The Life of Virtue

For the past two years, I have suffered a particular type of severe physical ailment on nearly a daily basis.   This suffering has been debilitating and frustrating because I have never dealt with such pain, suffering, or limitation ever before in my life.   On many days over the past two years, I have found myself asking the Lord why He is allowing this to happen; asking Him how this is for His greatest glory.   I want to see that everything He gives to me, and everything I do, is for my good and His glory, but I just haven’t been able to see it all that well. God has funny ways of answering my questions, which are usually more like complaints.   He gives me a little wink and a proverbial elbow-nudge in the side to remind me that He does know what’s going on and that He’s still in charge. Today is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola.   I was reading one of Ignatius’s letters to a friend, and I came across another one of God’s divine winks. ...

This morning, I happened to remember that today is the feast day of St. Justin Martyr, who lived, taught, and died in the second century A.D.  I found my copy of his most notable and commonly-read treatise, First Apology .  As I read that text, I found myself longing to read and ponder more of his rich teaching and devotion.  I want to live up to the example of this courageous Christian of antiquity. Several short passages stood out to me, but I found one that is now my favorite of his.  Of course, it deals with virtuous living.  He states: "And we have been taught, and are convinced, and do believe, that He accepts those only who imitate the excellences which reside in Him, temperance, and justice, and philanthropy, and as many virtues as are peculiar to a God who is called by no proper name." Indeed, God accepts us most fully when we are responding to His grace and cultivating virtue in our lives.  This is especially because they are His virtues....

In today’s Gospel , Matthew quotes the prophet Isaiah: “Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes….”  At the first reading of this passage, I immediately begin searching for “those people” who are blind and deaf to God’s revelation.  Yet, in a split second, God reveals something deeper.  Instead of looking for “those people,” I should be examining my own soul to take stock of the ways that I have been blind and deaf to the ways that He wants me to grow. There very well may be other people in my life who cannot and do not hear and see God’s message.  However, God wants me to realize that I have allowed many obstacles to my fulfillment and happiness; and that these are often more difficult to remove.  I must remember that Jesus teaches me to remove the beam in my own eye before trying to remove the splinters in others’ eyes (cf. Matthew 7:5).  I need to recall first that mine are the eyes that c...

As I was praying earlier this week, God led me to reflect on the difference between great expectations and great faithfulness.  More specifically, God led me to pray about the discrepancies between my expectations and His, between my faithfulness and His. I set high expectations for myself and, in general, I am faithful to the commitments that I make.  Yet, I have been reminded many times, in many ways, by many people, that I should not measure my expectations by my own thoughts and feelings.  I should let God's expectations be the measure of the commitments I make and the actions I take. God is always faithful to helping His people meet His expectations.  He knows that we are weak and frail, and that we expect a lot from ourselves.  During these last weeks of Lent (and beyond), it is good for us to spend time pondering what God expects of us, and reminding ourselves that He is far more faithful than we are.  Let's transform our expectations and our ...

This is the final reflection for our Advent retreat.  It is the culmination of everything that has come before it, just as the birth of Jesus Christ is the culmination of God’s history and work among humankind.  I do hope that these reflections have helped you during this season of waiting, watching, and preparing. This week of Advent reveals that God intends to do amazing things in the world and for individuals and for His chosen people.  However, the ways that He chooses to accomplish those things are far from usual or expected.  So, these final days of Advent offer an opportunity for us view reality from a new perspective, and to change the ways that we respond to God’s graces in our lives. In the Sunday readings, and during the next six days, one specific type of miracle stands out clearly above the rest.  Throughout the week, we hear four different stories of God placing life within the wombs of women who were not supposed to conceive.  An...

We are still on our miniature Advent retreat via these weekly reflections.  The scripture passages for the Second Week of Advent remind us that something great is about to happen.  In Sunday’s readings, we anticipate the Messiah who has been endowed with the great Spirit of God (Is. 11); and we hear John the Baptist exclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:2)!  Remember last week’s readings: we are supposed to be preparing for the coming of the kingdom.  This week we are told that the moment has come.  The time is now.  We must be ready! One of the most important themes of this second week is captured by Isaiah, on Tuesday.  The prophet exclaims, “In the desert, prepare the way of the Lord! … Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed…” (Is. 40)!  We learn that God wants to reveal His face to us, and He wants to make the spiritual deserts of our lives arid again.  The purpose of Advent, then, is to make our hearts...

