In today’s gospel we hear the greatest commandment: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” If we only have the bandwidth to do one thing in a day, this needs to be our highest priority. We were made to love God.
Continue reading “Made to Love God”
Richard Rohr states that if the universal addiction is to our own pattern of thinking-which is invariably dualistic-the primary spiritual path must be some form of contemplative practice. We must somehow lose our limited perspective which binds us up.
Continue reading “Losing What Binds Us”
Fifteen hundred years ago, Benedict of Nursia came out of his hermit’s cave and founded a monastery in Italy on the rocky crag of Monte Cassino. There he wrote the Rule that laid the cornerstone for monastic religious orders ever after. Benedict’s monastic spirit and discipline so revolutionized a newly Christianized Europe that there is little wonder that his namesake, Pope Benedict XVI, applauded Benedict’s title Patron of Europe, bestowed on the saint in 1964.
Continue reading “A Rule of Life”
Everyone seems to be searching for the key to lasting happiness in this life. We want to escape the intense amount of anxiety we feel on a daily basis and desperately want to be happy.
Often we will go to our “comforts” for happiness, whether it is scrolling on our phone or binging on the latest Netflix show.
Or we may seek out food or drinks that mask the feelings inside of us, giving us a momentary feeling of pleasure that fills in the hole of happiness in our heart for a little while.
However, ultimately these material things will not lead to lasting happiness, a reality that many of the saints understood. Abandonment to the will of God is the secret of happiness on earth. Knowing and acting in God’s grace allows us to flow in the face of struggle and strong in faith not overcome by anxiety.
It’s worth the struggle!
“Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God’s call.”— St. Josemaria Escriva
We are given the gift of joy despite our circumstances and encourage each other with kindness and compassion. We do this through proper discernment and orientation of our motives. In his book Finding God’s Will for You, St Francis De Sales asks us to look at the intentions around how we do what God directs us to do.
Continue reading “Intention of Heart”
A life of faith is a life of purpose—one rooted in love, service, and intentionality. As believers, we’re called to reflect God’s love by serving others through simple acts of kindness and generosity, letting our compassion reach neighbors, friends, and family.
Let all creatures praise the Lord
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Much of the Bible calls us to entrust our lives completely to God compelling us to meditate on the meaning of faith. The Scriptures rest upon faith and remain inspired by the Spirit of faith.
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We will never be free of trials and temptations as long as our earthly life lasts. Job said it well: “Is not the life of human beings on earth a drudgery?’ (Job 7:1). We should always be on our guard against temptations, always praying that our enemy, the devil, ‘who never sleeps but constantly looks for someone to devour.’ (1 Pet 5:8), will not catch us off guard. No one in this world is so perfect or holy as not to have temptations sometimes.
Continue reading “The Gift of Temptation”
Throughout her lifetime, Mary embodied a profound love for Christ, submitting herself to God’s will in cheerful obedience despite difficulties. Dedicated to honoring the interior life of the Blessed Mother, the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary which we celebrate today, reflects upon her heart of love for God, celebrating her joys, sorrows, and virtues.
Continue reading “Love Despite Sorrow”
