Jan 1 Wed - Let us celebrate the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

 

Jan 1 Wed
Let us celebrate the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the source of all the prerogatives which God in his wisdom bestowed upon our Lady. Let us adore her Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Mary's divine motherhood is a dogma of our Catholic faith. It was solemnly defined early in the Church's history at the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus (year 431). We profess that the holy Virgin Mary is not only the Mother of Christ as Man, but also the Mother of God.

St. Josemaría recalled years ago: “In the first residence, I had a little statue of the Blessed Virgin which the communists stole from me during the war in Spain. I called it Our Lady of the Kisses. I never went in or out without going to the Director's room, where the image was, so I could kiss it. I don't think I ever did so mechanically. My kisses were human kisses, the kisses of a son who was afraid... But since I've said so often that I'm not afraid of anyone or anything, let's not say I was afraid. They were kisses from a son who felt far too young and who sought from our Lady all her tenderness and her affection. All the strength I needed, I sought from God through the Blessed Virgin."

Besides being the Mother of God and Mother of the Church, our Lady is the Mother of each one of us. Mary is a Mother who loves us madly, cares for us, consoles us, and encourages us to return to the Father's house whenever we are far from God.

Mary is always at our side, ready to intercede before her Son when we don't act as we should, provided we take refuge in her motherly affection."

St. Josemaría invited us “to make a personal resolution: not to let anything human bother us, however serious it may appear, as long as we go to God through our Lady. And you know how we do so: through spiritual advice and Confession. The result will be a haven of peace, and our Lord will smile at us, seeing the human way in which we act. And as he forgives us, he will think: this one has learned his lesson: now he'll be more faithful to me."

“If a little child does something wrong, breaking a valuable object, for instance, he sometimes tries to run away from his mother's arms. He doesn't realize that she doesn't always want to catch him to spank him, but she wants to console him, to press him to her heart and smother him in kisses."

“This is what I'm trying to tell you: trust God completely and make up your mind not to run away from him. The best sign that we're not trying to escape is to be sincere in the Confidence, and clear in Confession. Don't get all worked up when you have made a mistake - that wouldn't be sorrow, but pride. Keep calm and return to your Father's house; there we will always find the immense tenderness and understanding of our Blessed Mother Mary waiting for us."

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Dec 31 Tue - How can I walk with Christ?

 

Dec 31 Tue
How can I walk with Christ?
“I am the way, the truth, and the life." In these clear and unmistakable words, our Lord outlines the true path that leads to everlasting happiness. He is the only road linking heaven and earth.

He speaks to all people, but primarily He addresses those who, like you and me, are determined to take our Christian vocation seriously, so that God may always be present in our thoughts, on our lips, and in everything we do, including our most ordinary and routine actions.

Woe to the souls where Christ does not dwell!
When the Jews offended God, He delivered Jerusalem to their enemies.
Likewise, when a soul breaks his commands, God hands it over to its enemies, who corrupt and disgrace it.

When a house has no master living in it, it becomes dark, and sordid, choked with filth and trash.
So too is a soul that has lost its Master. It is darkened by sin, its desires are degraded, and it knows nothing but shame.

Woe to the house where no master dwells, to the field where no farmer works, to the ship without a helmsman, it will be storm-tossed and sink.

Woe to the soul without Christ as its true pilot; while drifting in the darkness, buffeted by the waves of passion, battered by evil spirits, its end will be destruction.

Woe to the soul that, like a field, does not have Christ to cultivate it with care to produce the good fruit of the Holy Spirit. Left to itself, the field is choked with thorns and thistles, producing only what is fit for burning.

Woe to the soul that does not have Christ dwelling in it, rotten with the filth of the passions, it will become a hiding place for all vices.

When a farmer prepares to till the soil, he must put on working clothes and use suitable tools. Similarly, Christ, our heavenly King, came to till the soil of mankind devastated by sin. He assumed a Body and, using the Cross as his plowshare, cultivated the barren soul of man. He removed the thorns and thistles, which are the works of the devil, and pulled up the weeds of sin.

He cast the straw of evilness into the fire. And when He had plowed the soul with the wood of the cross, He planted in it a most lovely orchard of the Spirit, that could produce for its Lord and God.

"He that dwells in the aid of the Most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of heaven. This is the risky security of the Christian. We must be convinced that God hears us, and that He is concerned about us. If we are, we will feel completely at peace. But living with God is indeed a risky business, for He will not share things: He wants everything. And if we move toward him, we must be ready for a new conversion, to take new bearings, to listen more attentively to his inspirations – those holy desires that He provokes in every soul – and to put them into practice.”

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Dec 30 Mon - Will my actions bring about my future reward?

 

Dec 30 Mon
Will my actions bring about my future reward?

The Lord says: “Unless your justice exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." How can justice exceed, unless compassion rises above judgment?

What could be more just or worthy than a creature created in the image and likeness of God, imitating the Creator who, through the remission of sins, brings about the reparation and sanctification of believers? The guilty man is restored to innocence, with God’s strict vengeance removed, and all punishment ceases. Thus, the end of wickedness becomes the beginning of virtue. Can anything be more just than this?

This is how Christian justice surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees—not by canceling the law but by rejecting earthly wisdom. This is why, when giving his disciples guidance on fasting, the Lord said: "Whenever you fast, do not look sad like the hypocrites. They disfigure their faces to appear as if they are fasting. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." What reward is this, if not human praise? Such desire often masquerades as justice, for having a false reputation brings pleasure when there is no concern for conscience. Consequently, when injustice is concealed, a man enjoys a misleading reputation.

For the person who loves God, it is sufficient to please the One he loves; there is no greater reward than loving God, for love originates from God, as God is love.

God so fulfills the good and chaste soul that it wishes to find delight in nothing else. The Lord’s words ring true: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." What is a man’s treasure but the accumulation of profits and the fruits of his labor? Just as a man sows, so shall he reap, and each man’s gain corresponds to his toil; where he finds delight and enjoyment, there the desire of his heart is anchored.

There are many kinds of wealth and various reasons for rejoicing; each person's treasure is what he desires. If it is rooted in earthly ambitions, it leaves men not blessed but wretched.

However, those who find joy in the eternal and heavenly, rather than the earthly and perishable, possess an incorruptible hidden treasure. Through these, with God's grace, even earthly possessions can be transformed into heavenly blessings.
Many people utilize wealth wisely by sharing what is superfluous to support the poor, they are amassing imperishable riches, ensuring that what they have discreetly given will not be lost.

