The discussion tonight revolved around how the Christian virtue of Charity has such a transformative impact on not just the person who is the object of a charitable act, but also on the giver and on the witnesses to the scene. Charity transforms us. It’s the habit we need to perfect to become the pure souls we’ll need to be to stand in the presence of God. It’s the Path to Heaven. The Good Samaritan, Rembrandt, 1630 A small act, a giant impact. In the icebreaker, we had e

Louis-Jean-Francois Lagrenee, “Justice Disarmed by Innocence and Applauded by Prudence”, 1766 The time horizon matters. In unpacking several of the ice breaker cases, a common theme was time horizon. There were several examples of where one of us did not get the response we wanted on a proposal, or on our next career move, and were disappointed, even bitterly so. But then, over time, the wisdom of the decision, or at least the consequences of the decision, brought us to a

Charity (Part 1) True Charity is Supernatural In his opening remarks, Fr. Michael talked about the difference between "Natural" Charity and "Supernatural" Charity. Natural Charity is what most of us are accustomed to; being "nice" to others, lending a helping hand when we can. Supernatural Charity is Charity infused with, and directed to, the Holy Spirit. This higher level of Charity knows no bounds, no limits, and no restrictions on who it is directed to-- friends and ene

The best way to learn self mastery is to witness it in others. The opening icebreaker really drove this point home. Several of us mentioned learning self-mastery from a parent or a coach, in our youth. The common denominator in all cases was a life that was God-centered, an ability to accept hardship and challenges as just part of what living is (rather than an existential crisis that is somehow “unfair”.) All of these role models exhibited a deep and abiding love for ot

St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, SoHo, Good Friday. Warm, sunny day in New York City, a glorious and fitting end to our 15th Holy Week...