Spiritual Direction Archives

The Taking of Christ, Caravaggio (1571-1610), 1602, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Ireland / Wikimedia Commons.

Jesus Is Arrested

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Witness the duplicity of Judas, the fervor of Peter, the conversion of the soldiers, and the suffering of Christ throughout the arrest in the Garden

The Fall of the Rebel Angels, SEbastiano Ricci (1659-1734), c. 1720, oil on canvas. Dulwich Picture Gallery, The Yorck Project / Wikimedia Commons.

Lucifer Revolts Against God

Ven. Mary of Agreda

What provoked Lucifer to despise his loving Lord? Witness Venerable Mary of Agreda’s vision of the angels’ creation and their ultimate choice between love or

IHS monogram, on top of the main altar of the Gesù, Rome, Italy. Wikimedia Commons.

The All-Powerful One Word Prayer

Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P.

What is the most powerful word in Heaven and on earth? Discover the remarkable graces of praying the Holy Name of Jesus! The Holy Name

The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ, William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905), 1880, oil. Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Rochelle / Wikimedia Commons.

Jesus Chose to Suffer

St. Alphonsus Liguori

It was not necessary that the Son of Man suffer to attain our salvation. Yet, in His abundance of love for souls, Our Lord took

Christ carrying the Cross, Titian (1490-1576), c. 1565, oil on canvas. Museo del Prado / Wikimedia Commons.

God’s Promises to Those Who Suffer Well

Fr. Peter J. Arnoudt, SJ

Listen to the words of Our Lord as He promises glorious graces to those who embrace suffering and unite themselves to His Son’s Holy Cross.

The Road to Emmaus, Altobello Melone, c. 1516, oil on panel. National Gallery / Wikimedia Commons.

The Life of Christ, a Pilgrimage

TAN Books Editors

My Burden Is Light is a collection of sermons by Saint John of Avila on suffering in the Christian life. In this excerpt taken from

Saint Frances of Rome, Palazzo Magnani, Bologna

Saint Frances of Rome Converts a Dying Woman

Lady Georgiana Fullerton

God healed St. Frances on her deathbed so that she could save other souls on the brink of death. Read on for a remarkable story

Christ on the Road to Emmaus, Jan Wildens (1584/1586-1653), 1640s, oil on canvas. Hermitage Museum / Wikimedia Commons.

How to Walk in God’s Presence

St. Alphonsus Liguori

At every moment we ought to strive to walk in the presence of God. But how? Allow St. Alphonsus Liguori to teach you how to

Monks in the Desert, Jean-Jacques de Boissieu (1736-1810), 1797, Etching. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967 / Wikimedia Commons.

How to Cultivate Prudence

St. Albert the Great

Cultivate true prudence with Saint Albert the Great! Read on for a priceless guide to the virtue of prudence from one of the greatest Doctors

Palm Sunday Mass, Zdzisław Jasiński (1863-1932), 1891, oil on canvas. Wikimedia Commons.

Meditation Through the Five Senses

St. Ignatius of Loyola

The next time you attend Mass or Eucharistic Adoration, place yourself at the foot of the Cross with this stirring meditation by St. Ignatius. Represent

Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Giambattista Pittoni (1687-1767), between 1725 and 1726, oil on canvas. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation. Web Gallery of Art / Wikimedia Commons.

The Holy Names: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

St. Alphonsus Liguori

The following excerpt was taken from St. Alphonsus Liguori’s, The School of Christian Perfection. Here, the saint demonstrates the power of the names: Jesus, Mary,

The Fall of the Rebel Angels, Pieter Brueghel the Elder (1526/1530-1569), 1562, oil on wood. Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium. Google Cultural Institute / Wikimedia Commons.

Pride Transforms Angels Into Demons

Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo

There is no saint in Paradise who did not possess humility. Pride is so powerful a vice that it transformed the angels to demons—imagine what

Saint Bruno, Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674), c. 1655, oil on canvas. Nationalmuseum, Sweden, photographed by Erik Cornelius / Wikimedia Commons.

