Jun 1 Mon - Is everything that comes to an end in my life a defeat?

 

Jun 1 Mon
Is everything that comes to an end in my life a defeat?

Pope Leo XIV sent a heartfelt letter, filled with tenderness, understanding, and valuable guidance, to an 18-year-old, Pietro, who had expressed his fears about the uncertainty of his future and the new chapter he was about to begin at university, saying it left him feeling "very confused."

Specifically, he fears losing the friendships he has formed in high school and not knowing what path God has in store for him. 
He dreams of “building and bringing to reality the project of a family united in the love of Christ.”

Dearest Pietro,
I read your letter with emotion. In it, I recognize the heart of a young man who is not satisfied and who takes his life seriously. I would like you to consider, first of all, one thing above all else: "You are loved by Jesus."

Not in an abstract way, but personally, as you are today, with your questions and your dreams, your fears, and your desires.

This love precedes you and will always accompany you; it does not depend on the choices you make or the paths you take. Jesus knows well the experience of friendship. He called his disciples friends, shared the bread and the journey with them, and was a friend of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. 

Jesus lived true and authentic bonds to the point of experiencing the pain of detachment and betrayal. For this reason, Jesus would be the first to understand your fear of losing the friendships you've made in these years.

Not everything will remain the same for you, but what has been authentic is not lost; indeed, true love does not dissolve; it remains forever; it matures even when it changes form and circumstances.

The desires of your heart, not the fleeting ones that melt like snow in the sun, but those that endure over time, will make you feel a deep peace and direct you towards a good choice: the gift of yourself and a shared life. From this, discernment is born.

Don't be in a hurry to understand everything right away. Time is a patient teacher and heals wounds.

Daily prayer, even simple and sparse in words, listening to the Word of God, the celebration of the sacraments, and the advice of wise people will help you to recognize which bonds to preserve and make grow, and which ones, without judgment, to cut off. 

Not everything that ends is a defeat: sometimes it is just a necessary step toward growth. Your dream of a family founded in the love of Christ is also a precious gift for the Church; nurture it with confidence. 
The Lord does not disappoint the desires that He Himself has kindled in your heart.

The restlessness you tell me about is not a negative sign. It is often where God works deeply. It is like the land that the farmer has tilled and is ready to receive a new seed.

I invite you to listen to Him sincerely, and I assure you of my prayers. I ask for you the grace of inner peace, confidence, and a clear outlook on your life. I entrust you to Mary, who, as a young woman, learned to trust despite having kept in her heart questions greater than herself. 

May 31 Sun - How can I imitate the Blessed Trinity?

 

May 31 Sun
How can I imitate the Blessed Trinity?

The Blessed Trinity is the central truth of our Christian life. It must be possible to live this truth. 

God is a social being: three Divine Persons in relationship with one another.

We are also social beings, always in relationships with others: as family members, as members of a school community, as friends, as spouses or parents, and as members of various civic associations and the Church.

In God, each of the three Persons is co-equal.

However, in human relationships, there is often inequality. In some relationships, we are dependent on others, like a child is on a parent. 
In others, we and the other depend on each other, as in a friendship.
In yet others, the other is dependent on us, for example, when a teacher instructs a student.

With sacramental grace, we can live all these human relationships as communions of love, imitating God’s inner life.

The best understanding of the inner life of God we have is from Christ. Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God’s love, and He has shown us that the essence of this love is the gift of self.

How does this apply to us?
Vatican II gives us the answer: “Man, who is the only creature on earth which God willed for himself, cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself.”

It is easy to see how sacrificial love applies when others depend on us. It may be hard to make the sacrifice, yet when we do so, we love as God loves.

But what about when we are the dependent ones?

Even when we depend on others, we can still give ourselves.

- Some examples include obeying the just authority of those on whom we depend, such as following a doctor's orders;
- Offering up the difficult situation, as in patiently waiting when we are hungry;
- Being cooperative and cheerful when seeking technical support over the phone, and so on.

When we accept the consequences of being in a dependent position, we also have a chance to imitate Our Lord when He was a child, during His forty days in the wilderness, and while enduring His Passion.

So, whenever we give ourselves to another person out of love, we are being like the Blessed Trinity.

However, we also have the terrible freedom to be selfish. Every selfish act is not only the opposite of human love; it is also the opposite of the life of the Blessed Trinity.

No one on earth likes to be around a purely selfish person. We can't stand people like that. (Even selfish people dislike other selfish individuals.) This helps us see how such behavior could exclude one from the Beatific Vision.

Remember, to be a follower of Christ means to make an effort to live accordingly, to mend our ways.

The love of God the Father flows to us through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit draws Christians together in fellowship. This is why we can encourage one another, agree with one another, and live in peace with one another. 

May 30 Sat - How can I make the best use of my freedom?

 

May 30 Sat
How can I make the best use of my freedom?

St. Josemaría: “God is a jealous lover. He is not satisfied if we come to meet him with conditions. He longs for us to give ourselves completely, without keeping dark corners in our hearts, where the joy and happiness of grace and the supernatural gifts cannot reach. Perhaps you are thinking, If I say 'yes' to this exclusive Love, might I not lose my freedom?"

“Each one of us has at some time or other experienced that serving Christ our Lord involves suffering and hardship; to deny this would imply that we had not yet found God. A soul in love knows, however, that when such suffering comes, it is only a fleeting impression; the soul soon finds that the yoke is easy and the burden light, because Jesus is carrying it upon his shoulders as he embraced the wood of the Cross when our eternal happiness was at stake." 

“But some people do not understand. They rebel against the Creator, in a sad, petty, impotent rebellion, and they blindly repeat the futile complaint recorded in the Psalms: Let us break away from their bondage, rid ourselves of their toils. They shrink from the hardship of fulfilling their daily task with heroic silence and naturalness, without show or complaint. They have not realized that even when God's will seems painful and its demands wounding, it coincides perfectly with our freedom, which is only to be found in God and his plans."

“Such people barricade themselves behind their freedom. ‘My freedom! My freedom!’ they cry. They have their freedom, but they don't use it. They look at it, they set it up, a clay idol for their petty minds to worship. Is this freedom? What use is this treasure to them, if there is no commitment guiding their whole life?" 

“Such behavior goes against their very dignity and nobility as human beings. They are left aimless, with no clear path to guide their footsteps on this earth. You and I have met such people. They then let themselves be carried away by childish vanity, by selfish conceit, by sensuality."

“Their freedom turns out to be barren, or produces fruits which, even humanly speaking, are ridiculous. A person who does not choose, with complete freedom, an upright code of conduct, sooner or later ends up being manipulated by others. He will lead a lazy, parasitic existence, at the mercy of what others decide. He will let himself be blown here and there by any wind whatsoever, and it will always be others who make up his mind for him. These are waterless clouds, carried hither and thither by the winds, autumn trees that bear no fruit, doubly dead and rootless, even though they may try to disguise their lack of character, courage, and honesty behind a smokescreen of constant chatter and excuses."

Self-giving is the exercise of our freedom. We give more glory to God by offering him our best talents than by making vain use of them. 

“Love is incompatible with boredom or apathy. To love means to renew our dedication every day, with loving deeds of service."

Pic: San Fernando, a man of sincere faith, committed to justice, and selfless service to others, who showed courage even in difficult times. 

May 29 Fri - What should I do when I feel sad?

 

May 29 Fri
What should I do when I feel sad?

If we are united to God, the joy of our life, nothing should make us sad. St John Chrysostom asks: “What could perturb a saint? Death? No! For he desires it as a prize. Insults? No! For Christ taught us to bear them: Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you. Illnesses? Not those either. What then could upset a saint? Nothing. In this world, even joy usually ends in sadness. But for those who live their lives according to Christ, even troubles are turned into joy."

