Sin is a fact of life for all of us in our fallen world. We have sinned in the past, and unfortunately we will sin again in the future. This is the reality of our human concupiscence: “Concupiscence stems from the disobedience of the first sin. It unsettles man’s moral faculties and, without being in itself an offense, inclines man to commit sins” (CCC 2515). We might ask, “What’s the use of trying if we’re…
Today we celebrate the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. We imagine their happy, loving home as a prayerful place of wholesome work and togetherness. Pope Francis said, “The family of Nazareth is holy because it was centered on Jesus.” Here a few ideas to help you consider how to center your family on Christ. First, if we are parents or grandparents, then we can strive to grow in our own discipleship and spiritual…
The very first Beatitude is “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). In the Gospel passage of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14), the tax collector who “would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner’” (Luke 18:13) demonstrated that he was poor in spirit. In his humility, he was repentant and…
Have you ever wondered where your heart lives? Of course, your physical heart lives in your body. Your spiritual heart is the seat of your conscience, emotions, and desires. It’s deep within you, yet it can also be elsewhere. Our hearts can be overly focused on gaining money, power, and possessions, resulting in greed; on another person, resulting in obsession; in earthly pleasure, resulting in sin; or even on ourselves, resulting in selfishness. These are…
Pope Francis wrote, “Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality, or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self” (Rejoice & Be Glad, 32). In the Beatitudes, Jesus teaches us the key to happiness: holiness. The world says that happiness consists of money, pleasure, power, and honor. But Jesus…