Welcome! First…I hope you had a happy Memorial Day weekend. To all veterans, and all those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom…thank you for the many blessings we now enjoy because of your sacrifice.

Memorial Day is summer’s official start. As Gershwin said, “Summertime, and the living is easy.”

There’s a different pace to life, and we seek to refresh and renew ourselves. We make time for barbecues, pool parties, summer vacations. Now is a good time to consider how we’ll make time for God. In other words, how will we develop a true spirituality? What does that even mean?

I’m struck by how often we’ll fling words around without pausing to consider their real meaning, the truth of the reality they represent. Here, Fr. Freeh digs into what “spirituality” means, and the gifts a true spirituality can bring to our lives.

In a stream-of-consciousness kind of way, here are a few points that jumped out at me…

The division of Christianity. How many ills in this world would be unthinkable, if there were no divisions in the The Body of Christ? Let’s pray for the unity of Christians everywhere.

“Jesus became human in order to become more fully the Son of God.” Still trying to wrap my mind around this one. I get as far as humanity has a greater dignity than we could imagine, that God should wrap His completion around us. But the mind boggles, to think that this could be true.

“Our humanity is the means by which we, in our humanity–not just in our heads, but total mind, soul, body, and heart, everything–is the way in which we give our selves to God.”

Many kinds of “spirituality” denigrate our humanity. They see it only as a burden. But our humanity is God’s gift to us. In authentic spirituality, our humanity is our gift to Him.

It is God Who makes us holy. “Spirituality” is what allows God to make it happen. Authentic spirituality opens our life to the Holy Spirit, through prayer, confession, active participation in the Mass…. This is true refreshment and renewal. Make sure your summer plans make plenty of room for them.

“Holy” being one of those words that can be a little off-putting to the modern ear, I’m going to go off-video here and invite you to consider what “holiness” is, as Matthew Kelly (of DynamicCatholic.org) puts it. Holiness is nothing less than becoming the best-version-of-yourself. Not settling for anything less than what God imagined you to be. Living a life full of purpose and peace. Living the promise, “I came that you should have life, and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

This summer…may you live in God’s abundant grace!