by Claire Dwyer | Sep 30, 2023 | prayer, Spiritual Direction, Writing
“I don’t know if I have been able to write ten lines without being disturbed…I am not telling any lies when I say that I am writing practically nothing,” lamented (laughed?) St. Thérèse of Lisieux. She had snuck out to the convent garden to write, hoping to make...
by Claire Dwyer | Sep 24, 2023 | Spiritual Direction
“Do you seriously wish to travel the road to devotion? If so, look for a good man to guide and lead you.” — St. Francis de Sales Let’s just say it right off the bat: finding a good spiritual director is not easy. However, for those serious about advancing in...
by Claire Dwyer | Sep 14, 2023 | Discernment, Spiritual Direction
My husband, riffling through the junk drawer, held up a fistful of keys. “Don’t you think it’s time you returned these to the parish?” “I forgot about those,” I said thoughtfully as I put my coffee in the microwave for the third time that morning. There were many...
by Claire Dwyer | Aug 11, 2023 | Discernment
I’d prayed. Thought. Asked for advice. Researched. Considered. Reconsidered. My anxieties and misgivings (you can’t do this; you’ll fail and everyone will see you fail; this will take too much time away from your family) pushed against the growing sense that this was...
by Claire Dwyer | May 21, 2023 | Holy Spirit, Liturgical year, Present Moment
If there’s one virtue I struggle with, it would be hope. In part because of my melancholic nature, my inner pendulum swings more toward pessimism. I see the difficulties before they arise, sigh with the weight of anticipated woes, expect disappointment around every...
