The third Beatitude is Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Faith in God gives us an inner strength and peace to remain faithful in life’s ups and downs even if others are against us: “If God is for us, who is against us?” (Romans 8:31). This is the faith […]Read more

“Mourning” well means taking up our cross to follow Christ, as Pope Francis tells us: “The world tells us exactly the opposite: entertainment, pleasure, diversion and escape make for the good life. The worldly person ignores problems of sickness or sorrow in the family or all around him; he averts his gaze. The world has […]Read more

The Church encourages us to seek holiness by following Christ’s Beatitudes. Let’s delve into these Beatitudes in relation to the Commandments. Blessed the Poor in Spirit (Commandment 10) The first Beatitude—“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3) recalls the 10th Commandment: “Don’t covet your neighbor’s goods.” This […]Read more

Jesus began his enlightening Sermon of the Mount with: “Blessed [or Happy] the person who…” This great Sermon, and all his teachings, is really about being happy. It is particularly attractive because this is something we all seek… we all want to be happy. So if Christian morality and holiness are about being happy and […]Read more

A well-formed conscience enables us to discern God’s will and build up relationships of love for him and for his family on earth, the Church. It is not just about avoiding sin, keeping ourselves unstained, but about showing our love for God in deeds, in everything we do and say. On Mount Horeb God gave […]Read more

Nobody likes rules, which seem like arbitrary directives instituted by people in power to control our lives. More appealing is St. Augustine’s often repeated adage: “Love and do what you want.” In fact, if you truly love then you don’t need rules or commandments, love itself will suffice. Think about it: does a newlywed bride […]Read more

Good parents not only teach their children the house rules and laws, they teach them the reason behind them. God does the same with us by teaching us our great dignity as human persons made in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:26). The web of relationships and interdependence into which we are born images the […]Read more

Forming our conscience is key to living in Christ’s love, a “love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith,” moving us to “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have made shipwreck of their faith” (1 Timothy 1:5,18-19). To help us […]Read more