To arise in humility, we must have a fear of pride. Moreover, we cannot rest on our own abilities and virtues. We must, rather, look to God with humility so He can work in our souls while remembering that we can only claim our weaknesses for ourselves.

To arise in humility, we must have a fear of pride. Moreover, we cannot rest on our own abilities and virtues. We must, rather, look to God with humility so He can work in our souls while remembering that we can only claim our weaknesses for ourselves.

In the midst of life’s trials, do we rejoice in them and see them as an opportunity for spiritual growth? Without trials, we are often tempted to believe we do not need God while remaining attached to the passing things of this world.

If we are not watchful, our minds quickly lose focus on the one true thing needful. When we do not put our whole selves into our prayers and devotions, we begin to see our spiritual lives as a burden and oppressive. Before we know it, our connection with God begins to unravel and we become susceptible to destructive temptations that place our salvation in peril.

As we approach the season of Lent, Holy Mother Church prepares us for the penitential effort this time of the liturgical year demands. This is not a negative. Penance is not just a burden or a pain we must endure, but an opportunity to grow in virtue. Moreover, by detaching ourselves from the world, we are given an opportunity to draw closer to God.

Sloth is a voluntary and repugnant repudiation to effort. It is a vice that encroaches upon every aspect of our lives. If we give in to it, we risk losing our connection with God and thus imperil our salvation.

God’s love for us as friends is a great gift. Yet how is it possible for us, as mere humans, to be friends with God? But as St. Thomas Aquinas points out, the union between God and man arises from charity. For as God loves us, so are we called to love God–and it is in this mutuality that friendship lies.