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VOCATION NETWORK!
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Feast of Bernard, abbot, doctor of the church
Past imperfect
Strike with confidence and die yet more confidently, for he serves [God] when he strikes. . . . He is God’s minister, for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of the good. Should he be killed himself, we know that he has not perished, but has come safely into [heaven].” These words come from the mouth of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153), the “Mellifluous Doctor” of the church, who “preached” a crusade against the Muslim empire of his day. We celebrate someone like Bernard—and rightly so—as a theologian and leader. But saints are also human beings who don’t always do or say the most admirable things. That’s what makes them human—like us.
Today’s readings: Ezekiel 34:1-11; Matthew 20:1-16
“Thus says the Lord God, I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand.”
Being happy
I'm not satisfied with my work life and feel unhappy most of the time. How does one achieve happiness?
Happiness is the stick by which we tend to measure the success of our lives, isn’t it? Even Saint Augustine admitted, “We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition.” Yet many people seem to think that happiness is an accident of birth, or tied to particular circumstances or acquisitions, or even a goal to be pursued in itself. Scripture teaches that happiness is not a goal; i ...
How can I live a holy life?
I really struggle with my thoughts and sometimes my actions. I know the things I should and shouldn't do, but I seem to always fall short. Is holiness really achievable?
The pursuit of holiness isn’t an item guaranteed in the American Declaration of Independence. But it is a quest worthy of our lives. What is holiness? Nothing less than the essence of God. The prophet Isaiah is the first to encounter God as the “Holy One,” which enables him to recognize his own unworthiness in God’s presence. The call “to be holy, as God is holy” issued in the Book of Leviticus means drawing even closer than Isaiah did, to unite with God utt ...