, caring person but is also quite a bit less inclined to follow the magisterium than I am. I wish I had the opportunity to see a faithful priest from time to time. I have tried hard to find a priest willing to provide me with spiritual direction (especially … Read more
Interview With Official From Ignatian Exercises Federation By Antonio Gaspari (Zenit.org) Every year, a countless number of Catholics escape from their typical activities and take days to retreat into prayer following the system of the Ignatian spiritual exercises. The Pope himself is one of these Catholics; Benedict XVI’s annual spiritual exercises with the Roman Curia … Read more
Dear Father John, Every year I start out Lent with great ambition and hope for spiritual growth, but somewhere along the way I lose interest and let myself slide. I really want to avoid the slide this year … any suggestions to help me stay strong? Sure! The key thing to think about is why … Read more
Dear Father John, I haven’t been able to find a spiritual director yet (which is kind of frustrating). I am still looking, but what should I do in the meantime? Can someone be their own spiritual director? This is a deeper question than you might think. First, continue to ask God to put you in … Read more
In our first post in this two part series we talked about the challenges and perspectives that can stifle our progress in taking the first step with a spiritual director. Now that you have prayed, read, and followed applicable advice, the next steps are easy. Don’t worry that you are not an expert or that … Read more
Based on a good number of comments and poll responses over the past year, apprehension is a recurring obstacle to seeking spiritual direction. More than 500 of you have indicated that you desire, but are not yet in a spiritual direction relationship. All those who desire but do not yet have a spiritual director are … Read more
Dear Father John, I cannot find a spiritual director in my area. I will keep looking and praying, but until I find someone, what do I need to do to ensure that I continue to grow spiritually? As you patiently continue looking and praying for a good spiritual director, God will continue to guide you … Read more
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