Lectio et Oratio

Episode 63 -- Imitation of Christ III.25 -- On Sure Peace of Mind and True Progress

What is the solid foundation for peace of mind?

Patience, humility, gentleness. There are practices, deliberate actions, that lead to peace, great peace. But these practices lead to peace of mind by building up virtues, stable dispositions of soul for good actions. The more we seek the lowest place the more we grow in humility. The more we seek to do the will of others the more we grow in gentleness. The more we hold ourselves back from the anger and revenge we desire the more we grow in patience. In this reading we think more about how true peace of mind involves growth in these virtues.

Episode 62 -- Imitation of Christ III.24 -- On Avoiding Curiosity About the Lives of Others

What is the sin of excessively seeking to know things about others?

Curiosity. There is a good desire to know that is at the root of all wisdom. There is also a harmless curiosity about why things are as they are. But then there is the disordered, harmful, excessive desire to know things, especially about others. In this reading, Thomas a Kempis explains why such sinful curiosity actually harms us and why its roots are often in vain glory.

Last episode we read about the causes of great peace in the soul. Notice how the four pieces of advice relate us to the following: other people, ourselves, the things of this world, and God. 1) By seeking to do the will of others, we have peace with them. 2) In not seeking more but rather less of this world's goods, we have harmony with the other creatures as being in the right relation to them. 3) In not seeking higher places, we are at peace with ourselves. We live within ourselves, our own limits. 4) In always praying and desires God"s will to be accomplished in ourselves, we are at peace with God.

Episode 61 -- Imitation of Christ III.23 -- Four Things that Lead to Greater Peace

Is there anything we can do to help our hearts be full of great peace?

We read about four basic tips for growing in peace. These tips all have to do with the desires of our heart. Peace arises from desires being ordered, directed to what is truly good. When we want what we should want, great peace follows. Among these tips, there is one that is most important: praying to do God's will.

Episode 60 -- Imitation of Christ III.22 -- On Recalling God’s Manifold Blessings

We read about God's manifold blessings. If we want to grow in God's love, we must ponder his blessings. St Philip used to tell people that when we fail to consider all that God does for us, we chill His love in our hearts. At the same time, considering God's blessings helps us to avoid speaking about ourselves in a boastful way. St Philip learned the lessons of this chapter. Very rarely did he ever say, I said or I did. St Philip and Thomas a Kempis want us to speak about ourselves in ways that are necessary for our salvation, the salvation of others, and the glory of God.

Episode 59 -- Imitation of Christ III.21 -- We must rest in God above all His Gifts and Favours

Will our hearts fully rest in the gifts of God?

No. Our hearts will only rest fully in the Giver of all these great spiritual gifts. In this reading, Thomas a Kempis presents a dialogue between Christ and his disciple regarding the true object of all our longing. Our hearts are made for Christ, the eternal Wisdom of the Father. He alone can set us free from our selfishness and loneliness.

Episode 58 -- Imitation of Christ III.20 -- On Acknowledging our Own Weakness; the Miseries of this Life

We read about the need to acknowledge our own weaknesses. We are so apt to sin. The Church speaks of this tendency to sin as concupiscence. We want to do what is right. We know what is right. And yet we keep putting ourselves in situations where our ability to resist temptation is so small. How frail we are. But how powerful the Lord is!

Episode 57 -- Imitation of Christ III.19 -- On Bearing Injuries and How to Tell Whether you Are Really Patient

We read about the need to bear injuries well. Patience develops in our souls as we face trials and difficulties. The person who truly wants to become patient like Christ must face many such trials. Patience is a crown that is won at a great price. The secret is to remember that others have even more trials and that God's Providence guides all things. Let us not focus so much on secondary causes of our sufferings. Let us think of the Primary Cause of all things who works all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

Episode 56 -- Imitation of Christ III.18 -- We Must Follow Christ Patiently in Bearing the Sorrows of this Life

We read the need we have to keep Christ's example before our eyes if we wish to be patient. The patience we long to possess is not some kind of abstract excellence. Our patience will look like Christ's. Our patience is in fact a share in his own patience. Patience emerges in the midst of sorrows. Christ is the man of sorrows. We must think about Him as sorrows happen to us.

Episode 55 -- Imitation of Christ III.17 -- We Must Put Our Whole Trust in God

We read about the need to think of things from God's perspective. The path to patience requires us to think a great deal about how things happen as they do. But if we only have a human approach to the events of our life, we will miss the many wonderful things God is doing. God wants us to have our minds fixed on His will. We knows what He is doing. He knows what plans He has for us.

Episode 54 -- Imitation of Christ III.16 -- True Comfort Should Be in God Alone

Where should we seek our true comfort amidst the trials on this life?

