Jesus commands to us to love our enemies. Why? How it sane and just to love someone who has hurt you gravely? What does loving such a person entail? How can we love them? Vir Christi answers these difficult questions and more.
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A Love without Limits: Imitating Jesus Crucified in Daily Life
A crucifix is a reminder of God’s radical, limitless love. It also confronts us with a daunting challenge as we recall God’s command for us to love as He does. How is this possible for a mere human being crippled by sin? Serafina reflects on all this in her meditation upon Jesus Crucified.
Do You Give Thanks No Matter What?
Gratitude is one of the easiest virtues to display. Anyone can say “thank you” and the occasions for doing so are innumerable.
Gratitude as a habitual disposition is rarer and far more radical.
What do you say “thank you” for? Do you mean it? Do you give thanks no matter what happens?
Preparing for Mass
Do you prepare for Mass?
We prepare for so many things—work, school, a birthday party, a vacation—so as to do or enjoy those things as best we can.
Likewise, we need to prepare to celebrate the sacrifice of the Mass. It is…
Choosing to Enjoy Life Amidst Anxieties and Troubles
“Do you know,” said Anne confidentially, “I’ve made up my mind to enjoy this drive. It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.”
In this scene, eleven-year-old Anne is facing the prospect of being sent back to an orphan asylum because…
Live the Resurrection, Real Time
Easter is a season of new beginnings. It’s a time for us to allow the blossoming of the spiritual seeds that Lent sowed in our hearts, and also to allow the restoration of that which was broken. The cry “He is risen!” is not a far-distant memory, but rather…
Tarry in the Triduum
When Holy Week arrives, there is a sense of anticipation. Palm Sunday begins a countdown to Easter for many people, a time when we can return to the things we gave up for Lent. But is this the right way to approach Holy Week? How do we make the most effective use of our time during the holiest week of the liturgical year?
Lent: It’s Not a Self-Improvement Program
Too often we treat the Lenten season as a self-improvement program. Instead of seeking to draw closer to God, we end up seeking ourselves. A classic example is someone giving up chocolate so they can lose weight. Their focus is on an ulterior motive, not God.
Our Power is in the Cross: Signing Ourselves with Devotion
Have you ever thought about why Catholics make the Sign of the Cross so often? Too many times, we do it sloppily. We rush through the movement, perhaps not touching the correct points (forehead, chest, left and right shoulders), as we mumble the Trinitarian formula.