Come Away By Yourselves

Christ's kingdom is hidden, progresses slowly, and respects our freedom.  It therefore has to be sought out, given time to develop, and freely assented to.   When recognized as our King, Christ brings peace and holiness to our souls.   https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

The "end of the world" is the coming of Christ in power and glory.  As such, it is not so much a destructive end as it is a fulfillment and completion.   To be safe at the Lord's coming, at the time of judgment, we especially need to be truthful now.   The sure path of eternal life is the path which is Jesus himself: "the way, the truth, and the life."  This entails bravel...

Elijah asks a starving widow to share her very last provisions with him.  Trusting in God's promise, her meager resources last them through an entire year.  Our Lord asks us for a similar trusting generosity in times of fatigue and discouragement.  The Mass makes present Christ as true spiritual food, enriching enough for our earthly pilgrimage and a gateway to heaven.  It also makes present...

The Feast of All Saints reminds us of our ultimate destiny in heaven.  The call to holiness is a call to imitate Christ by letting God into our lives just as they are right now.   The lives of the saints remind us that the saints weren't superhuman.  All of the saints had "issues" just like us.  No matter what state or situation we find ourselves in, we can take the next step in san...

The Christian's call to holiness is a mysterious reality.  How can we be holy when holiness is exclusive to God and underlines his transcendent otherness?  How can we be perfect who are obviously sinful and weak?  Only by possessing and being possessed by Christ is holiness possible for us.  Sanctity is to have him live in us through the sacraments, our prayer life, and our gradual imitation...

The ups and downs of St. Peter are an example of starting over after coming up short.  To begin again after some failure is not just to keep trying, but to learn humility and a greater reliance on God.  Without our stumbles and falls we would never learn how much we need God's mercy and healing power. https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

Originally published 9/28/2020 The three Archangels teach us important truths about God.  They reveal to us His transcendence, His power, and His salvific action.  

The Christian life entails a struggle.   Growing in virtue and overcoming vice requires serious effort.  This struggle for holiness, however, may seem overwhelming to the weak and  self-empowering to the proud.   Realizing that God's aid is essential for all spiritual growth helps to overcome these two mistakes.   Our spiritual combat must be carried out bravely and freely but also with full...

Jesus's love is a burning, fervent love.   God himself is described as a 'burning fire' in the Letter to the Hebrews.  As disciples, we too ought to be men and women who are "on fire": apostolic, energetic, engaged, and up for sacrifices.   This entails overcoming lukewarmness, a spiritual illness that makes us allergic to Christian fervor and zeal. https://comeawaybyyours...

Jesus' apparent failure on the Cross is in reality a great victory.  His suffering was necessary for his glorification and for our salvation.  As Christians, our suffering is similarly necessary.  It is a means of purification, sanctification, and co-redemption.   Living through trials lovingly and prayerfully can teach us tremendous lessons about God and ourselves.  Like Christ, the trusting...

Our Faith gives us a living relationship with Jesus Christ and his Father God.  We are truly children of God in Christ.  This realization should fill us with confidence and trust.  God, who is all powerful and all knowing, is our loving Father.  He loves us with the same love with which he loves his divine Son.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

The Bible often encourages us to a silent, receptive stance before God's reality and goodness.  This kind of prayer takes recollection or composure of heart, which in turn requires some trust in God.  Our distaste for quiet prayer can be rooted in an unwillingness to cede control or a fear of the changes it might provoke in us.  Jesus's advice to the busy Martha is pertinent for all time...

The Assumption and the Coronation of Our Lady give us a glimpse of her heavenly glory.  Mary's holiness and glorification are a reflection of the glory and splendor of God.  By contemplating her eternal radiance, we are bolstered with joyful hope and encouraged to "shine like stars" in the midst of the world.   https://comeawaybyyourselves.com If you enjoy "Come Away By Yoursel...

The virtue of temperance or moderation is essential to loving God.  To love God above all things, our desires and enjoyment of everything else need to be under control.  Temperance brings order and health to the soul, freeing it to give God and others more importance.  Performing small acts of self denial, thereby restraining our thirst for pleasure, gives us a chance to find our joy and happiness...

The Gospels reveal to us the richness of Jesus's humanity.  Jesus is interested in all sorts of people and all kinds of activities.  He deals with people personally, respectfully and with tenderness.  His human experience is fraught with all that we ourselves experience in life: fatigue and frustration, sadness and joy, friendship and loneliness, anger and, in his own way, even sin.  Getting...

Jesus takes five loaves and two fish from a boy and multiplies them to feed a crowd of thousands.  When we trust him, Jesus takes our good will and our meager personal resources and similarly multiplies them to help us and others.  Fortunately, faith is something we can grow in by choosing to do so.  It is a free human act.  By admitting our limitations and weakness and then confidently trying our...

Our Lord Jesus calls Christians the "salt of the earth" and "the light of the world."  The presence of believing Christians is fundamental for the health and salvation of humanity.  Realizing the gravity and urgency of our mission, we should put aside all division and distractions and commit ourselves to living our Catholic faith.  This demands daily trust in God, daily repenta...

The question of our personal identity is crucial to life.  Our identity is tied to our closest relationships and our life’s mission.  The deepest truth of who we are, however, is something we find in God and receive from Him, not something we have to figure out entirely on our own. By living the life God wants for us, we become our true selves and discover our true names. 

On the Feast of St. Josemaria, we reflect on one of his most important teachings: the sanctification of work.  After their conversion, the early Christians were encouraged to continue living the same life which God had already given them.  St. Josemaria encourages us to do the same.  Work is a blessing from God and key to a happy, fulfilled life.  Working well is a condition for offering our work...

In the middle of a violent storm, the apostles find Jesus asleep in the boat.  This divine sleep of the Son of God teaches us important lessons: the need for rest, the importance of trust in God during difficulties, and the great care that God our Father exercises over us.  Only by trusting in God's power and fatherly protection in and through times of trial will we experience our own resurre...

Jesus' Sacred Heart reveals the depth of his love for us.  Opened on the Cross, streams of blood and water poured out from Jesus' Heart.  Our own love for God hinges on our having a heart full of compassion, concern, and a practical spirit of service towards others.  As disciples of Jesus, we should be known for our love and care for each other and for all people.  Only by growing in cha...

The mystery of the Trinity is the mystery of God's inner life.  Revealing it to us in Jesus Christ, God shares with us his own deep intimacy so that we can know and love him.  The Trinity is also a mystery in which every Christian is enveloped.    By the work of the Holy Spirit, we are made children of God the Father in God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

On Pentecost we invite the Holy Spirit into our hearts and lives.  The Holy Spirit is God's great gift to us.  Himself the Love of God, we can use his presence to love God and others.  "The Lord, the giver of Life", the Holy Spirit can shake us out of lukewarmness and complacency. Becoming good students of the Holy Spirit, we learn to enjoy and use his spiritual gifts and fruits. ht...

The month of May is Mary's month.  The Church teaches and lives an extraordinary love for Mary, our Mother.  This month is an opportunity to entrust big, important intentions and problems to Our Lady's loving care and intercession.  https://comeawaybyyourselves.com

For our 100th episode, we reflect on St. Joseph the Worker.   Providing and caring for Jesus and Mary was Joseph's most urgent reason for working and working well.  Loving God and others should also be a primary motive in our daily working lives.  Joseph's experience of being with Jesus in his workshop taught him to appreciate the great dignity of his work, to make room for Jesus in his...