Back to Basics

Transformation is a dramatic changing from one form to another. For the butterfly this metamorphosis takes place physically; for the Christian, the transformation is more of a spiritual process.

Because the dark surrounds us, let us turn our faces to the light.

Nehemiah had a terrible problem almost 3,000 years ago. His story teaches us some incredible secrets to success.

Not to try to live in interior silence is equivalent to giving up the effort to lead a truly Christian life. We can be constantly united with God without the constant thought of Him. The union of our will with the will of God is the sole form of union that is really requisite.

True thanksgiving is not just a matter of words and warm sentiments. True thanksgiving means self-giving. This is the meaning of Eucharist.

Here are the Lectio Divina steps: Choose your text, read, meditate, contemplate, pray, live out and allow God, through the working of the Holy Spirit, to transform you into the saint that God has made you to be!

Suppose someone asks you to give a mini-teaching on the meaning of the Eucharist to their action group or to a chapter assembly, or to a meeting of the Legion of Mary, or to a class of students. This presentation of the meaning of this Sacrament in the form of an acronym will help give you instant recall so you will be able to respond “yes, I’ll be glad to” without panicking.

We find these terms in the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (specifically the Loreto version), which was composed in the mid-16th century. Most of the titles in question are associated with the prophecies and symbolism of the Old Testament which foreshadow the role our Blessed Mother played in the mystery of salvation. We share with you some of these titles and their origin for your deeper appreciation and reflection.

There are three simple things we can do to help us in our struggle for obedience. We need to practice listening to God, we need to be honest, and we need to listen to God with a spirit of gratefulness … for the expectant faith that He will speak to us, for the grace to hear His voice, and for the willingness to obey.

It is man’s common desire to know the mind of God, or to see things as the Creator would have them seen, to know the Truth. Christ, the Truth incarnate, would have us see things as they actually are as we render necessary judgement in the prosecution of our daily lives. But our judgement is easily clouded by the artifacts of the fall and thus we are often driven by jealousy, envy and greed to make poor judgments.