Tag: Perspective

Having a genuine heart toward God, instead of going through the motions outwardly, allowed Jesus to be heard by His Father in heaven. How genuine is your heart today? Here are a few reminders I’m thinking about to develop more reverence and a genuine heart.

The pure of heart perceives the mystery of sex. We perceive its depth, its seriousness, and its intimacy. 

We all need good role models. Especially when it comes to growing in reverence. I continue to be drawn to St. Joseph and walk with him and get to know him. St. Joseph is known as “the just man” and, as such, was a man of singular virtue. This strength of character, this reign of virtue, extended to all aspects of his life and his person—including his heart. His whole being was oriented to his God. His love was properly ordered, his affections purified.

What are some ways to be pure, guard your heart and live with reverence? We can properly order our physical appetites to our vocation.

Virtue helps us battle sin which can become our vices. Temperance helps us moderate our sensual desires, and helps us cast off the spirit of the world. Lust, one of the seven deadly sins, can be counterbalanced with chastity. Practicing virtue and choosing what is good reorients us to God and His goodness, and we grow in reverence. 

Creating Trustworthy Space

When we doubt our true nature and belovedness, we carry that in our heart. This battle finds its way into the world, many times without our awareness, breaking down trust. In the book The Courage Way, Shelly Francis and the Center for Courage and Renewal share ideas about creating spaces of trust among people of diverse backgrounds and beliefs. They have identified eleven “touchstones” or “ground rules” to help move groups into greater trust, belonging, and understanding:

In the secular world, according to the Free Dictionary, the word “chastity” is defined as the condition or quality of being chaste, especially the condition of not having had sexual intercourse or of abstaining from sexual relations.  But in reality, it is much more than that; it helps frame our dignity and how we treat others. This gift makes us free to love.

In the spiritual life, I can promise myself nothing without the special help of God . . . From one moment to another, I may fall into sin; consequently, even though I may have labored many years in acquiring virtues, I may in one instant lose all the good I have done, lose all my merit for eternity, and lose even that blessed eternity itself. It’s easy to doubt my true nature that God created, but with the Spirit’s help, I remember.