Description:

How strong is the enemy? Today Dan and Melissa discuss strength and weakness when faced with temptation from the enemy.

 Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• What is Saint Teresa of Avila’s advice about the tactics the enemy uses to dissuade those beginning to establish a prayer life?
• Cooperation with God’s grace is essential in establishing a prayer life.
• Saint Francis de Sales warns us that it is dangerous to receive a gift from God and ignore it.
• Saint Therese of Lisieux says that “A soul in the state of grace has nothing to fear from demons, who are cowards, capable of fleeing before the gaze of a little child.”
• Saint Ignatius suggests that we must be strong against the attacks of the enemy and resist temptations.

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• The Autobiography of Saint Teresa of Avila
• The Story of a Soul - The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux
• Fire from Above by Dr. Anthony Lilles
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: This week Dan and Melissa discuss how the rules of Saint Ignatius of Loyola's Discernment of Spirits has impacted their lives.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• The rules of The Discernment of Spirits that have had the most impact on Dan and Melissa.
• Which rules seem to be the most important in establishing a closer relationship to Christ?
• Is a daily examination of conscience necessary to grow in the spiritual life?
• How can the life and writings of Saint Therese of Lisieux help inspire those called to the vocation of marriage and family life?

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• The Examen Prayer by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Spiritualdirection.com Recommended Resources
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: During this episode of Divine Intimacy Radio, Dan and Melissa explore what it means to prepare oneself for spiritual desolation and to place one's confidence in God.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• When in consolation, how do we prepare ourselves for upcoming desolation?
• How does a melancholic personality approach this strategy without falling into desperation and depression?
• What does it mean to place our confidence in God?
• How do we discern between desolation and anxiety of daily life?
• How can we properly discern a vocation to the religious life?

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Spiritual Consolation: An Ignatian Guide for Greater Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: Why does God allow spiritual desolation? During today's show Dan and Melissa walk through the causes of spiritual desolation using "Rule the Ninth" of The Discernment of Spirits as well as determine the difference between desolation and aridity in the spiritual life.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• What is the difference between spiritual desolation and aridity?
• Why does God allow desolation in the soul?
• How does God show His love through spiritual desolation?
• What are the causes of spiritual desolation?

Resources: 

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Fire from Above by Dr. Anthony Lilles
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: This week Dan and Melissa examine the characteristics of God working in the soul vs. Satan attacking the soul and explore the meditative prayer practice of Lectio Divina.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• What characteristics does God exhibit while working to bring a soul out of mortal sin?
• What characteristics does Satan exhibit while trying to keep a soul bound to mortal sin?
• What characteristics are exemplary of a soul experiencing spiritual consolation or desolation?
• How does one approach the meditative prayer method of Lectio Divina?
• What is an example of this practice?

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Fire from Above by Dr. Anthony Lilles
• Mark 10:46-52 - Jesus heals Bartimaeus (USCCB Bible link)
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: During this episode of Divine Intimacy Radio, Saint Ignatius exhorts us to work to achieve patience during desolation, look ahead to the inevitable end of our suffering and return to consolation with God.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• What is desolation?
• We must work to be patient. It is not easy.
• How can we practice patience?
• How does the enemy trick us into believing we must make a change in our spiritual lives?
• How does one cope with long term experiences of desolation such as terminal illness?
• Saint Ignatius suggests that we insist upon prayer, meditation, much examination and extending ourselves in penance.

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• James 4:7-8 "Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." (USCCB Bible link)
• The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
• Fire from Above by Dr. Anthony Lilles
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: This week Dan and Melissa discuss Rule 7 of Saint Ignatius' Discernment of Spirits, which encourages the soul seeking God to resist any agitations put forth by the Enemy.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• How can we resist the agitations sent by the Enemy to draw us away from forming a relationship with Christ?
• If I do not feel God's presence, does that mean He has abandoned me in my desolation?
• Will God rescue me from my desolation?
• How do I recognize God's presence during spiritual desolation?

Resources: 

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Fire from Above by Dr. Anthony Lilles
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: The Discernment of Spirits, Rule 6 states that when on experiencing spiritual desolation, he or she needs to make a change against the spiritual desolation itself. 

Topic/Questions covered in the show:

• Is suffering meritorious for the soul when experienced outside of or without Christ?
• What are the characteristics of true peace vs. false peace?
• How can one experience the peace that Jesus promises in Scripture?
• According to Rule 6 of the Discernment of Spirits, we must insist more on prayer, insist more on meditation, be spiritually awake, and insist more on penance. 
• How does spiritual desolation manifest itself in everyday life?

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description: This week Dan and Melissa discuss the fifth rule of Saint Ignatius' Discernment of Spirits which states that one is never change spiritual commitments while experiencing spiritual desolation.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• Does spiritual consolation always precede spiritual desolation?
• When in spiritual desolation one should never change the commitments he or she has made when in spiritual consolation.
• Is there any reason why one could change his or her situation while in desolation?
• Loving God despite the experience of spiritual desolation is a proof of love.

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.

Description:

This week Dan and Melissa explore the meaning of spiritual desolation and how to recognize it through the examen prayer.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• Rule 4 - "I call desolation all the contrary of the third rule, such as darkness of soul, disturbance in it, movement to low and earthly things, disquiet from various agitations and temptations, moving to lack of confidence, without hope, without love, finding oneself totally slothful, tepid, sad, and, as if separated from one's Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is contrary to desolation in the same way the thoughts that come from consolation are contrary to the thoughts that come from desolation."
• Is distraction in prayer a type of desolation?
• What is the difference between depression and spiritual desolation?
• Spiritual desolation (Rule 4) as the opposite of spiritual consolation (Rule 3).
• Tactics of the enemy to draw a soul away from God.
• The importance of the examen prayer to recognize the spiraling effect of negative thoughts and overcome the desolation that follows.

Resources:

• Spiritualdirection.com - website
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• The Discernment of Spirits by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• The Examen Prayer by Father Timothy Gallagher, O.M.V.
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729. — please leave your name, location and question.