Introduction to and About the Blog.

RUGWIG = Render Unto God What Is God's.

"Show me a penny. Whose image and inscription hath it?" They answering, said to him, "Caesar's." And he said to them: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's: and to God the things that are God's." (Luke 20: 24-25)

This blog is primarily (1) for the promotion of the spiritual, or interior, life as taught by Catholic theology (2) and the Church's rich Tradition, consisting of the harmonious doctrine of various saints, mystics, and theologians, such as St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Bonaventure, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, and St. Francis de Sales, the Church Fathers, Scripture, as expounded upon by contemporary authors, such as Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., Fr. John G. Arintero, O.P., Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D., and others.

The hope is:

1) to inspire all Christians to "work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in [them], both to will and to accomplish, according to His good will" (Phil. 2:12b-13);

2) to help form in Christians a solid foundation and understanding of whom they are, their wonderful dignity as children of God (Jn. 1:12), and the destiny that God calls them to--life everlasting, being like Him, seeing Him as He is (1 Jn. 3:2b), although "now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face" (1 Cor. 13:12);

3) thirdly, to respond to the criticisms of the modern world, both secular and pagan, that the Christian spirituality is a lifeless, oppressive system that leads only to the so-called "backwardness of the Dark Ages and medieval times" by showing that the richest "humanism" is precisely found in the profound theocentrism (God-centered-ness) of Christianity;

4) and to reach out to those who seek true, fulfilling spirituality, who seek meaning and purpose to their life, who seek the "peace that the world cannot give" but that only Jesus can give (Jn. 14:27), for His "yoke is sweet and [His] burden light" because He is truly meek and truly humble of heart. You shall find rest for your souls (Mt. 11:29-30).

If any of you search, He will satisfy you, for His water is living water that wells up into everlasting life (Jn. 7:37). And those who seek shall find; those who ask with all sincerity shall obtain; those who knock will have the door of truth opened to them because Jesus is truth (Mt. 7:7; cf. Jn. 14:6).

Saints are the most powerful forces in the world because Jesus Christ is the most powerful force in the world. Our hope is meagerly to assist God in inspiring more people to become saints.

INDEX OF TOPICS (3):

Beatitudes

--As a Summary of Christian Spiritual Perfection.

--As the Ladder to Contemplation.

--Relating to the Flight from Sin.

--Relating to the Active Life.

Books

--List Available for Spiritual Formation, Reading, and Education.

Boredom

--A Sign of the Necessity of Christ.

Charity

--And Infused Contemplation.

---- 1. Fervent Charity, a Spiritual Means to Contemplation.

--As the Rule and Norm for All Action.

--Degrees of.

--Does Not Consist in a Golden Mean.

--Motive (and Degrees) of.

--Nature of.

--Precept of.

--Progress in.

---- 1. Part I.

---- 2. Part II.

---- 3. Part III.

--Sanctifying Power of.

Contemplation

--And the Beatitudes.

---- 1. Summary of Relationship.

---- 2. Expanded Version of the Above.

------ (1) Part I.

------ (2) Part II.

--Cannot Be Reached By Our Efforts Alone.

--Pure Gift of God.

--Infused

---- 1. Definition of.

---- 2. Some Obstacles to.

---- 3. And the Spiritual Means to Dispose Ourselves for It.

------ (1) See Also: Purity, of Heart; Simplicity, of Spirit; Humility, of Heart; Recollection; Charity, Fervent.

Grace

--Of the Present Moment (See Recollection, below).

Happiness

--Means of as Listed in the Beatitudes.

--The Motive of All Human Actions.

Dogma

--Guideposts to True Spiritual Progress.

Eucharist

--Holy Communion.

---- 1. Dispositions for Frequent or Daily Communion.

---- 2. Conditions for Fervent Communion.

Faith

--Active Purification of the Intellect.

--Obscurity of Leads Directly to Contemplation.

God

--Object of.

---- 1. The Virtue of.

------ (1) Faith.

------ (2) Hope.

------ (3) Charity.

Holy Spirit

--Indwelling of.

----1. Description of.

----2. Fact of.

----3. Proper Disposition Towards.

Humility

--Of Heart.

---- 1. Necessary for Contemplation and to Receive the Grace of God.

Imperfection

--And Its Effects On Union with Christ

----1. In Holy Communion.

----2. In Fervent Communion.

Jesus Christ

--And the Power of His Holy Name.

--And the "Jesus Prayer."

--Necessity of.

Love (See Charity, above)

Materialism

--An Attempt to Replace God that Cannot Work.

--An Attempt to Replace the Infinite by Increasing Finite Action.

--Is Dangerous for the Spiritual Life.

--Leads to Intellectual Pride, Especially in Religious.

--Rationally Leads Only to Conversion.

--Such a Tendency Effectively Snuffs Out the Spiritual.

Mortification

--Leads to Purity of Heart.

Peace

--Poem of by St. Teresa of Avila.

Prayer

--Efficacy of Petitions.

--Holy Name of Jesus.

--Lectio Divina.

--Passive, also called Contemplation

---- 1. So-Called "Emptying of the Mind," or Complete Passivity Is Never Encouraged.

--Signs of Genuine Prayer.

Pride

--Intellectual, a Sign of Materialism.

Purity

--Of Heart.

---- 1. Is the Fruit of Exterior and Interior Mortification.

--Of Intention Keeps Eternal Life in Focus.

Recollection

--A Means to Dispose Ourselves for Contemplation.

Saint/Sainthood

--How to Become One.

--Is Achievable Even By Those Living in the World, but Requires Generosity.

--Two Kinds of.

Sarcasm

--As a Sign of Contradiction.

--Is Fundamentally Anti-Christian.

Sermon on the Mount, the

--As a Summary of All Christian Doctrine.

--As a Guide to All Christian Behavior.

Simplicity

--Of Spirit.

---- 1. As a Sign of Wisdom.

---- 2. Is a Fruit of Purity of Heart.

Sin

--And Arguments.

--Deliverance and Flight from.

Spiritual

--Reading

--Growth

----1. Prayer

------(1) Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit.

------(2) For Spiritual Transformation.

----2. Sacraments

------(1) Mass

--------a. Eucharist (see Holy Communion: Dispositions for frequent or daily Communion, and Conditions for fervent Communion).

--Marriage (See Transforming Union, below)

Transforming Union

--Description of.

--The Highest Mystical State Possible This Side of Heaven.

Weariness

--Of Life, and Its Cure.

--Is a Sign of the Necessity of Christ.

--Is a Sign of Materialistic Tendencies.

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Footnotes:

1. There is enough light for those who seek. Faith is a gift to receive, not the result of scientific or philosophical argumentation. We present here those topics that presuppose belief in the Articles of Faith. Our discussion is the logical implication of those Articles of Faith. "What must I do now that I have heard the Word of God?" The answer is "to live by it." "How?" "Come and see" (cf. Jn. 1:46). This life is a profound gift to receive. Come "taste and see that the Lord is sweet [for] happy is the man who has faith in Him" (Ps. 34:8).

2. We intend here to be faithful to the Pope and the teachings of the Catholic Church. If anything is found to be in doctrinal disagreement with the Catholic Church, please send a report to us with appropriate information, such as the location of the error and reasons for the report as well as possible constructive solutions. This blog consists simply in quotations from the works of Catholic authors, most if not all of whom are well established and in good standing with the Church, whom we quote from in good faith and with due permission, where possible, to the original publisher(s) of the content that we take our material from. If it is found that a quotation is taken without permission, please file a report so that we may make appropriate changes. Thank you and God bless.

3. Please keep in mind that the Index of Topics is constantly being updated as new blog posts are published.