Whatever happens, omnia in bonum! Everything works together for the good. God wants it to happen or at least allows it to happen. He sometimes even permits us to make mistakes and experience our own weakness, to draw forth good from it, to set us still more on fire with his love, and make us more sincerely humble. 

“Joy is a consequence of divine filiation. It comes from our awareness that we are loved by our Father God, who always welcomes us, helps us, and forgives us."

Sadness causes grave harm to the soul because it is the fruit of pride, just as joy is the consequence of the love of God. 

Cast aside sadness. Do you not realize that it is worse than any other state of mind? It is that which most discourages and rebuffs the Holy Spirit. A happy person works well, enjoys good things, and pleases God. But a sad person always acts badly.

Sadness is a great ally of the enemy. A person who is sad is in a near occasion of sin. If this grave danger should ever attack our souls, we must examine ourselves, ask for light, and look for the cause. “Happiness is a consequence of self-surrender."

At the bottom of sadness, we often find the dregs of selfishness and personal concerns. “You are not happy because you make everything revolve around yourself as if you were always the center: you have a stomachache, or you are tired, or they have said this or that...
Have you ever tried thinking about Him, and through Him, about others?"

If we are tempted to be sad, the first remedy is prayer. “You ask me to suggest a cure for your sadness. I will give you a prescription from an expert adviser, the Apostle St James: Is any of you sad? Are you sad, my son - Pray! Try it, and you will see."

Talking and listening to God will bring life back to our souls. Then, with the supernatural outlook of faith, hope, love, and desires for atonement, we will see that we only have reasons for being happy. We will resolve to remove the obstacles that separate us from the Lord, the God of our joy. Once more, we will happily serve our brothers and sisters and all people. “Our service must be carried out joyfully. Wherever there is a child of God, there must be the cheerfulness that comes from interior peace. When we have the spirit of Christ, we will do everything that we do joyfully." 

May 28 Thu - What does “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest” mean?

 

May 28 Thu
What does “Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest” mean?

“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest” means that Jesus is the one priest who offers the perfect sacrifice and continues to intercede for us forever, fulfilling and surpassing the priesthood of the Old Covenant.

Christ’s priesthood is foretold as “forever,” and Psalm 110 is explicit: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

What does “high priest” mean?

In Scripture, a high priest is someone appointed “to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.” 
So, when the Church calls Jesus “High Priest,” it means that Jesus truly represents us before God and acts for our reconciliation—not by repeating flawed sacrifices, but by offering what is perfect: His own sacrifice on the Cross.

What does “eternal” add?

In the Letter to the Hebrews, Christ is described as a high priest who enters into the heavenly sanctuary “once for all,” securing an “eternal redemption.” 

Hebrews also ties the Eternal High Priest to the nature of his offering. Christ enters the heavenly sanctuary “once for all,” and does so with his own blood, which results in “eternal redemption” for all of us.

This directly answers the problem; while the Old Covenant required repeated sacrifices, Christ does not need to offer daily sacrifices—He offered himself “once for all.”

In Catholic understanding, the Eucharist is intelligible only when we consider that Christ’s priesthood is ongoing—the priesthood of Jesus is not something that ended when He died and rose; it is exercised permanently. 

What does make Jesus “our” Eternal High Priest?

The Catechism states that Christ himself is “the eternal high priest of the New Covenant,” and that (through the ordained priest’s ministry) He is the One who offers the Eucharistic sacrifice. 

Also, Christ is not only a priest in the past: after entering heaven, He “always lives to make intercession” for those who draw near to God through him. 

John Paul II summarizes this intercession and priestly action in heavenly glory: Jesus is eternally consecrated and from there intercedes for us as our Mediator. 

How are the “Eternal High Priest” and the Mass related?

Catholic doctrine holds together two truths:
- Christ’s sacrifice is truly one and completed (not repeated), 
- Yet it is really made present sacramentally in every Mass, because the eternal High Priest is acting. 

That implies that the Eucharistic liturgy is understood as taking place in the context of Christ’s heavenly worship and intercession—not as a circumstantial, purely horizontal religious gathering.

The Church also teaches that in the Eucharist, we are not watching a merely symbolic remembrance. The Mass makes present the sacrifice of the Cross—it does not multiply it or treat it as something new. 

So “Eternal High Priest” connects directly to worship: Christ is the principal actor, and the Church’s liturgy participates in his one, permanent priesthood. 

In short, the title means that Jesus is the unique priest who offered the perfect sacrifice once for all and continues forever to intercede for you before God the Father—a sacrifice especially made present in the Eucharist. 

May 27 Wed - What are the keys to overcoming temptation and growing in holiness?

 

May 27 Wed
What are the keys to overcoming temptation and growing in holiness?

In the lives of many people, the path to holiness is marked by intense temptations. Far from weakening them, these struggles must become the very place where their faith is purified and strengthened. Holiness does not consist in the absence of temptations, but in remaining faithful in the midst of them.

One point must be clear: victory is achieved through the Cross. Inspired by Christ, one understands that suffering, accepted with love, is not a defeat, but a source of grace. Trials, interior or external, far from being an obstacle, become an opportunity for union with Jesus. Thus, one learns to see in pain a path of transformation, to the point of finding consolation in difficulties, understood as a participation in the life of Christ.

Another fundamental principle is: one must not engage in dialogue with the enemy.
“Do not enter into dialogue with temptation. Allow me to repeat it: have the courage to run away and the moral strength not to dally with your weakness or wonder how far you can go. Break off, with no concessions!"

Temptation often presents itself through subtle reasoning that seeks to confuse us and weaken. Therefore, the response is not to debate, but to firmly reject it and trust fully in God. Trust in the power of the Lord and not in your own strength.

One must not abandon the spiritual life when one experiences weakness or discouragement.

“After the initial enthusiasm, there began the doubts, hesitations, and fears. You are worried about your studies, your family, your financial situation, and, above all, the thought that you are not up to it, that perhaps you are of no use, that you lack experience in life."

“I will give you a sure means of overcoming such fears - temptations coming from the devil or from your lack of generosity! Despise them: remove those recollections from your memory. The Master already preached this unequivocally twenty centuries ago: ‘Don’t look back…’"

In the face of temptation or failure, the way forward is not to retreat, but to intensify prayer, sacrifice, and trust in God. This advice counters the temptation to give up when one feels fragile, reminding us that faithfulness in small things is key on the path to holiness.

One must realize God’s presence in the midst of trial. He is always in one’s heart, silently sustaining us. Even when God seems absent, His presence acts in the innermost depths of the soul, giving strength to resist and overcome.

Holiness is a path of struggle and love. Far from an idealized vision, holiness is a demanding path, marked by struggle as well as by grace. Thus, one must not lose heart in the face of difficulties, but discover in them an opportunity to grow in love and fidelity to God. This lesson must remain alive: victory does not lie in the absence of battles, but in remaining steadfast in Christ in the midst of them. 

May 26 Tue - Do I have “obligations” in my life?

 

May 26 Tue
Do I have “obligations” in my life?

Before becoming Pope, John Paul II wrote about one’s personal experience of obligation. We all feel “obliged” at some point in life to someone or something. What significance, what meaning, does that experience have?

We all realize that there are things we should do and things we should not. Additionally, some of the things we should do, we don't, while those we shouldn't do, we do.

This is so because man is not the author of moral norms. If that were true, Wojtyła argues, man could dismiss his self-imposed rules.
But we also have the experience that our sense of OBLIGATION endures even when we engage in (vain) self-dispensation. That suggests we are not the source of those moral norms or the sense of obligation flowing from them.

