October 2021 - TAN Direction - Catholic Spiritual Direction From the Saints and Faithful Modern Authors

Thomas Aquinas: 7 Little-Known Miracles of the Angelic Doctor

Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB

St. Thomas Aquinas, honored by the Church with the appellation of the ‘Angelic Doctor’, is amongst the most widely venerated of all Catholic saints. His

Why Beauty Matters

John Paul Sonnen

“The only really effective apologia for Christianity comes down to two arguments, namely, the saints the Church has produced and the art which has grown

The Sublime Image of Our Lady in Art

John Paul Sonnen

“Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” -Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) The thought and history of the Blessed

Piety is the Virtue of the Warrior

Conor Gallagher

Visualization is a powerful tool. Whether an athlete envisions the shot he is about to take or the entrepreneur pictures his business in a future

Why Gregorian Chant is Supreme (Part I of II)

John Paul Sonnen

“How I wept in hearing Thy hymns and canticles, touched to the quick by the voices of Thy well-beloved Church! The voices flowed into my

John Paul II’s Feast Day and Historic Landmarks

Paul Kengor

October 22 is the feast day of Saint Pope John Paul II (on the General Roman Calendar). And for this year, 2021, his feast day

The Dogma of Hell is the Most Terrible Truth

Conor Gallagher

The TAN book entitled The Dogma of Hell: Illustrated by Facts Taken From Profane and Sacred History, by Fr. F. X. Schouppe, SJ, begins crisply

Humility: A Hidden Source of Strength

Fr. Robert Nixon, OSB

Humility is the virtue which is perhaps more easily misunderstood and underappreciated than any other. Our culture values personal confidence, self-belief and resolution, and rightly

Spiritual Heroes and the Threat of Sadness

John Paul Sonnen

“Don’t allow sadness to dwell in your soul, for sadness prevents the Holy Spirit from acting freely.” —Padre Pio In the present days of corruption

Mary as the Special Patroness of the United States

John Paul Sonnen

“Nothing is more distinctly Catholic than devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it is largely because of this devotion that Catholics remain deeply convinced

The Weighty Subject of God’s Judgment

Conor Gallagher

Bring the powers of your imagination to bear: your adorable, sweet baby matures into a young man who unpredictably commits a wicked crime despite all

Making Dystopia: The Rise of Ugly Modern Church Architecture

John Paul Sonnen

“What we have is given by God and to teach it to others is to return it to Him.” —Gian Lorenzo Bernini In the Catholic

Matrimony as a Sacred Contract and Sacrament

John Paul Sonnen

“Love must be real, it must cost, it must hurt, it must empty us of self.” —Mother Theresa of Calcutta From the very beginning of

A Call for Courageous Priests

Patrick O'Hearn

Saint John the Baptist was a precursor for the many holy priests who are being persecuted for preaching the unadulterated Gospel. As the son of

The Fair Beginning of a Time: Brave Knights

John Paul Sonnen

“Since it is so likely that children will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you

Preparing Your Child for Death

Conor Gallagher

There is perhaps no more counterintuitive notion for a parent than this: you must prepare your child for death.[1] From the moment you learned of

Our Lord’s Hidden Wound

Patrick O'Hearn

While working for the Little Sisters of the Poor at one of their nursing homes, I encountered many devout Catholics, whose joy, perseverance, and piety

God Wills You to Be Happy

St. Alphonsus Liguori

He and he alone, whose will is perfectly united to God’s possesses “the peace of God which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). Happiness and conformity