Many of us struggle to focus during our prayer, work, conversations, or leisure time. Enter the virtue of constancy. This little-known virtue is key in learning to focus and to fight temptations to procrastinate, multitask, and chase after distractions.
Do minuscule sacrifices like passing on adding a bit of extra cream to your coffee matter? Are they of any worth? How?
When we think of gluttony, we probably picture somebody stuffing themselves to excess or guzzling down a huge bottle of liquor. But the sin of gluttony encompasses more than overeating or overdrinking. Pope St. Gregory the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas describe four other ways in which we can commit this sin.
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.
We humans are heavily influenced by our surroundings. That’s why we’re always encouraged to keep good company and put ourselves in places where we can build good habits. In the winter, a sense of dreariness can overcome us. People are tired of the cold and the snow. They’re ready for….
“One?” an objector might exclaim. “Are you kidding me? Look at you Catholics! You’ve got traditionalists, charismatics, and all these different religious orders, rites, and liturgies. Some Catholics support abortion while others oppose it. You have one Pope saying this and another saying that. And yet you all call yourselves Catholic. How can you all be “One”?
God could have redeemed us in any number of ways, but He didn’t. He chose the Incarnation as the best way to save us. Why?