One of the most difficult challenges in the spiritual life is to continuously press ahead on the journey. To have an attitude similar to that expressed by Admiral David Farragut when he ordered, “Damn the torpedos, full speed ahead!” in the face of apparent disaster. Because making progress in the spiritual life is warfare. And the consequences of this war in which we are engaged has the highest of stakes–eternal life or death. However, there are two BIG challenges to forging ahead: 1)our human tendency to seek situations where we feel “comfortable,” and 2) to fail to use the weapons […]
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I was recently reading an article by Anthony Moore about the 5 Things You Must Sacrifice To Have A Better Future, and it got me to thinking. What are the things that we need to give up in order to have the life of purpose, peace, and abundance that God desires for us? After some prayer and contemplation, here’s my list of the 5 Things we should consider giving up if we really want to experience purpose, peace and abundance in our lives. 1) Comparing your Spiritual Life to Other People’s Spiritual Lives Probably one of the BIGGEST obstacles to […]
The phrase “Waiting is a kind of suffering” leapt out to me as I was reading an article by Claire Dwyer recently. This particularly holds true in my life right now as I am accompanying my mom on her journey of recovery from a stroke that she suffered at the end of June. The process of recovery from any kind of major medical event can be challenging and tedious, but it’s the length of time that recovery can take that usually causes us to experience “waiting as suffering.” However, I think that anyone who has lived through a time of […]
For your inspiration and encouragement on the journey towards holiness, here is… Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #23 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims on the Way! Food for the Head “Reading the holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man’s attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God. Two kinds of study are called for here. We must first learn how the Scriptures are to be understood, and then see how to expound them with profit and in a manner worthy of them . . . No […]
For your inspiration and encouragement on the journey towards holiness… Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #22 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims on the Way! Food for the Head “This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections.” -St. Augustine How well do you know yourself? Are you REALLY open to an assessment of your ideas and actions, especially those that pertain to your spiritual practices? Do you seek out the advice of a spiritual mentor or director, or a close friend(s) in order to discover your imperfections? This week, make a commitment to seek out spiritual […]
Was just reading a great article by Connie Rossini entitled, Praying Always and Set Times of Prayer, and she pointed out the fact that many people will substitute the idea of “praying always” (off and on throughout the day) in lieu of establishing a habit of daily mental prayer. Connie makes an accurate observation here, but her article caused me to reflect upon WHY this normally happens, as well as what is the ONE thing that we can do to change this situation in our lives forever. First, the why. It’s actually fairly simple, LIFE. Although simple, the reasons can […]
If, in light of the latest Pew Research Study, you have been wondering why so few Catholics actually believe that the Real Presence of Jesus–His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity–is actually present in the Most Holy Eucharist, then you’ll appreciate this article by Dr Anthony Lilles that was posted on SpiritualDirection.com. Here’s just a short excerpt: “Catholics do not believe in the Real Presence of the Risen Lord because teachers, ministers, and public voices have winked at evil and rejected the demands of the Gospel. We wanted the comfortable and the reality of this Presence was inconvenient.” Vivo Christo Rey! […]
I just finished reading a great book by Anthony Moore, a personal growth and self-improvement author on Medium, entitled, What Extraordinary People Know: How to Cut the Busy B.S. and Live Your Kick-Ass Life. I personally think Anthony knocks it out of the park in his straightforward and no-nonsense presentation about what is necessary to live the life you truly desire. He does this by brilliantly breaking down the process of how to discover the life you’ve always imagined into three parts–where you are now, how to break free of your current circumstances, and then concludes with how to continue […]
Was reading a really well researched article about Montessori education and it caused me to wonder why, in the wake of our failing education system, are there not more Montessori schools in our communities? Our youngest son was the beneficiary of attending a Montessori school from age 3 through kindergarten, and I would advocate for every parent to at least consider Montessori if it’s an option in your area. Anyway, enjoy the article, and would love to know your thoughts about it! https://www.americamagazine.org/politics-society/2018/06/29/montessori-schools-are-exceptionally-successful-so-why-arent-there-more
For your inspiration and encouragement on the journey towards holiness… Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #21 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims on the Way! Food for the Head “Young people need the light of watchful guides to lead them on the path of salvation.” — St. John Baptist de la Salle How well are you serving as a “watchful guide” leading the young people in your life? Are you actively engaging and conversing with them BY NAME as you accompany them on the path of salvation? Do you know what their current struggles are? Is it with faith, or addiction, or […]