The scriptures tell us that the Lord is "rich in mercy" (Eph. 2:4).  This is quite true, simply because of who God is.  Still, it is possible to thwart God from extending as much mercy as He desires.  That is why Lent makes and excellent opportunity to begin, or to redouble, efforts to turn and transform.  Without a doubt, God will lavish His mercy upon us for forty days and beyond if we try to turn our hearts, minds, and voices toward Him. The Mass readings for the Third Week of Lent make this point abundantly clear.  From the moment of the Collect for Sunday Mass , anyone who listens or reads learns quickly that we must assume a posture of lowliness and humility in order for the Lord to lift us up.  Yet, because of our sinfulness, we continually refuse to assume such attitudes, and thus we cut ourselves off from mercy. There are several readings throughout the week in which we glimpse poor examples of hearts, minds, and voices turned toward the Lord. ...

In the second reading for the Second Sunday of Lent , the faithful are presented with a passage from St. Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Not long after the beginning of that passage, we hear that many people in the world "conduct themselves as enemies of the cross of Christ" (Phil. 3:18).  Throughout the lectionary readings for the remainder of the week, the characteristics of such enemies are laid out quite clearly.  It is no coincidence, though, that the sure and steadfast mercy of God is presented right alongside the traits of enemies.  The Lord and His Church are intent on revealing the fact that mercy is available to all.  Otherwise, our end would be destruction (cf. Phil. 3:19). Throughout the week, the Gospel passages present Jesus' undeniable statements about whom He considers enemies of the Cross, enemies of mercy.  In Matthew 23 , we read and hear that the enemies are those who take a Pharisaical approach to religion, the ones who "tie up hea...

The Collect for today's Mass, Monday during the First Week of Lent, asks God: "instruct our minds by heavenly teaching, that we may benefit from the works of Lent."  What, we may ask, are the works of Lent that can benefit us so greatly?  It is no coincidence that the Church provides the answer specifically through the lectionary readings for this week.  From Sunday through Saturday, there are six identifiable works by which we can be converted and grow in holiness during this noble season. The first is found in the second reading from yesterday's Mass (the First Sunday of Lent).  St. Paul writes to the ancient Roman Church, and to us, "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  The very first work of Lent is an act of faith, which includes inward belief and outward expression.  During some particularly difficult years, this is the only work that I have been able to c...

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...

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...

God is revealing something special through the Scripture readings for Mass during this twentieth week in Ordinary Time.  The Lord makes abundantly clear that He intends to bring all people, even those perceived as the lowest and least faithful, into covenant relationship with Himself.  Yet, such a relationship is not possible without a radical transformation of heart, which will prepare God's faithful and chosen ones to present a witness to the world.  It is this witness of transformation, and nothing else, that will allow God to reach out and gather in all those He desires for His own. Let's examine the lectionary readings for this week to see how this process works.  For three consecutive days, the Church hears the message of the prophet Ezekiel about the sour state of Israel and their leaders, and about the travesties that befall a people who are unfaithful to the Lord.  They are prideful, haughty, and have become gods of their own making (cf. Ez. 28:1-10 )...

I have recently been blessed to experience beautiful weather along with magnificent sunrises and sunset.  Such moments of aesthetic appeal call to my mind other instances of natural beauty that I have been blessed to see.  I am reminded of a return flight from Australia during which I viewed the most captivating burnt orange aura encircling the earth as the sun set over the earth's horizon.  I also recall many late summer evenings when everything around seemed to radiate in an extraordinary way.  The sunrise that I witnessed this morning was no different.  In every case, these glimpses of beauty have brought me to ponder God more deeply. Romano Guardini is the author of a book whose final pages capture this reality as well.   The Living God concludes with a reflection on the "gentle and powerful beauty [that] reigns over all."  This is the reason that natural events (sunrises, sunsets, schools of fish swimming, etc.) and natural forms (mountain...

Yesterday, I encountered a few situations that have caused me to think about the place of patience in family life.  As I pondered over the ensuing twenty-four hours, I have come to understand that two other things are also integral to family life.  Interestingly enough, they both start with the letter 'p': perseverance and penance.  Yes, brothers and sisters, family life is made wholesome, peaceful, and joyful by the virtues of patience and perseverance, and by frequent participation in the Sacrament of Penance. Let us begin with patience, which is a foundational virtue for anyone who desires to grow in holiness, and especially for families.  Patience is the great antidote to the sorrows that would enter our lives.  Daily experience shows us that we do not always live up to expectations, our own or others'.  There are two possible reactions when we recognize that we've stumbled and fallen short of our goal and/or potential.  On one hand, we might ...

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....