They have rightly placed their riches where their heart is; it is truly blessed to work towards increasing such riches rather than fearing their loss.
From a sermon of Saint Leo the Great, Pope.

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Dec 29 Sun - Our Lord comes determined to seek us out after we are lost.

 

Dec 29 Sun
Our Lord comes determined to seek us out after we are lost.

Today, the Holy Family, we remember especially our parents. They fulfilled very well their God-given mission, at times perhaps without even realizing it. God will not fail to reward them abundantly, both in heaven and on earth. Nonetheless, although we are sure that God will help them, we should be constant in our prayer for them.

The Holy Family is the model for all Christian families. In Joseph, fathers find the noblest standard of watchfulness and fatherly care. In the most holy Virgin, Mother of God, mothers have a splendid mirror of love, modesty, and perfect faith. In Jesus, who was subject to his parents, children have a divine example of virtues to imitate.

Thus, we all must continue our way to heaven.
How often we have separated ourselves from God! How often we have failed to hear his voice - the voice of the one who heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds.

We must hasten to meet him, ready to start again and to respond to his never-failing Love.

“A day of salvation has arrived for us. Once again, we can hear the whistling of the divine Shepherd, his affectionate call: I have called you by name. Like our mother, He calls us by our name, even by our affectionate family nickname. He calls there in the very depths of our soul, and we must answer: ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Here I am, determined on this occasion not to let time pass like water over the rocks, without leaving a trace."

St. Josemaría tells us that “what we have to try to do is to get to heaven. If we don't, nothing is worthwhile. To reach heaven, faithfulness to Christ's teaching is essential. And to be faithful, we must strive doggedly against whatever blocks our way to eternal happiness."

The response is required from us: to begin over and over again; not in a vague manner, but in the main points of our interior struggle, enthusiastically.

“Let's not deceive ourselves: in our life, we will encounter excitement and victory along with deprivation and defeat. Such has always been the earthly pilgrimage of Christians, even of those we venerate on the altars. … The true-life stories of Christian heroes resemble our own experience: they fought and won; they fought and lost. And then, repentant, they returned to the fray."

To find Jesus, we have to keep starting over and over again. We need to be continually engaged in a struggle to improve. To stand still is to fall back. St Augustine says, “I am still running, I am still advancing. I am still walking. I am still on the way. I am still exerting myself. I have not yet arrived. In the same way, if you are walking, if you are exerting yourself, if you are thinking of the future, then forget the past, do not glance back, or you may remain at the spot where you turned to look back. If you say, ‘Enough,’ you are lost."

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Dec 28 Sat - Can I follow Jesus, and still be free?

 

Dec 28 Sat
Can I follow Jesus, and still be free?

If man were purely matter, he would not be free. Choice would be merely the result of many complex, not-well-understood, material forces.

Freedom is not something inert like flour or sugar that one can place in a container. Freedom is always FOR something: To accomplish yourself. There is no authentic freedom if it is not at the service of goodness and justice.

To be free, you must know what you choose; ignorance is an obstacle to the capacity to choose. Thus, freedom depends on truth. Truth is not the same as “opinion” or “one’s own judgment,” but rather an objective reality.

Thus, freedom is for choosing goodness, and accomplishing yourself or failing to do so. Not wanting evil is not a limitation of freedom. Freedom does not consist in the possibility of choosing evil. This possibility is just a sign of weak freedom and a consequence of the creature’s imperfection. As man does good, he becomes freer.

Choosing disobedience to God and evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to the slavery of sin.

Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that he wants them. The way to acquire and develop one’s freedom is to make good use of responsibility.

Freedom is not only the choice of a particular action; it is also a decision about oneself fixing one’s life for or against the Good, for or against the Truth, and ultimately, for or against God.

A person who chooses an ultimate end that is different from God is choosing something that is only relatively good. It is bound to end in frustration and even hatred of oneself.

Choosing God entails choosing to follow the norms leading to God, and choosing to obey his will and his laws. These norms are not arbitrary decrees, but elements of God’s wise plan, the observance of which provides for our full and authentic happiness.

There is no incompatibility here between obedience to God and freedom, because one freely chooses to obey. The same can be said of one’s fidelity to freely acquired commitments; acquiring or being faithful to such commitments does not diminish freedom in the least.

God respects human freedom even when man refuses his plan of love and abuses the gift. God’s grace does not annul our freedom, but helps us to make better use of our freedom.

In choosing, a man both accomplishes and limits oneself. Choices make him to be the kind of person he is. Through the actions that a person freely chooses to do, he gives himself an identity, for weal or woe. This is how we shape our lives. By choosing, I make myself.

Thus, if a person chooses to commit adultery, he makes himself an adulterer. Furthermore, choices last. He will remain what—or who—he has made himself by an act of self-determination (an adulterer) until he determines himself otherwise by another, radically contrary choice. Even if he repents, he will remain an adulterer, but now a repentant adulterer, one who has given to himself a newer identity, one who repudiates his former choice and wants—with God’s grace—to amend his life, and be a faithful spouse.

The shepherds and the Magi used their freedom to seek Jesus. What about you? In what project are you to invest your freedom?

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Dec 27 Fri - How can I have a sporting spirit in my interior struggle?

 

Dec 27 Fri
How can I have a sporting spirit in my interior struggle?
The interior struggle requires many continuous battles. And as St. Josemaría taught, it should be undertaken with a tenacious, cheerful sporting spirit. “My child, try to be faithful throughout your life. And when you sense you're not, ask God for help. Strive eagerly and cheerfully, with a sporting spirit, to progress in your supernatural struggle, and you'll conquer. Lay all your wretchedness, all the obstacles that block your way, at Christ's feet. Then, He will be raised on high and triumph, and you will go with him. Never get discouraged. Rectify your intention, begin again, and keep trying. In the end, if you can't do it, our Lord will help you to leap over the rampart, the rampart of holiness."

We need a sporting spirit in our struggle, being ready to begin again and again whenever necessary, with cheerful, supernatural stubbornness.

Consequently, our love will grow stronger in the interior struggle.
St. Josemaría wrote: “I have noticed at times how an athlete's eyes light up at the sight of the obstacles to be overcome, what a victory is in store! See how he conquers the difficulties! God our Lord looks at us that way. He loves our struggle: we will win through always because he will never deny us his all-powerful grace. Thus, it doesn't matter if we have to fight, because He does not abandon us."

