Laughing at Lucifer in Lent

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 and confessed that the pieces were not fun to write. Over the years Lewis’ Luciferian letters have become ever more popular.... Read More

Call to Prayer: 7 Resources for your Lenten Journey

One of the countless joys of the Church is the recurring open invitation to move deeper into the life of grace. These invitations come in a thousand ways, through the lives of the saints, through the sacraments and especially through our liturgical seasons. As Lent begins to rise on the horizon, we are again faced with another divine beckoning to move into a deeper relationship with Christ and His Church. In the fourteenth... Read More

Top ten reading list for spiritual directors (Updated – 2013)

Q: Dan, now that you mention technical books on spiritual theology… I’m wondering what would be your top 10 list of books in that area. I’m especially interested in books that would be helpful for a priest that would like to engage more seriously in spiritual direction, or books that you would recommend to a seminarian or for a seminary course in the area of spiritual direction. I would appreciate your input. A:... Read More

Spiritual Gift Pack from Emmaus Press

Emmaus Press has put together a spiritual gift pack especially designed for the readers of Catholic Spiritual Direction. Here are the details: Deeper than the discount you’ll enjoy on this offer is the prayer life which the Lord is calling you to, and to which these authors offer a sure and compelling guide. Included in this special offering: The Fulfillment of All Desire – by Ralph Martin Ralph Martin, drawing... Read More

Spiritual Direction Through the Wind and Waves – Book Recommendation

Though much has been written on the topic of spiritual direction, modern wisdom is hard to come by. I was delighted to stumble upon a more recent treatment of the topic written for spiritual directors. Through Wind and Waves – On Being a Spiritual Guide by Francis Fernandez-Carvajal is only the second book to make my list of must-reads for spiritual directors. There is no doubt that Father Fernandez-Carvajal has a deep... Read More

Who are the doctors of the Church and why should I care?

Q: Dear Dan, I am a convert and a mom. I have recently decided that my faith needed deepening and have begun to delve deeper into it through prayer, confession, reading, talking to my priest etc. He told me about your site and today I came across an article you answered on spiritual development. You said, “Otherwise, if you want a fool proof way to stay within the sublime wealth and spiritual tradition of the Church, stick... Read More

How can I get a copy of Navigating the Interior Life?

Q: Dear Dan, is your book available to buy now? If not, when are you aiming to release it? A: Because so many have asked about the availability of Navigating the Interior Life, we have created the web site www.NavigatingTheInteriorLife.com to provide more information and to give you the opportunity to receive a free advance, signed copy simply by making a donation to Catholic Spiritual Direction. Dan has decided to take... Read More

How I memorized my favorite prayer in sixty seconds

Here’s a great post from Jennifer Fulwiler over at NCRegister.com. I second her recommendation of Dr. Vost’s book Memorize the Faith! (and Most Anything Else): Using the Methods of the Great Catholic Medieval Memory Masters. We also had Jennifer on a recent segment of Register Radio where we covered this book and a few others that are well worth reading. You can catch that podcast here. How I memorized my favorite... Read More

How to deepen your relationship with Christ this Lenten season

Prayer can be a great consolation to us. It is often the means of God’s grace to strengthen, encourage, and guide us. It is also hard work and requires a strong commitment to persevere. This doesn’t mean that it should be a straining exercise. Still, when we choose to pray we are thereby rejecting other things that might be pleasurable to us. For instance, I know one very busy business man who, though he is a “night... Read More

Faith at Work

Dear Friends, The following interview is from a friend that I made at my recent appearance on EWTN’s Journey Home program. Kevin Lowry’s book Faith and Work is a great read and has a few interesting points to make with respect to the kind of thing we discuss here at Catholic Spiritual Direction. Kevin agreed to provide us with a bit more insight into his motivation and perspective on living out our faith in the workplace.... Read More

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