It is to the young Virgin Mary that the Holy Trinity comes first. In the Annunciation, she consents to partake in the salvific mission of the sent Son of God. The angel’s message is presented to Mary not as a command, but an invitational call to become the vessel of redemption. Hence, the following explicates how Mary’s holy state of life conforms to the life of her Son. The freedom divinely given to all humanity was exercised by Mary’s fiat “May it be done to me according to thy word.” Upon understanding what the angel reveals, her words of offered obedience perfectly image those of her Son to the Father “Your will be done” (Lk 22:42). Thus, Mary takes her stand as the first paradigmatic Christian conformed to the life of Christ, and through Him, enters into the life of the Blessed Trinity. Never…
Advent marks the time in the Church liturgical calendar to spiritually prepare for the coming of Christ The Light who is the Redeemer breaks into a darkened world. St. John tells us “He was in the world and the world came into being through Him; yet the world did not know Him (Jn 1:10). There has never been a time when Christ was not in the world. As He is one and the same with God the Father, Christ has been drawing humanity to Himself since before the dawn of creation. Never has there been a time when Christ is not, or a time before He was not. Christ is eternal – God from God – Light from Light, True God and True Man – through whom all things were made. Hence, the sent Son of God was in the world before he became Incarnate of the Virgin Mary…
In our contemporary world, remaining centered on God and seeking only moral goodness requires the obedience of faith. Faith is by definition assent to things that are not seen. It is the absolute belief in the complete mysteries that remain hidden in the mind of God. St. Paul points to the significance of obedient faith. He tells us that “we were buried with Christ by baptism into his death. As Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father; we too might walk in newness of life in Him (Rom 6:4). Faith that sustains perfect obedience to the will of God requires the real presence of grace. And cemented within the pursuit of obedience in the faith life is the call to uphold the moral tenets of the Christian faith. Theological and moral obedience are as inseparable as fish and the sea. Faith brings a firm…
Among Christ’s hypostatic properties (divine and human) is the truth of his unchanging nature. The Psalmist proclaims “But You remain the same and your years will never end” (Ps. 102:27). Every word Christ speaks is eternal and his promises are everlasting” (Mt. 24:35). What great comfort we have in knowing that our circumstances will never determine the measure of God’s infinite goodness and mercy. Only God’s love is the measure of our worth (JP11). While the unpredictable world promises constant change, God’s love endures forever. Out of his grace flows into the soul infused virtues (faith, hope and charity) and the moral virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) as the sanctifying means to participate in his divinity. These seeds of virtue incline the soul towards holiness, perpetually raising the heart to God. As spiritual gifts, they bring forth a profound desire to “be perfect…
According to Simon & Schuster, more than fifty million copies of Rick Warren’s best seller The Purpose Driven Life were sold last year. Warren’s guiding steps to pinpoint what drives happiness and how to live with purpose can certainly help to answer the question “why I am here?” However for the Christian, setting out to discern one’s purpose begins with understanding the “causes” attracting the soul toward “goodness” as a means to God. The journey does not start out with a question – but with an answer. That is, knowing that God is our Ultimate Destination. We then set out to pursue a life that is a reflection of his image – seeking only the good. God knows that we cannot do all that He desires in our own strength. He gives us an interior power “source” enabling our capacity to seek only goodness. St…
