Forsake Not the Discipline

“Forsake not the discipline” These words are reported as among the very first and very last teachings of St. Antony of the Desert by his spiritual son, St. Athanasius.   The Christian life is not something we master – but it does give us everything we need to master ourselves in the new and unrepeatable circumstances each day, each moment, brings.  Every day we must choose... Read More

CSD Book Club – Imitation of Christ (Week 10 of 10)

Has God “Hugged” You Lately? You must seek the grace of devotion with perseverance, ask for it with earnestness, await it with patient confidence, receive it with thankfulness, retain it with humility, and use it with great care. But, while you await its coming, entrust to God the time and manner of this heavenly gift. When you feel little or no devotion within you, you should especially... Read More

The Wounds of a Savior

I was resting my head on the stiff airplane seat, exhausted from having woken up so early to get on my flight. As my New Year’s resolution, I had decided to initiate a strictly spiritual commitment, having felt the urge to jump-start my prayer life. I promised myself to recite the rosary once a day, in honor of my consecration to Mary, as well as to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary.... Read More

CSD Book Club – Imitation of Christ (Week 9 of 10)

Woe to you… Examine your conscience with great care, and cleanse and purify it as best you can by true contrition and a humble confession. Thus, nothing grievous will remain in you and you will know of nothing that could cause you remorse and hinder your free access to Me. In general, be sorry for all your sins, but in particular, you must grieve and bewail those offenses you commit every... Read More

Laughing at Lucifer in Lent

In 1942 C.S. Lewis published one of his most enduring and endearing books. The Screwtape Letters is a collection of imaginative epistles from a senior devil to his junior colleague, outlining how he should handle his “patient.” Lewis wrote the book as a series of essays for The Guardian newspaper and confessed that the pieces were not fun to write. Over the years Lewis’ Luciferian letters... Read More

Struggling with Lenten commitments? A prayer of St. Teresa on mortification

“Why O Lord, should I be preoccupied with my fears and lose courage in the face of my weakness? You give me to understand that I must fortify myself in humility, and convince myself that I can do very little alone, and that without your help I am nothing. I shall put all my confidence in your mercy, and shall distrust my own strength, convinced that my weakness is caused by my self-reliance.... Read More

Can special events be celebrated during Lent?

Q: Dear Father John, I have a question… My brother’s graduation is this March during Lent and my family normally eats in a really nice restaurant for dinner after graduations. Is it okay if we aren’t able to fulfill our Lenten fast or penance on days like that?  A: What a beautiful question! It shows that you are sincerely concerned about living Lent well. Since Lent is a season... Read More

Ash Wednesday Fasting and Church Teaching

Every year a bunch of questions come up concerning Lent and the details of the laws governing it. Sometimes these rules are misstated or not clearly stated in various places on the web, so let’s look at what the Church’s official documents say regarding the practice of fast and abstinence on Ash Wednesday. Before we do that, though, let me offer a few notes of caution: 1) The Church’s laws... Read More

How can I better prepare for Lent?

Q: Can you help me better understand how I should approach the Lenten season? I always seem to find myself in the season without any preparation and then make a knee jerk commitment that I rarely follow through with. Anyway, I am a bit ahead of the game this year but would be grateful if you could help me improve my participation in this important time. A: It’s admirable that you want to... Read More

How to deepen your relationship with Christ this Lenten season

Prayer can be a great consolation to us. It is often the means of God’s grace to strengthen, encourage, and guide us. It is also hard work and requires a strong commitment to persevere. This doesn’t mean that it should be a straining exercise. Still, when we choose to pray we are thereby rejecting other things that might be pleasurable to us. For instance, I know one very busy business man... Read More

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