Ever wondered why many people in our society today claim to be spiritual, but not religious? Much research has been about this, but I think it’s actually fairly simple–people no longer have adequate fear of the Lord. What is fear of the Lord? According to Blessed Fr. John Hardon, SJ, fear of the Lord: “… inspires a person with profound respect for the majesty of God. Its corresponding effects are protection from sin through dread of offending the Lord, and a strong confidence in the power of His help. The fear of the Lord is not servile but filial. It […]
Yearly Archives: 2018
61 posts
“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” — St. Augustine This quote by St Augustine has made its rounds in various forms throughout the years since Augustine first wrote it back in the 4th century. However, the truth of it has never wavered. I have periodically shared this quote with folks, but usually in the context of encouraging them to do the work necessary and not simply wait on the Holy Spirit to take care of whatever situation or task they are doing. In this case, though, I am taking the opposite tact […]
For many today, love is understood to mean that you must accept whomever the person says they are and whatever it is that they choose to do. This supposedly shows you have respect for the person’s freedom and individuality, and how they choose to express themselves. Yet, I came across a quote that I’d like for you to think about: “Announcing the Gospel is the first and greatest act of charity.” — St. Arnold Janssen True love always desires the best for the other. And to desire the best for another includes being honest and straightforward with them–even when the […]
So often in my life, I look around and realize how comfortable I am. Not just physically with the blessings of a house, car, clean and ample water, food, and clothing, but am spiritually comfortable as well, and it gives me pause. Why you might ask? Simply because to be growing in the spiritual life means so often to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. It’s a phrase I use to gauge whether I truly am doing all I can in my life to avoid sloth and pursue holiness vs being distracted by the allures of the world. Because sloth is […]
One of the greatest challenges of life is how we respond to challenges, setbacks, and disappointments that invariably come along in the midst of life. In these moments, each of us has the choice to either give up, or to persevere. Many times we listen to the inner voice that tells us that we are not worthy, not capable, or not good enough, and we set aside the goal(s) that we are pursuing. Or we embrace the struggle, learn from the setbacks and continue to persevere in whatever it is that we are attempting to do on the journey. It […]
Today, I read an article and saw a video that depicted the spread of Christianity for the last 2000 years. (I’ll paste a link to the article and video below) As I watched the video, I was struck by the reality of how the Gospel spread across the world throughout the centuries, even before the advent of all the communications methods like phones, radio, television, internet, and social media that are so commonplace today. Before modern communications, individuals simply shared the joy of the Good News with each other in a very simple, but profoundly powerful way. How? By sharing […]
Many times when people hear stories about people who are saints, like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II, or Maximillian Kolbe, the response tends to be, “Well, that’s great, but I could never be like them.” The reality is actually quite the opposite, as all the people throughout history who eventually became saints share 7 common characteristics that we can incorporate and practice in our own lives, too. 1) Daily Prayer and Meditation All saints prayed every day. Their prayer styles were as different as each of them were, but the commonality was that each of them spent […]
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened. You will find rest. My yoke is easy.”–Matthew 11:28-30 In the midst of our crazy, chaotic world, finding rest, let alone peace can be a major accomplishment, particularly since our world tends to think that “being at rest”, or “being peaceful” is completely unproductive and a waste of time. In fact, although the world tends to perceive the practicing of one’s faith in God as restrictive of one’s freedom and onerously burdensome, so therefore not a restful or peaceful way of living, the reality is actually far different. “Coming to […]
The freedom to choose and exercise our will is what makes us human beings. No other creatures on this earth have this capacity. Our world is increasingly made up of choices–about what we buy, eat, watch, listen, read, etc.–I mean, really, how many options do we need to have for our coffee in the morning? Yet, an unintended consequence of all the choices around us, is we become overwhelmed, and an inertia slowly develops that gradually paralyzes us and eventually decreases our ability to make any choices. The unnamed evil of our times is acedia, or sloth, which is not […]
“If today you hear the sound of God’s voice, harden not your hearts.” This verse from Scripture always gives me pause. Pause because I have to consider 2 things: 1) whether I have heard God’s voice, and if so, what have I heard? And 2) if I haven’t heard God’s voice, is it because my heart is closed to hearing? Or does my heart hear, but I ignore it because something is distracting me? Our Lord asks one thing of us, and that is for us to give Him our whole selves, and what this verse does is force me […]