“Might we be oblivious to a gift that God bestows with astonishing regularity in our spiritual lives?” – Fr. Mark Yavarone
“When the enemy begins to project exaggerated fears onto the screen of our imagination, we do well to follow the advice of St. Bernard of Clairvaux: “’If temptation storms, or you fall upon the rocks of tribulation, look to the star: call upon Mary.”” – Fr. Mark Yavarone
“According to Ignatius, the Holy Spirit can use this original memory of good and evil to sting us when He has nothing else left to work with.” – Fr. Mark Yavarone
“In Ignatian spirituality, discernment is usually considered in one of two senses: discernment of spirits or discernment of God’s will.” – Fr. Mark Yavarone, OMV
“I have no doubt God called me to become a spiritual director. But he wanted me to be a certain person, a specific Deanna, before I began.” – Deanna Bartalini
“Given the complexity of discerning between consolation and desolation, St. Ignatius also highly valued spiritual direction. A skilled spiritual director can help us navigate these experiences, offering guidance, perspective, and support.” – Jen Arnold
“In our tradition of Catholic spirituality, these types of practices are referred to as memento mori, a Latin phrase that means “remembrance of death” or “remembrance of mortality.” The practice of receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday is one of these.” – Fr. John Bartunek
“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
“St. Benedict leaves us with this sound advice from his renowned Rule: ‘As soon as wrongful thoughts come into your heart, dash them against Christ and disclose them to your spiritual father.’” – Megan Hjelmstad
“This is why St. Ignatius invites us to both humility and confidence in Rule Eleven, reminding us of God’s merciful grace in consolation and sufficient strength in desolation.” – Megan Hjelmstad