Based on the title, The Discipline of Study, I was not overly excited to begin chapter five of Celebration of Discipline, but, there is truth in the saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover…” or in this case a chapter by its title. As Foster continues to explore the Spiritual Disciplines, he reminds the reader that the purpose of the disciplines is to bring about total transformation of the individual by, in a …Follow this path →
The only phrase I remember from my one semester of Hebrew is the first few words of Genesis, בראשית ברא אלהים which translated means “In the beginning God created.” I am not sure if Fr. George Saladna would be proud that, after 40 years, I still recall those words, but my minimal vocabulary is due more to aging gray cells than his ability to teach. Fr. Saladna was the vice rector of the seminary during …Follow this path →
There are three camps when it comes to the proper time to begin to celebrate Christmas. In one camp, albeit a very small one, are the purists who show no hint of Christmas until the eve of December 25th. This group cherishes the unique character of Advent, a time of preparation and waiting. At the other end of the spectrum is the faction that begins to trot out the holiday decorations and music even as they are packing …Follow this path →
Did you ever pick up a book and know from the very first page that is was going to be one you would enjoy reading? Fr. Martin begins this inspirational work by writing about Spiderman, fake vomit, sea monkeys and his swimming Tony the Tiger toy. These were some of the childhood items he “sent away for” – enticed by the ads in comic books and on cereal boxes. His shopping habits were not confined to …Follow this path →
“You will never be able to pray perfectly until you are detached from the pleasures of prayer.” These words capture the essence of Chapter 28, Detachment. I admit, I take pleasure in prayer time. My hour plus of God time at the end of the day, to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, to do a little spiritual reading, to listen to uplifting music, to sit in silent reflection. The pleasure continues often into the …Follow this path →
Chapter 3 – The Discipline of Prayer Section – The Foothills of Prayer KISS – keep it simple stupid seems to be the advice Foster offers in this section. At times we tend to over complicate our prayer and, in doing so, move away from what should be so natural to us. Foster looks at how children interact with their parents and then encourages that same type of relationship in our interaction with our Father. …Follow this path →
Chapter 27 – What is Liberty? Merton gives a straightforward definition of freedom, “to do the will of God.” He considers the lowest limit of freedom is our ability to choose between good and evil. That choice in itself is deceptive, for when we choose evil, it is only because we see it as an apparent good. We are caught in the trap of choosing what we really did not want and therefore not truly …Follow this path →
