Come Away By Yourselves

The Christian life entails a struggle.   Growing in virtue and overcoming vice requires serious effort.  This struggle for holiness, however, may seem overwhelming to the weak and  self-empowering to the proud.   Realizing that God's aid is essential for all spiritual growth helps to overcome these two mistakes.   Our spiritual combat must be carried out bravely and freely but also with full confidence in God.   

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For the Feast of St. Josemaria we pray about one of his central spiritual teachings: unity of life.  Our life often seems divided by various distinct tasks and concerns.  To do things for the glory of God, for love of God, is a powerful instrument that unifies our life.  Our awareness of our divine filiation also lends unity to seemingly unconnected realities.  Whatever I do, I should do as a son or daughter of God.  Our contemplative life, an awareness of God's presence, also grants a powerful sense of unity to our entire life.  This awareness is forged in the practice of mental prayer, where we reinforce the reality of God's presence everywhere and filter our life and its concerns through our relationship with God. 

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Jesus describes his sacred and merciful heart as meek and humble.   More than anger and disappointment at our sins, Jesus feels compassion for us in our waywardness.  In the Sacred Heart of Jesus we especially see the goodness of God towards sinners.  This makes God approachable in Jesus and keeps us from the mistake of trying to be good without him.  

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On the Feast of Corpus Christi the Church turns her heart to Jesus's real presence in the Blessed Sacrament.   A marvel of love, in the Eucharist the infinite enters the finite, the Creator his creation and the invisible the visible real.  Adoration, devotion, and gratitude should mark our response to this great mystery of our Faith. 

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Originally published June 2021

The mystery of the Trinity is the mystery of God's inner life.  Revealing it to us in Jesus Christ, God shares with us his own deep intimacy so that we can know and love him.  The Trinity is also a mystery in which every Christian is enveloped.    By the work of the Holy Spirit, we are made children of God the Father in God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

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The Holy Spirit is all about peace.  As consoler and the Spirit of Christ, the working of the Holy Spirit and his seven gifts always establish peace in our hearts and our lives.  Peace is a consequence of having God as our Father, and it is the Spirit of the Son that establishes this reality in our hearts. 

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Pentecost Sunday commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Church.  The Holy Spirit is an agent of conversion and purification for our life.  God wants us to be "on fire" as Christians, quick to love and to do his will.  Jesus promises that those who ask for the Holy Spirit will receive him, and that those who receive him receive him abundantly.  

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Follow up to the class on suffering.  Question and answer session.

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Suffering is an unavoidable reality in life.  What light does the Christian Faith shed on the meaning of suffering?  In this class we will examine the origin of suffering, its relationship to God, and how to make the most of our personal suffering in living the Christian vocation.

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Our Lady is a perfect model of holiness and love.  Heading towards Pentecost, we can reflect on her relationship with her Divine Spouse, the Holy Spirit.  To have God's Spirit is to have Christ's own motivation, to be inspired by the same spirit that he was.  We see this in Mary, who says "Be it done unto me according to your word."  The Spirit is a renewer of the soul.  To have the Spirit as our spirit pays off in spades, namely, the beautiful fruits of the Holy Spirit.  

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