Spiritual Direction Archives

The Holy Eucharist: A Love That Knows No Bounds

TAN Books Editors

No one has ever desired anything more than God desires to draw us into union with himself. That sage perception of an eminent scholar of

Mental Prayer Unites Us To God

Rt. Rev. Dom Vitalis Lehodey

The first obstacle to our progress is to be found in our affections; it is a certain weariness of God which makes us cold and

With Anxious Love Inflamed

St. John of the Cross

The burning fire of love, in general, is not felt at first, for it has not begun to burn, either because of our natural impurity,

Step into the realm of Worldly Melancholy, where a haunting beauty awaits. Explore the enigmatic world of black attire, raven-black hair, and a profound sense of weariness that resonates with the soul.

Worldly Melancholy Is Defeated By Spiritual Joy

Pope Saint Leo IX

Worldly Melancholy then arrives. She is dressed in black with black polish upon her fingernails, matching her raven-black hair, but contrasting dramatically with the deathly pallor of her skin. Her manner is languid and depressed. She speaks to the soul in tones of infinite weariness:

Why God Does Not Answer Prayers (Part II)

Fr. William Rock, FSSP

Previously, it was discussed that God refuses our prayers if we ask amiss, as St. James explains in his Epistle (4:3). God will not grant us

Why God Does Not Answer Prayers (Part I)

Fr. William Rock, FSSP

In His Last Supper Discourse, Our Lord spoke to His Apostles the following: “Amen, amen, I say to you: If you ask the Father any

A Royal Example for the Laity

Joan Carroll Cruz

Saint Elizabeth, Queen of Portugal (1271-1336) Elizabeth (or Isabel) was born in 1271 to Peter III, King of Aragon, Spain, and Constantia, daughter of Manfred,

The Truth About Temptation

Patrick Madrid

Be strong in the face of temptations Temptations are common to all human beings. You are no exception to this rule. Therefore, keep your eyes

The Power of the Our Father

St. Louis de Montfort

THE OUR FATHER or the Lord’s prayer has great value—above all because of its Author Who is neither a man nor an angel but the

Learn about the significance of immediate obedience as the initial step towards humility. Explore the value of obeying commands without delay for the sake of Christ.

Mighty Humility

Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo

Humility is not a sickly virtue, timid and feeble, as some imagine; on the contrary, it is strong, magnanimous, generous, and constant, because it is

Pope Pius X and Frequent Communion (Part I)

Fr. William Rock, FSSP

There was a time in the Church’s history, and not too long ago at that, when the frequent or daily reception of Holy Communion was

Steps to Sainthood: Thanksgiving for Our Creation

Fr. Paul O'Sullivan, O.P.

God made us. How little we understand these words. Many have never heard a worthy explanation of them. Who made us is one of the

Explore the demand for spirituality in a secularized world and the role of Christ in fulfilling this need. Discover the depths of the relationship with Christ and its transformative power.

The Fruits Of Mortification

St. John of the Cross

The darkness of which the soul here speaks relates, as I have said, to the desires and powers of sense, interior and spiritual, all of which are deprived of their natural light in this night, that, being purified as to this, they may be supernaturally enlightened.

Faith Without Works is Dead

Rev. Francis Spirago

Faith is necessary for eternal salvation. Faith is like the root of the tree, without which it cannot exist; it is the first step on

Forsaken by All: A Revelation of Jesus on the Cross

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

Stillness reigned around the Cross. Jesus hung upon it alone; forsaken by all—disciples, followers, friends, His Mother even was removed from His side; not one

Take Up Your Cross

Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, S.J.

Our Trials are Never Greater Than Our Strength to Bear Them Do not let ourselves be troubled when we are sometimes beset by adversity, for

A Sweat of Blood: Jesus Ignites the Lukewarm

St. Bridget of Sweden

The Agony in the Garden Jesus speaks: I had three things in My death. First, Faith, when I bent My knees and prayed, knowing that

The Visions of St. Juan Diego

Joan Carroll Cruz

THE FIRST VISION When Juan Diego, a fifty-five-year-old Indian who lived five miles north of Mexico City, was hurrying on Tepeyac Hill to attend Mass

On Interior Conversation

Thomas à Kempis

Meditation: Prepare thy heart for this thy Spouse, that he may…dwell in thee. The kingdom of God is within you – LUKE XVII. 21, saith

Discover the captivating vision of the Apocalypse as described by John the Evangelist. Explore the website's insights on a woman adorned with the sun, moon, and twelve stars. Unveil the mysteries of the past.

Discourse On Mary’s Immaculate Conception

St. Alphonsus Liguori

Great indeed was the injury entailed on Adam and all his posterity by his accursed sin; for at the same time that he thereby, for his own great misfortune, lost grace, he also forfeited all the other precious gifts with which he had originally been enriched, and drew down upon himself and all his descendants the hatred of God and an accumulation of evils.

Escape from Communism: the Bella Dodd Conversion Story

Mary Nicholas, MD and Paul Kengor, PHD

Meeting Sheen: Recovery and Reconciliation In her June 1953 public testimony, Bella Dodd informed counselor Robert Kunzig and the congressmen on his committee, “I only

The Joyous Feast of St. Nicholas

Fr. Alban Butler

St. Nicholas, the patron Saint of Russia, was born toward the end of the third century. His uncle, the Archbishop of Myra in Lycia, ordained

The Second Week of Advent: Prayer Means Progress

Msgr. Aloysius F. Coogan

“When John had heard in prison the words of Christ, sending two of his disciples he said to him: Art thou he that is to

The Advantages Attached to Temptations and Afflictions

The Soul Sanctified

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life.” -James 1:12 “The Lord your

The Christian Virtue of Meekness

R. P. Quadrupani, Barnabite

“Blessed are the meek for they shall possess the land.” -Matthew 5:4 Our Lord offers us in His Divine Person a model of all the

Uncover the holy site where the Blessed Virgin brought the Light of the World into the world. Visit the stone trough crib and wooden manger where Jesus was laid, a powerful symbol of faith and salvation.