The sense of obligation, he observes, is not a time- and culture-conditioned phenomenon unique to some people. Any honest person must admit that all human beings at some point realize “I ought to do that,” even when they really don’t want to, even when they confess that they cannot avoid it.

The sense of an obligation not created by me challenges all claims of “rights” to “define meaning, the universe, and human life.” It therefore calls into question every assumption of self-made morality, “autonomous ethics,” or subjective “self-definition.”

A deeper reckoning of this would save us from the laws and cultural expectations that flow from those slogans. It is a matter of examining a basic and common experience: “I ought.”

The nagging persistence of the sense of “obligation,” despite our attempts to talk ourselves out of it, leads to another experience: RESPONSIBILITY. If, in good faith, I find I really can’t rationalize that obligation away, and I still feel accountable to its demands, it means I have a responsibility towards it.
It's a responsibility not of my making because—like the obligation—if it really were just my own doing, I could get rid of it. But I can't.

I sense that responsibility comes not from me but from the obligation, and that it keeps me accountable.

Responsibility, then, is not just a self-assumed yoke, the mark of the morally “mature” person. Even when I don’t accept them, I realize there are “obligations” that hold me accountable. Responsibility, then, is not just a matter of my choice.

But what is the value of guilt?  Contrary to current assumptions, “guilt can be good.” That’s not to say it’s good if it’s paralyzing or obsessive, but not every manifestation of guilt is bad.

Failing my responsibility by betraying my obligation reveals an accountability I have to the good, independent of my preferences.

In traditional Catholic terms, it is the CONSCIENCE, a source of moral guidance before we act and of judgment after we act.  Conscience is a healthy sense of recognition of failings for which I bear an obligation.  It is healthy because it acknowledges that first principles lie outside my sovereign will: “good is to be done, and evil avoided.” 

May 25 Mon - Is our Mother Mary the Mother of the Church?

 

May 25 Mon
Is our Mother Mary the Mother of the Church?

“The Gospel passages about our Lady show her as the Mother of Jesus, following her Son step by step, playing a part in his redemptive mission, rejoicing and suffering with him, loving those whom Jesus loves, looking after all those around her with maternal care."

“Just think, for example, of the marriage at Cana. Our Lady was a guest at one of those noisy country weddings attended by crowds from many villages. But she was the only one who noticed the wine was running out. Don't these scenes from Christ's life seem familiar to us? The greatness of God lives at the level of ordinary things. It is natural for a woman, a housewife, to notice something is lacking, to look after the little things that make life pleasant. And that is how Mary acted."

“Notice also that it is John who tells the story of Cana. He is the only evangelist who has recorded this example of our mother's concern for us. St John wants us to remember that Mary was present at the beginning of the public life of our Lord. He alone has appreciated the importance of that fact. Jesus knew to whom he was entrusting his Mother - to a disciple who had learned to understand and love her as his own mother."

“Let's turn now to the days between the Ascension and Pentecost. As a result of the triumph of Christ's resurrection, the disciples are full of faith; they eagerly await the promised Holy Spirit. They want to stay close to one another, and so we find them with Mary, the mother of Jesus, praying as a single family."

“But what is the Church? Where is the Church? Bewildered and disoriented, many Christians do not find sure answers to these questions. And they come to believe that perhaps the answers that the Magisterium has formulated for centuries - and which good catechisms have proposed with the necessary precision and simplicity - have now been superseded and must be replaced by new ones. A series of facts and difficulties seem to have come together to darken the bright countenance of the Church. Some maintain that the valid Church can be found only in their personal zeal to accommodate it to what they call modern times. Others cry out: the Church is nothing more than man's desire for solidarity. We ought to change it, they say, in accord with present circumstances."

“They are wrong. The Church today is the same one Christ founded, his Mystical Body. It cannot be any other. The Apostles and their successors are the vicars of God about the faith and the sacraments. Hence, the Church must be recognized by the four marks in the profession of faith of one of the first Councils, as we pray in the Creed of the Mass: One, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

“From the first moment of the Church, all Christians who have sought the love of God - that love revealed in Jesus Christ - have encountered our Lady and experienced her motherly care. She can truly be called the Mother of Christians, and Mother of the Church."

By venerating this Mother of ours without stain, and loving the Roman Pontiff, successor of St. Peter, we will preserve unity. 

May 24 Sun - What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and me?

 

May 24 Sun
What is the relationship between the Holy Spirit and me?

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind that filled all the house where they were sitting. The Holy Spirit shows himself in those elements that usually accompany the presence of God in the Old Testament: wind and fire.

Fire appears in Sacred Scripture as love that penetrates all things and as a purifying element.

Fire also produces light and signifies the new brightness that the Holy Spirit sheds on the doctrine of Jesus Christ: On this occasion, Jesus had already forewarned his disciples: The Counsellor, the Holy Spirit... will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. The Holy Spirit leads us to a full understanding of the truth taught by Christ, who completed and perfected Revelation and confirmed it by finally sending the Spirit of truth.

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Paraclete, a word that comes from Greek, which means both consoler and advocate, also a lawyer. This means that the Holy Spirit never leaves us alone; He is near to us, like an attorney who assists the accused person, standing by his side. And He suggests to us how to defend ourselves from the One who accuses us, the devil, who puts sin inside us, the desire to sin, wickedness.
Let us reflect on these two aspects of the Holy Spirit: His closeness to us, and His assistance against the One who accuses us.

First, the Holy Spirit’s closeness. Jesus says: The Holy Spirit dwells with you and will be in you. He never abandons us. The Holy Spirit wants to stay with us: He is not a passing guest who comes to pay us a courtesy visit. He is a life companion, a stable presence. He is Spirit and desires to dwell in our soul, our spirit. He is patient and stays with us because He truly loves us. He does not pretend to love us, and then leave us alone when things get difficult. No. He is faithful, He is transparent, He is authentic.

In a moment of trial, the Holy Spirit consoles us, bringing us God’s pardon and strength. And when He places our errors before us and corrects us, He does so gently, with tenderness and warmth of love in His voice that speaks to the heart.
Certainly, the Spirit, the Paraclete, is demanding, because He is a true, faithful friend who does not hide anything. He suggests what needs to be changed and where growth needs to take place. But when He corrects us, He never humiliates us and never instills distrust. Rather, He conveys the certainty that, with God, we can always make it. This is His closeness. This is a beautiful certainty.

Second, the Holy Spirit is our advocate and He defends us from the One who accuses us, and also from ourselves, when we do not appreciate and forgive ourselves, when we go so far as to say to ourselves that we have failed, that we are good for nothing. He defends us from the world that discards those who do not fit into its impositions and patterns.

Then, the Holy Spirit suggests to us how to respond. How? He reminds us of the words of the Gospel, and thus enables us to respond to the accusing devil, not with our own words, but with the Lord’s words. He reminds us that we are God’s children. This is the most important truth in life: that we are beloved children of God.

Let us ask ourselves today: Do I call on the Holy Spirit? Do I talk and pray to Him often? Do I listen to His voice, both when He encourages me and when He corrects me? Do I respond with Jesus’s words to the accusations from the Evil One, to the judgments of the worldly ones? Do I remember that I am a beloved child of God? 

May 23 Sat - Can I prepare Pentecost by the hand of Mary?

 

May 23 Sat
Can I prepare Pentecost by the hand of Mary?

We should look to the Virgin Mary as a model for preparing and refreshing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecost is not merely an event of the past, but a living reality that is continually renewed in the Church. It was the moment when the disciples moved from fear to the courageous proclamation of the Gospel, driven by the Holy Spirit.

