Faith (During Adversity/Struggle)
“Our time is filled with sorrows; they are by the grace of The Creator an instrument of God’s Providence, at the same time, they also manage to serve “two masters”, becoming “loyal servants” of the enemy of the human race. It is this weapon that our enemy uses most effectively, undermining the faith of the weak in the wisdom of God’s Providence, causing cowardice, murmuring, and despair. All of this leaves a person with only sorrow itself alone, depriving them of a saving fru
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
Inspiration
“The word "inspire" means, literally, "to breathe upon," and the word "spirituality," which is at the root of the word "inspire," means the state of having been breathed upon. For this reason, the one who lives a life "in the Spirit", is one who has been breathed upon. This is one who has received the Holy Spirit as his life's inspiration. The 20th chapter of John tells us that the Apostles locked themselves in a room fearful that Christ's persecutors would crucify them as we
Fullness
“Two fundamental truths were incarnate in the Person of Christ: the truth of God and the truth of man. Without Christ, the truth of God would remain foreign to man’s mind and distant from his emotions. God would be an entity utterly removed from man’s experience; the only grounds for extolling Him would be His stark otherness, His sheer separation from our meager, sinful state Without Christ, the truth of man would likewise be obscured. For man would see himself only as a cre
Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance
“Many people today lack perseverance. We have become so accustomed to instantaneous communication and access to entertainment and...
Persistence in Prayer
“We all struggle to persist in prayer…Mercifully, Christ aids us in our labors at prayer. Our King and God presents us with three types...
Transcendence
“…our age is haunted. On the one hand, we live under a brass heaven, ensconced in immanence. We live in the twilight of both gods and...
Spiritual Progress and Regress
“It is not those who begin the race who are seen as champions, but only those who finish the race. As Jesus taught us in Matthew 10:22 –...
