The Loneliness of Holiness: Why Christians Often Feel Misunderstood | Devil in the Castle Chapter 4

Is Halloween pagan? Can and should Christians celebrate Halloween? Should we be praying for the dead? In this Halloween Special Jordan Burke is joined by Charles Fraune, founder of Slaying Dragons Press and author of Exercising Halloween(https://slayingdragonspress.com), for a deep dive into one of the most misunderstood feast days in the Catholic Church. Drawing from extensive historical research, papal encyclicals, and the wisdom of the saints, they expose the lies that have been spread about Halloween and reveal the profound spiritual power that has been stolen from Catholics through fear, confusion, and cultural deception. For centuries, the Church has celebrated All Hallow Tide, a sacred triduum beginning with Christ the King, continuing through All Hallows Eve, and culminating in All Saints and All Souls. These are feast days of triumph, intercession, and communion with the Church Triumphant and the Church Suffering. They are days when superabundant grace flows into the world through the intercession of all the saints, when plenary indulgences are available for the poor souls in purgatory, and when Catholics are called to remember death, prepare for judgment, and fight for the salvation of souls. But the enemy has worked tirelessly to obscure these truths. Through the orchestrated efforts of Freemasonry, modern occultism, and cultural manipulation, Halloween has been rebranded as a pagan holiday, stripped of its Christian identity, and replaced with a counterfeit celebration that mocks death, glorifies darkness, and leads souls away from the Church. The historical claim that Halloween originates from Druid festivals is a complete fabrication. The Druids were wiped out by the Romans in the first century and left no written records. Modern occult movements have reconstructed false histories to justify their practices, but Halloween is and always has been a Catholic feast. Charles walks through the true history of Halloween, the theological significance of feast days according to the popes, and the deliberate Freemasonic attack on Catholic celebrations. He introduces the term Shadow Tide to distinguish the counterfeit occult culture from the authentic Catholic celebration, explains the proper Catholic use of death imagery through memento mori, and offers practical steps for restoring the dignity of All Hallow Tide in families, parishes, and communities. This conversation is both sobering and empowering, calling Catholics to stop living in fear, to reclaim what has always belonged to the Church, and to celebrate these holy days with the joy, reverence, and spiritual warfare they demand. Get The Book! https://slayingdragonspress.com/ In this episode: * Why Halloween is not pagan and never was * The historical lie about Druids and Samhain exposed * How Freemasonry orchestrated an attack on Catholic feast days * What the popes have said about the importance of feast days * Understanding the triduum: Christ the King, All Saints, and All Souls * Why these feast days bring superabundant grace and intercession * The power of plenary indulgences for the poor souls in purgatory * Shadow Tide: naming the counterfeit occult culture * Memento mori: the Catholic use of death imagery * Why skeletons and skulls belong to Catholic tradition * The danger of fear and how it paralyzes spiritual action * Why Catholics must push back and restore the dignity of All Hallow Tide * Practical steps for celebrating: litanies, prayers, candles, and customs * The thin veil: communion with the Church Triumphant and Suffering * How to discern real ghost stories from demonic deception * Why real ghosts are souls from purgatory seeking prayers * The role of unbleached candles and blessed sacramentals * How to talk to your children about death, judgment, and purgatory * Why this is spiritual warfare and how to fight well * Final encouragement: restore the dignity of our holy days The spiritual life is not about hiding from darkness. It is about proclaiming t

