Catholic Spiritual Direction

What if I just don’t like to pray at all?

Dan Burke — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:24 +0000

Q: 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...

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His Grace for My Sin – A Prayer of St. Augustine

Dan Burke — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:36 +0000

“What fault committed by man has not been expiated by the Son of God made man? What pride can be so immeasurably inflated, that it could not be brought down by such humility? Truly, O my God, if we were to weigh both the offenses committed by sinners, and the grace of God the Redeemer, [...]

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A Question about the Litany of Humility in Lent – How can I be freed from the desire of being loved?

Father John Bartunek — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:00:09 +0000

Q: 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...

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Litany of Humility

Dan Burke — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:50:42 +0000

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,...

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St. John of the Cross – Principles for Detachment

Dan Burke — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:00:45 +0000

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 [...]

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A Lenten Prayer of St. John Eudes

Dan Burke — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:04:52 +0000

“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...

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How to Stay Strong Spiritually During Lent

Father John Bartunek — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Q: 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? A: Sure! The key thing to think about is why you [...]

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St. Teresa – Prayer and reflection on mortification

Dan Burke — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:00:59 +0000

“Why O Lord, should I be preoccupied with my fears and lose courage in the face of my weakness? You give me to understand that I must fortify myself in humility, and convince myself that I can do very little alone, and that without your help I am nothing. I shall put all [...]

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Struggling with overwhelming sorrow during Lent – how do I deal with it?

Dan Burke — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:00:45 +0000

Q: 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...

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Laughing at Lucifer in Lent

Dan Burke — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:00:05 +0000

In 1942 C.S. Lewis published one of his most enduring and endearing books. The Screwtape Letters is a collection of imaginative epistles from a senior devil to his junior colleague, outlining how he should handle his “patient.” Lewis wrote the book as a series of essays for The Guardian newspaper...

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