Every February, the health and fitness industry celebrates American Heart Month to remind us to examine the physical health of our hearts. This year, our Lenten season begins on Valentine’s Day. As we prepare for Easter and reflect upon God’s great love for us, it is important to also check the spiritual health of our hearts.
Renew your trust in the Lord during this Holy Week and Easter Season. Look to the cross, and trust in Christ’s love and mercy for us. He will give us the strength to endure our struggles, and he will turn our disappointments into triumphs. Jesus, I trust in you!
We recognize that death can be an end, but it does not have to be the end. For those who have gone before us, our bonds of charity need not be destroyed by death. Through the providential love of God, our connection with the dearly departed is strengthened by the power of intercessory prayer.
Our Christian teaching supplements the four cardinal virtues with the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity (or love). These theological virtues elevate and perfect our habits, thus directing us toward the supernatural happiness that can only be achieved by our union with God. Theological virtues are infused in our souls through God’s gift of sanctifying grace.
In the spiritual battle of good versus evil, virtue is our armor to guard against the temptation of vice. Virtues are rooted in the healthy habits that allow us to readily discern and freely seek that which is good. While virtuous habits promote our disposition of love, habits of vice demonstrate our failure to love.
We can forgive, because we are forgiven first through Divine Mercy. This month, we explore our imperative to forgive.
Divine Mercy is demonstrated when God’s gratuitous love meets us in our weakness and suffering.
This month, we explore the many graces that flow from Divine Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You!
Last month, we introduced stewardship as way to personally express gratitude for the gifts God has shared with us by giving back a portion of our time, talent, and treasure. This month, we explore stewardship from a universal perspective as we consider caring for creation.
When we recognize that everything is a gift from God shared with us freely and lovingly, our natural response is to reciprocate. Stewardship, therefore, is our gift back to God in appreciation for His providence and mercy.
Making New Year’s resolutions is a time-honored tradition. Let’s resolve to improve our relationships with God this year. Perhaps one of the best ways to express our love to God is by loving each other. This month, therefore, we shift our focus outward as we consider growing in charity toward others.
