They suggest that I am not going to be loved without my having earned it through determined efforts and hard work. They want me to prove to myself and others that I am worth being loved, and they keep pushing me to do everything possible to gain acceptance.

Living out this spiritual fatherhood requires the radical discipline of being home.

I wonder why I forget how great a privilege it is to spend the day with brothers and sisters doing what I was asked to do by the one who loves me most. What prevents me from rejoicing in my father’s generosity with those I love the most?

When I hear someone praised, it is hard not to think of myself as less praiseworthy; when I read about the goodness and kindness of other people, it is hard not to wonder whether I myself am as good and kind as they; and when I see trophies, rewards, and prizes being handed out to special people, I cannot avoid asking myself why that didn’t happen

It is like saying: “Well, I couldn’t make it on my own, I have to acknowledge that God is the only resource left to me. I will go to God and ask for forgiveness in the hope that I will receive a minimal punishment and be allowed to survive on the condition of hard labor.” God remains a harsh, judgmental God. It is this God who makes me feel guilty

Resentment and gratitude cannot coexist, since resentment blocks the perception and experience of life as a gift.

spontaneous forgiveness

Rembrandt was the son, he became the father, and thus was made ready to enter eternal life.

I am constantly surprised at how I keep taking the gifts God has given me—my health, my intellectual and emotional gifts—and keep using them to impress people, receive affirmation and praise, and compete for rewards, instead of developing them for the glory of God.