The Life of Virtue

Advent is a great time for a retreat.  Many folks, however, aren’t able to steal away for three whole days at a time.  So these four weekly reflections, made available on each Sunday of Advent, are meant to be a miniature retreat for readers.  This four-part retreat (yes, even on paper or on the screen) is intended to help readers awaken, or reawaken, faith in Jesus Christ.  In the midst of this “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” it is right to stop for a few moments and remember exactly why we have a reason for Wonder. The readings for the first Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year may seem odd to some.  Isn’t Advent supposed to lead to Christmas, the season when we worship the baby in the manger scene?  Why, then, do we hear admonitions against “the works of darkness,” and Jesus speaking to His disciples of the last days?  This is supposed to be a season filled with joy and hope and visions of sugar plums and all that, right? The simpl...

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...

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 )...

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...

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 post headings have skipped from day six to day eight.  Yep, I missed day seven because there was just too much to think about at home, including preparation for a year-long adult faith formation seminar that I'm teaching.  Rather than refuse more time with the family (which happens more than it should), I forsook the daily Lenten blog post.  Interestingly enough, that provides a perfect segue into my reflection on today's virtue. The virtue of justice, says the wisdom of the Catholic Church, "consists in the constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor."  Justice is about stewarding the resources that God has bestowed (whether meager or in abundance) in the right way, at the right time, to the right person, so that right relationship will be maintained.  Those resources, whether time, dollars, children, the environment, or human bodies, are not ours.  It is, however, our responsibility to use them for the betterment of humanity.  ...