Dec 25 Thu - What conclusion should I draw from today’s feast?

 

Dec 25 Thu
What conclusion should I draw from today’s feast?
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." Saint 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 be 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 my soul and renew my whole life.

I want to be a witness to the One who has loved me, died for 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.

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

 

Dec 24 Wed
What are we to do on this day when people celebrate the birth of Christ?
First of all, we must pray, and 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: ‘Despite 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 despite 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 heart, and ask pardon for your sins.
May you have a happy Christmas feast. May God bless you.

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

 

 Dec 23 Tue
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."

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

 

Dec 22 Mon
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 nations and peoples are 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, which 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.

Dec 21 Sun - What did God the Son come to do? - Fourth Sunday of Advent

 

Dec 21 Sun
What did God the Son come to do? 
Fourth Sunday of Advent
The Son of God became incarnate. The “Incarnation”—literally, the 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 to accomplish our salvation in it.

Christ’s Incarnation refers not just to Christ’s body. It means that 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 would she 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?

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

 

Dec 20 Sat
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."

Dec 18 Thu - Why do we call God “LORD”? - O Antiphons: O ADONAI, O Lord.

 

Dec 18 Thu
Why do we call God “LORD”?
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 lives. “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.

Dec 19 Fri O Antiphons: – Root of Jesse

 

Dec 19 Fri
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, 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 hearts. Help us to make our prayer a dialogue between friends, a conversation full of faith and love.

What are the O Antiphons? Dec 17: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)

 

What are the O Antiphons?
Dec 17: 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, read in reverse order, form the Latin phrase 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 especially 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 17 Wed

Dec 16 Tue - Is the Christian identity merely something added to generic education?

 

Dec 16 Tue
Is the Christian identity merely something added to generic education?

Some assume that there is a generic kind of education that is “secular” (rationalist or atheist) without any Christian notions or tendencies. To it, they continue, Christians may “add” their beliefs.

These do not take into account that choosing an atheist education is already taking an existential and moral choice, a radical position on fundamental human issues.

Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of Christian identity in education: "It is not a decorative label or an adornment, but the very heart that gives meaning, method, and purpose to the entire educational process." 

For Christian education, Christ is the compass. Without his light, the educational mission itself becomes meaningless and turns into an automatic process lacking the transformative power offered by the Gospel.

The educational project of Catholic education must be embodied "in practices, in the curriculum, and in the educational community itself."  

The confessional identity of Christian education is not "an accessory or a facade that becomes visible through isolated rituals or even repetitive mechanisms devoid of vitality," but rather the foundation "that articulates the educational mission, defines its horizon of meaning, and guides its daily practices, both in the way it teaches and in the way it evaluates and acts." 

“When Christian identity does not inform pedagogical decisions, it runs the risk of becoming a superficial adornment that fails to sustain educational work in the face of the many cultural, ethical, and social tensions that characterize our times of polarization and violence.”

Authentic Christian education "promotes the integration of faith and reason" as "complementary paths to understanding reality, forming character, and cultivating intelligence." To this end, he added, the educational community formed by the family, the parish, and the school must be integrated "like a home." 

On the other hand, he highlighted how the Catholic Church, "in its educational mission, rediscovers its maternal role," as reflected in numerous conciliar documents.  

"The icon of our Mother the Church presents itself to us not only as an expression of tenderness and charity, but also as the one who safeguards that capacity, part of her mission, to be a guide and teacher, having been entrusted by her Most Holy Founder with a double task: to bring forth children and educate them, and then, to sustain them, guiding with maternal providence the lives of individuals and peoples, whose great dignity she always respected and protected with solicitude," said the Pontiff. 

Before concluding by inviting Catholic educators to commit themselves "courageously" to their task, Leo XIV emphasized that "the educational activity of the Church, carried out through schools and formative activities, is not simply a commendable philanthropic work to satisfy or sustain a social need, but is an essential part of its identity and mission."

Dec 15 Mon - Is becoming a parent an awesome adventure?

 

Dec 15 Mon
Is becoming a parent an awesome adventure?
“Today’s Society’s sickness is a lack of confidence in life.” Pope Leo praised “the wonderful adventure” of becoming parents that many families are choosing to embark on today, even in a time marked by economic and social difficulties.”

