Catholic Spirituality?

[mortify]

As you may or may not know, I am a revert to Christianity with an original intent to become Orthodox but because I had been raised Catholic I decided to give this route a try. There is certainly a lot to say for the authority that the Catholic Church is based on, and this seems to be a very big factor in the conversion of the many souls, particularly those from Protestantism. But it seems with all this focus on the Church, her Petrine authority, etc, there is a real lack of anything spiritual. In fact, if you look up books on Catholicism it's very hard to get anything of a spiritual significance. Now I know there is a lot of material on charismatic movements, Jesus-movements, and several others that seem to have some parallel with protestant movements, and then of course there are the writings of Saints, but what I'm concerned about is the spirituality that is truly inherent and intrinsic to Catholicism. Something we could find the peasants of the middle ages or urban Catholics in the early 20th century engaging in. If you had to talk about the spirituality inherent to Catholicism, the kind that is accessible to all, what would you say?

[Dismas]

I'm not sure entirely what you are asking, as I am rather tired and not making much sense even to myself right now. Even so, here are some things to try.

First, there is daily Mass. How can you not get closer to Jesus than this?

I would suggest going to a church during the off hours of the day, and just adoring Christ in the tabernacle or monstrance. Spend a good hour just listening to Christ. Sometimes it takes a good long time before Jesus enters your heart, but it has power.

Also, I would suggest getting the Liturgy of the Hours, learn how to say the Hours, and practice it. If you need help, ask your priest if he could spare some time to show you, or carefully read the instructions.

Pick up a rosary, some people even hand them out for free. Pray the Gospel through with Mary, and begin to interiorize Jesus most intimately.

Pick up a booklet of meditations of the Stations of the Cross. I am partial to St. Francis over St. Alphonsus Liguori, however it is a matter of taste. You do not need these meditations to perform the Stations, but it is insightful.

Kiss a blessed crucifix. This is a powerful sacramental often overlooked nowadays. Take into your heart the meaning of taking up your cross and following Him.

Take up fasting. Sure, this is a pain, but it works, and its power even the greatest of demons must reckon with.

Become active in the local St. Vincent De Paul Society, or other such charity of the Church. The Early Fathers often praised fasting and almsgiving in conjunction to prayer, even stating that they are the wings of prayer.

These are the most common, basic, and the most powerful spiritual activities most accessible to Catholics in regards to prayer life. Sadly, much of this is overlooked. I suppose those who are active in the Faith are so concerned, and rightfully so, that the tremendous lacking of catechesis over the past couple of generations needs to be rectified. I hope you can hang in there, as there is a great wealth in spirituality, mysticism, and intimacy within the Catholic faith. You just have to scratch the surface a little harder.