Among readers of Catholic spiritual books terms like consolation and desolation are often referred to. Consolation is referred to usually as something that keeps beginners interested in the path of seeking God through prayer and contemplation. But, so the story goes, more advanced pray-ers are going to experience more desolation because it is a deeper […]
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A Closer Examination of the First Cause of the Dark Night, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Stanza 1.2 In a different post, we examined the 3 primary reasons why the journey of the soul to Divine Union is called night. Here we will examine with more precision the first cause which St. John of the Cross
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St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Stanza 1.1
3 Reasons Why the Path to Divine Union is Called a “Dark Night” Read More »
In Chapter 28 of The Way of Perfection St. Teresa of Avila explains the practice of recollection in reference to the 2nd article of the Lord’s prayer, Who art in heaven. It seems that she sees in this article in particular a way in to interior recollection. The method seems such: Dwell on the article,
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As I was scrolling through #CatholicTwitter today I noticed a number of tweets about intrusive thoughts. It seemed that one person’s disclosure of struggling with intrusive thoughts prompted others to identify and come forward with theirs. I take a position that, in general, American Catholic piety is by-and-large focused on exterior acts that promise rewards:
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A little context: when I was working for the Diocese of Baton Rouge in Catechesis another peer and I were talking about prayer and I began to speak of meditation as a necessary step to, support for, and component of prayer. She was alarmed to even be speaking of meditation in the context of Christian
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In a dark night, With anxious love inflamed, O, happy lot! Forth unobserved I went, My house being now at rest. I have mentioned elsewhere the three reasons why the soul that seeks divine union must go by a way that is called night. Thus, in the dark night of purgation and faith in the infinite
Ascent Mt. Carmel – Stanza I Read More »
Part One A. Introduction This essay is a catechetical response to the debate about Centering Prayer that has taken place within some sectors of the Catholic Church, and to some extent in Protestant ecclesial communities. There is a debate as to whether Centering Prayer is orthodox Christian prayer or whether it is New Age or too
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In Sacred Scripture we read that we must not let the sun go down while still angry, that to do so gives the devil a foothold (Eph. 4:26-27). The book of James speaks in many places about the virtue of patience and gentleness and warns that anger leads to unrighteousness. The Proverbs are full of
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More than a few articles have been published in the past few years advising against the use of mindfulness meditation by Catholics. The primary reason for this is because it is a secular adaptation of a common form of Buddhist meditation where one trains awareness to the breath. This is meant to help the meditator
Mindfulness Research and Catholic Teaching Read More »