Posts Tagged ‘Heaven’
Why Catholic Prayer Depends on an Accurate Vision of Heaven
The goal of all Catholic spirituality is to get to Heaven. But if we have a messed up view of Heaven, how are we supposed to know how to get there? An inaccurate view of Heaven can seriously interfere with your prayer life because to misunderstand Heaven is to misunderstand your relationship with God. You…
Read MoreGrowing in the Theological Virtues: Hope and the Bus Stop
The fruits of spiritual growth from the theological virtues, including the virtue of hope, are lived in this life. But the true object of our hope lies at the other end of death. Saint Paul tells us, “In the end, three things remain: faith, hope and love.” Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that of the theological…
Read MoreGrowing in the Theological Virtues and Our Hope for Heaven
The theological virtues are necessary for spiritual growth. The theological virtue of hope is very important because trust is the first part of any relationship. While the theological virtue of hope means trust in any promise that God makes us, it is primarily trusting in God’s promise of Heaven. There are three conditions needed to…
Read MoreGrowing in the Theological Virtues – Hope Means Learning to Trust
Spiritual growth means growth in the theological virtues. Theological virtues are directly related to our relationship with God. God leads us to a relationship with him based on the way that human relationships work. Sure, he could just “zap” us in to intimacy with Him. But he chooses to approach us in ways that are…
Read MoreGrowing in the Theological Virtues – Hope and Heaven
Is Your Hope Manly or Wimpy? The theological virtues are infused into our souls at the time of our baptism. In other words, if you are baptized, you have the virtue of hope. Hope is a supernatural virtue, which means that through God’s grace it strengthens our ability to have a relationship with God and…
Read MoreLasting Friendships – Not Even Death Can Destroy True Friendship
Cultivating and nurturing good Christian friendship is an important part of Catholic spiritual growth. Unfortunately, there are some influences in our lives that make it difficult for us to even want to put the effort and energy into cultivating lasting friendships. Nurturing friendship is hard work! Depending on your age, it might surprise you to…
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