Is Reconciliation Possible?

Many of you already know that it is my biggest desire to help reconcile the Church, by that I mean helping reconcile the Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant Christians. They all believe in the Trinity; the dual-nature of Christ, that he is fully divine and fully human, undivided in one person; his actual life, death, resurrection, and ascension into Heaven; and salvation through Him alone. Why is there so much division? Largely it is because power struggles and pride. One example of the depravity, is that one cannot overlook the Crusades (which by the way is a word which derives from bearing the Cross) and that they culminated in Christians slaughtering Christians. There are many atrocities like this on all fronts of Christian history, and it truly sucks! I am deeply saddened by Christians fighting “evil” with “evil.” It makes me want to cry.

Today, when I say that I want to help reconcile the Church I usually get one of the following responses:
1. Are you trying to bring about the apocalypse;
2. *sarcastically* Good luck! (by the way, sarcasm is meant to cut someone down, it never uplifts);
3. It will never happen; and very rarely I get the following kind of response:
4. Wow, that is really neat, I will pray with you.

I have been trying to rationalize why people, for the most part, are so “opposed” to Church reconciliation. I believe it comes down to the era we live in. We live in a post-modern world — and by post-modern I do not mean that we are post-modern because of hair-cuts and the style of clothing we have (however, these things are a reflection of post-modernity!). Please allow me to explain in a very generalized way — hopefully I am not butchering too much philosophy

In Pre-modern (everything pre-1453) times the Church essentially believed that The Church must necessarily be one. This was obvious, yet also a power struggle as can be seen through the various Bishops throughout the empire during this era. But at the end of the day, they agreed that the Church must necessarily be one. The councils affirmed this and anathematized those who did not believe in the same manner, thus holding to One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Time went on, schism happened, attempts were made to unite (perhaps more accurately, attempts were made to have more centralized power, which took on the character trait of unity…)

In Modern (1453-1945) times (note: we are not in modern times today…so contrary to what it sounds like though) the Church unknowingly admitted that Church reconciliation is impossible. In modernity, they would take a meta-narrative (I did not make up this word), essentially a mega-story that could be legitimated by claims of universal reason. This is a huge point, it had to be backed up by reason. During Modernity, the Church looked at events such as the sack of Constantinople in 1202 and attempts of reconciliation 200 years later which nearly caused the stoning of those involved, and they sealed the deal — “ok, reconciliation is impossible.” Why did they cave into this, because “reason” could not legitimate reconciliation happening.

Today, the Church holds onto a “Modern approach,” when society has clearly moved beyond Modernity. What do I mean by this?

We live in a Post-Modern (1945-today) world which is unable to believe in meta-narratives. hmmmm….that is odd. Ok, by this I mean that we live in an era in which we reject the idea that a mega-story must be legitimated by reason. We have gone beyond reason. At this point, I am sure many people are frowning, because you are probably saying that you appeal to reason on a daily basis. A lot of this was spawned by Kiekegaard’s existentialism in that we create the meaning which something has, and going even further towards that of Nietzsche’s nihilism, nothing has purpose.

Here is my claim, the Church is refusing to travel into the post-modern context because they are afraid to give up “reason.” And it is understandable, who wants to give up the last 800 years of scholasticism? The post-modern approach would say, “church [little c] reconciliation is possible.” This is the world we live in. But there is a huge fallacy in this claim — it leaves God well enough alone. It has led to bumper stickers like “coexist.” Post-modernity has given us tolerance, not love. This is not based on reason, nor scripture. Right now, “God is dead” in our Post-Modernity, thanks to Nietzsche. What is the Church to do?

The Church needs to proclaim: “Church reconciliation is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

There is no reasonable explanation behind the Church being reconciled — it is impossible! But I will boast in the fact that God can do the impossible! God tells us to pray His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, in Heaven we are fully reconciled. His prayer in John 17 shows how much Jesus is concerned with the Church being One. May we be One, as He and the Father are One. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know that just as reconciliation with God involves confession; all parties involved will need to confess sins and seek forgiveness.

