Go to Part I “Spiritual formation is directed at nourishing and sustaining communion with God . . . This intimate relationship forms the heart of the seminarian in that sacrificial love that marks the beginning of pastoral charity.”[1. Na … [Read more...]
Heaven in the Heart
“It seems to me that I have found my heaven on earth, because my heaven is you, my God, and you are in my soul. You in me, and I in you — may this be my motto.” ~ St. Elizabeth of the Trinity What is the greatest earthly love we have known … [Read more...]
Alpha and Omega
Francis of Assisi is known to have said: “Sanctify yourself, and you will sanctify society.” On the Christian map, there are many roads to sanctity. Whatever the road, there is only one major and very necessary guide for this journey. His na … [Read more...]
Book Reviews – April 2019
Reflections on the Sacred Liturgy, Vol. I: Lent & Holy Week By Fr. Thomas Hoisington. Reviewed by Stephanie A. Mann. (skip to review) Off the Hook: God, Love, Dating, and Marriage in a Hookup World By Timothy P. O’Malley. Reviewed b … [Read more...]
The Burning of a Cathedral
The Indestructible and Inconsumable Mysteries that Burn Within
Flames ravage the iconic Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, France. A priest, along with firefighters, rushes to rescue the Blessed Sacrament as well as the famous relic of the Crown of Thorns. All of this on what might be called Holy or … [Read more...]
Love’s Oblation
William L. Stidger told about a young lad he had baptized as a baby. The boy grew up, and when World War II began, he joined the Navy. One night his ship came into Boston, and the lad visited his former pastor and friend. During their visit … [Read more...]
Praying on Cue
It's 3:10 on Friday afternoon and your boss hands you an urgent request. It’s from an important client, and you have to handle it by close of business. You’re already managing way too many tasks and projects, but the boss insists, so you add … [Read more...]
Prayer as Energy for the Road
Every man has two journeys to make through life. There is the outer journey, with its various incidents and milestones. There is also an inner journey, a spiritual odyssey, with a secret history of its own. (William Inge) Like our physical … [Read more...]
Conversion, Consecration, Communion
Movements into Salvation
The Sequence in Salvation History This sequence—Conversion, Consecration, Communion—can describe three steps in several important processes, in the Catholic Faith. Historically, it can describe periods in the salvation history of humanity. … [Read more...]
Summer Reading for August 2015
Soul-Centered: Spirituality for People on the Go. Jim Clarke. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2015) 144 pages; $14.95. (Reviewed by Melinda Selmys) _____________ Make the Words Your Own: An Early Christian Guide to the Psalms. Benjamin … [Read more...]
To Listen to the Voice of God
We all have a desire to be listened to and taken seriously. There is nothing more frustrating than not being listened to, when someone does not either look at us when we talk to him, or let us finish our sentences. It leaves us feeling … [Read more...]
The Real Presence
One of the pillars of Catholic doctrine is the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. According to this doctrine, at the consecration of the bread and wine during the Mass, although the appearances remain unchanged, the bread becomes the … [Read more...]
What Happens to a Church When the Members Won’t Grow Up?
The problem for the Church is ... the spiritual immaturity of men and of women in the Church, and the lack of guidance they are receiving on how to grow up to spiritual maturity as Catholic Christians. What happens to … [Read more...]
The Interior Life
The interior life for a Catholic means finding God in all things, leading to a life of contemplation in action. Faith in Jesus Christ has consequences. A devout Catholic, who takes his faith seriously, will live in way that is in … [Read more...]
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