Host James Martin, S.J., welcomes Isaac Slater, OCSO, a Trappist monk, poet, and author of “Do Not Judge Anyone: Desert Wisdom for a Polarized World.” They discuss:

00:00 Who is Isaac Slater, OCSO?
1:53: Audience question: What do spiritual teachers struggle with in the spiritual life?
6:45: Life as a Trappist monk
9:58 How silence allows God to reach us in a special way
19:27 How Fr. Isaac prays
24:25 Why human beings judge each other
27:38 How to overcome excuses and stop judging
34:58 The crisis of judging on social media
40:55 Why Jesus and the early monks focused on not judging others
42:38 Audience question answered by Fr. Isaac: What do spiritual teachers struggle with in the spiritual life?

Link to Fr. Jim’s spiritual advice article on this episode: https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2025/09/30/james-martin-isaac-slater-spiritual-life-judgement

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