Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: perfection

The way to Perfection

. . .perfection is not arrived at simply by self-denial, and the giving up of all our goods, and the casting away of honours, unless there is that charity, the details of which the Apostle describes, which consists in purity of heart alone. For “not to be envious,” “not to be puffed up, not to… Read More ›

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God sees you as you truely are — in His eyes

Even now you have a partial likeness, because you know partially. ‘With face unveiled’ you are ‘already contemplating my glory’, but yet you are still ‘being transformed from one degree of glory to another’. While you are being transformed, you do not yet possess wholly. To be transformed is to make progress, but not yet… Read More ›

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The Paradox of Human Existence

There is a paradox that lies in the very heart of human existence. It must be apprehended before any lasting happiness is possible in the soul of a man. The paradox is this: man’s nature, by itself, can do little or nothing to settle his most important problems. If we follow nothing but our natures,… Read More ›

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The paradox of human existence

There is a paradox that lies in the very heart of human existence. It must be apprehended before any lasting happiness is possible in the soul of a man. The paradox is this: man’s nature, by itself, can do little or nothing to settle his most important problems. If we follow nothing but our natures,… Read More ›

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Life itself is imperfect

We cannot avoid missing the point of almost everything we do. But what of it? Life is not a matter of getting something out of  everything. Life itself is imperfect. All created beings begin to die as soon as they begin to live, and no one expects any one of  them to become absolutely perfect,… Read More ›

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Prayer of Archbishop Oscar Romero

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying… Read More ›

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A humble man is not afraid of failure.

A humble man can do great things with an uncommon perfection because he is no longer concerned about incidentals, like his own interests and his own reputation, and therefore he no longer needs to waste his efforts in defending them. For a humble man is not afraid of failure. In fact, he is not afraid… Read More ›

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What is True Perfection?

This is true perfection: not to avoid a wicked life because, like slaves, we servilely fear punishment, nor to do good because we hope for rewards, as if cashing in on the virtuous life by some business-like arrangement. On the contrary, disregarding all those things for which we hope and which have been reserved by… Read More ›

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