Christian Friendship – Who Knew It Could Make You Smarter?
There are many benefits of friendship that make conscious, deliberate cultivation of good Christian friendship worthwhile. Friendship leads us to the enlightenment of intimacy. It also gives us much needed social support. Good Judgment Another wonderful benefit of friendship is the help that other people give us in making judgments about our lives. This help…
Read MoreChristian Friendship and the Necessity of Forgiveness
Like all areas of Catholic spiritual growth, keeping a Christian friendship strong requires some conscious, deliberate effort. We need to cultivate and nourish our friendships by giving them the gift of time and by consecrating them with a relationship with God. Unfortunately, even when we take the time and effort to carefully nurture our relationships,…
Read MoreDon’t Mistaken Social Justice for Charity
Christian friendship is incredibly important to our spiritual growth. Christ calls us to charity – a grace-filled, self-sacrificing love that fills the hearts of others with the love of God. Our Catholic school has taken up the cause of helping our local food pantry by providing meals for people in transitional housing. The food pantry…
Read MoreLiving the Theological Virtues: Vocation and Charity
Living the theological virtues – faith, hope and charity – would be impossible without grace. But even with grace the theological virtues are difficult. Hope fully lived is complete trust in God. Do you trust God completely? Faith fully lived is deep intimacy with God. How well do you know God’s mind and heart? Charity…
Read MoreCatholic Prayer is a Personal Relationship with Jesus
Do Catholics believe in a “personal relationship with God? It may surprise you to learn that the answer is yes. However, what we mean by this term is quite different from what other Christians may mean. For Catholics, having a personal relationship with God means to enter into the Mystery of Divine Intimacy. But properly…
Read MoreThe Virtue of Prudence: Living Deliberately
So, we’ve talked about the moral virtue of prudence. We’ve seen how this virtue can help us take control of our time and move our lives forward. This is the first step in using this virtue to fulfill your human potential. How the Virtue of Prudence Helps You Fulfill Your Human Potential Prudence is a natural virtue, associated…
Read MoreFour Ways to Build Your Inner Sanctuary
First Key to Spiritual Growth: Taking Control of Your Life through the Virtue of Prudence Are You Overwhelmed by the World? When I talk to people about the obstacles they face in growing in their Catholic spirituality, one response that I get quite consistently is the problem of being distracted by the world. The world…
Read MoreRealize the Adventure of Your Faith – Live Your Mission!
The final concern that came through the client survey has to do – directly or indirectly – with Catholic evangelization. Many of you were concerned about loved ones – often grown children – who are no longer living the faith. It looks like you are trying some wonderful things to win their hearts back to God’s…
Read MoreAbraham – God Begins to Bring Humanity Back to the Covenant
Even though humanity had given up on the Covenant, God never has. The rest of Salvation History is the story of God gently calling us back to the Divine Family by teaching us how to trust, obey and love Him. God takes the first step with a man named Abaram. The main lesson that god…
Read MoreHow the Moral Conscience Leads to True Human Freedom
I am free to follow my conscience. I am sure that you’ve heard a lot about the freedom of conscience. These two words tend to go together in people’s minds. But is this a Catholic concept? Am I really free to follow my moral conscience? Well, Saint Thomas Aquinas would warn us that it…
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