Try these Resolutions So how did those New Year resolutions go… have you lost those 10 pounds yet or hit the gym more? Ok, so maybe not so good? Why do we continually…
Good Books for Lent Have you decided to intensify your spiritual life this Lent by reading something uplifting that can bring you closer to Christ? Quite a few people use the 40 days of…
Ideas for Lent Lent is coming up, have you thought what you can do for the next 40 days to grow in your love for Christ and have a deeper conversion? Some people…
A Spark, a Flame, a Fire Have you ever played with sparklers? Those hand-held fireworks that burn slowly – you can even use them to write words in the air using a camera with long exposure.…
The Crab Mentality Have you ever eaten crabs? Depending on the species, some are colorful, some are muddy, some are huge, some are small and some are like spiders. But have you ever…
Mary, Our gardener Dear Chosen Soul, Recently, when I was working in the garden, I noticed a pretty butterfly flying around my plants. It had pale, yellow spots on its wings and a dark,…
Ferdinand: It’s a Matter of Attachments In a scene from the movie Ferdinand (2017), we see a situation in which many of us can identify with the main character’s way of acting. In this particular scene…
Encouragement Do you have a younger sibling at home? Have you ever observed an infant learning to turn over? How they struggle using their whole body – flailing limbs and all…
A Sacrifice! Wait… of what? “Let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God.” – Heb. 13: 15 Have you ever heard that phrase before? A sacrifice sounds like something I have to give…
Go Big, or Go Home! Today, I was blessed to participate in the confirmation mass of the youth in my parish in Singapore. The archbishop of Singapore celebrated the mass and he gave a really…
5 Typical Temptations Just in case it wasn’t already clear: the devil exists and we humans are not exactly his favorite cup of tea. And since he can’t do direct harm to God,…
3 Reasons why you should dive into the Heart of Jesus 1. Because you think you’re strong, but your enemies are stronger than you. Alone you can not defeat the world, which without ceasing, assaults you with promises of glory that always…
The Dangers of Sadness “Remove sorrow far from you, for sorrow has destroyed many, and there is no profit in it.” (Sirach 30:23) One of the worst things about sadness is the majority of us…
Pins and Needles Dear Chosen Soul, Have you ever hammered a nail into wood before? Or put a screw in to assemble a rack or furniture of some sort? During winter once (while…
Our Sure Path The closer we get to Our Mother and the more we open our heart to her, the more she will shape, mold, and form the heart of her children in…
10 Practical Tips For Your Interior Life 1. Wake up in the morning at a fixed time without being lazy, and have a schedule for your day. Have a firm will to fulfill it with constancy and…
The kitten syndrome Kittens. Sometimes cute… sometimes not. They can be cute on posters: fluffy, wide-eyed, posing in grassy fields with butterflies and wildflowers, or clumsily crawling out of baskets or present boxes…
Sentimental Liturgical life Jesus, Teacher, save me from having a false liturgical life. Free me from a sentimental and a "feel good" liturgical life that bases everything on my feelings and emotions, leaving…
Custodians of beauty What artists create has the ability to be beautiful and brilliantly inspiring, and with that comes a great responsibility. That responsibility consists in letting creation point at the ultimate Creator.…
Roses or thorns? How many times have you chased after something you thought would make you happy? And how many times did it end up leaving you submerged even deeper in a sea…
2 Types of “pray-ers” We could say that there are two types of people: Type A: A person who has firmly decided not to change his personal time prayer no matter what. He doesn’t say:…
Do you like worms? Do you know there are saints that have been given the grace of seeing people’s souls and that sometimes they saw souls that were like rotting pieces of flesh swarming…
What are you looking for? Dear Christian, dear apostle, dear friend… what are you looking for? Do you look for moments to be with God? Do you set aside some time during the day to…
Upside down For years, Saint Ignatius only thought about becoming a great knight, making a lot of money, having honors and power, and getting married, until one day his life was totally…
Learn to accessorize (Part III) I want to focus just for a second on this word: abhor. Abhor: to reject, detest, loathe, hate, despise, be repulsed by, be disgusted by. Now we can ask ourselves:…
Save their honor One day, St. Therese was arranging flowers in the chapel. Now, there was one sister in the convent who would always make negative comments to St. Therese about the flowers…
Widen your horizons It’s so easy to go through life close minded. Is the plan that I have for my life something I’ve come up with or is it God’s plan? St. Ignatius…
That’s disgusting! I want to focus for just a second on this word: abhor. Abhor: reject, detest, loathe, hate, despise, be repulsed or disgusted by. Now we can ask ourselves: Do I…
Learn to accessorize (Part II) There is a Psalm, Psalm 44, that speaks about a bride (a beautiful princess) who is being brought to the king for their wedding. It describes how the princess is…
Learn to accessorize Let me ask you a serious question: Why are we so worried about what we wear? Our clothes, hair, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, shoes, purse, belt, scarf…etc. Are we so worried…
