Progress in prayer

[richgr]

I of course didn't mean to suggest ONLY good books and not Sacraments, obedience, prayer, virtue, fasting, etc! Yikes, that would be bad! :LOL:

I meant it more in the sense that as we progress in the spiritual life or experience different things, such as tepidity, it is good to have a book that can explain what is going on clearly and what to do about it. It's clearly harder to do on our own since we often have a skewed perspective on ourselves. But if I were going along, having constant consolations in my prayer, and suddenly hit a dry spell, I would be confused! That's how a book might help if a director isn't around to clarify what's going on.

[formerbuddhist]

Books are good,as long as we remain humble. Honestly for most of us that's all we have. For me it's just books, the Office,Scripture, the Jesus Prayer and confession when I need it,usually once a month since I rarely commune. I've tried to get back into a Sunday Mass thing too, I mean it is an obligation, and although I do not have access these days to a Latin Mass there is still a grace that comes from going even if I just shut my eyes, finger my prayer rope and pray.

It would be nice to have a spiritual director, but really,its tough because the real ones don't advertise.