Lectio et Oratio

What matters most to God in our actions?

The charity behind the action. Charity means divine love. "Charity is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Charity enables us to prefer God to all other things and to love all things on account of God who made them. The great commandment of Christ is to love one another as He loves us.

What does our hidden self-seeking and personal preferences often make us form?

Hasty estimates of situations and people. Instead of waiting for all the evidence to appear and to make a fair assessment, we often too quickly form an estimation of others. We rush to criticize. Thomas a Kempis warns us in chapter 14 about some of the hidden motivations for such estimates. He helps to uncover some of reasons we lack objectivity.

We read the long and wonderful chapter on the value of temptations for the spiritual life. Among the points that The Imitation makes is this one: temptations, rightly understood, can help us grow in humility. God even allows us to fall into small sins so that we will grow in our awareness of our inherent weakness. If we are so prone to fall through small temptations, how much more vigilant do we need to be in regards to more dangerous temptations to more serious sins? All of us will face temptations, some more than others. But all these temptations, these trials, are known and allowed by God for our sanctification. He never allows us to be tempted beyond our strength, the strength that he offers us.

Is it good sometimes to have our own will thwarted?

Yes. The Imitation of Christ discusses some of the reasons why God allows us to go through difficult situations and to have our own desires frustrated. This chapter even discusses why God allows us to undergo more interior trials. God has many things to teach us about this life (an exile) and about ourselves.

Why do we seem to make such little spiritual progress?

Lack of ambition, desire. We read about The Imitation's advice on growing in holiness. This chapter offers various considerations to help attract our hearts for making up our minds to seek after spiritual progress. In trying to encourage us, Thomas a Kempis also helps us to see ourselves in a clearer light, especially the ways we deceive ourselves about our true state of soul.

Last episode we read about what The Imitation of Christ above all wants us to experience: inward comfort from God. Instead of turning to God for our consolations, we often turn to useless talking. Yes we need friendships. Yes, we need conversations with others. In fact, there is a small virtue called friendliness by which we give delight to others in word and deed. We are supposed to give delight to those with whom we live and interact. We are supposed "to say the good things that men need to hear," St Paul says. May the Lord give us holy discretion to know when to speak and when to be silent so as to commune with the Lord.

What is one of the most common ways to lose the inward comfort of God?

Useless talking. We read about what the Imitation calls useless gossiping. The book does not mean what we commonly mean by gossiping: talking badly about people behind their backs. Gossiping in this chapter means any kind of idle talk, talking that does not serve any good.

We read about the need for obedience to a superior. The chapter is obviously directed primarily to monks. The chapter has excellent advice, however, about the more general temptation to think that we will be happy if we just go somewhere else. How beneficial it is to live a stable life with someone to guide us, with someone under whose direction we can be obedient. How wise it is to seek to live in harmony with others and conform our lives to the common good of a community.

In what should be our true confidence?

In Jesus Christ. In chapter seven, The Imitation of Christ describes various things that human beings like to boast about: wealth, important friends, skills, beauty, health, etc. Are these things really able to give us true self-confidence? How easily they can be lost! The Imitation points us in another direction for true self-confidence. Our Lord said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Last episode we read about the need to moderate our passions. The whole focus of Thomas a Kempis' spirituality is to help us have peace of soul. Without peace of soul, no spiritual growth can happen. The emotions or passions are not good or bad in themselves. The are a vital part of our human nature. Passions or emotions are good or bad depending on their object. May the Lord help us to desire and to fear, to enjoy and to be sad, at the right things, in the right way, at the right time!

Is there a difference between kindness and being too familiar?

Yes. In this reading, the Imitation of Christ distinguishes the kindness that vowed religious in monasteries owe to all and a dangerous familiarity that can arise. In other words, chapter 8 is directed especially to men who have made public vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience. The Imitation warns them about certain dangers of "crossing the line" with various kinds of people whom the Lord is not asking such priests to help. The whole focus of a man's life who is dedicated to God has to be on God and drawing others to God. He must not be too worried about spending time with people that will pull him away from the Lord's humble service. This reading is good for all as a reminder to pray for priests and has some application for all people.

Last episode we read about the dangers of self-conceit, about having a too high opinion of oneself. The biggest reason for avoiding this trap in the spiritual life is that our happiness is not to be found in a creature. Creatures are finite, limited, incomplete. But we are made for the infinite, the unlimited, the perfect. God alone, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will be our happiness. This happiness we will share with others in heaven. But no mere human being will ever make us perfectly happy, including ourselves! No amount of self-admiration will satisfy us, especially when it is not built on truth! We need self-knowledge, but self-knowledge that is rooted in God and our relationship to Him. Riches, famous people, skills, beauty, health can be good, if loved in relation to God. Lord show us you will!

In what should be our true confidence?

In Jesus Christ. In chapter seven, The Imitation of Christ describes various things that human beings like to boast about: wealth, important friends, skills, beauty, health, etc. Are these things really able to give us true self-confidence? How easily they can be lost! The Imitation points us in another direction for true self-confidence. Our Lord said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Last episode we read about the need to moderate our passions. The whole focus of Thomas a Kempis' spirituality is to help us have peace of soul. Without peace of soul, no spiritual growth can happen. The emotions or passions are not good or bad in themselves. The are a vital part of our human nature. Passions or emotions are good or bad depending on their object. May the Lord help us to desire and to fear, to enjoy and to be sad, at the right things, in the right way, at the right time!