Advent Recollection: The Cave Of Bethlehem

Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich

The Blessed Virgin was in the eastern part of this cave, exactly opposite the entrance, when she gave birth to the Light of the World. The crib in which the child Jesus was laid stood on the west side of the southern and more roomy part of the cave. This crib was a hollowed-out stone trough lying on the ground and used for cattle to drink from; over it stood a longish rectangular manger or rack, narrower below and broader above, made of wooden lattice-work and raised on four feet so that the beasts could comfortably eat the hay or grass in the rack and lower their heads to drink the water in the trough beneath.

Perseverance in Prayer

Fr. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure, S.J.

If you want all your prayers to be answered without fail and oblige God to meet all your wishes, the first thing is never to

The Beginning of Advent: Preparing for Christmas

Msgr. Aloysius F. Coogan

The Catholic Church is the most interesting institution in the world. Like her Founder, she is both human and divine. She is human because her

Familiar Friendship with Jesus

Thomas à Kempis

When Jesus is present all things go well, and nothing seems difficult; but when Jesus is absent everything is hard. When Jesus speaks not within,

Thanksgiving Meditation: Gratitude to Jesus Christ

The Soul Sanctified

“That they who live may not now live to themselves, but unto Him who died for them, and rose again.” -2 Corinthians 5:15 St. Augustine

Inequality in Friendship

Fr. William Rock, FSSP

In a previous article, it was stated that just as there is an analogy between the natural life of man and the supernatural life of

Confession is the Sacrament of Mercy (PART II)

R. P. Quadrupani, Barnabite

It is essential to be sorry for our sins—it is not essential to be troubled about them. Repentance is an effect of love of God,

Reflection on the Feast of St. Cecilia

Fr. Alban Butler

In the evening of her wedding day, with the music of the marriage hymn ringing in her ears, Cecilia, a rich, beautiful, and noble Roman

Discourse on the Presentation of Mary

St. Alphonsus Liguori

The offering that Mary made of herself to God was prompt without delay, and entire without reserve There never was, and never will be, an

Confession is the Sacrament of Mercy (PART I)

R. P. Quadrupani, Barnabite

“I said: I will confess against myself my injustice to the Lord, and thou hast forgiven the wickedness of my sin.” -Ps. 31:5 The sacrament

Virtues of St. Gerard Majella

Fr. Edward Saint-Omer, C.SS.R.

His Desire for the Highest Perfection After the death of Father Cafaro, his first director, Gerard placed himself under the direction of Father Juvenal, a

Spiritual Desolation

St. Alphonsus Liguori

We ought to view in the light of God’s holy will, the loss of persons who are helpful to us in a spiritual or material

Prayers Suitable to the Sick

St. Francis de Sales

The bed of the sick is an altar of sacrifice…Happy is the just man who disturbs not the sacrifice by his murmurs and his cries,

Is the Brown Scapular “Biblical”?

Shane Kapler

On its face, the question sounds ridiculous. Anyone even vaguely familiar with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel knows that the small,

How to Make Mary Live and Reign in Our Souls

St. Louis de Montfort

Predestinate soul, have you understood, by the grace of the Holy Ghost, what I have tried to explain to you in the preceding pages? If

Prayer Secures God’s Blessings on Our Labors

TAN Books Editors

Without exaggeration we can say: Whatsoever is truly great in this world is a fruit of prayer. Every man who has achieved something extraordinary in

A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary for Her Help in the Hour of Death

Thomas à Kempis

O most loving Mother of God, Mary ever-virgin, you overflow with a miraculous sweetness, which the human mind is not able to comprehend or describe!

Encouragement Under Trials

The Soul Sanctified

“Thy word enlivened me.” -Psalm 118:50 “God is faithful,” says the Apostle, “who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which you are

Remedies Against Sloth

Venerable Louis of Granada

Sloth is a reluctance to attend to duty, and, according to Cassian, it is especially a weariness or distaste for spiritual things. The peril to

The Rapidity of Time

St. Francis de Sales

These temporal years pass away; the months are reduced to weeks, the weeks to days, the days to hours, and the hours to moments, which

God Resists the Proud

Fr. Cajetan Mary da Bergamo

God resists the proud, because the proud oppose Him; but He dispenses His graces liberally to the humble, because they live in subjection to His

Remembering the Dead on All Souls Day

Fr. Alban Butler

November 2—ALL SOULS The Church teaches us that the souls of the just who have left this world soiled with the stain of venial sin

All Saints Day Reflection

Fr. Alban Butler

November 1—ALL SAINTS The Church pays, day by day, a special veneration to some of the holy men and women who have helped to establish

“All Hallows’ Eve” is a Catholic Day

Fr. William Rock, FSSP

Halloween is rightly and properly a Catholic day. While this has been obscured and denied, Catholics should reclaim what is properly theirs. One of the

Temptation

The Soul Sanctified

“Son, when thou comest to the service of God, stand in justice and in fear, and prepare thy soul for temptation.” -Ecclesiasticus 2:1 St. Jerome,

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