Introduction To approach a discussion about solitude and intimacy it is necessary first to define solitude as something other than loneliness. Loneliness is an experience that can happen when a person is in isolation from others, or with others. Being with others doesn’t necessarily cure loneliness. Loneliness is a painful human experience that also can […]
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As I was scrolling through #CatholicTwitter today I noticed a number of tweets about intrusive thoughts. It seemed that one person’s disclosure of struggling with intrusive thoughts prompted others to identify and come forward with theirs. I take a position that, in general, American Catholic piety is by-and-large focused on exterior acts that promise rewards:
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In Sacred Scripture we read that we must not let the sun go down while still angry, that to do so gives the devil a foothold (Eph. 4:26-27). The book of James speaks in many places about the virtue of patience and gentleness and warns that anger leads to unrighteousness. The Proverbs are full of
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Where am I? Where is my God? I didn’t ask it enough. I tried. Hard. I tried. Slipped. I tried. Ecstasy. I tried. Kenosis. I tried. Falling asleep. But there were periods. Extended. Even enough. More than enough. The dark light of shame. And the clear light of enough-ness.
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The result was nil until we let go absolutely… (How it Works, AA) A friend asked me the other day what it means to let go absolutely. He brought up a line in the book Alcoholics Anonymous that says the result was nil until we let go absolutely. Upon immediate analysis it is clear that
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In respect to the subjective gravity of the sin of masturbation the Catechism of the Catholic Church reads, To form an equitable judgment about the subjects’ moral responsibility and to guide pastoral action, one must take into account the affective immaturity, force of acquired habit, conditions of anxiety or other psychological or social factors that
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In other posts I have mentioned the similarity between the admission of powerless and unmanageability in the 12 Steps of AA and the essential foundation of the spiritual combat as Dom Lorenzo Scupoli describes in the treatise, “The Spiritual Combat.” The genius of this book is not simply that it reflects this perennial truth of
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If I stay sober emotionally, I can be mindful of when I start being driven by the attitude of lust. And when I see it, I can let it go. In my meditation this morning I was able to experience how my addiction to lust makes my whole body tense and drives me like a
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The book 12 Steps & 12 Traditions illustrates the importance of distrust of self, seeing it as the foundation for recovery from the disease of alcoholism. It reads, … only through utter defeat are we able to take our first steps toward liberation and strength (pg. 21). Why is “utter defeat” so important for recovery
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In the ascetical classic, The Spiritual Combat, by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli he views the spiritual life through the lens of 4 principles, or 4 steps. They are: 1) Distrust of Self 2) Confidence in God 3) Proper use of the faculties of the body and mind 4) The duty of prayer. In our culture distrust
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