Far from being an isolated historical event, Pentecost remains present in Christian life. The Holy Spirit continues to be poured out in the sacraments, especially in Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist, where Christ is truly present. For this reason, this feast is a privileged opportunity to renew that grace in our personal lives; a grace that continues alive today.

To fully experience Pentecost, we must direct our glance to the Virgin Mary and her attitude toward the mystery of the Incarnation, and even during the rest of her life. Imitating her, docility to God’s will, openness to His action, trusting obedience, and firm faith are the keys that enable Christians to prepare themselves for the Holy Spirit’s action.

Jesus promised to grant the Holy Spirit to those who ask for it. Unlike other requests, this one does have a divine guarantee: whoever asks for it with faith will receive it. Thus, we should ask for the Holy Spirit with prayerful trust and confidence in Jesus’ promise.

Alongside personal prayer, we must use prayer in a family or community setting.
Gathering to invoke the Holy Spirit, as the Apostles did together with Mary, is a concrete way to prepare to receive His gifts.

Since the sacraments are a source of spiritual life, another essential recommendation is to deepen sacramental life, especially participation in the Eucharist. Frequent attendance, even daily, during these days, is a privileged way to prepare to welcome the Spirit’s action in one’s life.

Pentecost is also a time to rediscover the gifts of the Holy Spirit—both those that aid in personal sanctification and those oriented toward service to others. These gifts are not something extraordinary reserved for a select few, but a living reality for all in the Church. They are a gift that every baptized person is called to discover, cultivate, and place at the service of the community.

Thus, we must revive the charism of one’s vocation (as a lay person or priest) with the help of the Holy Spirit.
“The marvel of Pentecost consecrates all the different ways: it can never be understood as a monopoly or the appreciation of only one way to the detriment of the others.
Pentecost means an unlimited variety of tongues, of methods, of forms of meeting God: not violent uniformity."

Preparing for this solemnity is not merely a matter of recalling an event, but of opening ourselves to relive it. Pentecost remains today a call to allow ourselves to be transformed by the Spirit, to step outside of ourselves, and to proclaim the Gospel with courage from our place in the world. It is a journey that begins in the heart… and opens out to the world. 

May 22 Fri - How can I keep my love for God fresh as I grow older?

 

May 22 Fri
How can I keep my love for God fresh as I grow older?

Our Christian life is like that of the man in the parable who finds a buried treasure in a field, and in his joy, he sells all that he has and buys that field.

Jesus Christ made us see that there is nothing to compare with such a treasure: love and commitment to God. 

Although the treasure is priceless, our Lord did not ask us for everything all at once. Little by little, He helps us overcome our weaknesses and calls us to further self-denial and greater dedication. Our initial self-giving, inspired by love in the joy of our discovery, is something He wants us always to maintain alive.

Commenting on the ‘mandatum novum,’ the new commandment that Christ gave his disciples, St Augustine asks: Why does the Lord call it a new commandment, even if it is evidently so old? 
It is a new commandment because it strips away the old man and clothes us in the new. Such love renews us: we become new persons, heirs of the New Testament, singers of a new song. This love, dear brethren, renewed the Apostles, and now it renews us. From the whole human race, it creates and gathers together a new people, the body of the new bride of the only-begotten Son of God.

Our first love should remain alive; it should grow and inspire all our actions. If we lack love, all the good things we might do in God's service would be useless and in vain. 

Our deeds are worth little if they are not done out of charity. It is possible and natural for the youthful fervor of our initial dedication to become less apparent over time. But that is no reason for it to be less intense. As we grow older, we must love God as we are, even if we seem to feel nothing. Our love can become purer and more supernatural.

St. Josemaría set a good example for us in this. Though he habitually "went against the grain," as he used to say, he burned with love for God, setting our hearts on fire too, especially with love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Once, he confided to us: “In a few minutes I will go to celebrate the Holy Mass: to have that most personal of all encounters with the Love of my soul. And, in the words of the liturgy, I will be going up to the altar of God, who gives joy to my youth. Because I am young, and I will always be young, since my youth is that of God, who is eternal. With this love, I can never feel old."

Both at the start of the journey and after we have traveled quite a distance, love should be present because “without charity, we can't do anything. But with charity, we can do everything. Love. This is the secret of life... Love! Suffer with joy! Make your soul steadfast and strengthen your will. Confirm your self-giving, and with it, your effectiveness." 

May 21 Thu - Why is Christ presented as the Lamb of God?

 May 21 Thu
Why is Christ presented as the Lamb of God?

In the Mass, the entire people of God is united around the altar. Yet the most important element there is Our Lord, who is really present; He keeps us together in this unity. 

But the Church is not brought into being only through the union of people, through the experience of brotherhood to which the Eucharistic banquet gives rise. The Church is brought into being when, in that fraternal union and communion, we celebrate the sacrifice of the cross of Christ, when we proclaim “the Lord’s death until he comes,” and also later, when, we approach as a community the table of the Lord, to be nourished there, in a sacramental manner, by the fruits of the holy sacrifice of Jesus. 

The Commingling, the placing of a fragment of the consecrated host into the chalice, may symbolize the re-union of Christ’s body and soul as in his resurrection. Also, it may help to show clearly the unity and indivisibility of the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

During the breaking of the bread and the commingling, the Agnus Dei is sung or said by all:

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world: Have mercy on us. 

Christ is shown not only to be present, but also as the Victim. 

The figure of the “Lamb of God” helps us to enkindle our devotion before Communion. The Lamb wipes out our sins through his obedience to God’s will: 

Innocent, he never opened his mouth, 
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter house, 
like a sheep that is dumb before its shearers.

Let us make up with a great longing to atone for our sins and be cleansed for our lack of innocence.

But this Lamb was also foreshadowed by the paschal lamb the Jews sacrificed on the eve of their departure from their slavery in Egypt. 

The expression of John the Baptist reminds us of the lamb with which the Jews celebrated the Passover every year. Saint John the Evangelist, who was at the foot of the cross, observed that Jesus’ legs were not broken as in the case of the two thieves. We find in this detail some similarity with that prescription of God for the paschal lamb, “You must not break any bone of it.” 

Through Judas’s treason, Jesus is bought with silver coins coming from the alms destined to buy the lambs for the daily sacrifices, and dies at the hour in which the paschal lamb used to be sacrificed in the Temple.
 
Finally, the Agnus Dei celebrates the wedding of the Lamb with his bride, the Church, in peace and unity, as is described in the Apocalypse. There, on the altar, the Lamb lies alive, but as if slain.
Twenty-four elders are around the Lamb. They are clothed in white robes and crowned with gold. Thousands of angels hymn the sacrifice and triumph of the Lamb. Certainly, each Mass is only a prelude and a token of the future adoration of the Lamb in eternity.

May 20 Wed - What should I do when I fall sick?

 

May 20 Wed
What should I do when I fall sick?

St Josemaría was seriously ill. He, faithful to God's grace, rose to the occasion, cultivating an abandonment into the hands of God. “Night would come, and I used to say: ‘Lord, I don't know whether I'll get up tomorrow. I thank you for whatever remaining span of life you may want to give me, and I am happy to die in your arms; I hope in your mercy.’ In the morning, upon awakening, the first thought would be the same.”

Then, on a feast of the Blessed Virgin of Montserrat, our Lord took away a large part of that cross from his shoulders.

On one occasion, someone noticed the discomfort that the continual injections must have been causing him. St. Josemaría answered: “Don't worry, I have offered up these discomforts for the souls in Purgatory."

With this supernatural outlook and a total abandonment in God, he lived on. The prolonged physical pain, along with the moral suffering he underwent from the time of his youth, all served to draw him closer to God.

At times, years of suffering should be for us a school on how to accept an illness, when our Lord allows it in our lives to purify us and make us worthier of his love. If, at some time, physical pain comes our way, we should recognize in it the loving hand of Jesus.