Please join me in praying for God to do the impossible. Amen.

 

Why so much suffering?

What is pain? What is suffering? What is evil?

Personally, I have experienced a lot of pain. In high school I was a nihilist – nothing had purpose. Sure I was an intellectual, but hidden behind that was a huge amount of depression, isolation, and perversion. Upon entering college, I was crushed as the girl I was engaged to ripped my heart out by cheating on me…not a very “fun” experience! Have you ever cried yourself to sleep every night for weeks on end, crying out to a God you don’t know!? Meanwhile, at the math department, the students I tutored invited me to Church. I finally caved in after a few weeks, and during the worship service, I lifted my hands in the air realizing that God loved me. The worship pastor helped bring me into the presence of God. Later that year I was baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, by the head pastor and realized how forgiving God is.

…one year later, it was discovered that the pastor’s daughter was being molested by the worship pastor and two weeks later it was also discovered that the head pastor was also molesting his daughter. This poor 15 year old girl had been molested since age 9 by the two most “spiritual men” she had ever known.

Where was God in the midst of that?

It was these two men that personally helped me come to know God – where was God? For me, I had no doubts that God was there the entire time and my faith only solidified all the more. I had experienced large amounts of pain before I became a believer and seeing more pain now only made me realize all the more that God was there all the more and that He was gracious. Not once did I waver in my faith. I stood strong and went to the authorities to turn these two men in, even when the denominational head threatened me to be quiet.

This is a horrific story and it is true. And there are many other stories like this concerning people you speak to on a daily basis. So where is God? If God is Good and if God is Powerful, why does He allow all of this evil to exist? For many, this logic has destroyed their faith in God. Perhaps we are to self-absorbed and asking the wrong questions. When Adam & Eve ate the fruit, they knew the consequences! They brought the pain and suffering upon themselves. God is just to allow this suffering. But there is more to the story: God became a man, being born of Mary, living and preaching the Gospel, crucified on the Cross, was raised from the dead, conquered death and corruption, and ascended into Heaven. If we follow Christ, we too must die! How many times are we told to endure, to take up our cross and daily die, to count suffering as joy, we can only enter the process of salvation by partaking of the sufferings of Christ! Not only is God just to allow suffering, God is gracious to allow us to partake in His sufferings! We are perfected through suffering with Christ.

I am sorry if you feel as though I have minimized the pain you have personally experienced, this is not my goal. I hope to encourage you in your journey. There will be pain, it is simply a matter of how you face your pain. Will you despise it or will you embrace it. And when you see others in pain, will you ignore it or enter into their pain with them. I hope you will embrace it and enter into the pain of others, following the perfect example of Christ.

 

Praying with Zossima and Dostoevsky

My favorite author is Fyodor Dostoevsky (aside from Saint Athanasius and the authors of the Bible). I highly recommend that you read, at minimum, two of his novels: The Brothers Karamazov and Crime & Punishment (note: the two links are FREE Kindle downloads, and Kindle apps are available for free on computers and phones! You have no excuses!) In these two books you find amazing theological themes of sin, grace, justice, mercy, salvation, etc. Reading Dostoevsky is truly a spiritual exercise for me and I wish I could devote more of my time to reading his works. In the Brothers K, Father Zossima is the character who gives many words of Orthodox wisdom — especially to Alyosha, one of the Brothers who is told to live the life of a monk in the world by taking a wife. I wish Dostoevsky had survived long enough to finish the sequel to this book so that he could explain the latter part of Alyosha’s life! However, Fyodor’s time came to an end on February 9th, 1881. I wish to share an excerpt from The Brothers Karamazov (p.293). In this quote, Father Zossima teaches us on the necessity of prayer, I hope that it brings you hope and encourages you to pray:

