How is it possible to summarize what it means to be perfected in Christ? Providing us with the classical answer to this question is the mystical theologian and doctor of the Church, St John of the Cross (1542-1591). He reveals in a four-line quatrain the way to be perfected in God and to unite our hearts to the Trinitarian mystery: Forgetfulness of created things, remembrance of the Creator, attention turned toward inward things, and loving the Beloved. (The Collected Works, 14:73) For St....

Hospitable words like hospice, hostel, and host address our heart’s longing to be and become a welcome space for anyone suffering from hunger of body or sickness in soul. We know intuitively that they need respect and care, complemented by compassion, charity, and the sheer milk of human kindness.             Hospitality manifests reverence and respect for the inherent dignity of every person created by God. We greet one another with warmth and affection because Christ is in us and with us;...

Whenever, with the help of grace, we become more positive than negative, we move from downswings of depression, cynicism, disbelief, and outright distrust of God to upswings of joy, mutual love, renewed faith, and lasting hope.