Are you making spiritual progress but feeling less joy in the world? Do you struggle to feel God's presence in prayer? Are you tempted to hold on to seemingly harmless attachments? In this episode of The Devil Is in the Details, Dan and Jordan Burke continue their journey through The Devil in the Castle, exploring the purgative difficulties that arise when authentic disciples approach the exit of the purgative way. This is the stage where mortal sin has become rare, venial sin is no longer habitual, and the soul is faithfully practicing mental prayer, examination of conscience, and frequent sacraments. But something unexpected begins to happen: the world loses its luster, prayer becomes dry, and the enemy launches subtle attacks designed to make you turn back. This is where most practicing Catholics get stuck. They've made real progress, they're objectively holy compared to the average Catholic, but they don't understand what's happening to them. The things they used to enjoy, sports, entertainment, hobbies, begin to feel empty. Prayer no longer brings consolation. And the devil whispers that God has abandoned them, that their faith was never real, that they're wasting their time. Dan and Jordan discuss why the dulling of affections toward created things is actually a sign of spiritual maturity, how contemplative aridity differs from desolation, and why showing up for prayer even when you feel nothing is the most important act of faithfulness you can make. They explore the enemy's key tactics at this stage: discouragement through aridity, persecution from unexpected sources, and the temptation to rationalize holding on to seemingly harmless attachments. They also address why so many Catholics remain spiritually asleep, never practicing mental prayer, never going to confession regularly, and never developing the disciplines necessary for authentic discipleship. This conversation is both sobering and encouraging, calling Catholics to recognize where they truly are in the spiritual journey while offering practical tools rooted in the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and the Church's spiritual tradition for persevering through the desert and entering into deeper union with God. In this episode: * Why most Catholics are not even beginners in the interior life * The horrifying reality that most Catholics don't practice mental prayer * Why you can't grow spiritually without diligent sacramental life and daily examen * The difference between knowing about God and knowing God relationally * Why invalid confessions and rote prayer create dangerous delusions * What purgative difficulties look like when you're nearing the exit * Why the world loses its luster and attachments begin to feel empty * How to recognize contemplative aridity versus desolation * The key sign: you don't feel God's presence but you still want to pray * Why the devil tells you God was never there and you've wasted your time * The secret to spiritual progress: keep showing up no matter what * Why persecution and criticism increase when you make spiritual progress * The temptation to rationalize holding on to seemingly harmless attachments * Why your emotions are not your GPS and should not lead your spiritual life * The importance of actively developing strong spiritual relationships * Why spiritual direction and accountability are essential at this stage * How to find authentic Catholic communities that are on fire for Christ * Why silence and the purification of memory make room for God * The danger of vegging out and consuming media without purpose * Why daily mental prayer, rosary, and examen are non negotiable * The encouragement: you've come a long way and God is leading you deeper The spiritual life is not about perfection. It is about faithfulness, cooperation with grace, and allowing the Lord to purify and transform you according to His will. The devil is in the details, but God is on the throne, and the God of peace will crush Satan und

Are you proud of how holy you are? How do you know if you’re holy? Are you in danger of falling into pride? How else can you do to get closer to God? In this episode of The Devil Is in the Details, Dan and Jordan Burke continue their journey through The Devil in the Castle, exploring the most misunderstood aspect of spiritual growth: where you actually are in the journey. Drawing from St. Teresa of Avila's Interior Castle and the wisdom of St. John of the Cross, they walk through the entire roadmap of spiritual progress, from the purgative way to the illuminative way to the unitive way, showing why most Catholics dramatically overestimate their spiritual maturity and miss the radical transformation God is calling them toward. This is the stage where most practicing Catholics get stuck. They attend Mass regularly, pray the rosary, go to confession occasionally, and think they're doing well. And comparatively, they are. But what they don't realize is that they're still in the beginner stages of the spiritual life, and the vast majority of the journey, the liberation, the joy, the deep union with God, is still ahead of them. The problem is self satisfaction. The higher you climb, the fewer people are around you, and the easier it is to look down and think you've arrived. Dan and Jordan discuss why the engaged Catholic often doesn't even know what sin is, how the devout Catholic without habitual sin faces even greater danger from pride, and why understanding the full structure of spiritual progress is essential for humility and continued growth. They explore what imperfections are and why they matter, how suffering becomes joyfully embraced in the unitive way, and what complete sanctity actually looks like according to the saints. In this episode: * Why most Catholics dramatically overestimate their spiritual maturity * The full roadmap of spiritual progress: purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways * What imperfections are and why they matter in advanced stages * The difference between noticing beauty and lingering in lust * Why internal irritation is an imperfection invisible to everyone but God * How suffering becomes joyfully embraced in the unitive way * What supernatural graces of contemplation look like * The danger of self satisfaction for engaged Catholics * Why the devout Catholic without habitual sin faces even greater pride * The human heart as an idol factory * Why knowing where you are in the journey is essential for humility * How the enemy uses self satisfaction to keep you stuck * The stoplight story revisited: how subtle imperfections are revealed * Why daily mental prayer, rosary, and examen are bare minimum * The positive side: what you've experienced is only a taste * God's invitation to deeper union, liberation, and joy * Why most Catholics have never left their spiritual city * The beauty and majesty of what God has ahead for you What questions do you have after watching today's video? Were you impacted in some way? If so, comment below! ______________________________________________________ The Devil in the Castle: St. Teresa of Ávila, Spiritual Warfare, and the Progress of the Soul is available through SpiritualDirection.com/shop, Kindle, and Audible. ______________________________________________________ ☦ABOUT US: Under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the mission of the Avila Foundation is to draw Christians worldwide into deeper union with Christ. Support the mission: https://www.avila-army.org/ ______________________________________________________ 👨🏽‍💻Websites: Home: https://spiritualdirection.com/ School: https://avila-institute.org/ Discernment: https://myhighcalling.com/resources/ Community: https://www.apostoliviae.org/ Events: https://SpiritualDirection.com/Events Books: https://SpiritualDirection.com/Shop