Young man, be not forgetful of prayer. Every time you pray, if your prayer is sincere, there will be new feeling and new meaning in it, which will give you fresh courage, and you will understand that prayer is an education. Remember too, every day, and whenever you can, repeat to yourself, “Lord, have mercy on all who appear before Thee today.” For every hour and every moment thousands of men leave life on this earth, and their souls appear before God. And how many of them depart in solitude, unknown, sad, dejected that no one mourns for them or even knows whether they have lived or not! And behold, from the other end of the earth perhaps, your prayer for their rest will rise up to God though you knew them not nor they knew you. How touching it must be to a soul standing in dread before the Lord to feel at that instant that, for him too, there is one to pray, that there is a fellow creature left on earth to love him too! And God will look on you both more graciously, for you have had pity on him, how much will He have pity Who is infinitely more loving and merciful than you! And He will forgive him for your sake.

Brothers, have no fear of men’s sin. Love a man even in his sin, for that is the semblance of Divine Love and is the highest love on earth. Love all God’s creation, the whole and every grain of sand in it. Love every leaf, every ray of God’s light. Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things. Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better every day. And you will come at last to love the whole world with an all-embracing love….

At some thoughts one stands perplexed, especially at the sight of men’s sin, and wonders whether one should use force or humble love. Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve on that once for all, you may subdue the whole world. Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it….

My friends, pray to God for gladness. Be glad as children, as the birds of heaven. And let not the sin of men confound you in your doings. Fear not that it will wear away your work and hinder its being accomplished. Do not say, “Sin is mighty, wickedness is mighty, evil environment is mighty, and we are lonely and helpless, and evil environment is wearing us away and hindering our good work from being done.” Fly from that dejection, children! There is only one means of salvation, then take yourself and make yourself responsible for all men’s sins, that is the truth, you know, friends, for as soon as you sincerely make yourself responsible for everything and for all men, you will see at once that it is really so, and you are to blame for everyone and for all things. But throwing your own indolence and impotence on others you will end by sharing the pride of Satan and murmuring against God.

 

Who is Bonhoeffer?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born February 4, 1906. Who was Deitrich Bonhoeffer? Was he a spy? a martyr? a theologian? a musician? a genius? a pastor? This list could keep going, but would never end. Not even Bonhoeffer could answer the question of who he was. This is a poem which he wrote, I pray that it helps you understand Bonhoeffer, and yourself, to a fuller extent.

“Who am I?”

Who am I? They often tell me
I stepped from my cell’s confinement
calmly, cheerfully, firmly,
like a Squire from his country-house.

Who am I? They often tell me
I used to speak to my warders
freely and friendly and clearly,
as though it were mine to command.

Who am I? They also tell me
I bore the days of misfortune
equally, smilingly, proudly,
like one accustomed to win.

Am I then really all that which other men tell of?
Or am I only what I myself know of myself?
Restless and longing and sick, like a bird in a cage,
struggling for breath, as though hands were
compressing my throat,
yearning for colors, for flowers, for the voices of birds,
thirsting for words of kindness, for neighborliness,
tossing in expectation of great events,
powerlessly trembling for friends at an infinite distance,
weary and empty at praying, at thinking, at making,
faint, and ready to say farewell to it all?

Who am I? This or the other?
Am I one person to-day and to-morrow another?
Am I both at once? A hypocrite before others,
and before myself a contemptibly woebegone weakling?
Or is something within me still like a beaten army,
fleeing in disorder from victory already achieved?

Who am I? They mock me, these lonely questions of mine.
Whoever I am, Thou knowest, 0 God, I am Thine!