St Cyprian wrote: “This is the difference between us and those who don't know God, the latter complain in adversity, whereas hardships only strengthen our virtue."

St. Josemaría taught us that the best strategy for victory in the supernatural Olympics is to struggle in little things. A good athlete takes care of the smallest details. One need only recall the gymnast's precise movements, and the runner's exact pace, the jockey's measured rhythm. In the end, the best athletes are usually those who prepare with the most determination and look after all the details.

Besides, we are not fighting for a perishable crown, a momentary triumph: we're fighting for the victory of Christ, to identify ourselves with Christ.
 
Sometimes in our interior life, “as in sports, one has to know how to lose a game to win the next one. Thus, we draw new strength from our errors and defeats.
Whoever gives up because he misses one goal, has missed the point of his effort. We know we're going to lose sometimes. We may fail, but God doesn't lose battles."

Learning how to lose is another virtue of a good sportsman. We are inevitably going to lose some skirmishes in our daily struggle. But “learn to draw from your falls a new impulse: from death, life.” If we struggle, if we have a spirit of examination and contrition, then our daily mistakes, our unfulfilled resolutions, our lack of love, and our insensitivity, will be turned to good advantage.

God counts on our defects and gives us his grace to fight against them. Our small daily defeats should help us to trust more in God and less in ourselves. They help to make us more humble.

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Dec 26 Thu - What is my mission in life?

 

Dec 26 Thu
What is my mission in life?

“The Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God and enriches it with virtues, not only through the sacraments and the ministries of the Church, but also ‘allotting his gifts to every one according as He wills.’” (Vatican II)
You too have personal gifts that the Spirit gives to each one.

The charism has two elements:
First, the charism is the gift given “for the common good”, to be useful to everyone. It is not destined ordinarily for the sanctification of the person, but for the “service” of the community.

Secondly, the charism is the gift given “to one”, or “to some” in particular, not to everyone in the same way, and this is what distinguishes it from sanctifying grace, from the theological virtues, and from the sacraments, which are the same for all.

“The laity are not the least, no, they laity are not a form of external collaborator or auxiliary troops of the clergy, no! They have their own charisms and gifts to contribute to the mission of the Church."

“When they hear about charisms, some may experience disappointment, as they think they do not possess any, and feel they are excluded or second-class Christians. No, they are not second-class Christians, no, each person has his or her personal, and also community charism." (Pope Francis)

The charisms are the “jewels” or the ornaments that the Holy Spirit distributes to make the Bride of Christ, the Church, more beautiful.

All charisms are “mine”, just as “my” charisms belong to all and are for the good of all, making you –your mission– a charism for all.

God gives to each person a unique mission. What is your mission? Finding it is essential to your journey of holiness and, therefore, happiness. When fully embraced, this mission will bring abundant fulfillment to your life because it is the purpose of your life.

Some embark on selfish activities in life, failing to commit all their energies to the work of the Lord. The Lord wants you to work day and night on His mission. This is not too much to ask. It is what you were made for, and the only way to obtain what you truly desire.

Your mission will require a complete self-giving. It will also include moments of fun and rest, work and struggle, laughter and tears. But it’s worth it! Seek the mission God has given you, and embrace it with all your heart.

Reflect, today: What is my mission in life? It may come to you slowly, over time, taking twists and turns as you go. But never stop seeking to serve our Lord and His perfect plan. This plan will become the delight of your soul. Ponder it, and if you are on the wrong path, correct your direction in life.

Tell Him: I promise to say “Yes” to You throughout my life and to never tire of fulfilling Your Will. I love You, Lord. Help me to love You with my life.

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Dec 25 Wed - Today a light will shine upon us.

 

Dec 25 Wed
Today a light will shine upon us. For the Lord is born to us. And his name will be called "Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Jesus' Birth encourages us to get to know him better.

“We have been preparing for today's solemnity by trying to build a crib in our hearts for our God. Do you remember what we did when we were small? How eagerly we built the Christmas scene, with its mountains of cork, its tiny houses and all those little figures around the manger God chose as his birthplace. Since Opus Dei is for adult Christians who know how to become children out of love for God, I know that with the passage of time my daughters and sons become more childlike every day. We have prepared a stable in the intimacy of our souls even more eagerly than when we were children." St. Josemaría

My Jesus, thank you for becoming one like us; let us tonight become like you: children, that we may learn to see in all the love of your Father, even in the cold and loneliness of the night, like your first night made Man.

“A holy day has dawned for us. Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For this day a great Light has descended upon the earth. We would like people everywhere to treat you well. We would like the whole world to welcome you affectionately. And we cloak the indifferent silence of those who do not know you or do not love you by singing Christmas carols, the popular songs sung by young and old in all countries with a Christian tradition. Have you noticed how they always speak about going to see and gaze upon the Christ Child as the shepherds did on that blessed night? They went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger."

May my heart be a copy of Bethlehem, with each character of the mystery. May humility and contrition the straw to prepare and arrange the manger in my heart. May my fidelity be like a blanket to be spread on the crib and comfort the Child Jesus in my heart. May my childlike love, and my Mother's tenderness, establish the proper lap for the Child.

He unveils his secrets and his mystery only to the simple of heart. As He did with Mary and Joseph, and as He has done throughout the centuries. He would also like to do so in my prayer today and every day, counting on my collaboration and teamwork.

Now is the time for me to listen fully to Jesus Christ who wants to tell me: "I love you, and I want to make you happy".

How often have I been indifferent to the voice of God knocking at the door of my heart! Christ offers me happiness, but it is not obligatory. I have the freedom to say yes or no to him. I want to tell Jesus Christ yes! to enter in my soul and renew my whole life.

I want to be a witness to the One who has loved me, died por me, and who has called me by my name with a smile on his face. And I, who experience my weakness, my misery, I want to turn to Christ and his Blessed Mother.

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Dec 24 Tue - What are we to do on this day when people celebrate the birth of Christ?

 

Dec 24 Tue
What are we to do on this day when people celebrate the birth of Christ?
First of all, we must pray, talk to him as God's children.
 
Next to the crib, where God was born, we consider: God has sent his Son into the world to recover what was lost, to save, and to forgive. This is why his birth is so simple, or else, we, filled with wretchedness, could be terrified at God's power. Instead, we are won over by his love. We see him in his Mother's arms, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a poor manger.
Why swaddling clothes?
Because He is human. Angels do not need these.

When someone is in Christ, everything dirty, everything old, everything that stains, everything that hurts, all disappear. And tonight, God, through his Mother, will send us new graces to help us grow in love as children of God.

