So, how do we achieve that possession of self? How do we get the freedom we need to truly love? Freedom of this kind is only attained through discipline. We only get it by working at it.

Note:

Our goal as Christians has to be to possess ourselves enough to give entirely of ourselves to others.

There is a huge difference between someone who, out of a position of strength, says, “I will serve you. I will be here for you. I will say ‘yes’ to you,” and a person who says ‘yes’ out of fear, or resignation, or because they don’t have a self to give. Giving is not a free choice for them. They feel compelled to please. That is not love, even if... See more

The Catholic Church is the most unshakeable institution you’ll ever see. Because when the Church experiences testing and trial and has to remember that we need to rely upon the grace of Jesus Christ and lean into this, heroic people are raised up all over the world.

we’re actually made for something even more than just making it through the challenges we face. We are given an unshakeable identity, and we are called to joy.

We have been talking about the virtues and qualities that build our character—the traits we hope our family and friends will remember about us when it comes time for our eulogy. But all of these virtues and character traits will be worthless and hollow if they are not based on a relationship with Jesus.

You can’t get joy by choosing joy. Instead, joy is a consequence of choosing something else. Joy is a fruit of charity.

as requirements. They began to mistake the appearance of holiness for actual holiness. And they used their traditions as a way of doing the optional and avoiding the essential. None of those problems have to do with the traditions themselves. They all have to do with the distortion of tradition.

Remember that if you have integrity, nothing else matters, and if you don’t have integrity, nothing else matters.