 

Gregory of Nazianzus hardly needs an introduction. He is a Saint, Church Father and the Church Doctor of the Theologians. He, along with Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa, helped formulate many Church doctrines, especially concerning the Trinity. He was the first person to coin the term perichoresis, which is essentially a description of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dancing together in love throughout eternity. Today (Jan 25) he is honored by the Church, and I have selected an excerpt from Oration 29.20, It is truly on of my favorite descriptions of Jesus:

As man he was baptized, but he absolved sins as God; he needed no purifying rites himself – his purpose was to hollow water. As man he was put to the test, but as God he came through victorious – yes, bids us be of good cheer, because he has conquered the world. He hungered – yet he fed thousands. He is indeed “living, heavenly bread.” He thirsted – yet he exclaimed: “Whoever thirst, let him come to me and drink.” Indeed he promised that believers would become fountains. He was tired – yet he is the “rest” of the weary and the burdened. He was overcome by heavy sleep – yet he goes lightly over the sea, rebukes winds, and relieves the drowning Peter. He pays tax – yet he uses a fish to do it; indeed he is emperor over those who demand the tax. He is called a “Samaritan, demonically possessed” – but he rescues the man who came down from Jerusalem and fell among thieves. Yes, he is recognized by demons, drives out demons, drowns deep a legion of spirits, and sees the prince of demons falling like lightning. He is stoned, yet not hit; he prays, yet he hears prayer. He weeps, yet he puts an end to weeping. He asks where Lazarus is laid – he was man; yet he raises Lazarus – he was God. He is sold, and cheap was the price – thirty pieces of silver; yet he buys back the world at the mighty cost of his own blood. A sheep, he is led to slaughter – yet he shepherds Israel and now the whole world as well. A lamb, he is dumb – yet he is “Word,” proclaimed by “the voice of one crying in the wilderness.” He is weakened, wounded – yet he cures every disease and every weakness. He is brought up to the tree and nailed to it – yet by the tree of life he restores us. Yes, he saves even a thief crucified with him; he wraps all the visible world in darkness. He is given vinegar to drink, gall to eat – and who is he? Why, one who turned water into wine, who took away the taste of bitterness, who is all sweetness and desire. He surrenders his life, yet he has power to take it again. Yes, the veil is rent, for things of heaven are being revealed, rocks split, and dead men have an earlier awakening. He dies, but he vivifies and by death destroys death. He is buried, yet he rises again. He goes down to Hades, yet he leads souls up, ascends to Heaven, and will come to judge quick and dead, and to probe discussions like these. If the first set of expressions starts you going astray, the second set takes your error away.

 

JRR Tolkien proclaims the Coming of the King

I am sure we all have our favorite books or at least favorite scenes in books that completely captivate us. One scene in particular that blows my mind in so many ways is in the Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973). Reading the trilogy gives such a different vibe than watching the movies, if you have not read the books, I strongly recommend that you do, especially in light of the fact that The Hobbit is coming out next December. The Lord of the Rings is truly an epic story, enticing the imagination to go to places it has never been. The following excerpt from Return of the King is one of my favorite scenes of all time:

The cloaked man spoke and said: “He is come”

… For it is only in the coming of Aragorn that any hope remains for the sick that lie in the House. Thus spoke Ioreth, wise-woman of Gondor: “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be known.”

…When the black breath blows and death’s shadow grows and all lights pass, come athelas! Come athelas! Life to the dying in the king’s hand lying!

Then he heals Faramir and this follows:

“Walk no more in the shadows, but awake!” Said Aragorn. “You are weary. Rest a while, and take food, and be ready when I return.”

“I will, lord,” said Faramir. “For who would lie idle when the king has returned?”

… “King! Did you hear that! What did I say? The hands of a healer, I said.” And soon the word had gone out from the House that the king was indeed come among them, and after war he brought healing; and the news ran through the City.”

… At the doors of the Houses many were already gathered to see Aragorn, and they followed after him; and when at last he had supped, men came and prayed that he would heal their kinsmen or their friends whose lives were in peril through hurt or wound, or who lay under the black shadow. … And word went through the City: ‘The King is come again indeed.”…And when he could labor no more, he cast his cloak about him, and slipped out of the City, and went to his tent just ere dawn and slept for a little. And in the morning the banner of Dol Amroth, a white ship like a swan upon blue water, floated from the Tower, and men looked up and wondered if the coming of the King had been but a dream.”

