Spiritual and Material
“In a culture where materialism is not seen as unusual, it’s fascinating how immaterial the spiritual life is for many…When one’s material needs consume all one’s attention, nothing more will be sought after; the demands of physical life can totally colonize the mind.” (Father Stephen Freeman, Matthew the Poor) “This is important to bear in mind as we go through a world that boasts of its objectivity and commitment to what’s “really there.” To the average modern person, objec
Autonomy
“So there is always the law of God or the law of destruction in our human mind and heart. That would be a teaching of St. Paul in the letter to the Romans, very clearly, the seventh and eighth chapters. There’s always another law working in a human being. We’re never simply autonomous. So when people ask, “Was it me or was it the devil in me?” or “Was it me or was it the Holy Spirit in me, or Christ in me?” Sometimes people ask that. St. Paul says, “When I do good, I can do a
Good and Evil
“An evil person is not someone who is nothing but evil, someone with no redeeming features or virtues whatsoever. An evil person is not a...
Individualism (Modern Notions)
“By offering our time and energy to attend to the mundane matters necessary for the wellbeing of the Church, we grow in love for Him in...
Light or Darkness
“God is He of Whom no questions would arise within us if we weren’t sinful, if we hadn’t fallen from Paradise, as chicks fall from their...
Cross
“To be made in the image of God is a sign of highest dignity; so high, in fact, that outside of Christ no human being can even be said to...
Human Nature
“Human life consists of two components: one is internal, invisible, and the other external, visible. The first is all the spiritual...
Asceticism
“There is a kind of moral person with a passion for cleanliness, who runs to confession because for him any little spot is unbearable,...
Freedom (as a gift)
“We relish this concept of unfettered freedom. But, of course, it is absurd, even for a secularist. For whether we choose to admit it or...
Fasting
“The Genesis narrative shows that the relationship between Man and God is not primarily an intellectual one (the contemplative raising of...