In God. Thomas a Kempis has warned us against seeking comforts in this life apart from the will of God. He was warned us about loving the things of this world only insofar as they lead us to our true happiness in the Lord Jesus. When we follow His will, we begin to taste in this life the fruits of the Holy Spirit, especially, love, joy, peace, and patience. There are true comforts in this life, comforts that arise from the Lord Himself. In today"s reading, we will hear about how to seek the comforts of the Lord.

Episode 53 -- Imitation of Christ III.15 -- On How We Ought to Prayer and Act In Regard to Our Desires

We read about the need to be careful about our desires. Due to original sin, not all of our desires are from the Holy Spirit. Not all the sudden inspirations are from above. We have to sift through our desires. We have to consult the Lord as to whether He really wants this or that activity from us. His food was to do the will of His Father in Heaven. Our food must be to do the will of the Lord Jesus. Through Him, we are brought to the Father in the Holy Spirit.

Episode 52 -- Imitation of Christ III.14 -- On the Need to Consider the Secret Judgements of God

In trying to understand ourselves, what must we keep in mind?

God's assessment of things. In this reading, Thomas a Kempis puts before God's perspective on our good qualities. Instead of being our own judges, let us ponder what God in all his infinite wisdom will say about us. The Lord does give us gifts of grace that transform us. Christ enables us to cooperate in our own salvation and those of others. But as we reflect on any good qualities the Lord had given us, we have to remember all the ways we constantly depend on God lest we over estimate our own excellence and want to manifest our own excellence to others.

Episode 51 -- Imitation of Christ III.13 -- On Humble Obedience after Example of Christ

We read about the need to obey. Thomas a Kempis makes the case for obedience in light of Christ himself. If He submitted himself to human persons, we can do so too. We should not try to ponder humility and obedience apart from Christ. Christ shows us what God can do in the hearts of those who seek Him.

Episode 50 -- Imitation of Christ III.12 -- On Acquiring Patience and Resisting Evil Desires

Will there ever be a time in our spiritual lives when all trials and sufferings will end?

Not really, not in this life. Thomas a Kempis puts before us the importance of the virtue of patience. But he wants to make sure that we realize that the patience the Lord wants from us is consistent with trials and pains. In fact, he insists that we should never think that we will ever fully escape such situations. The patience He wills us to have is a patience in the midst of trials. No human person, even persons totally given to pleasures in this life, is without trials. But the Lord stands by us.

Episode 49 -- Imitation of Christ III.11 -- On the Need to Sift and Govern the Human Heart

We read about the need to sift and govern our our hearts. Thomas a Kempis insists that our desires need to be held back, kept in check. Because of original sin, we have a tendency to desire things more than we should and at times that are bad. We cannot live purely by our own likes and dislikes. We must seek to bring our desires in line with God"s will. And then there are times when we absolutely have to deny ourselves certain desires of the body. The body is not evil. Pleasure is not evil. But there are moments in our lives when we a choice for God and our vocation must be made. Such moments are moments of grace, moments when the Lord protects us and strengthens us.

Episode 48 -- Imitation of Christ III.10 -- Finding Joy in the Lord’s Service

What does Our Lord promise us even in this life?

Joy. In this reading, Thomas a Kempis explains why there is joy in the Lord's service. I came, Christ said, that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. The labours and service we offer Christ is not drudgery. There is a spiritual joy, a resting in the good, that he promises his friends.

Episode 47 -- Imitation of Christ III.9 -- Seeing All Things in Relation to Christ

What is the origin and end of all things?

The Lord God. In this reading, Christ speaks to us about the secret to true happiness: Himself. In so far as all things were created through Him, all things find their meaning in relation to Christ Jesus, the eternal Word. Not only is Christ as God the origin of all things, He is also the end, the goal. All things were made for Him. All things find their fulfillment in Him.

Episode 46 -- Imitation of Christ III.8 -- Humility before the Lord

What should we do when we discover how little humility is in our hearts?

Ask the Lord to turn us back to Himself. In tonight"s reading, Thomas a Kempis proposes various considerations for understanding true humility. He shows how love for God and humility are interrelated. He also offers suggestions for growing in humility.

Episode 45 -- Imitation of Christ III.7 -- On Concealing Grace and Making Humility Its Guardian

We read about what to do when the flame of devotion seems to be going out. How should we react when our spiritual lives do not match our expectations? How should we respond to our own lack of determination? Patience, humility, resignation.

Episode 44 -- Imitation of Christ III.6 -- On the Testing of a True Lover

We read about the various tests that God allows those who love him to undergo. Thomas a Kempis calls these the tests of true lovers. The Lord wants us to love Him with a pure love. These tests can take on many different forms. Let us not be surprised. Let us look to the example of the saints.