“Do so trusting in the God of life, and promoting authentic human life in all its expressions, above all, in the wonderful adventure of motherhood and fatherhood.”

“Do not be afraid to welcome and defend every child conceived. Proclaim and serve the Gospel of life. God is the lover of life. Therefore, always protect it with care and love.”

St Josemaría wrote: “A Christian marriage is not just a social institution, much less a mere remedy for human weakness. It is a real supernatural calling…Christ transforms their whole married life into an occasion for God's presence on earth.

“The unity between the parents is transmitted to their children, to the whole family, and to everyone who is involved in their life. Thus, every truly Christian family reproduces in some way the mystery of the Church, chosen by God and sent to be the guide of the world."

“It is very important that the idea of marriage as a real call from God never be absent, either from the pulpit and the religion class or from the conscience of those whom God wishes to follow this way. Couples should be convinced that they are really and truly called to take part in the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of all men."

“Every Christian home should be a place of peace and serenity. Despite the small frustrations of daily life, an atmosphere of profound and sincere affection should reign there together with a deep-rooted calm, which is the result of authentic faith that is put into practice."

“Husband and wife are called to sanctify their married life and to sanctify themselves in it. It would be a serious mistake to exclude family life from their spiritual development. The marriage union, the care and education of children, the effort to provide for the needs of the family as well as for its security and development, the relationships with other persons who make up the community, all these are among the ordinary human situations that Christian couples are called upon to sanctify."

“They will achieve this aim by exercising the virtues of faith and hope, facing serenely all the great and small problems which confront any family, and persevering in the love and enthusiasm with which they fulfil their duties. Thus, they practice the virtue of charity in all things. They learn to smile and forget about themselves to pay attention to others.”

“Husband and wife will listen to each other and to their children, showing them that they are really loved and understood. They will forget about the unimportant little frictions that selfishness could magnify out of proportion. They will lovingly do all the small acts of service that make up their daily life together."

“The aim is this: to sanctify family life, while creating at the same time a true family atmosphere."

Should I be patient with the others?

 

Dec 14 Sun

Should I be patient with the others?
In today’s reading, God himself comes down to earth. The ransomed Chosen People return to Israel. God heals them of every infirmity. 

This is also a vision for every human being of a transformation from what should never have been—from sin and suffering—to what should always be—justice and joy.

Yet this suffering must be accepted with patience. If God is patient with me, shouldn’t I be patient with the others?

When we hear about patience, we usually think of one of those situations that get into our nerves: “I really have to be patient with this person.” We are thinking of patience as some sort of control over the irritation and anger we experience when we face people who do something wrong or inconvenient for us. In sum, we think of patience as some sort of serenity: the power of enduring trouble, suffering, and inconvenience, without complaining.

Or we might think of patience as some capacity to bear the delay of goods which do not come as fast as we would like: “I have to be patient before I save enough to buy a car.” This notion refers to the capacity to bear sacrifices for a long time until we attain a certain joy. Patience here appears as the ability to wait for results, to deal with problems without haste.

Patience makes us withstand with calmness of soul, for the love of God, and in union with Jesus Christ, all physical and moral sufferings.

- The good we wait for is eternal life.
- The matter of patience is any kind of suffering, whether physical or mental.
- The motive for patience is love of God.
- Our model and companion in patience is Jesus Christ.
- Our means of patience are our own efforts, inspired and assisted by supernatural grace.

There is also a vice which looks like patience but is really a lack of caring, indifference, or resignation. It is when one has given up on the good that’s out there. We could call it “give-up-itis” or “whatever-ism.”

Zeal is a kind of holy impatience. It is a fervor for something, an enthusiastic desire, a love so strong it must act. However, the zeal must be for something objectively good, and it must not employ bad means to achieve that end.

John the Baptist’s zeal was to prepare the Jewish people for the coming of the Messiah. And Jesus Christ, being perfect man, also was filled with zeal: “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished!” (Lk 12: 49-50)

An essential object of zeal for us, should be to live the Faith. We see how true, good, and beautiful the Christian life is, and so we want to live it in our home, parish, place of work, and community.

Our zeal must also impel us to evangelization, to spreading this faith to those around us through example, conversations, and initiatives.