“We must ask God for the ability to discern what gives him glory, and what offends him; to know what works for people's good, and what is a damage for them; what will make us happy, and what will destroy our happiness –both eternal happiness and the relative happiness we can attain here on earth."

“How grateful we should be to Jesus, this Brother of ours who made us children of the Father. Have you seen how your own little brothers and sisters, or those tiny children of your relatives, need all kinds of things from everyone? The Baby Jesus is like that. It is good to think of him like that, defenseless. He is the Almighty, he is God, and yet he has made himself a helpless, vulnerable Child in need of our love."

“We have to pray always –always. We must feel the need to go to God, after every success, and every failure in our interior life. Especially in times of failure, let us humbly go back and tell God: ‘In spite of everything, you are still my Father!’ Let us play the role of the prodigal son."

Why should we always pray?
Because God will listen to us.

“And how are we going to pray?
I give you two good resolutions for tonight. First of all, offer a prayer of THANKSGIVING. Thank God the Father. Thank Jesus, who became a Child because of our sins, and gave himself over to suffering, for us… thanksgiving in spite of our wretchedness and sins."

Then, ask, PETITION. What should we request?
What does a child ask of his father? - Daddy... the moon! … We asked our parents for everything. Ask God for the moon and He will give it to you. Ask him boldly for everything you want; He will always give it to you, in one way or another. Ask confidently.

But seek first what works for God's glory, and everything that souls have a right to: whatever unites, whatever improves them. Then He will give us everything else in addition
Adore Him in your heat, and ask pardon for your sins.
May you have a happy Christmas feast. May God bless you.

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Dec 23 Mon - O Antiphons: O EMMANUEL (God-with-us).

 

Dec 23 Mon
O Antiphons: O EMMANUEL (God-with-us).
Our Ruler and Lawgiver, the expected of the nations and the Redeemer of all, come now to deliver us, O our Lord and our master.

At the dawn of creation, when he created man, God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. God looked on man with such love that he adopted him as his son, filling him with grace.

But man sinned. He rebelled against God, against his Father. Then that divine work was shattered; and that unity of grace, soul and body, was broken up. Yet God showed that he was not satisfied with re-establishing what sin had undone. He went much further, giving our human nature a dignity it had never had before: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

During Christmas the Church invites us to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation: God-made-man. By taking on human flesh, God shows us how valuable our body is in his eyes, so that we may keep it free from sin.

Christ is the image of the invisible God; looking at him, we become souls of prayer, contemplatives.
“If we want to love Jesus, we have to spend time with him. We don't have two hearts: one for God, and one for the things of this earth. You should spend time with him daily, putting your heart into everything, with the ardor of people in love. God has captured our heart, our whole life. One day, by his infinite goodness, we felt the dart of love that conquered us forever. And we must see to it that this love endures, and becomes more intense and refined every day."

We are sorry for not having kept close enough to Jesus; and for not having made good use of all the riches he has brought us. Therefore, now that Christmas is at hand, let us try to be prayerful souls who seek to live in God's company, since God chose to live among us. That is the very meaning of Emmanuel: "God with us".

This Christmas we resolve to get to know Jesus, to listen to him and talk to him constantly, trustingly, lovingly, tenderly, as did our Lady and St Joseph.

And if you ever find that you don't know what to say, turn to Mary, our Lady, our wonderful Mother, and say: “Teach me to talk and to know your Son."

“Joseph, my Father and Lord, so humble and pure, worthy to carry in your arms, to care for and embrace the Baby Jesus, teach us how to approach our God, how to be humble and pure, worthy to become other 'christs'. And how to live and teach –as Christ did– the ways of God, both hidden and bright, telling all men and women that in their everyday lives here on earth they can attain a wonderful holiness, an extraordinary fruitfulness."

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Dec 22 Sun - O Antiphons: O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all.

 

Dec 22 Sun
O Antiphons: O King of the Gentiles and the Desired of all.
You are the cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save poor man whom you fashioned out of clay.
The Savior is near; he is at the door. Twenty centuries have gone by since the first Christmas, and still there are nations and peoples awaiting the Messiah.

We are the soldiers and messengers of this king. All power in heaven and on earth belongs to him, and he has given us the mission to teach all people and bring them into his kingdom. St. Josemaría writes: “our Lord wants to be placed once more at the summit of all human activities. We are asked in a special way for this service, this help in ensuring that throughout the world there are even more abundant fruits of the Redemption, which is the only true freedom for man. We are working with this hope and this responsibility." The war of peace and love that we are engaged in is certain to be a long and demanding one. Yet victory is assured. God always conquers: He does not lose battles.

Our apostolic hunger must encompass even those who are completely estranged from God. We will bring God's light to those who do not know him, if we feed the flame of our own faith with the oil of charity. “Love everyone, be charitable to everyone, offer friendship to everyone. …Yet we should never speak to anyone about our faith if that person doesn't want us to."

Yet on seeing how you live, these people often ask themselves, and then ask you, about the interior strength that explains our joy. Then you speak to them about God, about your love for Christ, about your own wretchedness, and the wonders of grace that inspire you to be faithful. And you have often seen how God, who guides hearts, has used your words to move their hearts.

Our apostolic activity is always positive. By virtue of our mission, we are “sowers of peace and joy. The members of Opus Dei try to drown evil in an abundance of good. Thus, their work is never negative or "anti-" anything. It is affirmative and optimistic; it is youth, joy and peace."

“And thus, gently but firmly, without yielding in our behavior or in doctrine, the charity of Christ that we try to incorporate into our lives will give us a spirit of conquest, and every day our thirst for souls will increase."

Our apostolic horizons are unlimited. They embrace all people, those who know Christ and those who do not. With this universal perspective, we ask our Lady to kindle an apostolic spirit in our hearts, so that each day we may experience an increase in our hunger to work for souls.

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Dec 22 Sun - What did God the Son come to do?

 

Dec 22 Sun
What did God the Son come to do? Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Son of God became incarnate. The “Incarnation”—literally infleshment—is the theological term that captures St. John’s expression, “The Word became flesh.” It is the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it.

Christ’s Incarnation refers not just to Christ’s body. It means the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, with his divine intellect and divine will, joined a complete human nature: his human body with its emotions and passions and his human soul with its human mind and human will.

Did Christ do this? Why did he do this? Our second reading expresses that He did this and why He did it. Christ took on human flesh to do God’s will: “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Lo, I have come to do your will, O God.’”

