Keys to salvation and mission: prayer, holiness

Dan Burke is founder and president of the Avila Institute for Spiritual Formation, which offers graduate and personal enrichment studies in spiritual theology to clergy, religious, and laity worldwide and helps prepare men for seminary in more than 40 dioceses. He is past president and COO of EWTN’s worldwide news network and has spoken on Catholic spirituality in a variety of media outlets. He is also founder of Apostoli Viae, an association of the faithful dedicated to the promotion of the authentic spiritual patrimony of the Church. He will be a speaker at the Legatus Men’s Enclave, which will be held October 9-12, 2023, at Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe, NM.

What do you plan to speak about at the Men’s Enclave?

I will discuss spiritual warfare and the progress of the soul from the perspective of St. Teresa of Avila. The Christian life consists in growth in phases, with the enemy trying to thwart our progress to sainthood. Saint Teresa shows what these phases are and how to combat the enemy. 

Saint Teresa figures prominently in your spirituality.

Saint Teresa wrote the most important book in the history of the Church on prayer. And, in my personal life, I became a Catholic through St. Teresa’s wisdom, insight, and humanity. She is remarkable, like St. Augustine, in that she doesn’t hide her sin but exalts the God of mercy. Her writings appealed to me.

In your apostolate, you stress the importance of mental prayer.

Yes. Both St. Teresa of Avila and St. Alphonsus Liguori tell us that mental prayer is necessary not only for our progress, but even for our salvation. Mental prayer is simply spending time with the One who is our God whom we love, allowing Him to speak with us and lead us. The followers of Christ in the first century walked with Him and listened to Him; similarly, through our meditation on Scripture, we can enter into conversation with Him.

What is a good way to start with mental prayer?

Begin by reading the Scriptures from the upcoming Sunday’s Mass, reflect on them, and speak to the Lord about them. Then, when you go to Mass and hear those Scriptures, they will be much more meaningful to you.

Along with regular Mass, Confession is important.

Yes. However, many people misunderstand Confession. It is not just for having our sins forgiven, but to give us the strength we need so we don’t repeat those sins in the future. If we are struggling with habitual sin and go to Confession without a plan or resolve to avoid that sin, our Confession is not helpful. That part of our repentance is called “firm purpose of amendment.” Regular Confession, properly done, reorients the soul to God’s plan for your life, restores your relationship with God, and helps you to maintain that relationship.

Why is it helpful to have a spiritual director?

It is helpful because the human person has an infinite capacity for self-delusion, with little capacity for self-awareness. We assess ourselves according to what we aspire to be, not what we are. We give ourselves credit for good intentions even if we have not achieved anything. It is all part of the brokenness of our souls since the time of Adam. A spiritual director can help lift the veil that is hiding patterns of what we don’t see, so we can understand ourselves and our relationship with God.

The Church and society have so many problems. Is personal holiness a key to turning things around? 

Yes. Legatus is for business leaders, and many in this group looking for larger solutions to problems tend to look to politics. But political programs never give lasting solutions. What brings lasting solutions is when we become saints and lead others to become saints as well.