I love it!!! Why does Frodo always get all of the attention in this epic story? I love Aragorn, the King who has arrived! And yes, “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer. And so the rightful king could ever be known.” Aragorn is the rightful king and he brings healing to the people. Do you recall that scene in the movies? Probably not. The book makes a huge deal out of it though! “He is come.”

Tolkien was a strong believer in Jesus Christ, but I also know he did not specifically want this story to be a direct allegory of Christianity (as CS Lewis said, every allegory breaks down at some point, that is why it is called an allegory). One cannot help but see the parallels though! The King heals many people beyond number, slips out of the city and sleeps for a little while, and the people wonder if it was reality. Jesus did this all the time, he would heal people beyond number, slip out of the city to pray to the Heavenly Father, and the people would soon wonder if what had happened was actual reality. “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer, and so shall the rightful king be ever known.” Jesus’ hands are the hands of a healer, he is the rightful King, and he will be ever known. In his own way, Tolkien proclaims the Coming of the King. Amen.

When I first read the Lord of the Rings, I was enthralled by this scene, and as I recount it today, it still gives me shivers down my spine. Tolkien was a literary genius and devout follower of Christ, I pray that you remember this saint of God today, recalling that January 3, 1892 was his birthday.

 

Who are you?

Activity is a function of identity. What I do is a function of who I am. Not the other way around. Who I am is not a function of what I do! Proposing to my wife was a function of me being a man in love with this woman. My action flowed out of who I was.

When a person truly understands their identity, the action flows out of that person effortlessly. And the person who is truly comfortable in their identity does not have to prove who they are, so they are not ashamed or disappointed when their actions fail other people’s standards. They truly understand who they are.

It would be great for the Bride of Christ to realize who she is, but this is not something we can force upon her. She does not understand fully who she is because she does not fully know her lover, the One who defines her identity. Someday she will know him fully, even as she is fully known by him.

We cannot force the Bride to do certain tasks. What we can do is respond to the love of God, and he is the one who initiates such activities.

Some readers may be thinking, “This is ridiculous! You are taking away all of our responsibilities and this will make us apathetic!” And I would respond like so: Yes, this paradigm would eliminate all responsibilities. But check this out, have you ever observed a man and woman in love. The man totally takes initiative and the woman will respond to whatever his leading may be! If we, as the Bride, would do this more often, much more would be accomplished than not. Psalm 46.10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” We strive all too often, it needs to stop. This is when we will begin to know God.

Do you know who you are? Have your New Year resolutions flowed out of your identity or are you trying to force something which will never happen?

 

The Incarnate God Prays

It is impossible to count the waves, they keep coming...

“Such and so many are the Savior’s achievements that follow from his Incarnation, that to try to number them is like gazing at the open sea and trying to count the waves…” (Athanasius, On the Incarnation)

One of his many achievements in the flesh was the Savior’s ability to humbly pray to the Father — we are forever grateful for every prayer which Jesus prayed, especially the following as recorded in John 17:

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,  since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything that you have given me is from you. For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

May we all be mindful of God come in the flesh and remember this prayer all of our days. Merry Christmas.

 

Do Nativity Scenes Help us Worship God?

On December 24, 1223 Saint Francis of Assisi made the very first living animal nativity scene in an Italian grotto. I imagine that Saint Francis made a live nativity because he loved animals so much (note the picture). This tradition carries on today; however, do living nativity scenes actually help us worship God come in the flesh? My wife and I visited her family last weekend and we went to the local church’s live nativity scene. I had never seen an actual nativity scene acted out like this, where there were literal animals. It was pretty intense, this Church went all out. Living animals, a choir, young girls as angels, men as wise men, little boys as shepherds, a young man and woman as Mary and Joseph, and the little baby Jesus being acted out by an anonymous newborn child.

