Chapter 9: The Spirit and Counseling

1. "He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him, "Lord, do you wash my feet?" Jesus answered him, "What I am doing you do not know now, but afterward you will understand." Peter said to him, "You shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I do not wash you, you have no part in me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "He who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but he is clean all over; and you are clean..." (Jn 13: 6-10) Like Peter, we sometimes struggle either acknowledging our sin or accepting forgiveness and feeling like we must do "more." How do grace, faith, mortification, and prayer each play a role in requiting our sense of guilt? Which do you struggle with/turn to most often? (page 149)

2. In our own time, how does our culture's interest in Satan manifest itself? What can we do to guard against his influence? (page 150)

3. Share a redemptive experience from your life. (page 153)

4. Have the fallen away Catholics in your life left because of the Creed or the Commandments? (page 153)

5. "Sins of pride are understood through the crown of thorns; sins of lust, through the torn flesh; sins of avarice, through the poverty of nakedness; and sins of alcoholism, through thirst. Moreover, sin must be seen as resisting the Spirit of Love (Acts 7:51), as stifling the Spirit of Love (1 Thess 5:19) and as distressing the Spirit of Love (Eph 4:30)." How does Sheen's meditation help bring into focus both our sinfulness and the immensity of God's love for us? (page 155)

6. Do you find it easier to recognize God's Providence in good times or in bad? How can we better see all things as a gift from God? (page 158)

7. Do you have a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus? Divine Mercy? What role do they play in your spirituality? (page 159)

Chapter 8: The Spirit and Preaching and Prayer

Definitions:
sirocco (page 142) dust storm
breviary (page 143) a book of prayers to be recited daily by priests and members of certain religious orders (in Latin pre-Vatican II)
importunity (page 144) insistent solicitation and entreaty
gibbet (page 145) an execution instrument

1. What concrete actions do you do on a daily basis to renew your faith in Christ? (page 133)

2. How can we stop the "busy-ness" of life from becoming an excuse for laziness, especially in our spiritual life? (page 133)

3. Share a time when a biblical passage has been particularly pertinent to your life. (page 134)

4. How is penance a part of your devotional life? How do you encourage your child(ren), especially in this season of Lent? (page 136)

5. When dealing with those in our household, including ourselves, do we have a "gentle hand for correcting those who are obstinate in their errors (2 Tim 2:24-25)? (page 136)

6. Think of a time when the illumination of the Holy Spirit has brought you into harmony with God's will. How did this experience enrich your soul? (pages 139 and 142)

7. Do we expect too much of our husbands? (page 146)

Chapter 7: The Spirit of Poverty

1. In what way is the spirit of poverty, defined by Sheen as dependence on God and recognition of our own unworthiness, a part of your spiritual life? Have you had a lesson in "divine trust" recently? Did it come at the price of your will, self-reliance or economic security? (page 119-120)

2. What constitutes our heavenly wealth? (page 122)

3. To what extent or in what area do we seek outside validation/compliments? How can we counteract these sources of pride? (page 123)

4. How can we keep our concern for material things in check while still tending to the needs of our family? (page 126)

5. In what ways can we practice the spirit of poverty in regard to time and self-satisfaction? (page 127)

6. How can we increase our gratitude and humility as "pardoned rebels"? (page 131)

Chapter 6: The Spirit and Conversion

1. Looking back on your spiritual journey, identify at least one key conversion experience. Did it begin as a moral crisis of physical, emotional or spiritual suffering? Was it a crisis of the soul? How have you become a "new" person as a result of the experience? (pages 106-107)

2. When you have the opportunity to discuss matters of faith with non-believers, are their objections more often intellectual or moral? Has the Spirit had an apologetic success through you? (pages 111-112)

3. As mothers, is love the foundation of our authority over our child(ren)? (page 115)

4. "The Scriptures are not merely a record of historical events that have passed. They constitute for every age a revelation of God's mind and Will to each individual." When have you experienced God clearly speaking to you through Scripture? (page 117)

Chapter 5: The Holy Spirit and the Priest

A definition from page 105 "...countless masses of souls that are like gold inglots (a bar or block of metal) covered with dross (scum)."

1. How can we be more attentive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, especially in the midst of our day? (page 92, 95)

2. Do we desire Christ to be our constant companion? In what part of our day/life do we tend to forget or ignore Him? (page 97)

3. Knowing that Christ died for every person, how can we better strive to love everyone with perfect charity? (page 98)

4. As you have become more conscious of your own sinfulness, has the Spirit "taken the fun" out of sinning, as Sheen observes? (page 99)

5. "Before we commit a sin, Satan assures us that it is of no consequence; after we commit a sin, he persuades us that it is unforgivable." How can we combat this lie of Satan's and avail ourselves to the grace of confession? (page 102)

6. What wonderful things has God done in your life recently? (page 104)

Chapter 4: The Holiness of the Priest

1. Sheen states that "[t]he priest's holiness helps to make the faithful holy. The sanctity of the Christian community, in turn, helps to make the priest holy." How have you seen this dynamic at work? (page 73)

2. Reflecting on the "Our Father for priests" (Jn 17:13-24), is there a specific priest you know who manifests one or more of these characteristics (perseverance, joy, deliverance from evil, holiness through sacrifices, unity, Our Lord's constant companions and enjoyment of His glory in heaven) in an extraordinary way? (page 75)

3. Why does God ask us to wrestle with Him as Jacob did? (page 78)

4. To what extent is prayer for vocations a part of your spirituality? In what other ways do you help foster vocations, especially those of your child(ren)? (page 79, 82 and 89)

5. How can our lives better express the message of Christ to others? (page 81)

6. "We do not save our souls alone; either we save it in the context of our neighbors and of the Mystical Body, or we lose it." How do you encourage those around you, especially in your immediate family, to grow in their relationship with Christ? (page 85)

7. Sheen observes that we often negotiate with the Lord: "Tell me first what you want me to do, and I will see whether I want to do it." How can we better dispose/surrender ourselves to follow the advice Eli gave to Samuel and "put yourself in God's hands. He will show you your work."? (page 89)

Chapter 3: Spiritual Generation

1. How does God's command to "increase and multiply" manifest itself in your life in the non-biological sense? (page 57)

2. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (2337) "chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift." How is chastity a source of "fire" in your marriage? (page 60)

3. As parents, we have the "power and duty to foster the vocation" of our child(ren). What practical means does this entail in your home? (pages 61, 67-72)

4. How do we invite others, especially non-believers in our own family, to embrace the faith? (page 63)

5. Sheen calls meditation the "self-denial that carries from the heart the dead things of the world." How have you seen this type of prayer bear fruit in your life? (page 67)

6. How can we help our child(ren) hear the voice of God, do good works and avoid sin? (page 70)

7. Do you have any success stories of "reform" either of yourself or your child(ren)? (page 71)