Advent with A Kempis X

Chapter 10: Guarding Against Unnecessary Speech “We must watch and pray lest we spend our time in fruitless idleness” Kempis strongly encourages us to put boundaries on our conversations and our social gatherings. He is full aware of the human tendency towards unhealthy behaviors in certain social situations. Often times we seek solace in the […]

Advent with A Kempis IX

Chapter 9: Obedience and Submission “No matter where you go, here or there, you will find no rest except in humbly subjecting yourself to the authority of a superior.” Buckaroo Banzai says, “Wherever you go there you are.” Thomas A Kempis says, “No matter where you go, here or there, you will find no rest […]

Advent with A Kempis VIII

Chapter 8: Guarding Against Too Much Familiarity “Do not open your heart to everyone” I just saw a powerful film at Shattuck Cinemas with a Canadian friend that I met in Palestine. I was most moved by the final scene when a broken man confesses what Kempis would call a “mortal sin” to his wife. […]

Advent with A Kempis VII

Chapter 7: Avoiding Vain Hope and Self-Conceit (St. Nicholas Day) “Peace dwells in a humble heart, while in the heart of the proud man there is envy and resentment.” Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, “first saw the Imitation of Christ at Manresa, and never afterwards did he wish to read […]

Advent with A Kempis VI

Chapter 6: Disordered Affections (or An Inordinate Fondness for the Beatles) “Whenever you desire anything inordinately, you immediately find that you grow dissatisfied with yourself.” The word “inordinately” has helped me to understand a lot of these classics of occidental spirituality. When the authors speak of denying the world or despising the self, they are […]

Advent with A Kempis V

Chapter 5: Reading the Holy Scriptures “All sacred Scripture should be read in the spirit with which it was written.” I heard Karen Armstrong call theology a “species of poetry.” In sacred Scripture, we encounter this species of poetry, which does not intend to inform us of scientific and historical facts as much as it […]

Advent with A Kempis IV

Chapter 4: Prudence in Our Actions “It is also a part of wisdom neither to believe everything we hear, nor to pour it immediately into another’s ear.” I recently saw a bumper sticker that read, “Don’t Believe Everything You Think.” I appreciate the caution as it makes me reflect on the word believe. Etymologically, believe […]

Advent with A Kempis III

Chapter 3: The Teaching of Truth “Let all teachers be mute and all creation keep silence before You.” In our movement away from the false self and towards the true self, Kempis encourages us to let go of our attachment to knowledge, books and teachings. He asserts, “Certainly, when Judgment Day comes we shall not […]

Advent with A Kempis II

Chapter 2: Having a Humble Opinion of One’s Self “If I truly knew myself I would look upon myself as insignificant…” There are two ways to say, “I am God.” One way is the ultimate claim of hubris and the other way is the highest confession of humility. In this chapter, Kempis is directing us […]

Advent with A Kempis

Chapter 1: The Imitation of Christ and Contempt for the Vanities of the World “Christ’s teaching surpasses that of all the saints.” Several years ago, I grew sick and tired of my faith and was ready to give up on Christianity. I began to explore the teachings of the Buddha and Lao Tzu and […]