The Life of Virtue

We are celebrating the Octave of Easter!  During this octave, the Church gives us wonderful scripture readings, specifically from the Acts of the Apostles, and we proclaim that death no longer has power over us.  Knowing this reality, and hearing these readings, our souls should feel great and grand this week.  We know that Jesus has won the victory, and now we get to participate in it! In today's reading ( Wednesday of the Octave of Easter ), a crippled man made a monetary request of Peter.  "I have neither silver nor gold," he replied, but he did not end the exchange there.  Peter recognized in that moment that money was not the only thing that the crippled man needed, and money was not the only thing that he could give. So, he continued: "but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk" (Acts 3:6).  As it turns out, this was a far more profound act of generosity.  He gave him a miracle, based on his faith in ...

Somewhere just beyond the middle (section 17, to be exact) of Misericordiae Vultus , the Bull of Indiction for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, Pope Francis recommends that it is appropriate to meditate on the pages of Sacred Scripture during Lent in order to "help us rediscover the merciful face of the Father."  It seems very appropriate to dive deeply into God's mercy during this season of mercy.  This is the first article in a series of reflections on God's mercy as revealed on the Sacred Page, specifically in the lectionary readings during Lent. The first days of Lent, before the first Sunday, provide clear signposts to the three-fold path by which disciples of the Lord can receive God's mercy, and by which they can be a part of extending His mercy to others.  Look no further than the Gospel passage selected for Ash Wednesday.  During His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches His listeners how to take up fasting, prayer, and almsgiving (the three pillars of tradition...

It is not unlikely that a large majority of people who inhabit the modern world, and who make even a slight presence in the digital realm, have heard that Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy.  The great jubilee year begins in six days, on December 8.  Based on the letter he wrote to announce this jubilee, Misericordiae Vultus (MV) , the Holy Father wants the Church and its members to ponder and exhibit the reality of God's mercy in a number of specific ways. While reading through the letter, I have begun to feel that Francis, as much as he has written to the universal Church, has written directly to me.  It seems that the subtitle, or the secondary motto, of the jubilee ought to be: "...because Derek needs it."  I have come to know and realize that this Year of Mercy is an opportune moment to experience the radical transformation of life that God offers.  So, I intend to immerse myself in learning, pondering, and displaying the Father's mer...

We all are aware that Thanksgiving, the great American holiday, happens tomorrow.  It seems, though, that the cultural awareness of the source of this celebration has been lost in recent years.  The first celebrants of this ritual gathered at table during shortly after the harvest season because of the gratitude in their hearts.  They were grateful for God's grace that allowed them to survive their first harsh winter in the New World; and for the assistance of their fellow man (native American Indians, specifically) in cultivating the crops and produce.  These were reasons for gratitude, indeed. Jennie Brownscombe, The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth (1914) Over the last three-plus centuries, the ritual has changed slightly.  There probably wasn't a grand exhibition of sport (like football) before, during, and immediately after the big meal.  It is very likely that folks didn't pack up for brief cross-country trips but, rather, they remained within ...

Merriam-Webster defines "renaissance man" as one who has interest and expertise in many areas.  The Urban Dictionary mentions that a person described by this term is "talented in all spheres of human endeavor."  A general (and incomplete) litany of such spheres would include language, philosophy, religion, science, sport, art, and, perhaps, food.  The person who attains noteworthy accomplishment in most or all of these realms, and who could pass on knowledge and wisdom to others, is considered to have attained the ideal. The historical figure who seems to have attained this ideal most notably (at least in the modern age) is Leonardo da Vinci.  Da Vinci receives credit as a painter, a botanist, an urban planner, a man of high intellect, and a designer of flying machines.  If all of this is attributable to him in fact, then it is right to place him in the limited company of true renaissance men.  Of course, there are also fictional expressions of this id...

As I've been reading, teaching, and praying over the past few days, a basic theme of God's revelation has come into my consciousness again and again.  This significant part of God's plan for humanity has always been true, it has never been negated, and I can recite it as a truth in the same way that I might recite multiplication tables.  I am quite sure, however, that God has brought this reality into my line of sight more frequently recently because He knows that I have yet to perfect it as He intends for me.  The simple truth is that love of God is inseparable from love of neighbor.  Neither of these is attained fully without the other. It is always true that love of God leads directly to love of neighbor; it leads in no other direction.  Two passages of Sacred Scripture have reiterated this to me in recent days.  The first of these is from the book of Deuteronomy.  As the Israelites wander in the desert, nearing the end of their forty-year communa...

The second sorrowful mystery of the Rosary calls us to meditate on Christ being scourged at the pillar.  As I've prayed the various mysteries of the Rosary over the years, it has taken quite some time for me to grasp the supposed fruit of reflecting on this event in the Lord's life: a spirit mortification.  I am hardly known for espousing a giddy approach to fasting, and I'm still warming up to the idea of sacrificing my body for something other than an athletic feat.  So, I continually ask the Lord to reveal to me the way(s) in which I can grow in such a disposition, and it seems that He has done so today. Flagellation of Christ by Peter Paul Rubens As I reflected again on this mystery earlier today, I was led to a poignant understanding.  Rather than focusing on acts of fasting and prayers of penance, the spirit of mortification that God wants to develop in me ought to be centered on a death to self that really transforms this prideful and stubborn soul....

