Category: Spiritual Life

This category, of course, can cover many topics. We try to limit it in this section to articles that deal with the inner life of the soul elevated by grace or wounded by sin: virtue and vice, heroic Catholic men and women as seen under the light of the particular virtue they exemplified, the cardinal virtues, spiritual formation, growth, and purgation, and the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

The Grace of the Epiphany

Epiphany, January 6, is the “Christmas of the Gentiles,” a feast which popularly outranks Christmas in certain Catholic nations and predated it on the Church’s calendar. (Liturgically, in fact, it outranked Christmas until its octave was sadly dropped in 1955). … Continue reading

More on How to Fight

[Part I] The arts and sciences that lie behind all combat — be it Asian martial arts, boxing, team sports, or the life-and-death combat of warcraft — are habits. These are things acquired by study and/or repetition. Now, science requires … Continue reading

How to Fight

Some Catholics are of the erroneous opinion that the Christian life does not entail fighting (even spiritually), and that all fighting of whatever sort is harmful. Others become consumed by the idea of combat and make it the whole, or … Continue reading

The Demonic

Brian Kelly is writing an article on the guardian angels for the next Mancipia. I shall here take up the subject of the fallen angels so that readers might eagerly await what Brian has to say about those blessed spirits … Continue reading

Meekness is Strength

A good friend of mine of many years enjoys relating the story of his confessor’s admonition: “meekness is not weakness.” The priest — a famous Jesuit who has gone to his reward — was on to something. Reflecting on his … Continue reading