This retreat workshop, inspired by the book How to Be Holy by Peter Kreeft as well as the classic spiritual works The Sacrament of the Present Moment and Abandonment to Divine Providence by Jean-Pierre de Caussade, was presented during the 2017-2018 parish retreat season and was in many ways a second part to the workshop offered the prior two retreat seasons. It was (and is!) a good follow on to Virtue and Vice and addresses some aspects of application in the real world. In Challenge and Change: Holy Anyway, there’s continuity. Where Virtue and Vice focused on the basics of vice identification and the practice of virtue, Holy Anyway applies that foundation to the challenges that we all face in our lives which can derail us from our progress on the path to holiness. There are a few basic parts of the workshop that can serve as a guideline or ‘how-to’ reference when you feel challenged and need to get your relationship with God back on track. They are found below. Want to learn more? Click on the images below to open the workshop summary PDF files.
{Listed as book recommendations on this website are Peter Kreeft’s How to be Holy and Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s The Sacrament of the Present Moment and Abandonment to Divine Providence.}
Why Be Holy?: This is a question that you may have asked yourself at one time or another. Why should I be holy? Why should I work hard at always doing what is right? Why is it important? Can’t I just indulge and then worry about holiness later? The answer to the question “Why be holy?” is short, sweet, and direct. If you’ve ever asked “What’s the point?” you may want to take a closer look and give this question some serious thought. The reasoning behind being holy is every bit as important as the effort toward it.
Obstacles to Holiness: Throughout our lives we encounter challenges and changes that can become obstacles to our growth in holiness. This can happen often (even on a daily basis) or from time to time, but no matter the frequency, if we don’t have the proper perspective and determination to push past them, we struggle, sometimes seriously and indefinitely. This puts at risk our quest for sainthood as well as our inner peace in this life. Recognize these obstacles and put them in their proper perspective.
Sacrament of the Present Moment: Why is the present moment a sacrament? Here you’ll find some important take-away points about what this concept ‘sacrament of the present moment’ means and why it is not only important to your goal of holiness but also serves to bring peace to your otherwise hectic and worrisome day to day happenings. (Sacrament of the Present Moment by de Caussade is highly recommended and can be found in the book recommendations on this website.)
Duty: No matter what stage of life you are experiencing or what vocation you are pursuing or already a part of (married, single, divorced, widowed, religious, young, old, and in between) there are duties attached which are obligations that we are expected to fulfill to the very best of our abilities. There are right and wrong choices, perspectives, positions, and actions. When challenged by life’s obstacles, we can feel caught up in a gray area; uncertain of our duties. Clear the fog by understanding the duties of your station in life.
Abandonment to Divine Providence: The question here is – Do you trust God? It’s all about believing that what God wills for us is what is best for us. Trusting God leads us to make use of whatever He sends our way in each moment of our lives. God knows exactly what we need. This is another important topic in our quest to be holy. (Abandonment to Divine Providence by de Caussade is highly recommended and can be found in the book recommendations on this website.)