How does contemplation hear heaven? How does it reflect joy? What form does it take? Find out how Dr. Anthony Lilles describes the gift of contemplation and how it is safeguarded by the Church against charlatans.
How Do We Know God’s Will? Many people after discovering the faith soon realize that it is sometimes difficult to discern God’s will in a given situation. Most people think that knowing God’s will is impossible. After all, He gave us our natural capacity to reason and He has revealed Himself to us – so
To Satiate the Thirst of Jesus Editor’s Note: Dr. Anthony Lilles gives us a lot to consider during these hot summer months, especially for those of us who live with and/or serve the sick, suffering and dying. When we begin to pray, we implicate ourselves in the plight of others, especially those who are suffering.
Holy Fear We find in the writings of the great mystics, especially of those who have been recognized as “Doctor of the Church,” a certain unanimous consent concerning the importance of holy fear if we are to grow in our life of prayer. They have a sense that it is a fearful thing to stand
Alleluia! Christ is Risen! How are We Able to Hold Fast to Our Faith? He is Risen! In the midst of our busy lives, it is easy to be overwhelmed and to feel overcome by difficult circumstance. For those who strive to pray, Christ risen from the dead allows us to taste this only
Christ and the Confidence that Comes from the Holy Spirit Christ baptizes in the power of the Holy Spirit and his fire animates the Christian life with hope. The Holy Spirit who moved over the waters of creation, who overshadowed the Virgin Mary, who descended on Christ at his Baptism, who carried the Crucified’s last
The Lord is Coming – Take Him to your Heart “Take Him to your heart… keep Him in you as in a sanctuary… live with Him in intimacy.” This was advice offered to a new religious sister just beginning her life as a nun. The beauty of this message only fully discloses itself when we
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Mystical Rose The famous image and story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an important part of the history of the evangelization of the Americas – a continent evangelized more quickly than any other in all of Church history. Mary appeared to a
Prayer and Purgatory: Thresholds to Glory Purgatory and prayer are both the thresholds to Glory. In both cases, the disciple of the Lord receives purification to live life to the full, to be free, to stand before God and, finally, to see his face. If we are not purified, healed, strengthened and taught how to
The Paradox of Holiness and Communion To be holy is to be set apart. To be in communion is to be in solidarity with one another. Prayer both sets us apart and establishes us in a deeper communion. It is a paradox. Although this mystery is not completely solvable, one hint is the relational dimension