Tuesday, 29 October 2013
London and Sharia Banking
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/42766334-3fc2-11e3-a890-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2j5hvrzef
Ireland wanted to be the sharia compliant center of the world, but London wants to take over.
Losing sovereignty one pound at a time...
Ireland wanted to be the sharia compliant center of the world, but London wants to take over.
Losing sovereignty one pound at a time...
Little Dogs And Big Cats
A Spaniel, a Yorkie, two Jack Russells,
a Westie, and two Beagles, walk their
owners down the Sliema promenade
Barking at the myriad Pugs, who think the
British Empire still exists in these parts,
but, it does not.
I listen to the twilight bark, wondering if
Maltese barks are different than English
woofs, but these testy creatures seem
to understand each other and respect
their space on the walk. Owners vary
as owners do. Then, I watch the cats
as well, not impartial to the ten tabbies
being fed by a young girl in the shade
of the trees I cannot identify.
So, another hot day on the edge of the
Middle-Sea is marked by a domesticity
which could be in London, Guildford
or Tunbridge Wells. Dogs and cats
make us universal; humans tied to
our pets which either demand or
give attention. My walk continues
wishing the Maltese loved birds
as much as they do these four-footed
creatures of the tall flats and blue
waters. One little dog today swam
with its owner half-way through
the bay, but came back, having
more sense than his big pet
who wanted it to continue...
The little black and white
nondescript turned around and
swam back to the small tourist
audience smiling at its independence
and timing...its little black and white
head looking back at macho-man,
swimming away, but we watched
a little dog's head bobbing
in cool disdain in Balluta Bay.
a Westie, and two Beagles, walk their
owners down the Sliema promenade
Barking at the myriad Pugs, who think the
British Empire still exists in these parts,
but, it does not.
I listen to the twilight bark, wondering if
Maltese barks are different than English
woofs, but these testy creatures seem
to understand each other and respect
their space on the walk. Owners vary
as owners do. Then, I watch the cats
as well, not impartial to the ten tabbies
being fed by a young girl in the shade
of the trees I cannot identify.
So, another hot day on the edge of the
Middle-Sea is marked by a domesticity
which could be in London, Guildford
or Tunbridge Wells. Dogs and cats
make us universal; humans tied to
our pets which either demand or
give attention. My walk continues
wishing the Maltese loved birds
as much as they do these four-footed
creatures of the tall flats and blue
waters. One little dog today swam
with its owner half-way through
the bay, but came back, having
more sense than his big pet
who wanted it to continue...
The little black and white
nondescript turned around and
swam back to the small tourist
audience smiling at its independence
and timing...its little black and white
head looking back at macho-man,
swimming away, but we watched
a little dog's head bobbing
in cool disdain in Balluta Bay.
Generation Gaps
Then, as I grew older, I learned how to use other programs and finally, PCs, moving from DOS to the Internet and the rest is history.
What I find interesting and also painful is the real separation among some of the older friends I have who are either not on the computer at all, not even for e-mail, or those who have not kept up with all the social networking which is available.
What is happening is a communication break-down. I have more communication with people younger than myself than with my own generation, except for a handful of male persons. Why women age 60-75 do not use the computer is a mystery and also a painful reality of a generation gap which is getting wider.
Having been on line since the Internet arrived, and having used it daily as well as having taught students using the big databases such as EBSCO and many others, I have a relationship with those who do research on line on a regular basis.
The Princeton Database list is only one of many.
http://library.princeton.edu/research/databases
The organization of information is available to those who want to do research and that includes real journalists.
It is almost impossible to share the myriad resources with those who do not use the Net.
This type of Generation Gap will continue. And, it is also a class gap. Many people who do not live in areas or who are not in research based jobs or vocations do not use these databases and they may not use the Net for social networking.
The other question of whether we need these skills will not be addressed in this post. Needless to say, there are two worlds out there.
I am finding that those of my friends who are not on line can become more and more isolated. Why they are not willing to take the plunge into the world of communication on the Net is a mystery to me. But, then, I grew up with computers.
