Pornography is an epidemic. Social science data and the experiences of priests counseling parishioners reveal the ubiquity of pornography in our society. The accessibility, affordability, and anonymity of Internet pornography has exposed … [Read more...]
Helping Penitents Overcome Pornography Use Within the Sacrament of the Penance
August 23, 2024 by Fr. Justin A. Freeman
Healed, Mystic, Teacher: Seminary Spiritual Formation
August 28, 2023 by Deacon James Keating
Go to Part I “Spiritual formation is directed at nourishing and sustaining communion with God . . . This intimate relationship forms the heart of the seminarian in that sacrificial love that marks the beginning of pastoral charity.”[1. Na … [Read more...]
Pope Francis and the Symposium on the Priesthood
March 29, 2023 by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
Many times, Pope Francis has been very critical in speaking about priests and even seminarians, and for sure bishops. He is calling the Church to a renewal, and he does not seem to have this concern without some experience. He began his … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – April 2023
March 29, 2023 by Book Reviews
The Order and Division of Divine Truth: St. Thomas Aquinas as Scholastic Master of the Sacred Page. By John F. Boyle. Reviewed by Sr. Mary Micaela Hoffmann, RSM. (skip to review) Twelve Great Books: Going Deeper into Classic Literature. … [Read more...]
“Father, forgive me, for I have sinned—again, and again”
September 30, 2022 by Fr. Anthony J. Pinizzotto
How do priests respond to penitents who come into the confessional or seek counsel in the office saying, “I feel like a hypocrite. I come to confession every (day, week, month), and I confess the same sin” (gambling, drinking, pornography, m … [Read more...]
The Importance of Recognizing Satan’s Existence
August 30, 2022 by John Boyle
This essay is a sequel to my article, “Disbelief in the Existence of Personified Evil” in the August 2020 issue of this same publication. In that article, I explained Satan’s identity, his motives, his ways, the times in which he attacks, an … [Read more...]
Thomas Merton’s Spiritual Mother
August 16, 2021 by Fr. Robert Wild
“What, the great Thomas Merton had a spiritual mother? I never heard of such a thing!” True, in all the literature about Merton there is no mention of his ever having had a spiritual mother. I believe, therefore, that the topic of this art … [Read more...]
Addictions: A Pastoral Approach for the Catholic Spiritual Director and Confessor
March 12, 2021 by Fr. Anthony J. Pinizzotto
Saint Paul refers to a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan that is his constant reminder of the need for God’s grace.[1. 2 Corinthians 12:6–7, New American Bible (Washington, DC: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2002).] Al … [Read more...]
Well Directed — Lessons Learned
from Saint Paul
The Importance of Spiritual Direction in the Ministry and Mission of Evangelization in Light of the Life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul
January 26, 2020 by Fr. William Dillard
We are afflicted in every way, but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may … [Read more...]
Joseph and the Epic Battle of Humility over Pride in Spiritual Direction
June 30, 2019 by Fr. William Dillard
From the lessons of the great protagonists of Judaism many valuable spiritual lessons are to be learned. What is at the core of the lives, and in particular the life of Joseph, is how the Lord’s plan is accomplished in cooperation with h … [Read more...]
Using the Means at Hand for Spiritual Growth
July 21, 2017 by Fr. Joseph Koterski, S.J.
When retreatants ask for suggestions about how to deepen their prayer and to grow in their spiritual lives, their directors might have suggestions about some new approach to try. But often it is better to encourage people to work patiently … [Read more...]
Bl. Columba Marmion on Living in Christ
February 21, 2017 by R. Jared Staudt, PhD
Fr. Aidan Nichols in his book, Christendom Awake, rightly points out that we have lost the cultural foundation of the spiritual life. In the modern world, God is perceived as absent and there is an intense focus on the individual. … [Read more...]
Simony in Spiritual Direction?
November 4, 2016 by Fr. Kenneth G. Davis, OFM Conv.
When I mentioned this thesis to my classmate, he deemed it “peculiar.” I had to apologize after shouting, “My thesis isn’t peculiar, what’s going on is peculiar!” My thesis is that direct, monetary payment to a spiritual director from his/he … [Read more...]
What Happens to a Church When the Members Won’t Grow Up?
September 24, 2013 by R. Thomas Richard, PhD
The problem for the Church is ... the spiritual immaturity of men and of women in the Church, and the lack of guidance they are receiving on how to grow up to spiritual maturity as Catholic Christians. What happens to … [Read more...]
Questions Answered
September 4, 2012 by Fr. Brian Mullady, OP
Justification by faith alone? Any guidelines on the nature and practice of spiritual direction within confession? Pictured above: Martin Luther, St. Paul, and Pelagius, the heretic. Justification by Faith Alone Revisited Answer: R … [Read more...]
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