It is completely appealing that He chose to arrive in the most pure womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as an embryo, and to develop there, to be born, and to grow up from childhood to manhood in a family.

What is the will that Christ came to fulfill? The Father’s will, this was his “plan of redeeming love.” Jesus embraced this master plan at every moment of his life—including all his ordinary activities—including his life of prayer—but it reached its pinnacle in “his redemptive passion.”

We can then meaningfully contemplate every stage of Christ’s life.
Did Christ fulfill the Father’s will? In Christ, and through his human will, the will of the Father has been perfectly fulfilled once for all.

The order of charity must be reflected in our deeds, not only in feelings of affection. Our Lady was not content simply to go and greet her cousin, nor to remain a few days with her. She stayed for as long as she could be useful. During the months she spent with Elizabeth, we can imagine all the help she would have given her. How many opportunities she would have had to show her affection! St. Josemaría insists: “We have to behave as God's children toward all God's sons and daughters. Our love has to be a dedicated love, practiced every day and made up of a thousand little details of understanding, hidden sacrifice, and unnoticed self-giving."

What is the consequence of this fulfillment of the Father’s will? We are delivered from sin and sanctified.

What should I do, then? To contemplate the Unborn Christ.
With Our Lady, we adore Christ as a newborn baby at Christmas when we gaze at a Nativity scene. Or we contemplate the childhood of Christ in the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Or we meditate on his public life in the Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary.

With Our Lady, shouldn’t we adore Christ as an unborn baby in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary in this last week before Christmas?
We can bring everything we happen to know about fetal development, the experiences of a pregnant woman, the reality of who this unborn baby is, the reality of who this mother is, and their mission which God the Father has set for them.

Then we can ask Our Lady and her Son, What is my place, my calling, in the Father’s plan of redeeming love?

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Dec 21 Sat - O Antiphons: O Rising Dawn, radiance of the light eternal, and sun of justice.

 

Dec 21 Sat
O Antiphons: O Rising Dawn, radiance of the light eternal, and sun of justice.
Lord, you are coming bringing light and warmth to our life. When you come, it will be said: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death light has dawned.

As radiance of the light eternal, Christ brings the splendor of truth to the world, and the clarity of supernatural light to our minds.
As the sun of justice, he burns with that fire which –as he told his disciples– he longs to spread through the entire world.

Let us prepare our souls to receive these divine gifts eagerly. The supernatural life which Christ brings is a participation in his own life: a sharing in his knowledge and love. Thus, we become partakers of the divine nature.

Christ's light enables us to see things and events supernaturally, the way he looks at them. How different our life then appears! Unexpected occurrences and changes of plan no longer upset us. Whatever happens is seen in its true dimension and meaning. We discover the reality of the ‘omnia in bonum’, the truth that all things work out well for us. Our outlook becomes more positive; we are no longer tempted to pessimism, since we now discover God's hand in everyone and everything.

“My children, see God behind every event and circumstance. Then, from everything that happens, you will draw more love for God, and greater desires to respond to his grace. He is always waiting for us, and he gives us the chance to renew our eagerness to serve, ‘serviam’, continually."

Christ's supernatural light, which instills peace and calm into our hearts, also brings us a superabundance of love: a warmth, a fire, that enkindles our hearts and enables us to love God and other people for his sake.

Each of us must strive to be light and fire. Our love must be a flame that sets fire to everything it touches, raising the spiritual temperature of our surroundings. No one should be able to say of us: “Your charity is ostentatious. From afar, you attract; you have light. From nearby you repel; you lack warmth. What a pity!"

To avoid this, we need to struggle to practice charity, and truly be friends of our friends. “For a Christian, a child of God, friendship and charity are one and the same thing: they are a divine light giving warmth."

We ask our Lady, Stella Matutina, the Morning Star –who announces the arrival of Christ, the Sun of Justice– to help us grow in supernatural outlook and love.

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Dec 20 Fri - O Antiphons: O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal kingdom, free the prisoners of darkness!

 

Dec 20 Fri
O Antiphons: O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal kingdom: free the prisoners of darkness!

From earliest times man has looked to heaven as to his lost home. His heart was made for light, for joy and happiness; yet he remained in sadness and shadows, oppressed by the weight of the sin that brought about his downfall.

Whenever man, overcome by his passions, freely and willingly cuts his union with God, he again brings about this sorry process of corruption in himself. But it is still possible for the sinner to feel the weight of his guilt and seek the freedom and salvation he has failed to find in creatures. He can rebel against the slavery of sin, availing himself of the grace Jesus won for us.

St. Josemaría said. “I accept no slavery other than that of God's Love, As I have told you on other occasions, religion is the greatest rebellion of men, who refuse to live like animals, who are dissatisfied and restless until they come to know their Creator, and are on intimate terms with him. I want you to be rebels, free and unfettered because I want you - it is Christ who wants us! - to be children of God. Slavery or divine sonship is the choice we face. Children of God or slaves to pride, sensuality, and the fretful selfishness which seems to afflict so many souls."

Have confidence, the Lord is coming, he is at the door. “God is love. The abyss of malice opened by sin has been bridged by his infinite charity. God does not abandon men."

As each day brings us nearer to Bethlehem, we should remain alert, begging God to have pity on us, to come and save us. “Let us tell our Lord: Come, Lord, my Jesus, come to my heart, to the hearts of all Christians. Come especially to the hearts of those who once thought of giving themselves to you but then abandoned the idea, not through bad will, but through weakness. Let us pray for every person of every race and tongue and religion; for those with only a vague idea of religion; and for those who do not know the faith. And our zeal for souls, a self-evident proof that we love Jesus, will ensure that he comes."

“God our Lord wants you and me to be holy, so that we may sanctify others. Look at yourself, look at our God, and then look at the world." Only the possession of God can fully satisfy the longings of the human heart. The world still awaits Christ; most people still do not know him.

“We Christians have a supernatural responsibility to cooperate with God's power. For this is God’s plan."

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Dec 19 Thu - O Antiphons: – Root of Jesse

 

Dec 19 Thu
O Antiphons: – Root of Jesse

Come, Flower of Jesse's stem, sign of God's love for all his people: save us without delay!

Jesus Christ, descendant of Jesse and David, son of Mary, is about to arrive.

God makes himself present to us in Jesus' sacred Humanity. In Jesus we can contemplate God: ‘No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.’

