Tag: spiritual progress
Spiritual birth
He who is spiritually “born” as a mature identity is liberated from the enclosing womb of myth and prejudice. He learns to think for himself, guided no longer by the dictates of need and by the systems and processes designed to create artificial needs and then “satisfy” them. This emancipation can take two forms: first… Read More ›
We must allow ourselves to be led
None of us who commit to prayer and the spiritual life enjoy those periods during which prayer, liturgy, or spiritual reading seem dry or dull. But such moments are necessary—or so it would seem—for God permits them. If something were always pleasant, we would not be sure if we loved God or merely the pleasantries. An old saying asks… Read More ›
Spiritual Combat Revisited
“Spiritual Combat Revisited” is a summary of the classic book “The Spiritual Combat” by Lorenzo Scupoli (1530-1610). The original, “The Spiritual Combat”, is an uncompromising account of the ascetical life. The book presupposes a moral and theological outlook that has largely faded into the background. This is why Fr. Jonathan Robinson has taken up the… Read More ›
Free Will and God’s Grace are Necessary for Spiritual Progress
Neither that which lies within our own power apart from the knowledge of God, nor mere knowledge of God — if we have not also brought something to the good — compels us to make progress. We do not become vessels for honor or dishonor solely through that which lies within our power apart from… Read More ›