Love of Self
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple (Lk 14.26). This is the extreme and terrifying warning against all passionate attachments stronger and more powerful than one’s passionate attachment to Christ alone. And the greatest passion of all which keeps one from the love of God and the love of one’s neighbor is the sinful passion for oneself. Sinful sel
Love and Treatment of Others
“…love for a person does not at all mean blindness and thoughtlessness; it does not at all mean some sort of self-deception. The loving person sees the inadequacies, vices, and weaknesses of another, but above all this observation stands another, higher knowledge—namely: that a human being is something immeasurably greater than the sum total of his vices, sins, and inadequacies. Every human being is a child of God, who unconditionally deserves love. And all the darkness that
Impact
“For in a very real sense no general ‘man’ – be he American or any other – no ‘society’, no ‘culture’ has at any time truly accepted...
Forgiveness
“Christ seeks to examine within the heart of each believer. Have we embraced forgiveness of others truly? Have we embraced it in the same...
Anger
“If a man were to see himself in a mirror in a fit of anger, of rage, he’d be horrified and wouldn’t recognize himself with such a...
Self-Interest
“There is no doubt that people will act in their own self-interest. It is inherent in sin…Sooner or later, every disciple of the Lord...
Mistakes
“Once, a very spiritual professor…was asked: “Who was the greatest teacher in your life?” He replied: “My mistakes.” His mistakes were...
Gratitude and Grace
“Grace is a gift that is given to a person. And gratitude is his answer to a gift. The Lord gave man the whole world—in fact, the world...
Grief and Grieving
“There is a movement to our grief—a progression that leads to a conclusion. That conclusion is a place of acceptance and peace—acceptance...
Joy and Health
“The human person is soul and body, spiritual and physical, and the scientist of the soul must navigate the complex interrelationship of...