St. Josemaría says, “My children, once again I advise you to do what I have always preached: love Christ's Humanity. …Consider frequently the spirit of prayer animating Jesus' life among us. He teaches us that all our works –great or small– should be preceded, accompanied and followed by prayer."

“And from Christ's Humanity we shall go to the Father, to his almighty power and providence, and to the fruit of the Cross, which is the Holy Spirit. And we will feel the need to immerse ourselves in this Love, so as to find true Life."

Christian life consists, above all, in knowing and loving Jesus Christ. In him we find the grace needed to avoid sin, together with light to draw ever closer to God. Jesus ‘took on the likeness of sinful flesh, to condemn sin and rid the flesh of sin. He wanted to invite man to take on his likeness ... endowing man with power to receive the Father.’

St. Josemaría said: “I would like you to be able to close your eyes and see Christ's life as in a film, and see yourselves as actors in that film, in company with the Apostles and the holy women, closer to Jesus than even John was. If not, it won't do."

“Consider what is most beautiful and most noble on earth, …And the world, and the other worlds that shine in the night: the whole universe. Well, this, along with all the follies of the heart satisfied, is worth nothing, is nothing and less than nothing compared with this God of mine and yours. Infinite treasure, pearl of great price, humbled, become a slave, reduced to the form of a servant in the stable where he chose to be born, in Joseph's workshop, in his Passion and in his ignominious death... and in the madness of love that is the blessed Eucharist."

The way to get to know and love Christ is to talk to him. “As you do your prayer on the words of the Gospel you will contemplate Christ's reactions … to the needy, to the rich... Try never to remain passive. Put yourself into the Gospel scenes like someone really there: with your passions, with my littleness and yours, and also with all the good things we possess. …Follow Christ, stepping in his footprints, and you will have his life, his strength, his longing to redeem."

We rely on Mary's motherly help: Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Teach us to talk to him, to get really close to him and to love him with all our heart. Help us to make our prayer a dialogue between friends, a conversation full of faith and love.

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Dec 18 Wed - O Antiphons: O ADONAI, O Lord.

 

Dec 18 Wed

O Antiphons: O ADONAI, O Lord.

O Lord and leader of the house of Israel, who once appeared to Moses and spoke to him from a bush aflame, and on the peak of Sinai gave him the Law. Come now, Lord, bring us your redemption with your mighty outstretched arm.

 

Jesus Christ is born to redeem us. He comes to free us from the power of our enemies, to break the ties of sin, and ransom us from the devil's bondage.

In Deuteronomy 10:17, the proper name of God, Yahweh, appears alongside the superlative constructions "God of gods" elōhê ha-elōhîm, and "Lord of lords" adōnê ha-adōnîm (כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הוּא אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וַאֲדֹנֵי הָאֲדֹנִים).

 

With righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins." Isaiah 11:4-5

 

Mankind could do nothing to rise from its fallen state, to satisfy for sin, or to merit pardon. As the Psalm says: ‘Sacrifice and offering thou dost not desire.’ Man's position, as before God, was like that of the servant in the parable who was completely unable to pay his debts. Yet those who were upright in heart constantly pleaded: ‘Come, Lord, and make no delay. Release your people from their sin.’ For only God could repair the damage caused by our faults.

 

“It is very difficult to realize just how perverse sin is and to understand what our faith tells us. We should remember that even in the human context the scale of an offense is frequently determined by the importance of the injured party - his social standing, his qualities. But with sin man offends God, the creature repudiates his Creator."

 

The Redemption is still being carried out. The story of mankind repeats itself in our own life. “And opposed to the wonderful workings of Redemption is man, pronus ad peccatum (prone to sin) after the first fall, inclined towards evil; and there are all the passions of men, and all the workings of the devil." Therefore, we should pray, full of hope and contrition: Lord, rescue us with your mighty power!

 

To ensure that our voice reaches Jesus above the noise caused by our many sins, let us go to Mary. God has made her the repository of his Mercy. Through her intercession we pray: All-powerful God, renew us by the coming feast of your Son and free us from our slavery to sin.

 

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Dec 17 Tue - O Antiphons: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)

 

Dec 17 Tue
O Antiphons: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
Today we begin the seven “O Antiphons.” Each antiphon is a mosaic of biblical references, collected and written in a style called anthological. The unknown author of these beautiful prayers lived around the sixth or seventh century. The author chose seven titles whose first letters, which, read in reverse order, form two Latin words ERO CRAS, meaning "Tomorrow I shall be (with you)."

The importance of “O Antiphons” is twofold: Each one highlights a title for the Messiah: O Sapientia (O Wisdom), O Adonai (O Lord), O Radix Jesse (O Root of Jesse), O Clavis David (O Key of David), O Oriens (O Rising Sun), O Rex Gentium (O King of the Nations), and O Emmanuel. Also, each one refers to the prophecy of Isaiah of the coming of the Messiah.

Today, we pray, O WISDOM eternal, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, you reach from end to end and order all things mightily and sweetly; come now to direct us in the way of holy prudence. (cf. Sir 24; Wis 6-9)

The divine, fatherly and holy dialogue which God initiated with man at the start of creation was interrupted by original sin. But how wonderfully it has been renewed by the Incarnation of the Word. Wisdom came forth from the mouth of the Most High, and once again men and women are invited to an intimate conversation with their Creator.

“God intervened from the beginning of time, speaking to man's heart, calling him in hundreds of ways and making him feel his need for the divine. He intervened in a special way through the prophets, and then finally through Jesus Christ. And through Jesus' words he calls us friends. ‘No longer do I call you servants... but friends’."

“Even more, he calls us his children: ‘You have but one true Father, who is in heaven. And as a pledge of God's love, Jesus makes known to us his plans, what is hidden in the Father's heart. ‘No one has ever seen God; it is the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, who has made him known to mankind’."

Since then, God's conversation with mankind has been constant and uninterrupted. This "dialogue of salvation", for which we express our wonder and thankfulness during these days, is our model for every apostolic action. Thus, our concern for souls will be wise and prudent as well as loving.

“Christian preaching requires two basic elements: fidelity to the truth, and human friendship. There can be no fruitful dialogue without an atmosphere of real friendship, honesty and certainty, or until such an atmosphere is engendered."

Dec 16 Mon - What is the Church, the true Church?

 

Dec 16 Mon
What is the Church, the true Church?
“We need to meditate frequently on the fact that the Church is a deep and great mystery, so that we never forget it… If men, using only their reason, were to analyze her, they would see only a group of people who abide by certain precepts and think similarly. But that would not be the Church."