I have two friends I hardly can talk to as they only have land lines. And, they do not have voice mail. If we lived in the same country, I would not mind so much. But, these are the limitations of a generation gap.
Monday, 28 October 2013
Re-post from August on the Dark Night
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Consumerism, Materialism, Pride and the Theological Virtues-The Dark Night of the Soul, Part 39
Catholics receive the theological virtues directly from God. We all have human virtues, but the theological virtues pave the way to heaven, allowing one to live in and with the Holy Trinity. The theological virtues, as most know, are faith, hope and charity.
Now, one wonders why these virtues do not flourish in the Church, through the lives of the members of the Church. What happens to stop the growth of faith, hope and love? As these are infused virtues, one would expect all Catholics to exhibit faith, hope and love.
Faith, as defined in the CCC, is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and believe all that he has said and revealed to us, and that Holy Church proposes for our belief, because he is truth itself. By faith "man freely commits his entire self to God."78 For this reason the believer seeks to know and do God's will. "The righteous shall live by faith." Living faith "work[s] through charity."79
To believe in God daily and to believe in Revelation and Tradition are no small feats. A Catholic who is orthodox, that is, obedient to all the Church teaches, and, in addition, gives his life to God totally, is living in and by faith.
One who lives in faith constantly prays and desires to know God, love God and do His Will.
This first theological virtue may be "sinned against", that is, one may turn against this gift and choose not to believe. For some, this is apostasy, the complete denial of faith. For others, the cause could be sloth, not cultivating a prayer life, or not receiving the sacraments frequently.
A habit of sin can destroy faith. One of the greatest enemies of faith is materialism, the belief that the life on earth is the only life, and that there is no eternal, no spiritual life, Materialism denies the soul, and the dignity of the person. This heresy is fast becoming the great heresy of Europe, where many no longer believe in heaven or hell, following the Marxist view of dialectic materialism.
Anarchists are usually materialists, denying a hierarchy of spirituality in the world.
Hope, the second theological virtue, is, according to the CCC, the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ's promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful."84 "The Holy Spirit . . . he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life."85
This virtue is the most misunderstood of all three. Notice the phrase, "relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit". This virtue grows in the Dark Night of the Soul. Father Phelim quotes St. John of the Cross, that, "the more things we possess the less scope and capacity there is for hoping and consequently, the less hope we have." He notes that the less we have in reality and in memory, the more able we are to possess God and hope in His love.
The great enemy of hope is consumerism. Consumerism, which is the greatest sin of the American people, demands that happiness may be bought. People become obsessed with buying more and more and more things, thereby becoming preoccupied with wealth and the consumption of goods obtained by wealth.
One cannot develop the virtue of hope when one is literally consumed with things. Those who possess things do not have room in their hearts, minds, and souls for God. The dispossession of things allows for the freedom to let God into one's being. Hope rests on not having, and if one has one does not perfect hope for the love of God. Consumerism feeds selfishness, which stifles hope.
The third theological virtue is love. The CCC notes that Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God.
Perhaps, most Catholics understand love, or charity, more that faith or hope. But, love cannot enter the soul, the heart or the mind without first faith and hope. Love is the fulfilment of faith and hope. When one is finally purged of selfishness and greed, of doubt and disobedience, love follows.
The great enemy of love is pride, as pride brainwashes the mind, the heart and the soul into denying the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, Who loved us, as the CCC reminds us in the section on charity, while we were still enemies. Strong words. Pride denies that we were ever enemies of God, blaming others for our sins, as Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam blamed Eve.
All of these virtues are free gifts from God, but these can lie dormant for years and years unless one allows God to kill materialism, consumerism and pride in us.
That is one of the reasons for the Dark Night of the Soul, the purification of both the senses and the spirit.
To be continued....
Coptic Persecution Watch
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Cairo,-police-fled-before-the-attack-on-the-church-of-the-Virgin-Mary-29353.html
I have been following Asia News for years. Good site. Persecution Watch.....
I have been following Asia News for years. Good site. Persecution Watch.....
Losing Health Insurance And Looking at Secret Government
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/10/28/george_will_its_possible_more_people_have_lost_their_coverage_than_have_signed_up_for_obamacare.html
and
Secret government must be ended....
