The Life of Virtue

This post will officially be filed under "Derek's Not In Control," which is something that I usually wouldn't admit. There's so much going on in so many different areas of my life; and it seems like it's all piling up like the two inches of snow outside! Last week, my wife, who's 36-weeks pregnant, was placed by her doctor on bed rest. For those of you who don't know, that means that she can't drive or do many household chores. I have become chauffeur, cook, maid (that one's not getting done very well!), and all-instance-diaper-changer. Less than two days after my wife was placed on bed rest, our region was hit by two "terrible" winter storms that closed schools and businesses. While everyone and everything else took a snow day, my work requirements moved forward. So, emails, phone calls, and strategic planning were interrupted by Barney and Thomas the Tank Engine videos. Productivity on those days was slow, at best. So, the f...

As I prayed over On the Canticle of Canticles , by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, this morning, I came across a wonderful passage. He was explained that there are definitive characteristics that identify a beautiful soul. Of course, each of the noticeable markers is a virtue! "Certainly, her [the soul's] beauty is made up of charity and justice and patience. And what of voluntary poverty? What of humility?...In her one sees fear of the Lord, prudence, temperance, fortitude, and whatever other virtues there may be, pearls as it were, adorning the bride with undying luster." (From Chapter 17) So, I am convinced more than yesterday (and the day before, and the day before) that virtues have the potential to bring self-mastery and beauty back into this world. Without forming habits like charity, justice, patience, voluntary poverty, humility, piety, prudence, temperance, and fortitude, our culture will certainly continue swiftly toward its own ruin. My prayer is this: that mo...

It might be obvious: there has been very literary output from this site lately. The reasons for that include family vacation, duties to a full-time ministry, and lots of time spent in prayer. As much fulfillment as writing brings to me, it falls much lower on the list of priorities than it ever has. During the time away from the keyboard, God has revealed many things to this author. It will be a joy to share them as quickly and as often as possible. Right now, there are youth retreats and adult seminars to plan, and there are professional development articles to write. Everything that is "in production" is going to be founded on and focused around virtue. Virtues (or the lack thereof) are everywhere; they are the foundation of our moral life. Without understanding virtue, and knowing how to cultivate it in our lives, our culture will surely continue down a dangerous path. It will be a pleasure to see all the prayer, development, and work come to fruition, even if it ta...

[The following is an article that was written by my wife for her school's quarterly newsletter. I think she's done a fabulous job of piercing through the many layers of our faith, and that she's presented some great insights for prayer. I know, I'm biased!] From the week of Thanksgiving until Christmas, I tend to become absorbed in the trends of our modern culture. I get caught up in the excitement of finding the best deals on gifts, thinking of goodies I would like to have, and so on. As Christmas draws nearer, I begin to realize that I have spent lots of time and attention providing for my own desires, and not enough time preparing my soul for the coming of Christ. For example, I recently noticed that I was thinking about clothes while I was supposed to be focused on the Prayers of the Faithful during Mass! So I must ask myself, “If the Second Coming were to take place on Black Friday, would Jesus find me to be a truly righteous person whom He would gladly...

St. John of the Cross is not often though of as "a practical, thorough and safe spiritual guide." [1] However, one biographer says so and this author agrees. The reality is that people of all ages and vocations have the ability to grow into union with God through this saint's direction. Specifically, it is the virtue of humility, the centerpiece of St. John's mysticism, that makes him an able director for any person who seeks to climb God's Holy Mountain. According to the saint, a person must be free from all attachments, naked in spirit (cf. Mt. 5:3), before he or she can reach intimate union with God. A single poem by St. John captures this radical teaching, often called the "nada" doctrine. To reach satisfaction in all, desire its possession in nothing. To come to the knowledge of all, desire the knowledge of nothing. To come to possess all, desire the possession of nothing. To arrive at being all, desire to be nothing. To come to ...

Yesterday was a great day! I spent the day teaching "The Virtues" to freshmen at St. Benedict at Auburndale High School. Throughout the day, I was filled with God's grace and the zeal of the Holy Spirit because I know that such a topic is vitally important. The virtues are the foundation of our moral life in Christ. Without these holy habits, we are unable to bear fruit in our own lives. Further, exhibiting virtue is the best way to evangelize and win people for Christ, for Truth! Because of the true statements above, teenagers, as well as those who teach youth, need to hear this message. It is essential to their growth in holiness, and to our ability to reclaim control of a deteriorating secular culture. Developing, or redeveloping, a sense of virtue will place individuals and our culture back on the path to true moral freedom. If any of you are interested in hearing more about this message, or bringing it to a specific group of people, please don't hesitate to...

Earlier this week, I received this email from a young lady in my youth ministry: Derek, I was flipping through my Bible for the first time in a while today and I choose to read a random passage. My random choice landed on Ezekiel 7. I read the whole chapter and was horrified after I finished. Does this passage really mean what is says or does it have a symbolic purpose? The following is the best answer that I could muster. I welcome any other input. You’re right! The seventh chapter of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel is scary, but only if we fail to examine it within its correct context. In fact, the fear that arises in us is put to rest by the final chapters of the book and by the rest of Sacred Scripture. To begin, let’s accept that being “horrified,” in this case, may have been a good thing. No sane person wishes for herself, her friends, or her enemies, to experience the fate of Israel in Ezekiel 7 . Being “horrified” means that a person knows good things from bad things and that s...