Are you faithful but still feel like a wreck? Struggling with a small sin you just can’t seem to stop? Wondering why holy people still fall into subtle sins? In this episode of The Devil Is in the Details, Dan and Jordan Burke continue their journey through the three ways of spiritual progress, exploring the illuminative way, the second phase of the spiritual life where objectively holy people face their deepest imperfections and discover a radical new kind of purification. This is the stage where mortal sin has become rare, venial sin is no longer habitual, and the soul fights even the smallest imperfections with intense sorrow and vigilance. But here's the paradox: the holier you become, the more aware you are of how far you still are from God. A sharp word at a stoplight, an unnecessary comment, a moment of irritation, these seemingly minor things become deeply painful because the Lord is calling you to a higher order of love. Dan and Jordan discuss why so few people exit the purgative way, what the transition crisis looks like when you realize you're objectively holy but still deeply flawed, and why rationalization versus growth determines whether you progress or stay stuck. They explore the role of prayer in the illuminative way, the difference between watchfulness and mindfulness, practical grounding techniques for spiritual warfare, and why suffering becomes the ultimate spiritual indicator. Drawing from the wisdom of St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and years of experience in spiritual direction, this conversation is both challenging and compassionate, calling Catholics to embrace the deeper purifications God offers while recognizing that imperfections are doorways the enemy uses to gain ground. In this episode: * Why so few people exit the purgative way * The transition crisis: knowing you're objectively holy but feeling like a wreck * The stoplight story: how subtle imperfections are revealed * Rationalization vs. growth: the choice that determines progress * Overview of the illuminative way and mansions four through six * Why venial sin and imperfections still matter deeply * The paradox: holy people who feel like wrecks * Why imperfections are doorways the enemy uses * The danger of unnecessary words and biting remarks * Jesus's glance: the call to higher love * Prayer life in the illuminative way: affective prayer and contemplative aridity * Watchfulness vs. mindfulness: Christian self awareness * Grounding techniques: getting out of your head during spiritual attacks * The body scan and self mastery * Why Catholic mindfulness language is irresponsible * The rosary walk: supernatural and natural healing combined * Daily examen: the practice of vigilant self awareness * Suffering as the ultimate spiritual indicator * Nothing is worth losing peace: the illuminative way truth * Attachments to emotions and God mode * Quantifying suffering and individual experience * Constant awareness of suffering's benefit * Sacramental life and relative perfection * Joyfully embracing suffering for others * Habitual prayer and hunger for the Eucharist * This IS spiritual warfare: the real battle * Small choices, big consequences: how the enemy gains ground * The subtle infection strategy: destroying families and lineages * The antidote: every step toward God removes a handle The spiritual life is not about perfection. It is about faithfulness, cooperation with grace, and allowing the Lord to purify and transform you according to His will. The devil is in the details, but God is on the throne, and the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet. What questions do you have after watching today's video? Were you impacted in some way? If so, comment below! ______________________________________________________ ☦ABOUT US: Under the patronage of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the mission of the Avila Foundation is to draw Christians worldwide into deeper union with Christ. Support the mission: https://www.avila-army.org/ _________

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