To draw all the fruit our Lord expects from these periods of suffering, we need to receive them with supernatural outlook. “The sick people are our jewels, the treasure of the house. With what joy they bear their illnesses! When our turn comes, if we have been humble, God will help us, and we won't be troublesome. We will be the joy of the place where we are. We will be the strength of the other. We will be a great manifestation of the Love of God and of love for God."

It's always necessary to be sincere, also at those times. “To be unwell and to be silent is not good spirit. You have to talk about it so that the appropriate remedies may be applied quickly. Speak up straightaway, my children. That's the right way to go."

The teaching is clear. We should never lose our joy in the face of illness. Rather, these situations must lead us to increase our trust in our Father God, to abandon ourselves in his hands in the certainty that, come what may in our lives, it is for our spiritual and eternal good: Omnia in bonum! As St Josemaría wrote: “Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism; nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right.”

It is an optimism that sinks its roots in an awareness of our freedom, and in the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God's calls. 

May 19 Tue - Can a hard sinner repent and begin again?

 

May 19 Tue
Can a hard sinner repent and begin again?

What happened with Judas? They had paid him thirty shekels of silver for his service, but his pangs of conscience would not leave him in peace.

Learning that Jesus was condemned, he brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. He repeatedly told them that he had handed over innocent blood. 

Did Judas know of Peter's denial and his repentance? Maybe not. 

Pride, greed, or disordered passions led to such outrageous and evil conduct. In his blindness, Judas did not see that the value of Jesus Christ can only be measured by considering his love for his brethren. No other measure exists.

From this sad event, we can draw a clear lesson: whoever seeks to deceive God draws only a miserable profit, something squalid that brings no consolation and guarantees no security. Those who choose to turn away from God end up being victims of loneliness. 

Judas was remorseful but without hope.
He could no longer believe in forgiveness. His remorse turned into despair. Now he saw only himself and his darkness.

He shows us the wrong type of remorse, one unable to hope, that sees only its own darkness, destructive, and inauthentic. 

Genuine remorse is marked by the certainty of hope born of faith in the divine power of Jesus.

After receiving the morsel, he immediately went out, and it was night. Judas went out in a deeper sense. He moved from the light into the darkness.

What would he do now? First, he went and threw the coins into the temple.
He regretted what he had done, but he did not go to Jesus, whose soul was on edge, thinking about his disciple. Judas remained alone with his treason and plunged into despair.

It would have been enough if Judas had pulled himself together for a moment, looked at Jesus for an instant, and made some attempt to talk with him. Jesus would have made him a sign, a glance, or a gesture, telling him to start his life as an apostle over again.

But Judas wanted to be left alone, absolutely alone with his guilt. And in his desperation, he went and hanged himself.

What an evil idea you had, Judas! Yet forgiveness would have been yours.

Simple human repentance is not enough. For someone standing close to Christ, true repentance must produce sorrow and joy at the loss of the friendship now recovered.

Peter united himself strongly to the Lord. 
Judas had the potential to travel the same road since he did not lack the Lord's help either, but he refused.
 
What about you and me?
True repentance, or contrition, is a deep sorrow and detestation for the sin committed, accompanied by a resolution to sin no more. One is sorry for the offense caused to God. It should come with a purpose of amendment and the desire to be reconciled with God in the sacrament of Reconciliation. 

May 18 Mon - Should the priests separate themselves from “the world”?

 

May 18 Mon
Should the priests separate themselves from “the world”?

Recently, Pope Leo XIV ordained a group of priests in St. Peter's Basilica. 

The Pope described the priesthood as a "ministry of communion." Life in abundance comes to us in our deeply personal encounter with the person of the Son, but it immediately opens our eyes to our brothers and sisters who are already experiencing, or who are still seeking, the “power to become children of God.” 

The deeper your bond with Christ, the more radical your belonging to all of humanity. There is no opposition, nor competition, between heaven and earth; in Jesus, you are united forever. 

The Holy Spirit unites people and vocations in freedom, so that no one lives for themselves any longer. The Spirit calls us out of the “tomb” of isolation and seclusion, so that we can meet in the garden of communion where the Risen One is our guardian.

Like the love of spouses, the love that inspires celibacy for the Kingdom of God must also be guarded and constantly renewed, for every true affection matures and becomes fruitful over time. The priests are called to a specific and delicate way of loving and, even more so, of allowing themselves to be loved in freedom. This will make them not only good priests but also honest, helpful citizens, builders of peace and social friendship.

This is another secret for the life of the priest: we must not be frightened by reality. It is the Lord of life who calls us. 

Today’s search for security can lead to fear, division, and hostility. Instead, the priests must find their stability in Christ, rather than in their role or status.
Even these communities the priest serves must also help them to become saints.
You will encounter people who will direct you towards him. For your part, help them to walk together, following Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

The Pope encouraged the priests to foster unity, helping people come together.
Coming together always means planting the Church anew.

"I am the gate," Jesus said. Do not block this gate; the priests are to ensure that the Church remains accessible.

The Pope then insisted that priests should not act as gatekeepers who restrict access, but as channels, not filters.

In a context where many people feel distant from the Church, keep doors open and be ready both to welcome and to go out.
You belong to everyone and are for everyone.

He also emphasized that the Church should not confine people, but help them engage more fully with life. Quoting the Gospel, he noted that those who are saved "enter, go out, and find pasture."

Bringing his homily to a close, the Pope encouraged the new priests to engage with the wider world, including culture and everyday life.

This salvation is already at work in the many good deeds that are quietly carried out by people of goodwill in the parishes and other settings where you will join them as fellow travelers. Thus, what you proclaim and celebrate will protect you, even in difficult times. 

May 17 Sun - When Jesus goes to heaven, what does He expect us to do?

 

May 17 Sun
When Jesus goes to heaven, what does He expect us to do?

The Ascension of Christ is connected to the Christian apostolic mission.
While they were gazing into Heaven as He ascended, two men in white robes appeared to them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into Heaven? This Jesus, who was taken from you into Heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into Heaven." 

Like the Apostles, we are partly perplexed and partly saddened by his departure. It is not easy to get used to Jesus' physical absence. It makes me think that out of an excess of love, He has remained with us even after He has gone. He has ascended to Heaven, and at the same time, He gives Himself to us as our nourishment in the sacred host. However, we miss his human speech, his actions, his gaze, his smile, and his acts of kindness. We long to see him closely again. How can we not miss his presence?

The angels told the Apostles that it was now time for them to begin their task, that there was no time to waste. With the Ascension, Jesus' earthly mission comes to an end, and ours as his disciples begins. Jesus intercedes for us before his Father: "I do not pray that you should take them out of the world," out of our rightful place in society, out of our jobs or families, "but that you should keep them from the evil one." Jesus wants each of us to remain in our place, sanctifying the world from within, improving it, and offering it to God. Only then will the world be a place where human dignity is valued and respected, a place where people live in true peace, a peace closely linked to God.

As Jesus ascends to Heaven, He sends us out as his witnesses to the whole world. Our responsibility is great because being a witness of Christ means that we should behave according to his teachings, reminding others of Jesus and his most lovable personality.

Those we live and work with, those we come in contact with, should find us loyal, sincere, joyful, and hardworking. We should act as people who fulfill their duties honestly and live as children of God in the ups and downs of each day. The ordinary norms of courtesy, such as how we greet others, our cordiality, and spirit of service, should not be merely conventional and superficial for us. Instead, they should be the result of charity and a genuine interest in others.

We find Jesus in a special way in the Tabernacle. Let us turn to him there, even if we cannot physically go but only in our hearts, and ask for his help. Let us assure him that he can rely on us to spread his teachings wherever we go.

