Tag: faith
The quality of Mercy
When speaking about mercy there can be turns in the road, or forks even, were different aspects can be pondered. Like many other topics on the spiritual life, different facets can be dwelt upon, to the exclusion of others. Sometimes the best way to try to understand mercy, both human and Divine (though the mystery… Read More ›
Parental pain
Last Sunday Tom came up to me and gave me a note. It was from a woman who wanted to speak to me about the loss of her son. From the note I learned that he was only 33 years old and died from cancer. So I started over to the retreat house praying that… Read More ›
Abraham: Our Father in Faith
… Faith leads Abraham to tread a paradoxical path. He will be blessed, but without the visible signs of blessing: he receives the promise to become a great nation, but with a life marked by the barrenness of his wife Sarah; he is brought to a new homeland but he will have to live there as… Read More ›
Abraham and Mary, models of Faith
Vatican City, Dec 19, 2012 / 10:12 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI continued his series of reflections on faith this Wednesday, saying that at times it includes an element of darkness. “We encounter moments where God seems absent, his silence weighs on our hearts and his will doesn’t correspond to our own as we… Read More ›
At a Time of Fear and Dark Thoughts, Sweep the ‘Night’ Away Through Spiritual Discipline
Hope beyond hope. Persist beyond persistence. Keys to the glorious struggle called life on earth. Faith can do anything and lead anywhere. Where faith begins, fear ends. As with every other attribute, the way to increase faith is to practice it constantly. It is never wasted. We toss it like seed and some of it… Read More ›
Negativity Not Only Stymies Your Life but Is Also Usually a Lie
Life on earth is a constant struggle to find our equilibrium. On our way to that balance, God sends us favors (as indications). Most are small. They add up. There are also the little admonishments. Some are not so little. Mostly we are punished by the lack of His Presence. When we abuse anything God… Read More ›
Fallacy of worldly logic
The logic of worldly success rests on a fallacy-the strange error that our perfection depends on the thoughts and opinions and applause of other men. A weird life it is to be living always in somebody else’s imagination, as if that were the only place in which one could become real. Thomas Merton
Growth in faith
For every gain in deep certitude there is a corresponding growth of superficial “doubt.” This doubt is by no means opposed to genuine faith, but it mercilessly examines and questions the spurious “faith” of everyday life, the human faith which is nothing but the passive acceptance of conventional opinion. Thomas Merton
Psalm 112(111): Open-handed, he gives to the poor
1. After yesterday’s celebration of the Solemnity of all the saints of Heaven, we remember today all of the faithful departed. The liturgy invites us to pray for all our loved ones who have passed away, turning our thoughts to the mystery of death, an inheritance common to all men and women. Enlightened by faith,… Read More ›
Gallup: America Still a ‘Religious Nation’
A new poll from the Gallup Organization reveals that although “state culture” influences one’s religiosity, America is still, overall, a religious nation. In addition, the survey found that among all states, Mississippi is the most religious, while Vermont and New Hampshire rank as the least religious. As the Gallup Organization reports, 40 percent of Americans nationwide classify themselves… Read More ›