“A few days before the retreat begins, I ask them to pray with this question, ‘Where are you?’ from Genesis 3:9.” – Fr. Jeremiah Shryock
“The director acts like guardrails on the narrow road that winds up the steep mountain.”- Debra Black
“Here we can enter a gray area between venial sin, for which we are in some way directly responsible, and what spiritual writers call “imperfections,” for which we are only remotely responsible, if at all.” – Fr. John Bartunek
“Being infinite, God sees so many more options than we do. We can learn to delight in them rather than be deflated by the unexpected.” – Helen Syski
“It seems as if we want all the ‘life hacks’ out there, from laundry to health to our spiritual life. We want to make progress, and we want it now.” – Deanna Bartalini
“At the earlier stages of the spiritual life, the emphasis falls on weeding out the sinful and self-centered habits that are constricting the action of God’s grace in our lives. As we grow, the emphasis changes.” – Fr. John Bartunek
“Confession and spiritual direction are like partially overlapping circles: they share some common characteristics, but their centers, their essences, are distinct.” – Fr. John Bartunek
“When we do prepare for our spiritual direction time, we honor our commitment to grow in our spiritual life.” – Deanna Bartalini
“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