The Life of Virtue

[Hat tip to The Bible Geek for this thought, which has begun to sink in more than two weeks after it was first presented to me.] Last night, my eyes fell upon a passage from St. Paul's letter to the Colossians (part of Evening Prayer) that had a different effect than the hundred-or-so times I have prayed it previously.  The Apostle wrote that Christ made "peace by the blood of his cross" (1:20). Wasn't the cross, and Jesus crucifixion, an ugly, tumultuous event?  How can peace come through something that seems to be the opposite of peace? Alas, St. Paul was not the first person to pass along this nugget of wisdom that caused a bit of head-scratching.  Our Lord, Himself, told His disciples to "be of good cheer" during times of bitter trial.  He said that loneliness and spiritual attack were necessary, even inescapable, so that "you may have peace" (Jn. 16:32-33). But isn't discipleship of Christ supposed to be easy? ...

Yes, it is possible to experience anxiety on one's birthday!  Based on a previous pos t, the birthday itself may be part of the reason for anxiety.  However, God is wonderful, and He answers my appeals for peace and virtue. Two experiences are the primary reasons for the hope that now resides inside my soul: Adoration and the Holy Mass as well as the recitation of the Holy Rosary.  In the midst of chaos, the Eucharist and Mary's heavenly intercession create order and serenity.  How blessed I am to have such strong anchors in my life! The painting above, which was created after a vision of St. John Bosco, is one that should always be gazed upon during stormy times in the Church and in individuals' lives.  God bless. 

Thanks to my friend, Andy, for his words of encouragement !  As another husband and father "in the trenches," I do want to know that I am not alone in philosophy or action. I pray that God will grant abundant blessings to all husbands and fathers who seek to do His will!  St. Joseph, pray for us! God bless. 

For the past two summers, I have engaged the youth and families of my parish in a series of movies that I call The Catholic Classics .  However, since I am a convert and I am much more knowledgeable about secular smut, I am running out of ideas for such a series. That's where the expertise of the Catholic intelligentsia will be useful.  In the comment box or via email, please list some movies that are about the Church, deal with Church issues, or have a distinct Catholic presence. Once the list is compiled, I'll share it with the world!  I look forward to your input. Hat tip to The Lapped Catholic for the idea. God bless! 

I have been blessed today by my reading regimen, which has included Sacred Scripture, The Confessions of St. Augustine, and news reports of the recently-commenced synod of bishops in Rome.  In all of the perused passages, two passages stood above the rest.  Such words resounded  deeply within my mind and heart (and I hope that they will resound your minds and hearts, too). St. Augustine wrote: "...unhappy is the man who knows all this [scientific knowledge], but does not know you; happy is he who knows you, even if he does not know such things" ( Confessions , Book V, Chapter IV).  Although they were simple at first glance, those words required me to pause and ponder.  In those moments of meditation, God revealed to me something about myself. In recent days and weeks, I have been quite perturbed about the lack of "meaningful" scholarship that I have produced in recent months; that I haven't been able to read many theological and histor...

The latest synod of bishops gathering in Rome, which opens today, has taken the theme of "The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church."  Any lover and/or student of Scripture will surely be fascinated by the results of this synod.  Pope Benedict XVI, because he has called this synod and chosen its theme, is clearly pointing the Catholic faithful toward a deeper love and appreciation of Scripture. However, the implicit statement doesn't end there.  This author believes that the pontiff would like to send a reminder message that all of our Christian actions should be rooted in Scripture (which ultimately means that they are rooted in Christ, Who is the One, Eternal Word of God).  Indeed, only those who allow Scripture to dwell inside them will be able to build the City of God most efficiently and effectively. As a lover of Scripture, this author is extremely excited about the potential that is held by this synod.  So much wisdom can be ga...