The Life of 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...

I often read and hear about the "fast food" culture in which we live, which is akin to the "sound bite" culture by which we consume our information.  While fast food and sound bites may provide some benefits at some intervals, they certainly are no way to maintain healthy bodies and minds.  Instead, human beings require good, fresh food and holistic learning if they are going to grow to their fullest potential. In recent days, I've been thinking about the many ways that a person's dining and learning habits might reflect his or her spiritual habits.  Does a person expect spiritual health with quick and small bites of information and formation?  From all the available evidence, it is clear that many in our culture think and act according to such a paradigm.  People surmise that they can cultivate deep spirituality and win answered prayers by way of distracted worship rituals, quickly-recited rote prayers, and commercial-bookstore "spirituality" t...

As I try to stay abreast of the latest pop culture news and phenomena, I check the daily headlines in my news feed.  Every now and then, a headline catches my attention and inspires a blog post.  Just a few days ago, I happened upon the following headline from Forbes Magazine : "5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM." I was especially drawn to this article because I'm a morning person.  So, I perused the author's thoughts, which were in list form.  I thought the list of five things was appropriate, but I had a qualm with one thing that was excluded.  The thing that ought to have been on the list, but was omitted, is prayer. An important realization came to me upon brief reflection.  I realized that prayer probably wouldn't be considered by the author or editors, since  Forbes is not a magazine dedicated to spiritual formation and progress.  Forbes is completely dedicated to helping readers achieve success as the secular world define...

Recently, my family and I took a long road trip.  Along the way, a couple of bumper stickers caused me to take a second look.  These weren't the average automobile decor, such as "Honor Student at _____ Elementary School" or "[Insert Favorite Sports Team Here]" or "I'd Rather Be [insert favorite hobby]."  I realized in just a split second that these bumper stickers were trying to say something profound.  Immediately, I also realized that they were quite wrong, and that bumper sticker theology can lead people far astray in their thought processes.  For brevity's sake, one example of bad bumper sticker theology will suffice. Imagine my angst when I saw the following: A quick search on Google Images reveals that this quote, or some similar version of it, is attributed to a Catholic priest.  Not only is this simply wrong, but it is quite disconcerting that a Catholic priest might say something akin.  This quote flies directly in the face of ...

When read in very small chunks, Sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, yields so many subtle wrinkles and wonderful insights.  This morning, I happened to read 10 short verses, Matthew 21:18-27, in which the Holy Spirit allowed me to see a deeper contour that I had not considered much before.  Specifically, I was brought to ponder the intimate relationship between prayer and faith. Jesus Curses the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:19) In this short section, Jesus begins teaching His disciples by announcing the power of faith to cause fig trees to wither and mountains to move.  Most Christians are aware of this basic teaching of Christ on the virtue of faith.  However, the next sentence provides depth of understanding that is less often considered.  Jesus states: "And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith" (Mt 21:22).  Quite clearly, the power of faith must be coupled with prayer, as it seems that the two are mutually cultivated. The...

[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....

On Friday, Pope Benedict XVI will no longer be the supreme pastor of the Church.  The Church and I will move forward, but we will never forget the blessings of having been part of the flock led by this spiritual shepherd.  So many individuals have been influenced and formed greatly by this holy and erudite man.  It has been a pleasure to hear his prayers and spiritual direction as well as to read his catechetical and theological works.  He has been a teacher, mentor, and something of a spiritual grandfather to many, including myself. Derek & his wife shake hands with Pope Benedict XVI (Feb. 22, 2006) It was seven years ago today that I returned from my honeymoon and pilgrimage to Italy.  During those travels, I had the great fortune to attend a papal audience, to look into the eyes of Pope Benedict XVI, and to shake his hand.  When my wife and I clasped our hands with his, we felt as though we were communicating with him.  Silently, underne...