: Father John Bartunek
: Answers Catholic Advice for Your Spiritual Questions
: Servant
: 9781635824636
: 1
: CHF 10.50
:
: Christentum
: English
: 160
: kein Kopierschutz
: PC/MAC/eReader/Tablet
: ePUB
Those who sincerely seek to know God (and themselves) better often struggle to find answers to thoughtful and sometimes troubling questions about the spiritual life, including: - Who is God? - How can I know God's will in my life? - Does God really hear me when I pray? - Why is there so much suffering in the world today? - What makes Catholicism different than other religions? Father John Bartunek has spent much of his priesthood helping others understand what it means to have an authentic, personal relationship with God. A master communicator, he is able to make difficult truths understandable, while at the same time issuing a call to action. For those seeking real answers about prayer, spiritual growth, living in the world today, overcoming sin, and the distinctiveness of the Catholic faith, Fr. John's advice will speak to their souls and touch their heart.
Chapter Two
Spiritual Formation
FROM A CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE, THE degree of fulfillment we experience here on earth is directly proportionate to the depth of our communion with God in Christ. And that communion depends upon using and developing our spiritual faculties properly.
The proper exercise of one’s capacity forself-awareness involves discovering and assimilatingtruth—the truth about God, about the human family, about oneself, about the world. The proper exercise of one’s capacity forself-determination involves choosing what is morallygood—that which actually helps us to live out our vocation to image God here in the visible world.
By seeking and adhering to truth and goodness, we can attain spiritual maturity (the healthy development of our spiritual faculties), a necessary precondition for lasting happiness. In this chapter, we’ll look at various obstacles that impede our progress in being formed spiritually, as well as the practical ways those obstacles can be overcome.
HOW CAN I LEARN TO TRUST GOD?
The need for trust is at the very core of the Christian journey. Sin separates us and distances us from God. All sin—our own personal sins as well as the sins of others, both of which damage our souls—traces its origin back to the Fall of Adam and Eve (that’s why their sin is called “original sin”). What was the essence, the deepest core of their sin? We tend to think it wasdisobedience. Think again, though: disobedience was the trunk, but it grew out of an even deeper root. Here’s how theCatechism puts it:
Man, tempted by the devil, let histrust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God’s command. This is what man’s first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God andlack of trust in his goodness. (CCC 397, emphasis added)
Trust: The Heart of Holiness
Rehabilitating trust in God is every Christian’s primary project for growth in holiness. Each of us has our own journey. Our experiences in life, good and bad, can damaged our capacity to trust in God in a persona