Heights of Prayer - 30 Days with Teresa of Avila - Reflections on Day 26 Pt 1

St. Teresa describes her spiritual ecstacies and how they caused her distress. Dan and Melissa talk about how everyone is called to the heights of holiness as they read from St. Teresa's letter to her brother from the book 30 Days with Teresa of Avila.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• Is there a Universal Call to Holiness?
• Can everyone reach the advanced stages of prayer that the Saints do?
• How do lay people reach the heights of holiness? What should they do when they get there?
• What is the evidence of authentic prayer?
• Is spiritual aridity normal? Where does it come from?
• How should we deal with periods of aridity and consolation?
• How the marital experience is like the spiritual life.
• What is the measure of spritual progress?

Resources:

• 30 Days with Teresa of Avila - Dan Burke and Anthony Lilles
• http://www.spiritualdirection.com - Catholic Spiritual Direction website
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - Online
• Dr. Anthony Lilles
• Psalms 107: 23-32 - USCCB Bible link
• Acts 2: 15-17 - USCCB Bible link
• Lumen Gentium (Vatican Council II document) Chapter V - Universal Call to Holiness
• Pelagianism - New Advent link
• Voluntarism - New Advent link
• Joel 3:1-2 - USCCB Bible link (This is Jpoel 2:28 in the Douay-Rheims Bible)
• Dan Burke's Speaking and Events - Link at Spiritual Direction.com
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - USCCB Bible Link
• Join us on a Pilgrimage to Spain in 2016 - Link to the Pilgrimage Dan mentions.
• Real Men Pray the Rosary - Website
• http://avila-institute.com - Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation