“The penitent, through perfect contrition, accompanied by the desire of confession, has already obtained remission of his sins from God.” Roman Catechism, Part 2, Section
Here is a question that will leave more than a few Christians, and I will even say pious ones, perplexed: What does the Heart of
Tradition, the liturgy of the Church, and Sacred Scripture itself have given the Holy Spirit many names. He is called the Paraclete Spirit, Creator Spirit,
To know oneself is not easy. This may seem a rather paradoxical statement, since according to general belief everyone knows himself best. But one needs,
One of Alphonsus’s most beautiful writings is his Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, written in 1745, when he was in his fifties. This was his
To the extent that a Christian professes his faith and tries to live it, he becomes unusual to believers and unbelievers. This is because the
“Let what was confessed by the Fathers of Nicaea prevail.” So wrote Athanasius to a philosopher in his final years. Even to this day, Catholics
A degree of asceticism is as necessary to the spiritual life as a degree of discomfort is necessary to the natural life. Just as the
Pammachius, a friend of Jerome’s since they were teenagers studying in Rome, was the son of one of Rome’s most prominent and wealthy families. He
Tepidity is a serious danger that threatens those trying to lead good and pious lives. It is, indeed, a peculiar state of the soul. The