“The Church, the Second Vatican Council teaches, is like a sacrament—a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and unity among all men. It is a mystery, not only in the hidden depth of her life, but also in the sense that the Church is not so much a human and historical and visible reality, as a divine reality, far superior to our normal capacity to know." We must look at her with eyes of faith.

“Through the Church, we Catholics are united with all our brothers who have already left this life and are being cleansed in purgatory—the Church suffering—and with those who already enjoy the beatific vision and love forever the thrice holy God—the Church triumphant. The Church is in our midst and at the same time transcends history. It was born under the mantle of our Lady and continues to praise her on earth and in heaven as her mother."

To understand the Church, one first has to love her. And only then, to study her.

The Church always needs our love, shown by our words and deeds. But there are moments when this is more necessary than ever. We cannot be naive or indifferent: “If we love the Church, there will never arise in us a morbid interest in airing, as the faults of the Mother, the weaknesses of some of her children. The Church, the Spouse of Christ, does not have to intone any mea culpa. But we do: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. The only true mea culpa is a personal one, not the one which attacks the Church, pointing out and exaggerating the human defects which, in this holy mother, result from the presence in her of us, men...."

We should meditate on “the mystery of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. It is time to ask ourselves: Do I share with Christ his zeal for souls? Do I pray for the Church of which I form part, in which I must carry out a specific mission which no one else can do for me? To be in the Church is already much, but it is not enough. We must "be" the Church, because our Mother must never be a stranger to us, something external, foreign to our deepest thoughts."

Let us ask the most Blessed Virgin, Mater Ecclesiae, to obtain from her Son Jesus the grace of being, at every moment, good and faithful children of our holy Mother the Church.

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Dec 17 Tue - Why is Advent a season of joy?

 

Dec 17 Tue
Why is Advent a season of joy?
In the liturgy of the Mass, St. Paul gives us the fundamental reason for deep joy: the Lord is near. The Apostle also provides us with the key to understanding the origin of our sadness: our distancing from God because of our sins or lukewarmness. When, in order to find happiness, we try paths other than the one that leads to God, in the end, we find only unhappiness and sadness.

The experience of all those who, in one way or another, have turned their faces elsewhere (where God was not), has always been the same: they have found that outside God there is no true joy. To find Christ, and to find him again, brings a profound joy that is always new. Joy is to have Jesus; sadness is to lose him.

The Christian must be an essentially joyful man. However, ours is not just any joy, it is the joy of Christ, who brings justice and peace. Only He can give that joy and keep it, because the world does not possess His secret. The Christian carries his joy in himself, because he finds God in his soul in grace. This is the permanent source of his joy.

To be certain that God is our Father, and wants the best for us leads us to a serene and joyful trust, even in the face of the sometimes unexpected hardship. There is no sadness that he cannot cure: do not be afraid, just have faith, the Lord tells us. We turn to Him in an intimate and profound dialogue before the Tabernacle, and as soon as we open our souls in Confession, we will find the source of joy. Our gratitude will manifest itself in greater faith, and in a hope that will drive away all sadness, and in more concern for others.

A sad soul is at the mercy of many temptations. Sadness is born of selfishness, of thinking of oneself and neglecting the others, of laziness in work, of a lack of mortification, of the search for compensations, of neglect in our dealings with God. In order to be able to know Christ, to be able to serve him, and to make him known to others, it is essential not to be excessively preoccupied with ourselves.

Only in this way, with our hearts set on Christ, can we recover our joy, if we have lost it. This is one of the great missions of the Christian: to bring joy to a world that is sad because it is moving away from God. Let us prepare Christmas together with Our Lady, and staying in our environment, by fostering a climate of Christian peace; thus, we will bring many small joys and tokens of affection to those around us. People need proof that Christ was born in Bethlehem, our joy will give it to them.

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Dec 15 Sun - How can I make straight the way of the Lord?

 

Dec 15 Sun
How can I make straight the way of the Lord?
We must be emptied of ourselves and all personal problems, for Christ to fill our hearts.
 
Jesus Christ is the joy and happiness of all who look forward to his coming. Let us call upon him and say: Come, Lord, and do not delay! As we proceed through this time of Advent, our longings and hopes intensify. The Lord will come without delay. He will bring to light what darkness hides, and he will reveal himself to all the nations.

John, the Precursor, cries out: “Make straight the way of the Lord." And his message never grows old. There are still many souls who do not know Christ, and our own lives are still not sufficiently identified with his. We have not yet fully become like Christ.

John the Baptist invites us to make Christ our very life. Then there will be no room for personal problems, nor for sterile thoughts that only waste time and reduce the effectiveness of our dedication.

“Almost all those with personal problems, have them because of selfishly thinking about themselves. What we have to do is to give ourselves to others, to serve others for the love of God: that's the way to make our sorrows disappear. Most of our difficulties stem from forgetting about the service we owe to others and from dwelling on our ego."

We must be emptied of ourselves to make room in our hearts for Christ. Once he becomes our one and only Lord, there will be nothing that can upset us. His interests will be ours. We will desire to give God greater glory and to serve the Church and all souls better. The key to it all, the basis of our security, is our filial obedience to the Will of God. That is what makes the path straight and cheerful; and it is a path we travel along in peace and happiness, as God's children.

As St. Josemaría told us: “The conclusion I come to every day at the examination of conscience is always: Pauper, servus, et humilis! A poor and humble servant! That is, when I don't have to say instead: Lord, Josemaría is not very happy with Josemaría. But since humility is truth, it also happens that very often I have to add, as no doubt you do too: Lord, today I haven't thought about myself at all! I've been thinking only about you, and for your sake, I've been concerned only about working for others! Then our contemplative soul exclaims with the Apostle: it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me."

Making straight the way of Christ: using all the means the Church offers us.
Personal problems disappear when they cease to be exclusively our own. The sure way of recovering interior peace is to open our hearts in spiritual direction, talking about everything that troubles us, and humbly following the advice we are given. Useless worries, seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and things that are hard to understand and upset us, will all vanish as soon as we speak up. It's as if a new day has dawned.

Joy, the theme of today's liturgy, should always be present in our lives. Cheerfulness is a Norm for always, a result of our divine filiation. It is the natural outcome of the fact that we do not have personal problems but instead concentrate on being more and more faithful.

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Dec 14 Sat - What is Relativism?

