You know, words are a funny thing. That’s important to remember when we ask questions about Catholics and Yoga. That’s because, I think, much of the problem will come down to what we mean by the word “yoga.” I can’t speak for other languages and cultures, but American English at least has a pretty nasty track record of dragging words through a whole bunch of meanings before leaving them, muddy…
Have you failed in your Lenten penance yet? I have… and it wasn’t even a fight. I just kind of shrugged it off. Then I dragged myself to bed, falling asleep while pondering what the Lord must think of this half-hearted priest. And in the morning, there he was, waiting for me in the chapel. What did I have to say for myself? Would this be yet another morning of…
With Lent just kicking off (hey, did we mention it’s Lent yet?), it’s always a good time to really dig deep into our spiritual life. Sometimes we don’t have much to begin with, and it’s hard to really think that this year is going to be the year when we truly transform ourselves. I can’t say I have all of the answers or that my Lent is always as transforming as…
Ever heard of the Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales? I’m reading it now and it really is a fantastic book for anyone looking to make a serious start (or restart) of their spiritual life. Combining practical tips with solid theology and great analogies, this book is meant to be a guide for ordinary people to begin to grow in holiness. Really, the Universal Call to Holiness advocated by…
New Year, New You, right? January tends to bring out both the Type A and the idealist in most of us… creating goals on goals on goals, imagining a new life where all of our dreams come true, or idealizing this image of who we think we should be or could be if we just finally tried. For most of us 2017 is already beginning on a complicated note… the…
“I don’t know what my work schedule will be like next week.” It makes me a little sad to hear this. At first, I didn’t think much about it, but as I encounter more people who sincerely desire to grow in their spiritual life but are feeling stuck, I am starting to evaluate it a bit more. And before I say much more, allow me to state plainly that I…
If you are anything like me, then you try and do too much. It’s not that you want to be overworked and overstressed, but in good faith you just have a hard time saying ‘no’ and want to help as many people as you can. Or maybe you are a single parent or a child taking care of a parent or grandparent and you don’t have an option about your…
Several years ago, as I was flipping through Fr. Michael Scanlan’s little guide to prayer, Appointment With God, I was taken aback by his description of his own daily “appointment” with the Lord. In it he mentioned that he typically spends around 15 minutes a day in a prayer of “praise”. Fr. Scanlan, of course, is the remarkable priest whose efforts transformed a dingy unheard of college into the Franciscan University…