“The Lord is inviting us to regularly inspect our own fortress—our invaluable soul—to learn its vulnerabilities and build up our defenses with His help.” – Megan Hjelmstad
“When we show up to pray, which is a time to be present to God because we love him, he shows up. Always.” – Deanna Bartalini
“When we feel strong and consoled in our relationship with the Lord, it is the perfect time to earnestly beg His loving help for times of future weakness, doubt, and desolation.” – Megan Hjelmstad
“Different spiritual directors will have different gifts and insights, just as different coaches have different styles of coaching – not necessarily better or worse, just different. For consistent growth, we need to follow consistent guidance.” -Father John Bartunek.
“Even some saints had to endure long periods of time without a quality confessor or spiritual director. It was painful for them too, but God can handle that.” – Fr. John Bartunek
“There are as many kinds of spiritual direction as there are spiritual directors. And there are as many “schools” of spiritual direction as there are families of spirituality within the Church.” – Fr. John Bartunek
“We hear variations of the lie that we are ‘not enough.’ And yet we have the precise gifts for our particular family, for our exact calling, for this specific cross, in this time, at this place, for this season. God promises only daily bread, and it is made to order. We do not have the grace for anyone else’s life—or even for tomorrow—but we have all we need to become more fully ourselves, which is more like Christ, today.” – Claire Dwyer
What is the proper etiquette for changing one’s spiritual director? Find out when Father John Bartunek answers a reader’s question about this concern which may come up during various periods of one’s spiritual life.
“Finding a good spiritual director is not easy. However, for those serious about advancing in prayer and the interior life, it is important to keep looking until you find a good fit—not necessarily a ‘perfect’ person, but somebody pursuing holiness, knowledgeable about prayer and the Catholic faith, committed to the Magisterium, and deeply desirous to help you grow spiritually and discern the movements of the Holy Spirit in your life.” – Claire Dwyer
Could my pulling away be boredom, impatience, restlessness, or resistance? It’s hard to do the deep work. It’s even harder because we live in a culture and an age of diversion, distraction and instant gratification.