The Enemy Within
Pleasure, Suffering, and the Struggle Against the Flesh
Every Christian experiences a painful division within himself. We want to love God, follow Christ, and live by grace — but we also find ourselves drawn toward comfort, pleasure, ease, and distraction, and inclined to flee suffering. The Catholic tradition calls this part of the spiritual battle the struggle against the flesh.
In this series, we will examine the two principal ways the flesh resists the spiritual life: first, through the insatiable desire for pleasure; second, through the instinctive horror of suffering. We will see why pleasure itself is not evil, how concupiscence disorders our desires after original sin, and why holiness requires learning not only to resist disordered pleasure but also to embrace the Cross. The Cross is not an optional extra in the Christian life, but the very path by which we are conformed to Christ.
At the heart of this series is the teaching of Fr. Antonio Royo Marín, O.P., who draws from the wisdom of St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul, St. John of the Cross, and the Catholic spiritual tradition. Through his guidance, we will consider the remedies that lead to true freedom: mortification, prayer, the sacraments, and a deeper love of Christ crucified.
The goal is interior freedom: learning how grace restores order within us so that we can live no longer as slaves of pleasure, comfort, or fear of the Cross, but as children of God.
This series is done in the format of our House of Formation Program. So participants take part in:
Two live class sessions
One live AMA (Ask Me Anything) session
One optional 1-1 spiritual direction/coaching session (Spaces are limited so register early to reserve your spot).
Together, these elements reflect the core dimensions of the Aquinas Institute's House of Formation Program: serious instruction, time for questions that fall outside the scope of the class topic, and personal guidance applied to one’s own spiritual life.
Who this is for:
Those who want to grow in the spiritual life and are looking for more than just another talk
Those who wish to encounter the Institute’s teaching and coaching firsthand
Register for 2 Class Sessions · 1 AMA (Ask Me Anything) Session · 1 Spiritual Direction/Coaching Session
Dates & Times (all sessions live via Zoom):
Sessions: Wednesdays, May 13, 20, and 27, 8:15–9:30 PM (ET)
Optional Spiritual Direction/Coaching Sessions are scheduled after registration.
Register early to reserve your place and schedule your free coaching session. Spaces are limite and coaching sessions must take place before the summer cohort begins (June 3rd).
House of Formation Sampler:
The Cross and Divine Providence
Register for 2 Class Sessions · 1 Q&A · 1 Spiritual Direction/Coaching Session
Dates & Times (all sessions live via Zoom):
Class Sessions: Sun.–Mon., March 15–16, 8:15–9:30 PM (ET)
Q&A Session: Wed., March 18, 8:15–9:30 PM (ET)
Optional Spiritual Direction/Coaching Sessions are scheduled after registration.
Register early to reserve your place and schedule your free coaching session before the cohort begins on March 24. Coaching sessions must take place before the cohort begins, and space is limited.
Experience the House of Formation Before Committing
Free · Live · Online Formation Sampler
Participants take part in:
Two live class sessions on the spiritual life
One live Q&A session for deeper clarification and discussion
One private spiritual direction/coaching session to apply the material personally
Together, these elements reflect the core dimensions of the House of Formation: serious instruction, space for thoughtful questions, and personal guidance applied to one’s own spiritual life.
The House of Formation Sampler is not intended to replicate the depth of year-long formation. Rather, it provides a clear, substantive taste of how formation is carried out—so that participants can discern whether the House of Formation is a good fit.
Who this is for:
Those discerning whether the House of Formation is a good fit
Those who wish to encounter the Institute’s teaching and coaching firsthand
Those seeking a meaningful introduction to year-long formation without pressure
The Church Needs a House of Formation for the Laity
If there is a real science to how souls grow in holiness then lay men and women deserve the same level of clarity and direction that the Church gives her seminarians and religious. What’s missing is a house of formation for the laity: a place where they can both learn the general principles of the spiritual life and receive personal help in applying those principles to their own vocation, temperament, and circumstances.
When ordinary Catholics rediscover the map of Christian perfection they come to understand the path clearly: what holiness truly is, how to grow in charity, and how God ordinarily leads souls. Confusion gives way to light. They learn to apply sound principles and proven methods rather than relying on emotion, novelty, or trial and error. They gain the peace and confidence that come from walking securely within the Church’s wisdom. Even when progress feels slow or hidden, they know they are following the same path that sanctified the saints.
The goal is not just to add one more demand to an overloaded schedule, but to give serious time to God a little at a time. Over weeks and months that steady effort becomes a true habit of the interior life. And so a kind of remote house of formation is just what many laity need. Without a structure for deep formation (systematic teaching on the spiritual life, coaching, and community), even sincere Catholics – or their children – can easily lose the way. With it, they can become what the Church actually calls them to be: saints.
Invitation
This Advent, I am beginning the first cohort of this work – a small group of 20 members.
It is the beginning of a house of formation for the laity – ordinary Catholics who are serious about the call to holiness and who want to grow in charity with clarity, structure, and guidance.
If you have longed for something more than inspirational content – if you want a real path, and the help to walk it – then I invite you to consider joining us.
We do not become saints by accident.
No one assumes they could build an airplane after watching some videos – yet many assume they can “figure out” the spiritual life that way.
The spiritual life has to be learned – just as one learns any serious discipline. There is a real science to knowing, loving, and serving God; one needs both sound principles and help in applying them. It is difficult, but not impossible with God’s grace.
This is the beginning of recovering that lay Catholics.
If this resonates, you can complete a short interest survey below.