Jesuitical

Whether you are an agnostic seeker who’s curious about the whole “prayer” thing or a seasoned Catholic looking to deepen your relationship with God, James Martin, S.J., has a book for you—and everyone else. In his new book, Learning to Pray: A Guide for Everyone, Father Martin not only answers the question “Why pray?” and introduces readers to different types of prayer; he tackles what he considers “one of the most confusing parts about the spiritual life”: What happens when you pray? That is, what are you supposed to hear or feel when you close your eyes?   We talk to Father Martin about the most common barriers to prayer, how you can tell what’s coming from God in prayer and whether we’re thinking about “consolations and desolations” in the right way. Plus, we bring him the questions you, dear listeners, posted to the Jesuitical Facebook group. In Signs of the Times, we’ve got to stories from Pope Francis. First, in a meeting with Italian catechists, the pope made clear that the Second Vatican Council is pa