 

Dec 14 Sat
What is Relativism?
Relativism is the rejection of objective moral truths, leading to significant consequences for ethical understanding and practice.

Pope Francis highlights that relativism, under the guise of tolerance, ultimately allows those in power to define moral values according to their interests, which can result in laws being perceived as arbitrary impositions rather than reflections of objective truth.

The Church emphasizes the existence of objective moral norms that are valid for everyone, countering the notion that morality is merely a subjective result of individual conscience or cultural evolution.

Furthermore, the Church teaches that true freedom is found in submission to truth; a culture that loses sight of this relationship between truth, good, and freedom risks moral disorientation.

Thus, the Church's teachings present a clear opposition to relativism, advocating for recognizing objective moral truths as foundational for genuine human freedom and ethical behavior.

Already, at the beginning of the last century, some proposed that the Church’s doctrinal expression of sacred revelation was stifling and should yield to the fresh formulations of each age.

For some, nowadays, the call to sanctity is displaced by the ‘call to action’. Incidentally, this was the name of an experiment of the late 1970s, that eventually was cast into the landfill of failed experiments.

The Church’s traditional firmament of piety and devotion is replaced by political fervor; and humble submission to the will of God collapses before a careful attention to the Self.

Thus, relativism reigns supreme. They cast the Church’s doctrinal and spiritual tradition aside as outdated and harmful. Just as the Jacobins erased history with the adoption of a new calendar, some desire to have the Church’s beginning be 1965.

The problem with relativism is that in due course today’s relativism falls victim to relativism. When truth disappears, so does the firmness of any position. Even false ones. All are eventually cast into the devouring fires of the Relativist Moloch.
Disingenuously, Rousseau put it succinctly: “Sometimes men must be forced to be free.”

Contrast this with the elegant formulation of the great Thomist Garrigou-Lagrange:

“The Church is intolerant in principle, because she believes; but is tolerant in practice, because she loves. The enemies of the Church are tolerant in principle, because they do not believe; but are intolerant in practice, because they do not love.”

It shouldn’t surprise us that the relativists’ methods are arbitrary and crushing. Since they have long left the bright uplands of virtue and doctrine, their weapons leave behind the delicacy of those instruments that once were the arsenal of Mother Church. They passionately argue that these are a ‘paternalism’ of a dead past.
Closer to the truth, it is one of the most ancient terms for the Church, beginning with St. Cyprian in the third century: “No one can have God as their Father, who does not have the Church as their mother.”

Dec 13 Fri - Nine tips for success before, during, and after marriage

 

Dec 13 Fri
Nine tips for success before, during, and after marriage:

Tips to achieve success in married life; many of which you don't hear often:

Thinking about marriage:

1º The relationship with the family
When choosing a future spouse, the quality of the relationship with his or her family is important: If it is good, it will be a positive sign for the future married life.

2º Differences, just enough
It is preferable not to have excessive differences in age, political ideas, religious ideals, and lifestyles.

Approaching the wedding:

3º Even if there is a child before, it is not obligatory to marry!
A child may be expected before marriage. One should never get married because of the pregnancy, since getting married under pressure could compromise its validity.

4º Better to get to know each other before getting married... Are you sure?
Doing so is not a good decision, as many marriages that start living together before marriage also fail.

First years and the arrival of children:

5º The relationship with the in-laws: It should be good and close, but not too close.
It always causes immense pain to a married person to learn that a spouse harbors enmity or resentment toward his or her family of origin. However, one should adopt a reasonable and adequate distance from the parents.

6º Long live large families... and Christian families...
It is important to try to have a large family because even in a world that does not favor the family, experience shows that families with more children tend to have more chances of success.

The beauty of daily life:

7º Silence, cause of rupture
It is important to talk every day sincerely and openly, but also discreetly, about what is or is not going well in the family.

8º Be careful with the cell phone...
Cell phones and technologies often generate a real addiction, they are dangerous for the good of the family.

9º Prayer... and home theology.
We should not neglect the life of prayer, a wall that protects us from the evil one, because if we want to bear fruit in this life, we must remain united to the Lord, as the branches only bear fruit when they are united to the vine.

And what about the Theology of the home? A Christian family should never lack sacred images such as crucifixes, representations or statues of the Virgin, also the book of Sacred Scripture (the Bible), and some books of spiritual reading. They will help us to live in the presence of God, are useful as a reminder to pray, and protect us from anything that could be a danger to our salvation,
Excerpts from Jose Maria Carrera

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Dec 12 Thu - What is the bond between the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary?

 

Dec 12 Thu
What is the bond between the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary?
The Blessed Mother shows us Jesus. She always opens the doors for us! Mary takes us to Jesus by the hand. Thus, our devotion to the Blessed Mother reminds us that she takes us by the hand to her Son, and enables us to see Him.

Among the various means by which the Holy Spirit implements His work of sanctification in the Church – the Word of God, the Sacraments, and prayer – there is one in entirely particular, and it is Marian piety.

Go to Jesus through Mary. Our Lady never points to herself, Our Lady points to Jesus. And this is Marian piety: to Jesus by the hands of Our Lady.

Saint Paul defines the Christian community as “a letter of Christ administered by us, written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets that are hearts of flesh.” Mary, as the first disciple and figure of the Church, is also a letter written with the Spirit of the living God. Precisely for this reason, she can be “known and read by all,” even those who do not know how to read theology books, those “little ones” to whom Jesus says that the mysteries of the Kingdom, hidden to the wise, are revealed.

By saying “Yes, let the Lord’s will be done,” Mary accepts to be the mother of Jesus – it is as though Mary said to God: “Here I am, I am a tablet to be written on: let the Writer write what he wants, make of me what the Lord of all wishes.”

At that time, people wrote on waxed tablets; today we would say that Mary offers herself like a blank check on which the Lord can write whatever He wants.

Thus, the Mother of God becomes an instrument of the Holy Spirit in His work of sanctification. She utters a few words that everyone can say on any occasion: “Behold, here I am” and “Let it be done”.

Mary said “Yes” to the Lord. Through the Blessed Virgin's example and intercession," he continued, "she encourages us to also say our own 'yes' to Him whenever we face a call to obedience or a challenge to overcome."

Therefore, this is how, he said, the Mother of God is an instrument of the Holy Spirit in His work of sanctification.

Our Lady is the Daughter and handmaid of the heavenly Father, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Spouse and Temple of the Holy Spirit.” The unique relationship between Mary and the Trinity could not be illustrated in simpler words.

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