The Great Fast reminds us of ways we can and should get to know ourselves better. That means, of course, it is about metanoia, about repentance, even as it is also about forgiveness. We need to accept forgiveness for ourselves. While recognizing our own faults, we should not be too harsh or critical of ourselves, for such harshness leads to despair. We must come to terms with who we are. We must recognize the good as well as the bad,... Read more
We must never forget mercy. Without mercy, life would be unbearable. We all make so many mistakes, so many slip-ups, each and every day. Without mercy, even our most minor mistake would cause us great grief, but with mercy, we know that even our worst, most terrible mistakes, can be forgiven. There is no need for despair. Mercy is there for us. But to have it, we must embrace it. We must embrace mercy, not only by accepting it for... Read more
President Biden, though he has done many good things, and is trying to deal with a considerable number of problems handed to him by the previous administration, is still human, which means, he is capable of making faulty decisions. He can, like anyone, do things which will disappoint us, not of course, in such a way as to detour us from appreciating what he has done, but enough to remind us that no one person can and will do everything... Read more
One of the greatest spiritual problems is prelest that is, spiritual delusion, which can manifest itself in a general way, but also in many specific ways. Nonetheless, what fuels it the most is pride. It is pride which allows us to think so greatly of ourselves we believe our own delusions. It is pride which leads us to not question ourselves. Nonetheless, prelest is a common problem with all of us; indeed, at one level, prelest is a general condition... Read more
As we are in the middle of the Great Fast, hopefully we are learning more and more about ourselves, coming to know truly who we are. This is what the Great Fast should help us do. We should be more aware of ourselves and our temptations, and through such awareness, fight against our inclination to sin. For, if we do not, sin will try to gain control over us, making sure we not only find ourselves straying in our relationship... Read more
True Christian spirituality follows the way of the incarnation. The eschaton has become immanent with creation. The self-emptying which the Logos engaged was done in order that as a man, he could take on the cross and death, leading him to overcome death through his resurrection. And this is exactly the path which he has left behind, the noble path which we should take. We should divest ourselves from all attempts to make glory for ourselves, and that means, all... Read more
It should be impossible to think about the Franciscans without thinking of St. Clare. She, in many ways more than St. Francis, helped keep the Franciscan community together. She was humble, and through that humility, was able guide and direct the Franciscans after the death of St. Francis, making sure they preserved the charism given to their order. Her humility produced, as a fruit, a better understanding and appreciation of the humility and poverty of Christ. That is, it gave... Read more
St. Isidore of Seville understood the reason why so many people engage “apologetics.” It is not for the pursuit of truth, as they often claim, but rather, for glory. “The pursuit of contentious arguments is engaged in not for the sake of truth but out of a desire for praise, and there is such perversity in such things that they do not know how to cede to the truth and they contend to destroy correct doctrine itself.”[1] This is why,... Read more
The Christian way of life is the way of the cross. That can and will mean different things for different people. We are not all meant to do, nor should we all do, the same thing. Not all of us will be married. Not all of us will have children. Not everyone who is single is called to the religious life or to the priesthood. We should stop trying to universalize different contexts and situations, trying to force it upon... Read more
The Indian philosopher Bara Dada once said, “Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians, you are not like him.” Sadly, the truth of this can be seen throughout Christian history. On the one hand, Christian doctrine provides some of the most sublime, some of the most beautiful, indeed, some of the most liberating teachings of all; on the other hand, Christians have often engaged excuses to ignore or deny their implications. Ironically, when confronted by their behavior, Christians try... Read more
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