Even great saints and prophets are not immune to great discouragement and the temptation to give up and despair. Elijah seems to have come close! Prior to this encounter with the Lord he had sat under a broom tree and prayed for death because, as he expressed it, I am no better than my ancestors. […]

I suspect that we may all have either yielded to flattery or employed this, often, manipulative psychological tool for selfish ends. As one would expect, Jesus, neither yields to, nor resorts to, flattery in his dealings with others. The Pharisees and Herodians are certainly accurate when they say we know that you are a truthful […]

Although by nature some are more inquisitive, it is also true that inordinate curiosity can be indicative of the desire to distract oneself from the unpleasantness of one’s inner state. Not minding your own business but busying yourself with that of others can thus serve as a welcome distraction from the difficult interior work associated […]

As Christians we can sometimes struggle to reconcile the true face of God revealed in Jesus Christ with many of the images created by the Old Testament scriptures. Certain understandings of Christ’s mediation between us and the Father, give the impression of Jesus being the kinder and more compassionate—indeed, at times pictured as holding back […]

The lives of the saints can sometimes be thought of, not only as holy, but also imbued with a clear sense and knowledge of God’s will and a fine attunement to the Spirit’s leading. Our first reading leaves us with a different picture: Paul’s decisions and movements in preaching the gospel seem almost haphazard. Firstly, […]

The spiritual masters warn us that overcoming some of the vices involves a twofold process—first the physical, tangible, and worldly, and second the spiritual expressions of the same vices. Thus, there can be physical gluttony for the delights of the palate and spiritual gluttony for the consolations of the soul. Jealousy is no exception, and […]

It is one of the mysteries of our Christian faith and spirituality that grace seems to work in so many different ways in bringing us to salvation. Notwithstanding the many influential factors at work in the life of each one of us, there does seem to be the added factor of God’s choice or decision. […]

Idleness may be the enemy of the soul, but so is busyness when it is purposely pursued—often as a way of dealing with anxiety and restlessness. Peter seems to have done precisely this when, being at something of a loose end in those confusing hours and days following the crucifixion, he announced that he was […]

It is not uncommon to reread a scriptural text and be struck by some minor detail previously unnoticed. In reflecting on tonight’s gospel I had one of those experiences—this time relating to the great heavy stone sealing the Lord’s tomb and how it was removed. Although all four gospels speak of the same stone, Matthew […]

Psychological narcissism does what Christ expressly says he does not do, namely, glorify himself. Instead, he explains, it is my Father who glorifies me. This is a reminder that even if we are not overtly narcissistic we may still find ourselves looking to others for approval, affirmation, and a sense of self-worth. And whereas this […]