“The slightest cooperation with God’s grace can provoke a massive spiritual change.”
~ Bishop Robert Barron
We are greatly limiting our potential if we believe we can lead our happiest, most joyful lives without the benefit of God. If we want to be our best selves, we need to become the people God created us to be.
Christian joy is a deep, abiding state of the soul that comes from living in communion with God. It provides the serene and steadfast assurance that every instance is a celebration of the beauty of life and the unfailing love of the Lord. Joy lifts the veil of circumstance to reveal the eternal and unchanging promise of God’s presence, illuminating the sacred influence in our daily lives. It comforts us along our darkest paths and turns our challenges into blessed journeys.
Saint Augustine poses the question: “Is not the happy life the thing that all desire, and is there anyone who does not desire it at all?” We are all created with a universal longing for happiness. But what exactly does it mean to be happy?
Pastoral care of the sick is not exclusively the responsibility of designated clergy, but rather an invitation that Christ presents to all of his disciples. Pope Francis reminds us that “The ministry of consolation is a task for every baptized person, mindful of the word of Jesus: ‘I was sick and you visited me’ (Matthew 25:36).”
Reciting the Rosary is like presenting an exquisite crown of roses to Our Lady. She lovingly responds by showering us with a multitude of supernatural gifts. Pope Blessed Pius IX notes that “Among all the devotions approved by the Church none has been so favored by so many miracles as the devotion of the Most Holy Rosary.”
“The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.”
~Venerable Fulton Sheen
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain” (CCC 2562). Even our richest traditional prayers, when delivered without meaning, become merely words.
Temptations that incite us toward evil originate from our fallen nature, our fallen world, and the devil. As a necessary consequence of free will, they have the potential to cause spiritual death by inviting us to sin. Trials, on the other hand, can lead us to spiritual life by strengthening our faith and virtue. When we turn lovingly toward God, He provides us with sufficient grace to endure all of our struggles.
Every February, the health and fitness industry celebrates American Heart Month to remind us to examine the physical health of our hearts. This year, our Lenten season begins on Valentine’s Day. As we prepare for Easter and reflect upon God’s great love for us, it is important to also check the spiritual health of our hearts.