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/10/27/woodward_secret_government_under_obama_administration_needs_to_be_reviewed.html
and
Secret government must be ended....
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/10/27/woodward_secret_government_under_obama_administration_needs_to_be_reviewed.html
On The Feast of SS. Simon and Jude
The Gospel this morning on this feast of SS. Simon and Jude shows us all that Christ prayed all night before deciding who to call to be His apostles. This event reminds all of us that prayer precedes action always, and that listening to the Will of the Father is the priority for our lives. Can you imagine the sorrow of Christ in acquiescing to the Will of the Father in the calling of Judas, who Christ knew would betray Him?
| Luke 6: 12 - 16 | |
| 12 | In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God. |
| 13 | And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles; |
| 14 | Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, |
| 15 | and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, |
| 16 | and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. |
Sunday, 27 October 2013
An American in Europe
I know this is true. The European networks, outside of the BBC, which is one of the worst and biased of all, are, on the whole, much better than all those in America.
Why?
Many of the stations are owned by the same five groupings.
But, still, Europe gets much better and fairer news than the States.
My friend says that one reason he comes to Europe is to watch real news he cannot get at home. He is from the west coast.
Think about this. Think about the lack of coverage of certain stories on American television and radio.
Think about those who are pulling the strings of the main stream media.
Think about how Americans are being sold lies about European news stories.
Scary.
Persecution Watch Syria
http://www.dw.de/syrias-christians-flee-rebel-crosshairs/a-17178299
Many of those refugees who have died in the ocean not too far from Malta have been from Syria. Read the above article and find out why these people chance a risky crossing to come to Europe.
Many of those refugees who have died in the ocean not too far from Malta have been from Syria. Read the above article and find out why these people chance a risky crossing to come to Europe.
Batten down the hatches.....Britain!
Britain braces for worst storm in years from France24
Large waves break against barriers on the seafront in Brighton, southern England on October 27, 2013 as a predicted storm starts to build
A man walks his dog along a sea wall in Lyme Regis in Dorset, southwest England on October 27, 2013 as strong winds blow spray over the sea wall
AFP - Britain was braced on Sunday for its worst storm in a decade, with heavy rain and winds of more than 80 miles (130 kilometres) an hour set to batter the south of the country.
The Met Office national weather centre warned of falling trees, damage to buildings and disruption to power supplies and transport when the storm hits overnight to Monday.
Between 20 to 40 millimetres (0.8 to 1.6 inches) of rain is predicted to fall within six to nine hours starting on Sunday evening, likely leading to localised flooding, the Met Office said.
It will be followed by widespread gusts of between 60 and 80 miles an hour across southern England and south Wales on Monday, with winds reaching more than 80 miles an hour in some areas.
......
Helen Chivers, a MET office guru noted....
"It's obviously coming in the autumn and the impact could be high because the leaves are still on the trees and the ground has more water in it", meaning a higher likelihood of flooding and of trees coming down.
Comparisons have been made with the "Great Storm" in October 1987, which left 18 people dead in Britain and four in France.
It felled 15 million trees .....
This year's storm has been named St Jude after the patron saint of lost causes, whose feast day is on Monday.
.....
The Met Office national weather centre warned of falling trees, damage to buildings and disruption to power supplies and transport when the storm hits overnight to Monday.
Between 20 to 40 millimetres (0.8 to 1.6 inches) of rain is predicted to fall within six to nine hours starting on Sunday evening, likely leading to localised flooding, the Met Office said.
It will be followed by widespread gusts of between 60 and 80 miles an hour across southern England and south Wales on Monday, with winds reaching more than 80 miles an hour in some areas.
......
Helen Chivers, a MET office guru noted....
"It's obviously coming in the autumn and the impact could be high because the leaves are still on the trees and the ground has more water in it", meaning a higher likelihood of flooding and of trees coming down.
Comparisons have been made with the "Great Storm" in October 1987, which left 18 people dead in Britain and four in France.
It felled 15 million trees .....
This year's storm has been named St Jude after the patron saint of lost causes, whose feast day is on Monday.
.....