My question still remains, do nativity scenes like this actually help us worship God come in the flesh? Saint Francis of Assisi would have said yes. As I reflect upon the nativity scene my wife and I witnessed, it is very hard to say. I was partially distracted by the 4 year old girl who kept waving at everyone and the wise men who had denim pants and sneakers underneath their robes, and the fact that there were horses eating hay…I always pictured more sheep, cattle, and camels in the real version.

The narrator read parts of Matthew and Luke, and the choir responded with songs of worship, including most Christmastime favorites (all of which were centered on Christ, nothing like Rudolph).There were several attending the nativity scene who were not a part of the Church, and the pastor invited them to join for their Sunday gatherings. After the nativity, people gathered together in the church building for more hot chocolate and cookies. This Church obviously saw this as a huge ministry and outreach, taking it very seriously.

At the end of the day, I have to say that attending the living nativity scene did bless my soul. My wife and I were able to wear our pea coats and scarfs, drinking hot chocolate underneath a portable heat stove, while singing worship songs and laughing with the little kids’ short attention spans and being able to spend time with old friends whom we had not seen for over 6 months. Praise God that He came in the flesh so we could worship Him, recalling His birth on that evening.

When is the last time you went to a living nativity scene? did it help you worship God Emmanuel?

 

Can we call Ignatius a Reformer?

Ignatius of Loyola was born on December 24, 1491. He  grew up to become a Spanish knight and was wounded by a cannon ball wound to the leg; while in the hospital he asked for reading material, and all that was available was Christian text about the lives of the Saints and Jesus Christ. He became a follower of Christ, later to become a renowned theologian and ascetic. He is known for being the founder of the Jesuits, a movement of Catholic spiritual renewal during the counter-reformation. He was very opposed to the protestant reformation, which makes our relationship with him even more interesting, being most who read this blog are of the protestant tradition.

Should he be disregarded, being he was opposed to the protestant reformation? One of my (protestant) spiritual mentors studied Ignatius for his dissertation topic because he believes that much of what Ignatius taught is to be applied to the Christian spiritual life. Ignatius realized that the Catholic Church needed to be transformed, just as Luther realized this. However, Ignatius worked within rather than without, and was astonished that Luther  and others would work from without.

Ignatius will always be remembered for contributing the two following ascetic traditions, The Examen of Consciousness and the Spiritual Exercises.

The Examen of Consciousness of 5 Steps:

1. Recall, that no matter what, you are the beloved in the presence of the Creator God.
2. Rest and reflect on what God has given you this day and what have you given others
3. Ask for the Holy Spirit to pour his love into your heart and for his guidance
4. Examine how you are living this day. Recall the day, context of your actions, hour by hour, etc. What cause you to act the way you did?
5. Pray for reconciliation and compassion. Grieve over your sins and praise God for his grace towards you.

The Spiritual Exercises:

He wrote a manual for 30-day retreats. The spiritual exercises could be related to physical exercise such as running, biking, weight lifting…however, the are for the spiritual life (meditation, contemplation, prayer, etc). Following is a small excerpt on the first spiritual exercise and foundation from The Spiritual Exercises:

The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God Our Lord, and by doing so, to save his or her soul.

All other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings in order to help them pursue the end for which they are created.

It follows from this that one must use other created things, in so far as they help towards one’s end, and free oneself from them, in so far as they are obstacles to one’s end.

To do this, we need to make ourselves indifferent to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice and there is no other prohibition.

Thus, as far as we are concerned, we should not want health more than illness, wealth more than poverty, fame more than disgrace, a long life more than a short one, and similarly for all the rest, but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created.

I believe that the Examen and Spiritual Exercises are a wonderful tool for maturing in one’s relationship with the Holy Trinity, but I would love to hear feedback? Do you think that Protestants should use the writings and thoughts of a Catholic Theologian who was greatly opposed to the Protestant Reformation?