
Individuality of the Soul
St. John Henry reflects on the uniqueness of the soul of each human created by God, and on doctrine of judgment after death.
St. John Henry reflects on the uniqueness of the soul of each human created by God, and on doctrine of judgment after death.
Newman warns against the danger of self-righteousness, and its converse: shunning religious practices that might lead to self-conceit.
God requires much from us; don’t shrink back, but go on with the courage of one who knows “If God be for me, who can be against me?”
The world God made has a natural law of cause and effect built into it. One act of love really benefits the whole of creation, and one sin harms the same whole. On the individual level, our personal sins, as well as our acts of love, mold our character moment by moment.
Unlike Balaam, our obedience to God should be borne out of the desire to not offend a Good Father, but to please Him out of love.
Obedience to God should not be merely dutiful. John H. Newman explains that this is one of the lessons we can learn from the history of Balaam.
“In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship.”
The joy of Easter will make us bold witnesses to the miracle of God’s forgiveness, but love will spur us to learn more about the truth and to exhaust every means of becoming an effective evangelist.
Are your passions leading you astray? Prayer and praise can bring you back.