March 11, 2016 - Giving Thanks to God and Recognizing the Spiritual Haze

How should we respond to experiencing God in prayer? What is "spiritual haze", where does it come from, and how should we properly deal with it? Dan and Melissa look to the wisdom of St Peter of Alcántara in the book Finding God Through Meditation as they discuss answers to these questions in today's show.

Topics/Questions covered in the show:

• What does it mean to experience the presence of God in prayer, or following from prayer?
• What should we do when the scriptural words of God affect us or move our hearts?
• What is "spiritual haze"? Where does it come from?
• How is the "noise" of daily life damaging to prayer?
• How does the enemy use noise to distract us from spiritual awareness?
• The need to regulate what we expose ourselves to outside of prayer.
• The importance of silence in prayer life.

Resources:

• SpiritualDirection.com - website
• EWTN Religious Catalogue - online
• Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
• EWTN Global Catholic Radio
• Finding God Through Meditation - St Peter of Alcántara, edited by Dan Burke
• Lectio Divina, A Guide: What It Is & How It Helps Prayer Life - Post on SpiritualDirection.com [also can be done as "read, reflect, respond, rest, and resolve" as Dan describes in the show]
• Luke 12:22-34 - Dependence on God - "He said to [his] disciples, 'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear. ....' "
• John 14:1 - "Do not let your hearts be troubled."
• John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" is referred to in every Mass. This reference may call to mind the rest of the verse: "Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."
• Spiritual Dictionary Terms used in this show - Definitions from Dan's book Navigating the Interior Life – Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God. Click on the word for the link to the definition.
  • Affective Meditation
  • Appetites
  • Consolation
  • Discursive Meditation – Also known as reflective prayer.
  • Imperfections
• Luke 2:19, 51 - "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart." "...and his mother kept all these things in her heart."
• Introduction to the Devout Life - by St. Francis de Sales (see II, 7 on the spiritual bouquet)
• Luke 21:34-36 - Exhortation to be Vigilant [do not become dull]
• Avila Institute - School of Spiritual Formation - Course descriptions. See "Foundations of Prayer and Union with God"
• Matthew 13:1-9 - The Parable of the Sower
• The Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 - "May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." - USCCB Bible link
• Questions? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 818-646-7729.