“Do not tire your brain by trying to work it during meditation.” – St. Teresa of Avila. Dan and Melissa look at progressive development in prayer and the spiritual life as they reflect on letters from St. Teresa in the book 30 Days with Teresa of Avila.
Topics/Questions covered in the show:
- How do the spiritual Doctors of the Church describe the stages of prayer?
- What is mental prayer?
- Different types of meditative prayer.
- St. Teresa advises on transitioning from meditation to contemplation.
- How to deal with aridity.
- Is “centering prayer” beneficial?
- Some recommendations if you get “stuck” in prayer.
- St. Teresa’s Four Waters.
Resources:
- 30 Days with Teresa of Avila – Dan Burke and Anthony Lilles
- SpiritualDirection.com Book Club
- Navigating the Interior Life – Dan Burke
- Meditation and Contemplation: An Ignatian Guide to Prayer with Scripture – Fr. Tim Gallagher
- The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer – Fr. John Bartunek
- Lectio Divina, A Guide – Dan Burke at Spiritualdirection.com
- A Simple Guide to Christian Meditation – Fr. John Bartunek at Spiritualdirection.com
- The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila: Volume One – includes The Book of Her Life
- http://avila-institute.com – The Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation
- For Call in questions for future shows 818-646-7729 — please leave your name, location and question.
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About Dan Burke
Dan is the founder of Catholic Spiritual Direction, the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, and Divine Intimacy Radio, author of the award winning book, Navigating the Interior Life – Spiritual Direction and the Journey to God, and his newest books Finding God Through Meditation-St. Peter of Alcantara and 30 Days with Teresa of Avila. Beyond his “contagious” love for Jesus and His Church, he is a grateful husband and father of four, the Executive Director of and writer for EWTN’s National Catholic Register, a regular co-host on Register Radio, a writer and speaker who provides online spiritual formation and travels to share his conversion story and the great riches that the Church provides us through authentic Catholic spirituality. Dan has been featured on EWTN’s Journey Home program and numerous radio programs.
