Learning to be Quick to Listen

As the summer break winds down and the new school year begins, Catholic students around the world are preparing to return to the classroom. This time of transition can be both exciting and overwhelming. New schedules, new teachers, new classmates, and a new academic workload can easily pull our focus in a million different directions. Amidst all the hustle and bustle, it's crucial to remember the most important thing of all: our relationship with God . The start of a new school year is the perfect opportunity to rededicate ourselves to Him, to invite Him into our studies, our friendships, and our extracurricular activities. Let's make a conscious effort to keep our eyes fixed on Him, seeking His guidance and strength in everything we do. Keeping God at the center of our lives isn't always easy, especially with the many distractions that come with school. But by making small, intentional choices each day, we can cultivate a deeper connection with Him. Start each morning wi...

In his spiritual classic, " Abandonment to Divine Providence ," Jean-Pierre de Caussade offers profound insights into a path of surrender and trust in God's will. Written originally for a community of nuns, this timeless work transcends its initial audience, providing guidance for anyone seeking a deeper connection with the divine. De Caussade's central message revolves around finding God in the present moment, embracing whatever comes our way as an expression of His loving providence. It's a call to let go of our own desires and plans, and instead, to find peace and purpose in the unfolding of God's perfect design for our lives. Father de Caussade provides practical advice for cultivating this attitude of abandonment . Firstly, he encourages the nuns, and by extension all of us, to embrace the "sacrament of the present moment." This means recognizing that every event, every task, every person we encounter, is a divinely appointed opportunity for...

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information. Google has become synonymous with knowledge, a vast ocean of data at our fingertips. Yet, despite this abundance, something crucial seems to be missing: wisdom. There's a profound difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the accumulation of facts, figures, and theories.  Wisdom , on the other hand, is the application of knowledge to live a meaningful and virtuous life. It's about discerning truth, making sound judgments, and acting with compassion and integrity. Think of the Wise Men. They possessed limited knowledge about the Messiah. They knew one thing: follow the star. The chief priests, with their vast knowledge of scripture, failed to recognize and embrace the truth before them. Saint Basil the Great exemplifies the power of wisdom. He possessed immense knowledge, but his true legacy lies in how he lived. He applied his learning to address the pressing needs of his time, combating heresy and esta...