The Apostles returned to Jerusalem with Mary and awaited the coming of the Holy Spirit. Let us also prepare for Pentecost by staying close to our Lady. 

May 16 Sat - Should the ministerial priesthood remain?

 

May 16 Sat
Should the ministerial priesthood remain?

After being excommunicated, Martin Luther remained at Wartburg Castle in Germany until March 1522. He also notes that, while he was there, Satan appeared to him in a vision and revealed how the Mass should be reformed. 

Luther himself described the scene as follows: “It happened to me once that I suddenly woke up around midnight, and Satan began to argue with me.” The three points with which the devil attacked the Mass are the same ones that Luther would eventually defend: 
1) the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; 
2) the ministerial priesthood, keeping only the common priesthood of all the faithful;
3) the denial that the Holy Mass is a sacrifice: the Mass, according to the devil and, following him, Luther, would be nothing more than a commemorative supper.

It is terrifying to think that some have the clear intention to abolish the ministerial priesthood, so distinctly Protestant. This stems directly from the evil one.

Without the ministerial priesthood, there is no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist, there is no Church.

In the Catholic Church, a historically common practice, such as the reforms of religious orders throughout the ages, has always consisted of a return to the origins.  

We should keep the following principles in mind:
- All the Christian faithful are radically and fundamentally equal.
- All the faithful are radically called and empowered to participate in the mission of the Church, which is the sanctification of all her members. This call and power are received in Baptism and perfected through Confirmation.
- Additionally, there are other priestly functions, primarily related to the Holy Eucharist, the pardon of sins, and the other sacraments. These functions include authoritatively preaching the word of God and governing the faithful in all that refers to the Kingdom of God.
- For these latter functions, the ministerial priesthood—received through the Sacrament of Holy Orders—differs in its essence, not just in degree, from the common priesthood of the faithful—as the recent popes have insistently asserted.

The tasks of priests are consecrating the body and blood of the Lord, forgiving sins, announcing the Gospel, caring for the faithful with their example and doctrine, and administering the sacraments that do not require episcopal powers.

By divine institution, “only a baptized man can validly receive sacred ordination.” Christ wanted those who publicly exercise the sacred ministry in his name to be men. Thus, He chose his Apostles among his male disciples.

Neither the Apostles nor their successors ever ordained women, even though priestesses were common in the Greek world they lived in after leaving their Jewish communities. The Church acknowledges that she is bound by this decision of our Lord.

The sacramental symbolism requires a natural likeness between the priest and Christ, who was and is a male.

The dignity of women is in no way diminished by their not being eligible for ordination. The most exalted human person is the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of God, but Christ chose not to call her to the ministerial priesthood. 

May 15 Fri - Why is Mary also the mother of Christians and the mother of the Church?

 

May 15 Fri

8. Why is Mary also the mother of Christians and the mother of the Church?

Jesus is Mary’s only Son. But Mary’s spiritual motherhood extends to all people whom He came to save: She gave birth to the Son, whom God appointed as the Firstborn among many brothers, that is, among believers, in whose birth and upbringing she cooperates with a mother’s love.

Standing by the cross, Jesus said to her, “Woman, here is your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”

At the same time that she is recognized and venerated as the true Mother of God and of the Redeemer, it is even more said: "She is truly the Mother of the members (of Christ) because she collaborated with her love in the birth of believers, members of that Head, into the Church." Mary is the Mother of Christ, the Mother of the Church.

Mary is both virgin and mother because she is the figure and the most perfect realization of the Church: "The Church becomes a Mother through the word of God accepted with faith, since, through preaching and baptism, she gives birth to a new and immortal life to the children conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of God. She, too, is a virgin who keeps the fidelity promised to the Bridegroom intact and pure."

St. Josemaría:
Mother, you brought to earth Jesus, who reveals the love of our Father God. Help us to recognize him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.

9. What does the Assumption of the Virgin into heaven mean?

The Blessed Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she now shares in the glory of her Son’s resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all the members of his Body. That is why we Christians affirm: “We believe that the Most Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role toward the members of Christ.”

10. Why does the Virgin Mary occupy a central place in the lives of Christians?

“All generations will call me blessed”-with these words, Mary acknowledged what God has done for her: “The Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is an intrinsic element of Christian worship.” From the earliest times, the Blessed Virgin has been venerated under the title “Mother of God,” under whose protection the faithful seek refuge in all their dangers and needs.

The love that Christians have for the Virgin Mary and the devotion they show her, though unique, is essentially different from the worship given to the Incarnate Word, as well as to the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

Love for the Virgin Mary is a path to God and finds its expression in the liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God, and in Marian prayer, such as the Holy Rosary, “a synthesis of the entire Gospel.” 

May 14 Thu - How can a woman be the Mother of God?

 

May 14 Thu

5. What is the connection between Eve and Mary?

Throughout the Old Covenant, Mary’s mission was foreshadowed by the missions of certain women (Sarah, who conceives a son despite her advanced age; Hannah, the mother of Samuel; Deborah; Ruth; Judith). At the very beginning is Eve: despite her disobedience, she receives the promise of a descendant who will defeat the Evil One, as recounted in the Book of Genesis.

With Mary, the exalted Daughter of Zion, after the long wait for the promise, the time has come, and the new plan of salvation is inaugurated. Mary stands out among the humble and the poor of the Lord, who confidently await salvation from him and welcome it. 

Saint Josemaría:
If you and I had had the power, we too would have made her Queen and Lady of all creation.

A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman with a crown of twelve stars upon her head. -Clothed with the sun. -The moon at her feet. Mary, Virgin without stain, has repaired the fall of Eve, and she crushed the head of the infernal serpent with her immaculate heel. Daughter of God, Mother of God, Spouse of God.

6. What does it mean that Mary is full of grace?

At the Annunciation, the angel Gabriel greets her as “full of grace.” Indeed, to give her free assent of faith to the announcement of her vocation, she needed to be entirely guided by God’s grace: Mary was endowed by God with gifts commensurate with such an important mission.

This means that she was conceived without original sin. Over the centuries, the Church has come to recognize that Mary, whom God called “full of grace,” had been redeemed from the moment of her conception. This is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception professes: "The Blessed Virgin Mary was preserved free from all stain of original sin from the first moment of her conception by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race." 

Saint Josemaría
Mary, you are queen of peace, because you had faith and believed that what the angel announced would, in fact, happen. Help us grow in the faith, with a firm hope and a deeper love. 

7. How can a woman be the Mother of God?

Mary is truly the "Mother of God" because she is the mother of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself, as God’s Revelation through Sacred Scripture tells us. This is a truth of faith that all Christians have lived out since the earliest times.

The gaze of faith, in harmony with the whole of Revelation, can uncover the mysterious reasons why God, in his plan of salvation, willed that his Son be born of a virgin. These reasons pertain both to the person and redemptive mission of Christ and to Mary’s acceptance of this mission on behalf of humanity. 

May 13 Wed - Why does Our Lady urge us to make reparation for sins?

 

May 13 Wed
Why does Our Lady urge us to make reparation for sins?

In her apparitions at Fatima, the Blessed Virgin insisted on the urgency of making reparation for the sins that are committed throughout the world. 

In the third apparition, on the 13th of July, the shepherd children say that she asked them for sacrifices for the conversion of sinners; at the same time, she showed them the torments suffered by the damned. And in August, she once again insisted: “Pray, pray a lot, and do sacrifices for sinners, because many souls are going to hell because they have no one who sacrifices himself and prays for them."

These words should ring in the hearts of all Christians, but especially in those of us who truly wish to care for souls. And not this alone - they should move us to make very specific resolutions to make atonement to our Lord with our whole life.

