When I began this retreat in February 1986, I was living with my parents and 12-year-old son, John, and subsisting on a small disability income due to extensive nerve damage in both of my legs as well as other chronic health problems. I rarely left my room suite of rooms except to go to Mass and to see my doctors. Much of my time was spent in writing, mainly on ancient and medieval history and culture, for several newsletters of the various Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in American Mensa, Ltd. (the so-called “high IQ” society). I also edited the Catholic SIG newsletter and coordinated the group’s by-mail activities.

It was through this last SIG that the experiment in spiritual direction by mail came to be. I had been praying for a spiritual director to help me grow, and one showed up in my mailbox, as it were, asking to become a member of the group. She also asked if I knew of anyone who might be interested in participating in an experiment in spiritual direction by mail, which – of course! – was exactly what I had been praying for. They say that when the student is ready, the teacher will arrive, and I certainly found that to be true in this case.

What I’m posting on this web site are the prayer reviews that I wrote each day and mailed off on a weekly basis. Also included are the spiritual director’s marginal notes from the copy she returned to me, as well as the answers to any questions she posed from the transmittal letters I sent with the next batch of prayer reviews. I’m also adding, in some places, clarifying insights that I’ve had over the years since I wrote these reviews. In all cases, I’ll make it clear what was written at what time.

Unfortunately, at the moment, I can’t find the first one or two weeks’ prayer reviews, so the first entry here is picking things up already in progress. However, the only thing of importance in making sense out of what’s here is that in the very first days of the retreat God invited to me to make a covenant with Him. In return for my love and loyalty, He promised, through Scripture, to provide for and protect me. I make frequent reference to this covenant, so this is what that’s all about.

My purpose in posting these documents to the web is that I really feel that this is what God wants me to do with them. To be honest, I’m really not that enthusiastic about doing this. I’m a very private person, and this is akin to my running down Pennsylvania Avenue during rush hour stark naked. But, if the Boss thinks these prayer reviews can be useful to someone out there, then so be it. He knows what He’s doing, even if I don’t.

I would suggest, though, that you begin at the beginning and work through these pages sequentially as various themes are developed over time. Taking them out of context can easily lead to misunderstandings.