It's a guy! The other day a friend of mine was telling me how she had invited another girl, “so-and-so”, to hang out one Friday night. My friend had invited “so-and-so” in advance…
Have you ever fallen in love? Have you ever fallen in love? No, this is not a silly question. So, have you? It would really be a shame if you went through your whole life without ever…
Don't Move! Do not move a muscle, when you find yourself in difficulty, until you have raised your eyes to Christ on the cross, for there you will see, written in large…
It Takes Work! Mental prayer takes work. It takes work because you have to detach yourself from everything that's not God, put yourself in His presence and stop thinking about all those other…
3 types of people Let’s look at these three categories of people, and you can see which group you fit into:1.Those who don’t want what God wants2.Those who say they want what God wants…
Results of spiritual laziness I could have spiritual laziness in wanting to make an effort to lift my heart to God, disordered affection for others, roughness and outbursts, impatience, anger, whims, being controlled by…
Overhydration There is a phrase that I’ve always loved because it’s very graphic: Don’t extinguish the fire of God’s love in your heart with the water of your sins.Have you ever…
What should my prayer be? (part II) The ironsmith puts the iron into the fire of the forge not to polish it or convert it to coal, but to make it moldable. In the same way prayer…
Lukewarmness Spiritual sicknesses: LukewarmnessHave you been slacking off or become bored in your spiritual life? Have you lost all enthusiasm to fight against your laziness, your moments of “I don’t feel…
What is the Liturgy? (Part III) The earthly liturgy is a small imitation of the heavenly liturgy. It participates in the life of Heaven, adoring God, praising Him, and giving Him glory. When I finish the…
The Caboose Syndrome Do you have a strong lazy streak? Do you prefer letting others do all the work? Do you usually benefit from other peoples' efforts? Do you let others make all…
My Work Absorbs Me Do you ever feel the desire to be united to God in everything, to never separate yourself from Him no matter what you're doing? This desire is good, and we…
Rectify Your Intention Even in our good actions our self-love will usually find a way to weasel its way in. It can be a hidden delight, honor, glory, etc… That’s why we constantly…
The Results of Vigilance Vigilance of heart should turn into a habit of interior recollection, a habit of spiritual combat (fighting against temptation, vices, bad habits etc..), and an active and ordered lifestyle. Doesn’t…
Strategies Against Laziness 1. Make your bed. (And don’t forget about waking up promptly)2. Less screen time. It’s so easy to pick up that phone or ipad every time you’re bored or lose…
What is the Liturgy? (Part II) The Liturgy- it speaks to me about God, it draws me closer to Him. It is a school of the presence of God, a school of love. Love is nourished…
How to Pray Put yourself in the presence of God. Open your heart to Him: “Forget the creatures and remember the Creator.” (St. Teresa of Avila) Be docile. Be ready to avoid all…
Abandoned Post In the spiritual life everything is connected.If I abandon my minimum half hour of prayer every morning, soon I will abandon Mass and Holy Communion. If I pray the Liturgy…
Why Cut Back on Screen Time? Let’s first contemplate these 3 words: slavery, attachment, and sin.If you look the first two words up in the dictionary you’ll find something along the lines of the following:Slave: one…
Where Am I Going and Why? St Ignatius of Loyola would repeat this phrase constantly: “Where am I going and why?” What would Jesus do? How would He act if He were in my position right…
Exercise Against Laziness Bend down: When you see something on the floor, bend down and pick it up. How many times have you already walked by it? Then, when you pick it up…
Star of the Sea If you eliminate the sun that illuminates the world, daytime will cease to exist. If we eliminate Mary, the bright Star of the Sea, from the immense sea of our…
The Domino Effect One of the consequences of selfishness is not doing what God wants, and not helping those who God wanted you to help. So our selfishness is an offense against God…
Boost Your Spiritual Life It will give an enormous boost to our spiritual life if we get into the habit of living off the Liturgy. It’s good to live off the Liturgy… meditating, reflecting,…
Prayer: A Simple Conversation It should be natural. A true conversation with who I love and who I know loves me. I should speak with the Lord simply, I can tell Him if I’m…
Add Some Order to Your Life Order is having everything in its place and everything how it should be. And this “everything in its place and how it should be” applies to the big and the…
Soldier Awake! I want my heart to be constantly focused on persevering itself from all stain and to becoming more and more united to Christ's heart in all my conversations, occupations, entertainment,…
Complete Your Mission Many saints and those seasoned in the interior life assure that idleness is dangerous and is a gateway that leads to impending spiritual death. When one is idle, he sets…
The Prayer of the Church: Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Breviary or Divine Office), is a prayer of the entire Church. It is made up of Psalms, short readings from Sacred Scripture (the Bible), petitions…
What Should My Prayer Be? If God puts in my soul the need and the desire to pray, isn’t He going to help make this conversation easier? Even when I abandon Him He tenderly calls…
Grab Her Hand, and Never Let Go In all temptations, but especially in the topic of purity, don't ever be afraid to cry for help to Our Lady, Our Immaculate and loving Mother.Let me tell you a…