Part Two of a talk....the best part
Father Gouder's talk included more points which I shall not cover, but here are some more highlights of this presentation.
Father noted that God loves each person dearly, but that God does not keep the married person for Himself Alone, but shares that person with the spouse. This is truly a beautiful ideal. Think of this-God sharing His Love through a spouse.
Father also noted the importance of the sacrament of confirmation before the sacrament of marriage, as the gifts of the Holy Spirit are part of the marriage vocation.
One of the points I really liked was that the love shared in the marriage is not the love of each individual person, but God's Love.
One of the most important points made by this good priest was that the couple in a marriage are consecrated to each other. He asked the audience to define consecration. When many good ideas were shared, Father said that consecration was the setting apart, the dedication of someone or something to be made holy.
He noted that a church is consecrated, an altar is consecrated; these are dedicated to God. Father went on to explain that each Catholic is consecrated to God in baptism and confirmed in that consecration in confirmation.
In marriage, each person is consecrated to one another in the sacrament. The sign of this consecration is fidelity, which mean that the couple live exclusively for one another.
As temples of the Holy Spirit, each person consecrated to each other act accordingly in grace. This is why marriage is between one man and one woman and for life. This consecration is holy and cannot be reversed. To act less would do serious harm to one's own soul.
Betrayal in marriage harms not only society and the other person, but one's self, because one has consecrated one's self in that relationship. The living vocation is holy.
By the way, there are courses at the Institute, by psychologist Joyce Callus (counselor) on Positive Discipline for parents of 0 to 6 year old children with future psychological and spiritual courses in the pipeline.
Notes from a talk....part one
Father Anton Gouder gave a talk last night to a group of married couples on the spirituality of marriage. I was graciously invited to attend and was provided, thankfully, with a skilled interpreter, as the talk was in Maltese. The venue was a relatively new site, the brainchild of lawyer Anthony Rutter Giappone and the ultra-modern place is at the disposal of the Institute, which has the approval of the Maltese Curia with Dun Anton Gouder, as spiritual director (who is the pro-vicar general of the Curia). The Institute is called Genesis 2, the Institute for Marriage and Family.
This institute provides a series of courses on the spirituality of marriage, the Catholic view of the person, marriage as a sacrament, the teachings of the Catholic Church on marriage, and many other topics, including practical ones, such as household management skills.
In this day and age of serious problems of relationship between men and women, such an institute provides needed guidance from the Catholic point of view.
Father Gouder spoke for about 40 minutes, covering the necessary relationship a person must have with Christ in order to have a good, spiritually based marriage.
Father began his talk emphasizing that communication in marriage had to involve communion with God, the awareness that God is present in the marriage, and that couples must be open to God and have a consciousness of God's love in their lives.
As written on this blog in the perfection series so many times, Father spoke of the Catholic ideal of holiness as not merely what one does, but what one is.
He pointed out that outside activity follows the interior life. And, that all Catholics who are baptized and confirmed, as my readers know, have the Indwelling of the Holy Trinity, including the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, a topic rarely preached.
One of the most wonderful points made was that God takes up the initiative in one's love relationship with one's spouse. God begins the love, not man. God initiates love and the persons in the marriage either accept it or reject it. Father referred to St. Paul on the overflowing of God's love into our lives, if we accept the graces.
Father went on to say that sharing the life of God in marriage is not keeping God's love to one's self, but sharing it daily. This is the vocation of marriage-sharing love.
Father noted that this love goes beyond duty. He reminded those present that the primary love of the married couple is the priority in marriage. The commitment and attraction of the physical become enriched by the spiritual, and this spiritually based love welds the couple together for life. Marriage is for life. This outpouring of God's love is for both persons, and the expression of the relationship with Christ each person has is the result of the Holy Spirit, Who is Love, being in the couple's lives. Just as the Spirit is the Love between God and the Son, so too, the Spirit welds the love of the man and woman in the sacrament of marriage.
Father said that the couple should have no fear, no selfishness and only true concern for each other in the vocation to which each person is called. The love is that vocation.
Father also noted that the order of priorities for each person in the marriage are first God, then the other, (the spouse), the one's self, and then, the children.
