Three Rules for Prayer

We go over what the Rosary is, where did it come from, and where it got it's name. Then we answer why it seems so repetitive, how to pray it, and what are some things to think about while we are praying. We finish with where to look for more information on the Rosary, with the Secret of the Rosary, by Saint Louis de Montfort.

We look at the phrase 'the Communion of Saints' as it appears in the Nicene Creed. We examine how Saint Paul refers to all believers as saints, and how that phrase still refers to the community of all believers. We also see how our actions and personal choices matter to others, and how to change the world, to stop systems of injustice or sin, we need to start by changing ourselves. We finish with a look at the Church Militant, Church Suffering and Church Triumphant, and how we can relate to saints.

We examine C.S. Lewis’ essay, “The Inner Ring.” We then develop some of the themes of wanting to fit in. We see how some groups are worth belonging to, and some are not. We see how those Inner Rings are unavoidable, and can even be good. Other times, whether in families, friends, education or employment, being ‘in the know’ is a dangerous thing, and doesn’t help us, or others. It can be about excluding others, and then we can never be happy, since there is always another level. It can also tempt us, because of Pride, to lose our souls. When we join an Inner Ring out of genuine love of the people, or because we like the task at hand, we find peace, and it helps us grow in God’s grace.

We discuss Theodicy, specifically the Problem of Evil: How can an all-loving, all-powerful God exist, if evil exists as well. It is a classic problem of the Existence of God and Evil. We separate Moral Evil from Natural Evil, and look at why God doesn't stop bad people, but also why God allows natural disasters. We look at various answers, like the answer from the Book of Job in the Bible, to atheism, limited theism, and why Christianity has a different answer. Finally, we touch on John Paul II's encyclical, Salvifici Doloris, and what meaning we can give suffering.

We speak about the Second Conversion, specifically about the seventh chapter in Saint Paul's Letter to the Romans. We try to answer the question: Why is it so hard to be a Christian? We also look at what choices we have when God brings up our Self-Loathing, Lust, Anger, our need to forgive others, and other 'unconverted' parts of us. Finally, we see how 'Dying to the Self' is not only a poetic idea from the New Testament.

We talk about three rules for prayer. Consistency is key for the spiritual life, as it is in any relationship, from friendship to romance to family. These rules seem to help many people who struggle with their consistency in prayer.

We talk about the Sacrament of Baptism, the Biblical roots of Baptism, including some of the uses of water in God's Plan of Salvation in the Old Testament and New Testament. We then talk about the different ways of baptizing someone, who can be baptized, and whether Baptism is needed for Salvation.

We talk about what is the Plan of Life, what could be a part of my personal Plan of Life, and why it helps us grow in the Spiritual Life.

We discuss the virtue of Humility, from Aquinas and St. Theresa of Avila, how to develop the virtue, and finish with the Litany of Humility.

We look at what Fraternal Correction is, and what St. Thomas Aquinas says about it. We also see why we should do it, and when we shouldn't do it. We finish with some things to keep in mind on how to do it.