The Life of Virtue

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...

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....

Human beings are unions of body and soul.  As such, the spiritual portion of a person can be affected by the material portion, and vice versa.  There are many realities in this world that cause damage to persons' bodies and souls.  Reckless anger, over-eating and over-drinking, unchaste sexual activity, violent media, and spiritual laziness all make the list, but they certainly do not exhaust it.  Any of these actions, whether primarily "of the spirit" (i.e., the intellect or memory) or "of the flesh" can adversely affect a person's body and soul.  The natural and passionate desires that humans have must be mitigated if we are to live robust and joyful lives. This is why temperance is a great good for humanity.  Temperance is the virtue that assists a person in maintaining moderation and balance in the use and consumption of created goods; and it helps to keep in check the first instincts of our appetites and desires (see CCC 1809 ).  By temperance...

Is there any other time in our lives when six weeks feels like, well, six weeks?  I am in conversations regularly with people who speak about how time passes so quickly.  School years and basketball seasons seem to come and go in the blink of an eye, and we wonder where the time went.  Yet, just over halfway into this blessed liturgical season, Lent seems to be moving at the pace of molasses pouring from a jar.  Perhaps I am not alone in my question: do we really have three more weeks to go? Lent seems so long for two reasons.  The first is completely objective: Lent is, in fact, the longest season of denial and suffering during the Church's year.  No other season requires sustained fasting from worldly pleasures like Lent.  Lent is not for spiritual whimps, like me.  It is for spiritual warriors who are willing to fight to express their devotion to God The second reason follows directly from the first.  I am, in large part, unwilling ...

You already know that today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent.  Beginning today, Christians (and maybe even some seekers of no particular faith) will excise from their lives one or multiple things that they think keep them from growing in intimacy with God; and some may go so far as to add a practice or two that they think will facilitate such intimacy with the Divine.  Over the past few days, I have been thinking about how I might grow closer to God during this Lenten season.  I even wondered if my own process of growth during these forty days might benefit others in some way.  The reader and I must remember, however, that I may not be any further down the path to holiness than she is. Here's how my thought process proceeds.  “The goal of a virtuous life,” said St. Gregory of Nyssa, “is to become like God.”  I need to be more like God, deeper in relationship with Him, so I should cultivate virtue.  Forty days of focusing on specific virtue...

C.S. Lewis, a great bard of the English language, once quipped, "If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don't recommend Christianity."  On a similar theme, in a tweet shortly before he resigned as Supreme Pontiff, Pope Emeritus Benedict wrote, "The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort.  You were made for greatness."  In two pithy statements, these men captured one of Christianity's defining characteristics: it assaults a person's comfort zones.  Paradoxically, it is this assault on comfort that brings a person to the fullness of what God intends for him or her to be. A nice representation of the benefits of expanding one's comfort zone. If a person is comfortable while living Christianity, then she isn't living Christianity in a manner commensurate with the intentions of its Founder.  That's precisely because Christ always challenges us by pushing our boundaries.  He always attem...

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...