Contemplation is a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus. “I look at him and he looks at me”: this is what a certain peasant of Ars in the time of his holy curé used to say while praying before … [visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/17/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2715/feed 3 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/10/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2714 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/10/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2714#comments Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:39 +0000 Dan Burke http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8242 Contemplative prayer is also the pre-eminently intense time of prayer. In it the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit “that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts … [visit site to read more]]]>

Contemplative prayer is also the pre-eminently intense time of prayer. In it the Father strengthens our inner being with power through his Spirit “that Christ may dwell in [our] hearts … [visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/10/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2714/feed 7 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/07/reflections-on-marys-pond-gratitude http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/07/reflections-on-marys-pond-gratitude#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:06 +0000 Dan Burke http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8692 In the midst of the eighteen year storm of my childhood, there were brief reprieves. Some of these came when my father would break away from his incredibly busy work schedule and take us fishing. … [visit site to read more]]]>

In the midst of the eighteen year storm of my childhood, there were brief reprieves. Some of these came when my father would break away from his incredibly busy work schedule and take us fishing. … [visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/05/07/reflections-on-marys-pond-gratitude/feed 21 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/16/am-i-being-self-absorbed-when-praying-for-spiritual-growth http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/16/am-i-being-self-absorbed-when-praying-for-spiritual-growth#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:00:22 +0000 Father John Bartunek http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8524 Q: Can praying for spiritual growth indicate being self absorbed? I am troubled by my intercessory prayer.  I pray quite a bit for]]>

Q: Can praying for spiritual growth indicate being self absorbed? I am troubled by my intercessory prayer.  I pray quite a bit for visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/16/am-i-being-self-absorbed-when-praying-for-spiritual-growth/feed 6 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/05/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2709 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/05/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2709#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:00:57 +0000 Dan Burke http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8232 What is contemplative prayer? St. Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer [oracion mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time … [visit site to read more]]]>

What is contemplative prayer? St. Teresa answers: “Contemplative prayer [oracion mental] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time … [visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/05/catechism-contemplative-prayer-2709/feed 15 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/02/what-is-a-novena http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/02/what-is-a-novena#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:06:56 +0000 Father John Bartunek http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8471 Q: Dear Father John, I have a question for your blog! I think I don’t really know what is a novena? How did it appear in the church and why? I know “neuvaine” means 9, but why 9 days before … [visit site to read more]]]>

Q: Dear Father John, I have a question for your blog! I think I don’t really know what is a novena? How did it appear in the church and why? I know “neuvaine” means 9, but why 9 days before … [visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/02/what-is-a-novena/feed 11 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/02/how-do-i-know-if-god-is-talking-to-me-in-prayer http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/02/how-do-i-know-if-god-is-talking-to-me-in-prayer#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:00:44 +0000 Father John Bartunek http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8428 Q: Dear Father John, I keep hearing (and reading) that Christian prayer is a conversation with God. But, to be totally honest, when I pray I]]>

Q: Dear Father John, I keep hearing (and reading) that Christian prayer is a conversation with God. But, to be totally honest, when I pray I visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/04/02/how-do-i-know-if-god-is-talking-to-me-in-prayer/feed 13 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/03/27/how-can-we-mature-through-the-first-few-rooms-of-the-interior-castle http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/03/27/how-can-we-mature-through-the-first-few-rooms-of-the-interior-castle#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 10:00:10 +0000 Sister Carmen Laudis OCD http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=8355 Q: Dear Sister Carmen, in your last post you provided a really helpful summary of the first]]>

Q: Dear Sister Carmen, in your last post you provided a really helpful summary of the first visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/03/27/how-can-we-mature-through-the-first-few-rooms-of-the-interior-castle/feed 7 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/02/09/we-war-not-against-flesh-and-blood-urgent-appeal-for-prayer-and-action http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/02/09/we-war-not-against-flesh-and-blood-urgent-appeal-for-prayer-and-action#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:02:26 +0000 Dan Burke http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=7811 Dear Friends – If you have followed this site at all you know that this is a no-politics zone for some of the same reasons we don’t talk about the Liturgy]]>

Dear Friends – If you have followed this site at all you know that this is a no-politics zone for some of the same reasons we don’t talk about the Liturgy visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/02/09/we-war-not-against-flesh-and-blood-urgent-appeal-for-prayer-and-action/feed 18 http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/02/09/how-to-give-delight-to-the-devil http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/02/09/how-to-give-delight-to-the-devil#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:46:22 +0000 Dan Burke http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/?p=7809 “Let us remember that the devil labors hard to disturb us at the time of meditation, in order to make us abandon it. Let him, then, who omits mental prayer on account of distractions be persuaded … [visit site to read more]]]>

“Let us remember that the devil labors hard to disturb us at the time of meditation, in order to make us abandon it. Let him, then, who omits mental prayer on account of distractions be persuaded … [visit site to read more]

]]> http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2012/02/09/how-to-give-delight-to-the-devil/feed 7