Participating in the Divine Life
The Witness of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing any more but to be cast out, and to be trodden on by men. You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain cannot be hid. Neither…
Read MoreCatholic Evangelization: Leading Others to Christ
Most Catholics get really nervous when the topic of Catholic evangelization pops up. And I can’t say I blame them. After all, what vision comes to mind when we think of evangelization? For me, it’s the street preachers I passed in college yelling out, “If you died tonight, do you know for sure you’d go…
Read MoreWhere Are All the Catholics Living Faith?
If Catholics really had a living faith they would be an unstoppable force for good in the world. But the sad fact is, most Catholics are not living as disciples of Jesus. Do you want to miss the opportunity of a lifetime? I know it sounds judgmental for me to say that most Catholics are…
Read MoreSpiritual Growth in Lumen Gentium from Vatican II
Lumen Gentium is the Sacred Constitution on the Church. Pope Paul VI wrote the encycilcal Ecclesiam Suam (Pathways of the Church),. In that document, he tells us that Lumen Gentium is an examination of conscience for the Church. It asks the question, “Church, what do you say of yourself?” It uses Sacred Scripture and Sacred…
Read MoreVatican II – What is Renewal?
What exactly did the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council mean by calling for a renewal of the Church? One thing that amazes me is that even after 50 years, people, in general, are still pretty mystified about what Vatican II was all about and what exactly renewal of the Church was meant to be. This is…
Read MoreLiving the Evangelical Counsels in Your State of Life
Living as a disciple of Christ involves living out our vocation, our office, and our mission. We do all of this within a state of life – whether we are married, ordained, or in the consecrated or religious life. Each of us is equipped and called in a unique way by the Holy Spirit. However,…
Read MoreDiscerning Your Mission by Examining Your Heart
[google-drive-embed url=”https://drive.google.com/a/ntpu.info/uc?id=1JOTyzaxAdDju8sLulo5gSLNT0tv2mQt-&export=download” title=”Show Notes Button.png” icon=”https://drive-thirdparty.googleusercontent.com/16/type/image/png” width=”300″ height=”97″ extra=”image” style=”embed”] We’re in the Public Courtyard this month, doing some thinking about what mission God has called us to. Remember that your mission is the way that God has called and equipped you to serve the Kingdom of God and to participate in the Divine…
Read MoreSpiritual Gifts – the Prophetic Charisms
Spiritual Gifts and the Prophetic Mission Through our baptism, every Christian is called to participate in Jesus’ prophetic mission – to share the Gospel through teaching and preaching. But some of us are specially equipped and empowered through specific charismatic graces to make this part of our Lord’s mission central to their lives. The prophetic…
Read MoreThe Importance of Living Faith In Discernment (& What You Need to Discern)
One thing that makes living faith difficult is that we often struggle to know God’s will for our lives. Of course, the paradox is that we don’t take the time to discern God’s will – or if we do we don’t really understand what to listen for. Sometimes God will speak directly to our hearts…
Read MoreLiving Faith – Learning to Love In Your Vocation
The basics of Catholic spiritual growth are about becoming the person God wants you to be and realizing the destiny that He has planned for us. But in the end Catholic spiritual growth and having a truly living faith are all about growing in love. That’s exactly what your vocation is all about. Your vocation…
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