Pure Eyes, Pure Soul Avoid, like the plague, all situations that you know weaken you or lead you into sin. Jesus said, “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off.” So…
Keep Your Heart with All Vigilance Your soul, like a soldier on watch observes all the movements of the heart, everything that occurs inside: thoughts, impressions, judgments, intentions, inclinations, passions, desires, distractions, etc., summed up, all…
The Art of Overcoming Laziness The first battle against laziness is getting up in the morning. Not just getting up, but how we get up as well. St. Jose María Escrivá calls it the “heroic…
What is the Liturgy? Liturgy is the means that Christ has given us, through His Church, to worship God, to instruct us, to sanctify us and to unite us more to Him. The Liturgy…
Why do I have to Make My Bed? So why should we shower… we’re just going to get dirty again anyways. Why should I clean the house… Why should I brush my teeth… Why should I comb my…
I Want to be Faithful to My Resolution...to Pray! Prayer. We need it like our body needs oxygen. It is a time to forge and shape ourselves to become images of Christ. And above all it is a time…
I Want to be Faithful to My Resolutions A lethargic desire or a spontaneous but indecisive enthusiasm to grow in my spiritual life will never have any results. Sometimes when we hear, see, or read about something we…
The Slinky Syndrome Have you ever played with a slinky when you were little… or maybe not so little? Have you noticed how its usual tendency is to collapse in on itself? You…
11 Truths of the Interior Life (Part III) 7. Jesus wants to bring us close to Him, and has a special closeness planned for each one of us. I should remember that if I do not respond generously…
11 Truths of the Interior Life (Part I) 1. My supernatural life is the same Life of Jesus Christ is me. This presence of Jesus in me is called a presence of VITAL ACTION. Take for example the…
11 Truths of the Interior Life (Part II) 4. My interior life, life of grace, Jesus' life in me… can grow in every moment in proportion to the intensity of my love for God. That means that every…
For the Soldiers These words go out to all the soldiers out there who continue to fight with courage and intensity for their noble cause, that is visible in all they do; to…
Ships Aflame: A lesson in Fidelity There are various burned ships in the history of the missionaries to the Americas. Who burned the boats? Would you believe that it was the missionaries themselves? Why is it,…
Spiritual Reading: The Importance of a Good Book Spiritual reading has always been an important aspect in the spiritual life. And although that is true, it seems that in the business of our days, it can be one…
Education of the Heart The concept of love that is extremely popular in Western society happens to be equally dangerous. There are many dangerous things that are easy for us to point out: a…
A Few Ways to Start Over Have you ever thought “Man, I've really messed things up”? Maybe God has given you the grace to see that you have fallen into a great sin that has slowly…
Advent : What’s with the candles? Around this time of year we eat turkey, it gets cold, we sing songs (some of them about Baby Jesus and some about snow), Christmas decorations go up, and there…
Christmas: It's More than Colorful Lights Will you be counting down the days for presents or are you going to try to live the time of Advent and Christmas a little less superficially this year? How do…
Reparation What is Reparation? Lately people have been talking a lot about reparation—with all the black masses being celebrated and with Halloween and such….But what is reparation anyway? Is it saying a…
Life after a retreat Here are three tips to help you continue in your spiritual growth after a retreat, or any moment where you have received a ton of graces.Emotions So, you just got back…
Life Plan What direction are you taking in life? The direction you are taking, and will take in the future, depends a lot on how you live each moment. How can I…
The Heroic Minute Contrary to popular belief, hitting the snooze button does not and will not keep the dream alive. It could actually destroy your dream that you have of accomplishing great goals…
This is your life "This is your life, are you who you want to be?" That's a line from a song that helped a group of friends start thinking about what they were doing…
Holy Friendships Holy Friendships “A winter's day in a deep and dark December; I am alone”. Who wants to use those words to describe their life? I would bet that you would probably prefer to…
Prayer Benedict XVI said in WYD Cologne: “Dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is…
Spiritual Direction Spiritual direction is the difficult art of leading souls from the beginning of the spiritual life to the heights of Christian perfection and holiness. Wait a second…the difficult art of…
Mary, Our Mother Mary, Our Mother If you want to be holy and get to heaven, there is a shortcut: a refuge where we can gain strength, help when we’re tired, consolation when we’re…
Penance Penance What the Church says:Every Christian is required to do penance each in his own way. There are some common penances, however, for the whole Universal Church.Penitential days and times: every…
Lent “Lent is a favorable time for intensifying your spiritual life; may the practice of fasting help you, dear young people, to acquire ever greater self-control.” -Pope Benedict XVIFor many the word…
The Most Important Battle Do you want to learn many fighting strategies in the daily battle against conflicts with the world, the flesh, and the devil. Up until this point you might not have…
