Category: Mystical

The Reading of the New Testament The Particular Examen begins ordinarily with the following prayer: O Jesus, living in Mary, come and live in Thy servants,by the spirit of Thy holiness, by the fullness of Thypower, by the perfection of Thy ways, by the truthof Thy virtues, and by the communication of Thymysteries. Triumph over… Continue reading Rooting Out Hidden Faults – Fr. James F. McElhone

“Open to me the Gates of Holiness: I will enter and give thanks.” The holy is at once the point of departure and the destination of humanity.  What is sacred is also gated, a reality protected against the chaos of the profane and merely secular.  To enter into the Gates of Holiness is to find… Continue reading The Gates of Holiness – SpiritualDirection.com

The Gospel account of Christ’s temptation at the beginning of His public life reveals that He could be and was tempted by external suggestion. As St. Paul says in his epistle to the Hebrews: “For in that he himself has suffered and has been tempted, he is able to help those who are tempted” (2:18). In… Continue reading The Last Hours of Jesus

I’m a terrible card player.  I apparently wear my emotions on my sleeve, to the extent that I am unable to bluff my way out of anything.  Whether it’s Uno, cribbage, poker or spoons, one of my friends once told me that playing cards with me is like playing with someone wearing mirrored sunglasses. In… Continue reading God Sees Past Our ‘Game Face’

We were lingering over the lasagna, enjoying a casual dinner after the women’s conference this weekend. Our beloved Bishop Olmsted, sitting to my right, was listening attentively to one of the volunteers describe her devotion to the Carmelite saints.  She shared enthusiastically about her affection for St. Teresa of Avila.  She paused thoughtfully.  “I also… Continue reading And Nothing Would Again be Casual and Small

Fr. Boniface Hicks, OSB Fr. Boniface Hicks is a monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, where he serves as director of spiritual life. In 2018 he became a founding contributor of the Saint Vincent Seminary Institute of Ministry Formation, where he offers teaching on the spiritual life and spiritual direction formation. An author… Continue reading Fr. Boniface Hicks on Catechesis, Accompaniment, and Spiritual Direction

Recently, I was questioned about the efficacy of holy water in an exorcism. The notion was met with disbelief. Perhaps it seemed like Catholic “superstition.” So let’s take a deeper look…. There is no water in hell. Water is a necessary source of life. In hell, there is only death. Perhaps this is why demons… Continue reading No Water in Hell – SpiritualDirection.com

“May the mercy of God grant you still more time in life so that you can become completely crucified with the Divine Spouse by means of mystical death, death to everything that is not God, with a continual detachment from all created things, wholly concealed in the divine bosom of the celestial Father in true… Continue reading The Letters of St. Paul of the Cross: ‘Let Jesus Christ Live in You’

The Love of God Is Justice! How could God be good if He loved the bad equally with the good? The essence of love is not indifference to morality. ‘‘The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: he that followeth justice is beloved by him” (Prov. 15:9). “You have wearied the Lord… Continue reading Some Characteristics of God’s Love

Dear Brian, I am edified by your desire for God’s will in your life.  Regardless of what you may feel, the desire for God’s will is an infallible sign of grace working in your life.  Hence, there is reason to rejoice and be encouraged!  The reason for this is simple: no matter how clever, smart,… Continue reading Letters to Brian: Encountering God More Deeply in Your Life