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 […]
holiness
220 posts
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 […]
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 […]
I was quietly sitting beside a small lake near our house this evening, and I was struck by how absolutely beautiful this world is, and how grateful I am to experience it. So I think it is no coincidence that I also had the opportunity to read a short article by Charlie McKinney of Sophia Institute Press entitled Gratitude Brings Many Blessings which highlights the ways that gratitude impacts our lives. He highlights in particular that gratitude increases humility and charity, is contagious, and finally, that it nurtures holiness. For myself, I can attest to the reality of all of […]
To assist you in your growth towards holiness… Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #20 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims on the Way! Food for the Head “Let the Word of God come; let it enter the church; let it become a consuming fire, that it may burn the hay and stubble, and consume whatever is worldly; there is heavy lead of iniquity in many; let it be molten by divine fire; let the gold and silver vessels be made better, in order that understanding and speech, refined by the heat of suffering, may begin to be more precious.” — St. Ambrose […]
Today is the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, and one of my favorite quotes of his is: With this mandate of St Ignatius in mind, and on this, his feast day, I want to declare publicly to each of you what it is that drives my ministry and is the foundation upon which the Say Yes community is built. I pray that these statements may resonate with you, and inspire you to strive for holiness each and every day of your life, so we may ALL become the living, breathing, wonder-working […]
I just realized that I have neglected to post my weekly Say Yes to Holiness newsletters here on my blog in addition to sending them out as a weekly email. (Duh!) My Newsletter is designed to inspire, encourage and challenge people to strive to live lives of holiness in the midst of the challenges, joys, and struggles of daily life. I will try to rectify my oversight going forward, but in the interim, please enjoy my latest newsletter that I sent out this week. God bless! Say Yes to Holiness Newsletter #19 Greetings, my Fellow Pilgrims! Food for the Head […]
This article from Leilamiller.net (and also shared via SpiritualDirection.com) does a beautiful job describing not only the three stages along the path of holiness, but also provides a great synopsis of how we perceive suffering during each stage. An illuminating read for anyone striving to grow in holiness. Enjoy! Because our culture is all about rejecting the cross, and because the cross is our ladder to Heaven, I want to talk about our perception of it. It’s spiritually helpful to know that our disposition toward the cross (suffering) will depend on where we are in the interior life. Traditional Catholic […]
“Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me.” These words from the Gospel always give me strength and encouragement, rather than condemnation or fear of judgment, particularly when I am faced with changes in my life like are going on right now in the aftermath of my mom having a stroke. When I’m faced with my cross—the one God has personally prepared especially for me, and what He will use to transform me into the saint He created me to be, I still have to be willing to take it up. Additionally, […]
Evening, my Friends! Have some news to share. First, my apologies for my absence in the last week as I have been dealing with managing the care for my mom in the aftermath of her having a stroke last Sunday. Praise be to God that she is recovering and is now doing acute rehab–3 hours a day of Occupational, Speech and Physical Therapy–so I would ask that you please keep her in your prayers in the weeks and months ahead as she works to recover. Second, I am pleased to be able to share the link to the episode of […]