And it might be taking you to hell.

When should you correct another Catholic… and when should you stay silent?

Many Catholics sincerely want to defend the truth, but good intentions are not enough. In this episode, Dan and Jordan explore one of the most neglected virtues in the Church today: charitable correction.

Drawing from Scripture, the wisdom of the saints, and hard lessons learned through years of ministry, they unpack why many attempts at “fraternal correction” actually become sins of pride, rash judgment, and speech.

Together they discuss Christ’s teaching in Matthew 18, St. Paul’s description of charity in 1 Corinthians 13, and practical principles for discerning whether you should speak at all.

They also examine real-world examples involving public figures, online debates, and the unique dangers of social media, showing why being right is not enough. Truth must always be spoken with humility, patience, and genuine love for the other person’s salvation.

In this episode:

• Why not every battle belongs to you
• The difference between defending truth and defending your ego
• What Matthew 18 actually teaches about correction
• Why private conversations should come before public criticism
• The importance of earning “a seat at someone’s table”
• How charity changes the way we speak
• Why assumptions are often forms of rash judgment
• The danger of online Catholic outrage
• How to know whether God is calling you to speak or remain silent

The goal of correction is never humiliation. It is always the salvation of souls.

Why do so many Catholics remain trapped in the same sins year after year?

In this episode of The Devil Is in the Details, Dan and Jordan Burke continue their journey through The Devil in the Castle, beginning a closer examination of the purgative way, the first major phase of the spiritual life.

Most Catholics are somewhere within this stage. The soul may sincerely desire God and regret serious sin, yet still struggle with habitual mortal sin, inadequate confession, avoidance of suffering, inconsistent prayer, and a lack of awareness about the patterns that repeatedly lead to failure.

Dan and Jordan explore the first stage of the purgative way, which Dom Chautard calls mediocre piety, and explain what must change before genuine spiritual progress can occur.

They discuss why regret alone is not enough, what a firm purpose of amendment actually requires, how venial sins prepare the way for more serious falls, and why freedom demands more than simply “trying harder.” It requires humility, strategy, accountability, prayer, and a willingness to suffer rather than continually escape through distraction or sin.

In this episode:

• What the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways mean
• Why most Catholics remain in the purgative way
• The signs of mediocre piety
• Why habitual mortal sin must become your highest spiritual priority
• What makes a confession inadequate
• The meaning of a firm purpose of amendment
• How to identify the patterns that lead to repeated sin
• Why venial sin cannot be treated as insignificant
• How the avoidance of suffering keeps us spiritually immature
• Why prayer often begins as self-focused petition
• How a daily examination of conscience wakes us up
• The importance of gratitude, accountability, and a rule of life

The spiritual battle is rarely fought in dramatic moments. It is fought in the ordinary details of daily life: getting out of bed, resisting temptation, examining your choices, accepting suffering, and returning faithfully to prayer and the sacraments.

Freedom begins when excuses end and the soul becomes willing to cooperate seriously with grace.

How can you tell whether you are actually growing in the spiritual life?

In this episode of The Devil Is in the Details, Dan and Jordan Burke continue their series through The Devil in the Castle, exploring the Third Mansion of St. Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle and the signs that a soul is beginning to make real spiritual progress.

The Third Mansion marks a serious transition. Habitual mortal sin is being overcome, mental prayer has become more consistent, and love of God begins to reshape how a person speaks, dresses, works, manages responsibilities, and treats others.

But spiritual growth is also easy to misunderstand.

Dan and Jordan discuss why mystical experiences are not reliable evidence of holiness, how pride can distort our perception of where we are spiritually, and why love, humility, virtue, and fidelity are far better indicators of progress than visions, locutions, or extraordinary experiences.

They also examine the three traditional stages of the spiritual life: the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways, and explain why understanding your general trajectory matters more than obsessing over exactly which mansion you occupy.

In this episode:

• Signs of progress in the Third Mansion
• What it means to overcome habitual mortal sin
• Why mental prayer is essential for spiritual growth
• How love changes speech, dress, work, and relationships
• Why sins of the tongue reveal spiritual immaturity
• The purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways
• Whether someone can be in two mansions at once
• Why mystical experiences do not prove holiness
• How the enemy can imitate spiritual experiences
• Why humility and love are the truest signs of progress
• The importance of confession, the Eucharist, and a rule of life

The spiritual life is usually not dramatic. It is built through ordinary fidelity: getting up, praying, fighting sin, receiving the sacraments, fulfilling your duties, and beginning again.