We Are All Called to Lives of Holiness
**Today's guest post is from fellow Catholic Exchange contributor Matthew Chicoine. American founding father Benjamin Franklin said, “Diligence overcomes difficulties; sloth makes them.” Laziness not only creates problems, but also worsens them. Procrastination, a cousin of laziness, is the particular type of sloth that haunts me. I make excuses to explain and justify my laziness. …
Continue reading "Guest Post: 3 Tactics to Overcome Spiritual Sloth"
Last week, Fr. Jonathan Morris of Fox News fame announced that he has decided to leave the priesthood and is petitioning for laicization. In response to the very public announcement of his decision, I was immediately struck by how little so many respondents understood the nature of the priesthood. I was also disheartened to see …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: The World Needs the Witness of Celibate Priests"
In the Mass readings right now we are working our way through my favorite epistle, the First Letter of St. John. It will play a key role in aspects of the book I'm working on. If there is one word that describes this letter it is love. The Beloved Disciple whose deep spiritual friendship with …
“Life is not neatly divided between beauty and ugliness, light and dark, beatitude and despair. Rather, it is a struggle and a longing, full of vicissitude and vacillation, with glimmers and glimpses which paradoxically attract and repel us, making us feel both at home and alien.” Austin Choate, "Terrence Lamick: You Will Love, Whether …
Continue reading "Will I Love As Christ Loves Or Will I Walk Away?"
Rather frequently, I hear people make arguments about aspects of the spiritual life, the Church, morality, or relationships that are predicated upon a particular individual’s feelings. Some will complain that the Mass doesn’t make them “feel” good or the Church’s teaching doesn’t cause a flood of the emotions they are looking for in their lives. …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Put Your Faith in Christ, Not in Feelings"
In the past few weeks I have come into contact--both in person and in social media--with people who have felt the need to lecture me on their individual learning in areas of the Catholic faith. I stepped in at a Catholic bookstore when a man was telling a woman in full communion with Rome that …
Continue reading "The Dangers of Isolationism and the Need for Holy Guides"
One of the greatest battles we face in the spiritual life is knowing and understanding ourselves. "Know thyself" appeared on the temple at Delphi in Ancient Greece. It's influenced philosophy for centuries and it is an essential aspect of the spiritual life, as long as it is properly ordered to God and a life of …
Continue reading "Knowing Ourselves and the Battle for Objectivity"
Image taken from Wiki Commons. I recently started reading Bishop Robert Barron and John L. Allen Jr.’s book To Light a Fire on the Earth: Proclaiming the Gospel in a Secular Age. I’ve read quite a few of Bishop Barron’s more theological books and I own both the Catholicism series and the most recent Pivotal …
Continue reading "Catholic Exchange: Why the Culture Wars Don’t Evangelize Souls"
Image taken from Wiki Commons. It is easy in our daily lives to discount the seemingly minor encounters or experiences we have throughout any given day. We are so busy going through the motions that we often forget to pay attention to where God is blessing us and showering us with His gratuitous love. He …
Continue reading "Looking Past the Monotony of Daily Living In Order to See God’s Gratuitous Love"
Image: Wiki Commons There is an adage in our culture that is prevalent in movies, books, even daily conversations. It is: "People never change." It is even quite common for Catholics to make this statement. If this is true, then we are all in trouble. Scripture and our Faith tell us otherwise. People deeply attached …
Swimming the Depths 