“The situation is serious, my daughters and sons, Saint Josemaría said. The whole battle front is threatened. Let it not be breached because of one of us... How many offences against God are there! We are as fragile, and even more fragile, than others; but we have a commitment of Love; we must now give our existence a sense of reparation. Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus, give us peace!"

“We have repaid light with darkness. We have repaid generosity with egoism. We have repaid love with coldness and contempt. Do not be ashamed to acknowledge our constant misery; rather, let us ask for forgiveness."

“Every day, I become more aware of these realities, and every day, I am seeking more intimacy with God in reparation and atonement. Let us place before Him the number of souls being lost and would not have to be lost if they had not been exposed. They are souls that have abandoned the Faith, since nowadays one can make unrestricted propaganda of every type of falsehood and heresy; souls that have been scandalized by so much apostasy and by so much malice; souls that have been deprived of the help of the Sacraments and of sound doctrine..."

“Through the intercession of Holy Mary and of the Holy Patriarch, Saint Joseph, ask our Lord to increase our spirit of reparation, that we have sorrow for our sins and that we know how to have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance."

In Fatima, the summons to penance is maternal; and, at the same time, it is energetic and resolute... The call to penance is united, as always, with a call to prayer. Following a tradition of many centuries, the Lady of the message of Fatima points out the Rosary, which can rightly be defined as 'the prayer of Mary', the prayer in which she feels particularly united to us. She herself prays with us.

Our Lady has often recommended praying the Rosary: to win peace for the world: “To pray the Holy Rosary, considering the mysteries, repeating the Our Father and Hail Mary, with the praises to the Blessed Trinity and the constant invocation to the Mother of God, is a continuous act of faith, hope and love, of adoration and reparation."

“I repeat to the Blessed Virgin many times each day, in different tones - some asking for help, others thanking her, but always with Love - Mother, my Mother! That is what I am saying to Our Lady of Fatima." (Saint Josemaría) 

May 12 Tue - Was Mary free in responding to God’s plans for her?

 

May 12 Tue
3. Was Mary free in responding to God’s plans for her?

Mary was invited to conceive the One in whom the fullness of divinity will dwell bodily, and she asked about what she did not understand: “How can this be, since I have no husband?” 

The divine answer to her question was: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you.” And she uttered her “fiat,” Let it be done to me according to your word in the place of all human nature.

Through her faith and her free response, the Virgin Mary embraced God’s plan for the salvation of humanity. By her obedience, she became the new Eve, mother of the living. 

St. Josemaría:
“Don't forget, my friend, that we are children. The Lady of the sweet name, Mary, is withdrawn in prayer.

You, in that house, are whatever you want to be: a friend, a servant, an onlooker, a neighbor… - I, at this moment, don't dare to be anything. I hide behind you; full of awe, I contemplate the scene:

The Archangel delivers his message… How shall this be done since I know not man?

Our Mother's voice brings to my memory - by contrast - all the impurities of men… mine too.

And then how I hate the low, mean things of the earth…What resolutions!

Be it done unto me according to Thy word. By the enchantment of this virginal phrase, the Word was made flesh.

The first decade is about to end… I still have time to tell my God, before anyone else does: Jesus, I love You."

“Mother, Oh Mother! With that word of yours - ' be it done' - you have made us brothers of God and heirs to his Glory. Blessed art thou!"

“The Virgin did not merely pronounce her fiat; in every moment she fulfilled that firm and irrevocable decision. So should we. When God's love gets through to us, and we come to know what he desires, we ought to commit ourselves to be faithful, loyal - and then be so in fact. Because "not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.""

4. What does it mean that Jesus was conceived by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit?

It means that God became Man without the intervention of a man. Jesus has no other Father than God. It means that Mary was a virgin. Mary’s virginity reveals God’s absolute initiative in the Incarnation.

"The human nature He assumed has never separated him from his Father. The Son of God and of man is the same: by nature, the Son of the Father in his divinity; by nature, the Son of the Mother in his humanity; yet truly the Son of the Father in both his natures." 

St. Josemaría:
“Purification! You and I surely do need purification! - Atonement, and more than atonement, Love. - Love as a searing iron to cauterize our souls' uncleanness, and as a fire to kindle with divine flames the wretched tinder of our hearts." 

May 11 Mon - How did God choose Mary? Ten questions on Our Lady.

 

May 11 Mon
How did God choose Mary? Ten questions on Our Lady.

1. How was the human conception of the Son of God?

The historic moment, foreseen by God from all eternity, took place in a village in Galilee, in Nazareth, when the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, a young Jewish woman, "a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David; the virgin's name was Mary," says St. Luke.

To come to the world and dwell with us, God willed the free cooperation of a creature, Mary, to be the mother of his Son. "The Father of mercies willed that the consent of the one who was predestined to be the Mother preceded the Incarnation so that, just as one woman contributed to death (Eve), so also another woman would contribute to life."

2. What did the Angel Gabriel say to Mary in Nazareth, and what did Mary answer?

St. Luke describes in the first chapter of his Gospel how the Angel St. Gabriel said to Mary: "Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you! Hearing these words, she was surprised and wondered what the greeting could mean. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for God has favored you." You shall conceive and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father; He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end."

Mary said to the Angel: "How can that be, if I do not know a man?" The Angel answered him: "The Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the Child will be holy and will be called the Son of God."

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. Christ's humanity, from his conception, is filled with the Holy Spirit because God gives him the Spirit without measure.

St. Josemaría: “How would we have acted, if we could have chosen our own mother? I'm sure we would have chosen the one we have, adorning her with every possible grace. That is what Christ did. Being all-powerful, all-wise, Love itself, his power carried out his will."

“Our Mother had meditated deep and long on the words of the holy men and women of the Old Testament who awaited the Savior, and on the events that they had taken part in. She must have marveled at all the great things that God, in his boundless mercy, had done for his people, who were so often ungrateful. As she considers the tenderness shown time after time by God towards his people, Mary's immaculate Heart breaks out in loving words, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, for he has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid.' The early Christians, children of this good Mother, learned from her; we can, and we ought to do likewise." 

May 10 Sun - What moved God to create me?

 

May 10 Sun

What moved God to create me? 
His love and His goodness.

For what purpose did He create me? 
To reveal and communicate his glory through the benefits which He bestows on me, his creature.

Among all earthly creatures, we, human beings, are specially privileged because we alone can know this and consciously enjoy it.

Why should we worship and praise God? 
Because He does all good things for us, He answers our prayers, and loves us.

Christians who are really living their faith have something that the world does not: hope for salvation.

The world constantly seeks happiness in all kinds of behavior that are not good or not good enough. Yet the world often maligns us for doing good and for rejecting the evil the world calls good.

This is a kind of blindness the world has. The world does not see or know and so, cannot accept the Holy Spirit of truth.

But that is not the end of the story. We can instruct anyone who asks “a reason for our hope.”

To speak effectively to the world, we must first be doing good, and then we can explain our hope “with gentleness and reverence.”

It may be God’s will that we suffer for doing good. Why? So, we can do what Christ did: suffer for our sins to lead us to God.

Keeping the commandments is the proof of our love for Christ.

“Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me.”
This is what St. Peter meant by saying, “Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.”

This loving obedience “unlocks” the life of the Blessed Trinity for us.

“And whoever loves me, will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

At the Son’s request, the Father will send to us the Holy Spirit (the Advocate).

What will the Holy Spirit do for us?

He will be with us always, and we will know it.
He will reveal to us the truth, because He is the Spirit of truth.
He will make us children of God.
He will show us Christ and that He lives.
He will show us that we have life through Christ.
He will show us that Christ is in the Father.
He will show us that we are in Christ, and Christ is in us.

