PEACE ON EARTH

GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, BORN AND UNBORN

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The State of the Heart

This week we begin the Season of Lent.

In his chapter on Salesian Spirituality from volume 2 of the book Compendium of Spirituality, Jozef Strus writes: "Christian humanism is the basis of Salesian optimism. The Salesian recognizes the existence of original sin and also the weakness of fallen human beings, but never forgets the possibility of grace. The Salesian insists, in fact, on the need to work in order to obtain it. The equilibrium of Salesian asceticism lies in fostering one's growth in accordance with the plan of God instead of torturing the body..." (p. 200)Whatever we might be planning to do without (or do) or to give up (or give) for Lent, our mortification should be less a function of how we can discipline our bodies and more a function of how God can transform our hearts.(Rev)

Michael S. Murray, OSFS
Director
De Sales Spirituality Center
"Practical Paths to Holiness"

www.oblates.org/spirituality

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