In recent weeks, I have been conversing with young adults who are wrapping up their semester studies.  Despite the various institutions they attend and the various majors they have chosen, one common theme has shone itself through these conversations.  In the weeks leading up to final projects and exams, these students are quite tense and full of stress as they realize that they may not have learned all the necessary material in order to pass the test(s) and course(s).  They begin to wonder if they have procrastinated a bit longer than they should have, which elicits extra anxiety.  One young man even said to me, "I've learned how to re-learn an entire semester's material in a single afternoon so that I can pass the exam."  As I listen to these young people talk, I recall my own studies.  I freely admit that I did plenty of procrastinating and last-minute cramming during my college career.  Therefore, I know that procrastination and last-minute crammin...

Several years ago, a band by the name of FUN. came out with a song entitled "We Are Young."  The catchy chorus of that song proceeds: "Tonight/We are young/So let's set the world on fire/we can burn brighter/Than the sun."  The gist these lyrics is that young, vibrant people can or should or will make some major difference in the world.  Moreover, that difference will cause them to "burn brighter than the sun."  It seems that they desire to become stars that will be noticed and remembered by others in this world. St. Catherine of Siena, whose memorial feast the Catholic Church celebrates today, also said something about fire in the world.  The young Dominican exclaimed, "Become who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."  Perhaps FUN. had St. Catherine in mind when writing the song's chorus, because she was so youthful when she heartily took up her vocation to consecrated life.  Nevertheless, her words are a clarion ...

There are two, and only two, things that must increase within each of us throughout our lives.  Those two things are knowledge of truth and charity.  Knowledge and love are the most powerful faculties of every human person.  Without growing in one or both, any individual person will not develop fully as he is intended to do so.  Nothing is more important than these and, in fact, all good things in our lives flow directly from one or both of them. As I prayed over Scripture last week, and prepared for a lecture on truth and charity, an amazing connection occurred to me.  In John 8:32, while speaking to an audience of Jews, Jesus remarks, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  Whatever is found to be truth (not just truthful, but truth itself) clearly effects liberation of the person who seeks it.  So, finding truth leads to freedom. Later, Jesus clarifies the object of the search for truth, the reality that seekers must...

This morning, my wife and I began a prayerful reading of Introduction to the Devout Life , together.  In the first sentence of the text, St. Francis de Sales defines devotion as "a virtue most pleasing to God's Majesty."  The saint undertook to write the treatise so that others could grow in this most important virtue, and it is for the same reason that my wife and I seek to read and pray through it. St. Francis introduced the virtue of devotion by noting that there is "only one true devotion," but that there are many "false and empty" counterfeits.  Yet, he continues, humans color devotion according to their own "passions and fancies."  In a scathing manner, he writes that "many persons clothe themselves with certain outward actions connected with holy devotion and the world believes that they are truly devout and spiritual whereas they are in fact nothing but copies and phantoms of devotion."  Ouch!  As I read that single para...

[I was blessed to give a retreat to middle school boys on Friday morning.  I thought that it would be good to write down the presentation I gave, and share it with others for their benefit.  Here goes.] There is a scene near the middle of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in which Frodo Baggins volunteers to carry the last and most powerful ring to Mt. Doom in order to destroy it.  Because he does not know the way, and because he is small of stature, he admits that he will require help.  The most powerful moment in that scene is when Aragorn says to Frodo, "If, by my life or by my death, I can protect you, I will.  You have my sword."  Really what Aragorn means is that he offers all of himself and his skill in service of the mission. In our world today, there is a battle for truth, goodness, and beauty.  The enemy seeks to deprive humans of access to any of these three by twisting their understanding of those transcendental realities....

Everyone is well aware that Lent is here.  After all, we know its presence because national fast food chains begin serving their version of the fish sandwich solely during this season.  Our restaurant economy seizes every opportunity to fill us in spite of our dietary proscriptions! From another angle, however, Lent is about lots more than simply not eating meat.  Lent is the liturgical season in which the Church urges us to grow in faith.  This post, then, is to share the same thoughts that I gave at our parish's RCIA gathering this past Sunday morning.  The point that I made to inquirers was that faith affects and effects one's life, sometimes in dramatic ways. I had six primary points.  Each of these points was to remind the listeners of things they may have forgotten, and to inspire that group to work toward their redemption and eternal destination.  Perhaps they'll be of benefit to readers, too. First, faith is tested by suffering....

Anyone who knows me knows well that I am not a good sufferer.  I do not fast well, I do not sacrifice well, and I am prone to be grumpy when asked/required to do so.  The sacrificial and penitential times of the year, Advent and especially Lent, are particularly rough. Over the past several days, I have been called by the Lord to engage in certain small sacrifices for a number of reasons.  As usual, I have complained along the way.  I have brooded over the actions I cannot take or the food I cannot eat. Yet, one thing was made abundantly clear to me last night.  It is better for me to make smaller sacrifices, involving less significant things and shorter amounts of time, with greater charity.  While the thing sacrificed, whether it is eating or the iPhone, is important; the disposition of my heart is far more important. In my efforts to grow in the virtues of patience and fasting, I should focus first on undertaking those sacrifices that I can make jo...