Of the Love of Solitude and Silence

Thomas à Kempis

Thomas à Kempis is one of the most beloved spiritual writers in the Catholic Church. In this excerpt, taken from Solitude and Silence, the renowned

La Vierge de Pitié, Lubin Baugin. Wikimedia Commons.

Mary Mourns Her Son

St. Anselm of Canterbury

Through her private revelations to Saint Anselm, Mary recounts the Passion of her Son with heartrending detail. Read on for her stirring retelling of Christ’s

Melancholia I, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528), 1514, engraving. Minneapolis Institute of Art, The Ethel Morrison Van Derlip Fund, proceeds from the 2011 Minneapolis Print and Drawing Fair, the Richard Lewis Hillstrom Fund, gift of funds from Nivin MacMillan, the Winton Jones Endowment Fund for Prints and Drawings, and gift of Herschel V. Jones, gift of Mrs. Ridgely Hunt, and gift of Miss Eileen Bigelow and Mrs. O. H. Ingram, in memory of their mother, Mrs. Alice F. Bigelow, by exchange. Wikimedia Commons.

The Four Temperaments of the Saints

Rosemary McGuire Berry

Holiness does not erase our personality, but perfects it. Which saints share your temperament? Read on for a guide to the four temperaments and the

Confession, Guiseppe Maria Crespi (1665-1747), 1712, oil on canvas. Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister, Web Gallery of Art / Wikimedia Commons.

Obedience to Our Spiritual Director

St. Alphonsus Liguori

The greatest saints have proclaimed the benefit of having a spiritual director for progress in holiness. Learn more from Saint Alphonsus Liguori why it is

Antichrist with the devil, Luca Signorelli (1450-1523), c. 1501. Wikimedia Commons.

How the Devil Flatters the Faithful

St. Teresa of Avila

In holy souls, Satan tries to instill complacency and pride. Learn how to discern your own deeds and reject the Devil’s temptations with the wisdom

Saint Anne (detail), 8th Century, tempera on plaster. National Museum, Warsaw, photographed by Stanisław Lorentz, Tadeusz Dobrzeniecki, Krystyna Kęplicz, Monika Krajewska, 1990 / Wikimedia Commons.

Why Practice Silence?

St. Bonaventure

Many sins proceed from the man who cannot hold his tongue. The virtue of silence is one secret to sanctity that all souls should strive

Art created for TAN Books by Chris Pelicano, after “At the foot of the scaffold: Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne, July 17, 1794” by G. Molinari, 1906. © TAN Books.

The Song at the Scaffold

Gertrud von Le Fort

Witness the martyrdom of the Carmelite sisters at the hands of the bloody French Revolution. At the foot of the guillotine, they do not weep,

Christ in the Wilderness (Ivan Kramskoi 1837-1887), 1872, oil on canvas. Tretyakov Gallery, Google Cultural Center / Wikimedia Commons.

Holy Habits to Thwart Demons

Dan Schneider, PhD

What habits do demons hate? Arm yourself with knowledge of the enemy from Dan Schneider, Fr. Ripperger, and the saints! Demons Hate Discipline This “legal

The Preaching of John the Baptist, Bartholomeus Breenbergh (1598-1657), 1634, oil on panel. Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, The Anneberg Foundation Gift, 1991 / Wikimedia Commons.

A Martyr for Marriage

Fr. Sebastian Walshe, O.Praem.

Saint John the Baptist’s life was lived fully in conformity with God’s will. He boldly preached the Kingdom of God and was a powerful testimony

TAN Direction Search Results

Jesus Is Arrested

Lucifer Revolts Against God

The All-Powerful One Word Prayer

Jesus Chose to Suffer

God’s Promises to Those Who Suffer Well

The Life of Christ, a Pilgrimage

Saint Frances of Rome Converts a Dying Woman

How to Walk in God’s Presence

How to Cultivate Prudence

Meditation Through the Five Senses

The Holy Names: Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

Pride Transforms Angels Into Demons

Of the Love of Solitude and Silence

Mary Mourns Her Son

The Four Temperaments of the Saints

Obedience to Our Spiritual Director

How the Devil Flatters the Faithful

Why Practice Silence?

The Song at the Scaffold

Holy Habits to Thwart Demons

A Martyr for Marriage

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