The mere fact that we are not happy now is proof that we will be happy in the future, for God does not give us any desire which he himself does not intend to satisfy in his own perfect way. So let us mourn now, but do so with the joy for the gifts given [...]
The Cross of Jesus teaches us the undying love of God and this is what gives us comfort. The Cross of Jesus must be our joy, peace, and grace. The Cross is good because it is an abundant source of all kinds of delight and consolation. It brings joy, peace, and grace to the soul.” [...]
The new year always makes us yearn for the “new”—and when we say “new” we mean a fresh start. Yet this desire often blots out what God has already given us. My last name, “Nee,” is quite odd—terribly short and simple and, yet, somehow often mispronounced (it’s just like “knee,” by the way, and should [...]
Our fundamental mistake is that we conflate freedom with a multiplicity of options. This view of freedom is actually paralyzing—we are enchained by our inability to make a decision. Thankfully, this is not how a Christian is expected to live! Ordering from a lengthy restaurant menu is a frightful experience. Your eyes scan desperately over countless [...]
When we look at a painting and see it only as scratches of pigment upon a canvas, we miss the big picture. When we look at what seems like chaos in our lives, we see ourselves as chaos. But when we see it all as a pattern, as a design, as God working—then we see ourselves [...]
While Edwin O’Connor’s fiction offers a privileged view into the changing world of the mid-twentieth century, his books also constitute graceful discourses on more enduring realities—faith, forgiveness, prayer. He shows us how to interpret a changing world through the calm and hopeful eyes of faith. The world was never the same after 1968. It was [...]
Keeping before us the countless ways God has blessed us, allows us to keep our focus on him, the God who infinitely loves us and who is with us through our greatest joys and our deepest sorrows. “Remember the marvels he has done” (Ps 105:5). Remember. Last year, when I was a novice, the novice master [...]
The Colosseum represents for us the inescapable fear, suffering, and death awaiting us in our fallen world. As disciples of Christ, we are brought to the Colosseum whether we like it or not. To emerge victorious from that perilous arena we must surrender all fear, all thought of winning on our own terms, all desire [...]
Saint Francis heard our Lord’s intimate call: “sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” But even more importantly, St. Francis knew that such an invitation came from the fact that “Jesus looked at him and loved him.” This is the backbone of our [...]
What was Veronica thinking when she stared into the eyes of Jesus as he made his way to the Crucifixion? Imagine the scene: Jesus has fallen for the first time. He is completely spent, walking beside Simon of Cyrene, his “voluntold” helper. Mary, his mother, mournfully looks on, and all he can do is continue [...]
Why do we try to fill our searching hearts with fleeting things? Like St. Augustine, our search goes astray and we are disappointed. It is the paradox of the world. We are surrounded by finite, earthly goods, but in the end, we were made for eternal ones. Everyone has experienced the desire for something just [...]
Christ likened himself to Jonah, but he also bears resemblance to the whale. Though whaling ships no longer set sail from New London or New Bedford, the whale still remains, plumbing the deep. Though sometimes Christ seems no longer known and honored in the world, he still remains: the king of the sea, the sea [...]
The human heart desires to sing. Enlivened by God, it seeks, at its most basic, to make a worthy return to the Lord in songs of praise and thanksgiving. Language can be beautiful. Order is peaceful and pleasing. The combination of the two—ordered language—gives man the stuff with which to fill his lungs. Down through [...]
Saint Dominic is a perfect saint for our unprecedented and challenging times. His spiritual joy and his radical trust in Divine Providence are two antidotes to our modern ailments of anxiety and fear of the future. St. Dominic stands as an example to achieve peace in unprecedented times. “Thank you for your patience during these unprecedented times.” Produce [...]