In other words, through the gift of the Holy Spirit, we will see that there is a communion of life and love in God, between Christ and his Church, and among all of us, her members.

Yes, this is so on two levels: first, in the relationship between Christ and all the members; and second, among her members on earth, in purgatory, and in heaven.

This communion is what heaven is: a communion of life and love with the Trinity, with the Virgin Mary, the angels, and all the blessed: the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deepest human longings, the state of supreme, definitive happiness.

Heaven is the state of perfect friendship that fulfills our deepest needs and desires as social beings. 

May 9 Sat - How can I spend time with God?

 

May 9 Sat
How can I spend time with God?

“What do you consider more important,” asks St. Augustine, “the Word of God or the Body of Christ? The Word of Christ is no less precious than his Body. Take great care that the Word does not fall to the ground; gather it up in your heart.”

The Christian life is a partnership with God’s grace. Man does not fight alone; he has all the help of heaven. The Lord’s hand is present in the battles he must fight against the world, the flesh, and demons, which wage war against him both outside and within his soul. Man’s participation is necessary. If we do not walk the path with steps that require effort, we will not attain the prize the Lord has reserved for us at the end. Human contribution is absolutely necessary.

But when we pray, we need to underline the other side: God’s action within us. I would now like to highlight our attitude of listening to what the Lord is whispering into the ear of our souls.

A Christian’s inner growth is not so much the fruit of sweat as of grace.

Stop and listen to God, to that God,

• who is a Friend to you,
• who makes his home in your home,
• who accompanies pilgrims,
• who shares in your joys and sorrows,
• who reveals to you the mysteries hidden in his heart,
• who brings you his life, his fire, and his love.

What should your attitude be now in the face of these visits from God? 
The first thing that comes to mind is to tell you—and to tell myself—not to be in a hurry.

Sit at Jesus’ feet; let love enter your soul. The time has come to listen to him. Cast selfishness, noise, and clamor from your soul, and decide to spend time with God.

How do I find Jesus in the Gospel?

If you grew up Catholic, chances are you've heard the Gospels hundreds of times. Familiar stories, familiar words — and maybe, if you're honest, a familiarity that has started to feel a little flat.

That's not a faith crisis. It's actually an invitation to talk to Him.
Because the Gospels were never meant to be information to absorb. They were meant to be encounters — and encounters, by definition, require presence. Yours.

The early Christians didn't just study what Jesus said. They entered the passage they were reading — and it changed everything about how they lived, worked, suffered, and loved.

The same is available to you. But it requires slowing down.

Practical application: The next time you read a Gospel passage, resist the urge to move quickly. Read it once for content. Then read it again and ask: "Who am I in this story?" Are you the one being healed? The one watching from a distance? The one who almost missed it?

Pray and read with your imagination, not just your mind.
Real encounters raise questions. And in prayer, questions aren't a problem — they're a doorway. 

May 8 Fri - Have I found what I was looking for?

 

May 8 Fri
Have I found what I was looking for?
 
I was searching for the most lovable person, and I found that he is the greatest; I could not possibly imagine anyone more perfect. I have discovered that he embodies life, light, wisdom, goodness, and eternal happiness. He is everywhere and timeless. I was looking for God. 

Let me know you and love you, so that I may find my joy in you.
Lord, my God, you gave me life and restored it when I lost it. As I long for you, tell me what else you are, besides what I have already understood, so that I may see you clearly. I stand on tiptoe to see more, but beyond what I have seen, I see only darkness. Of course, I do not truly see darkness, because there is no darkness in you, but I cannot see further because of my blindness.

Surely, Lord, you dwell in unapproachable light, and no one but you can enter into it and fully embrace you. If I fail to see this light, it is because it is too bright for me. Still, it is by a tiny beam of this light that I see all that I can, just as my weak eyes perceive everything they can by the sun's light but are unable to look directly at the sun.

The light in which you dwell, Lord, is beyond my understanding. It is so brilliant that I cannot bear it; I cannot turn my mind’s eye towards it for any length of time. I am dazzled by its brightness, amazed by its grandeur, overwhelmed by its immensity, and bewildered by its abundance.

O supreme and inaccessible light, O complete and blessed truth, how far you are from me, even though I am so near to you! How remote you are from my sight, even though I am present to yours! You are entirely everywhere, and yet I do not see you; in you I move and have my being, and yet I cannot approach you; you are within me and around me, and yet I do not perceive you.

O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find my joy in you; and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some progress every day until I finally come to know, love, and rejoice in you. While I am here on earth, teach me to know you better, so that in heaven I may know you fully; let my love for you deepen here, so that there I may love you completely. On earth, then, I shall have some joy in hoping, and in heaven, complete joy in the fulfillment of my hope.

O Lord, through your Son, you command me, no, you encourage me to ask, and you promise that you will hear me so that my joy may be complete. Lord, send me the Holy Spirit as an adviser. Give me what you promise. You, O God, are faithful; grant that I may receive my request, so that my joy may be complete.

Meanwhile, let this hope of mine be in my thoughts and on my tongue; let my heart be filled with it, my voice speak of it; let my soul hunger for it, my body thirst for it, my whole being yearn for it, until I enter into the joy of the Lord, who is Three in One, blessed forever. Amen.
Excerpts from the "Proslogion" of St Anselm. 

May 7 Thu - Why does the priest break the Host?

 

May 7 Thu
Why does the priest break the Host? 

The priest takes the host and breaks it over the paten. He places a small piece into the chalice while saying, “May this mingling of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.” 

The breaking of the loaf of bread is a familiar ceremony. The father, presiding over the table, would perform the ceremony.

At the Last Supper, our Lord also broke the bread. It was in the act of breaking bread that the disciples at Emmaus recognized the risen Lord. As if it were a Mass celebrated by the Lord, the breaking of the bread was preceded by the liturgy of the word: While they were walking, “Jesus explained to them the passages throughout the Scriptures that were about himself.” 

The two disciples returned to Jerusalem, announcing that they had recognized the Lord “at the breaking of the bread.” 

In apostolic times, this gesture of Christ gave the entire Eucharistic action its name, “the Breaking of the Bread.” We see in the Acts of the Apostles Saint Luke writing that the Christians “were persevering in the doctrine of the apostles, and in the communication of the breaking of the bread, and in prayers.” 

Saint Paul drew a lesson from the fact that all those present shared the same loaf:

The fact that there is only one loaf means that, though there are many of us, we form a single body because we all have a share in this one loaf.

This ceremony also had a practical reason: the need to break the big loaf of bread by the deacon before its distribution. We read in the Didaché (year 110):

Lord, just as the matter of this bread was scattered on the hills and was made one when it was gathered together, so too may your Church be gathered in one into your kingdom from the ends of the earth.

And Saint Cyprian, in laying stress on the Church’s unity in opposition to schism, wrote: 

The Lord’s sacrifice proclaims the unity of Christians who are bound together by a firm and unshakable charity. For when the Lord calls the bread, that has been made from many grains of wheat, ‘his Body’, He is describing our people whose unity He has sustained; and when He refers to wine pressed from many grapes as his Blood, He is speaking of our flock, which has been formed by fusing many into one.

In the ancient Church, some fragments of consecrated hosts were reserved. Two of these were called ‘sancta’ and ‘fermentum’. The sancta was to be consumed at the next Mass to be celebrated; it was dropped into the chalice. This gesture seemed to have meant the affirmation of the unity of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ until the end of the world. 

The pope or bishop sent fragments of the hosts he had consecrated, the ‘fermentum ’, to priests of the nearby parishes -“so that,” Pope Innocent I explained, “especially on this day, they do not think themselves cut off from our communion.”