He referred to Mark 3:16 at this juncture in the talk.
To be continued...
Taking over the world
Great Britain announced recently the sale of a Somerset power station to a Chinese company and now, the electric company in Malta has been bought by a Chinese company. Also, Mandarin will now be offered in the high schools here. http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130915/local/Investment-can-save-Enemalta-from-ruin-.486193#.Umy0hnBM_n4
Taking over another country without guns is the name of the game. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2013/oct/21/hinkley-point-nuclear-power-station
One person told me she was concerned about the electricity company here allowing all the lights in the Churches, as the Chinese hate the real Catholic Church so much.
Just the beginning, folks. Read my Gramsci posts...America is so much in debt, she cannot help herself.
And, you can bet that Russia will not allow a take-over of anything in that country. Long-time enemies ...
And, an honest comment from an European businessman here--French electrical equipment group Schneider Electric warned the euro was over-valued and was hurting business.
Taking over another country without guns is the name of the game. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2013/oct/21/hinkley-point-nuclear-power-station
One person told me she was concerned about the electricity company here allowing all the lights in the Churches, as the Chinese hate the real Catholic Church so much.
Just the beginning, folks. Read my Gramsci posts...America is so much in debt, she cannot help herself.
_-_IMG_1104.jpg)
And, you can bet that Russia will not allow a take-over of anything in that country. Long-time enemies ...
And, an honest comment from an European businessman here--French electrical equipment group Schneider Electric warned the euro was over-valued and was hurting business.
"It's painfully evident that the eurozone is the only major economic zone that doesn't use its currency as an economic weapon and a weapon of competitiveness," Finance Director Emmanuel Babeau told AFP.
The Paris-based company, a world leader in electrical engineering said that currencies had depreciated sharply in markets where the company can make as much as a billion euros in sales.
"We find ourselves overvalued in relation to many currencies, including the dollar, that's very clear," he said.
http://www.france24.com/en/20131027-world-currency-turbulence-hits-company-earnings
Also, Turkey buying weapons from China, not NATO members.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTEyJqq5fTk&feature=youtu.be
Also, Turkey buying weapons from China, not NATO members.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTEyJqq5fTk&feature=youtu.be
Saturday, 26 October 2013
The Lack of Spiritual Directors-Two Points of View
Many adult Catholics have complained of the lack of spiritual directors in their dioceses. This is not a new problem. For most of my adult life, from the age of 22 until recently, I have been blessed with mature, orthodox spiritual directors.
Since I have been in Europe, I have found several excellent priests in Ireland and in England in the Confessional, who have given me excellent advice. These priests, obviously, know the language of the the road to perfection and have experienced the Dark Night themselves, so that they can give superb advice.
But, I have two opinions on spiritual direction. Let me explain.
First, if one is in an area where there are mature, orthodox priests who have time for spiritual direction, ask for one to help you. However, this situation is not normal. Most priests are now too busy for personal direction time. If one is in an orthodox parish, with a sound priest, it does not hurt to ask.
I think that it is more important for married men to have a spiritual director, and then these men can share advice with their spouses. I think that married women can rely on good husbands for direction.
Single women need to be careful in not causing scandal or asking too much from a spiritual director who is a priest. One must always act and proceed in a professional manner.
Spiritual director is NOT psychological counselling or any other type of counselling. If one needs counselling, one should find a Thomistic based counselor and pay for that.
My second point is this. For centuries, the laity did without spiritual directors, and they became good, holy people. One can become a saint without a spiritual director.
Again, confession is not the usual place for spiritual direction, but I know for a fact that many Opus Dei priests are willing to enter into spiritual direction in the Confessional. Of course, if there is a queue of thirty people lined up for Saturday afternoon Confession, one cannot expect direction.
Back to this second point--one can rely on occasional direction in the lay life. This situation, is, of course, much more difficult, but for those who are not beginners, who are proficients, as St. John of the Cross explains, a disciplined prayer life and a reading of the classical books on spirituality can take the place of a spiritual director.
We must not give up the journey merely because we cannot find someone to help us on the way.
May I make a suggestion that if one does not have a spiritual director, one should be going to Confession once a week. This habit stops one from falling into self-deceit regarding one's real state of the soul.
A regular Confessor, who knows you and is the same one you go to for a long time, will be able to lead you into new levels of spiritual counselling.
May I add some more comments on who not to go to for spiritual direction. These points must be taken seriously.
1) Do not go to anyone involved in New Age religion or New Age counselling techniques. Many so-called spiritual directors in England fall into this category. Avoid such deceit. Do not go to one without sound training.
2) Do not go to a charismatic director, as too often these good people have limited themselves to such things as personal revelations, the chasing after the gifts, and false apparitions. Many lack an orthodox view on prayer.
3) Do not go to a non-Catholic. I think this is obvious, but some people get confused on this point. Protestants are heretics and lack the fullness of Truth. Many hate the sacrament of Confession and see Adoration as Idolatry. Do not get involved in spiritual direction with people who are part of ecumenical groups. Again, the possibilities for errors and a lack of formation on the part of those involved can be a reality.
4) Do not go to a young priest or young nun, or priests and nuns not formed in the old, tried and true ways of spirituality. The old ways of the Benedictines, Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites and Salesians are the ways the saints have showed us take us to God.
5) If a priest recommends a book which is off, as happened to me recently, do not seek that priest out again. I have had this happened twice, where the priest counselling me recommended non-orthodox books. Basically, be aware that so much of what is written post-Vatican II may not be sound.
6) Do not go to spiritual direction with any of the Nuns on the Bus....or those types--'nuff said about that.
7) Never, never, never go to a spiritual director who charges. What God gives freely is to be given freely. If someone is charging, this person has stepped out of the long tradition of the Catholic Church in sharing with the brothers and sisters of Christ what God has given to them.
8) Do not except spiritual direction to solve all your problems. A director is not a magician but a wise guide. Your relationship with Christ is still your own responsibility, not his or hers.
9) Do not be upset if you cannot find anyone. God will give you what you need for your road to Him. He will not abandon you. If you feel abandoned, learn to trust more.
10) If you cannot find any wise Confessor or spiritual director, realize that you are experiencing what many people in the Church are experiencing across the world-a lack of holy priests, nuns, even bishops. We are in the midst of a Catholic leadership crisis and we may be just one more person who experiences this world-wide phenomenon. We are living in precarious times and we must endure what is happening without complaint. Millions of lay people have become holy without directors.
Some of these points are repetitions from earlier posts. Here are more posts connected with this topic.
03 Jun 2013
I was blessed with many long years of excellent spiritual direction. That was from 1971-2001, in my twenties, thirties and forties, or so, and 2006-2010, with a hiatus in Canada, and Alaska, where the problem of finding a ...
01 May 2012
I could write a book on trying to find a good spiritual director. I have had good ones and excellent ones. But, in England there is a twofold problem. The first is that priests are surprised when one asked them to consider this.
22 Jan 2013
Sadly, I have never had a person to give me spiritual direction. As you say, there are just not enough priests, religious or others with the time, desire and ability for it to be available to most lay persons who are committed to ...
24 Jun 2013
I wish I had seen your list years ago when looking for some serious spiritual direction. I had two 'directors' when I was much younger and they both charged me for it. They did not talk of sin as a reality or expect my own ...
03 Oct 2013
He started to devote more time to preaching retreats in Belgium and in the United Kingdom, and gave spiritual direction to many communities, particularly those of Carmelite nuns. He become the confessor of Mons. Joseph ...
29 Nov 2012
Each student had a spiritual director and for many years, a very liberal nun was allowed to choose priests for some of the sems. Spiritual direction did not necessarily include steps to self-denial, but could be merely times when ...
20 Nov 2012
Nuns in the Benedictine monastery where I was do not receive spiritual direction at all. Now, this may seem strange, and it was hard for me in discernment, but the Rule of Benedict provides the format for discernment: that is, ...
01 Jun 2013
10) Are the leaders taking money for spiritual direction or so-called healing? If so, get out. 11) If the leaders are living openly in sin, either in irregular marriages or in some other obvious area, get out. Satan does not care how ...
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