Sep 14 Sat - Let him who thirsts come to me and drink.

 Sep 14 Sat
Let him who thirsts come to me and drink.
In the Eucharist, we come to drink from the waters of God’s fountain. We drink without sating ourselves, for the living spring, the fount and source of life, is calling us: if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

The Lord himself, our God Jesus Christ, is the fountain of life; and he calls us to himself so that we may drink from him. Who will drink? Whoever loves; whoever is filled with the word of God; whoever adores him enough, whoever desires him enough; whoever is on fire with the love of wisdom.

From where does the fountain flow? It comes from the same place that the manna came from in the wilderness – for the same person is both bread and fountain, Christ our Lord and God, for whom we should always hunger.

We may eat and drink of him, but still we will remain hungry and thirsty for more; for he is our food and drink that can never be entirely consumed. He can be eaten but there will always be more left. He can be drunk but he can never be drained dry.

Jesus is the fountain of Wisdom. So, we should desire him, seek him, and love him. If you are desperate and thirsty, drink from the fountain of life; if you are weak and hungry, eat the bread of life. Blessed are they who hunger for that bread and thirst for that fountain.

Look at Jesus crucified. By means of the mystery of the Eucharist, the sacrifice of the cross, which was once carried out on Calvary, is reenacted in the Mass. This sacrifice of our redemption is renewed at each Mass. As often as the sacrifice of the cross in which Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed is celebrated on an altar, the work of our redemption is carried on. In the Mass, we join Jesus in offering himself to God the Father as in Calvary.

Thus, let us atone by making an act of contrition, of compunction. “We ask our Lord's forgiveness for those lashes and thorns, for that Cross, for those nails that bind him to the wood, for that lance which is going to pass through his side, for the gall and vinegar they offer him as consolation, for the mockery, the abuse, the jeers.”

And do not be afraid of giving much to the Lord, for whatever we give to God, we get back in abundance. When we give God our freedom, we are making it possible for him to free us, not only from sin, but from every evil; and He gives us all the goods we are capable to keep.

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Sep 13 Fri - Where should my heart be?

 Sep 13 Fri
Where should my heart be?
With the Holy Spirit in our soul in grace, we can love God for his own sake, and in the way he wants to be loved, with his own love. The object of charity is one: the goodness of God. It has no other aim. Charity is a certain friendship of man with God. It is a love of friendship, an unselfish love, which does not seek its own personal satisfaction, but rather that of the friend. But the Friend is now God himself.

“With my whole heart, I will seek thee." And any other clean love must pass the filter of His love. Indeed, we don't have a great deal to offer him. But let us not forget that everything done for Love acquires beauty and becomes great.

To make the Love of God our abiding passion is a whole program of life. Divine Love, just like human love, is increased by grace through the practice of virtue. To learn to love, we need to love a great deal and make many acts of love –aspirations– in the course of the day.

“Our Lord expects us to look for him, to love him, to call on him, especially when we find the going tough. He wants us to turn to him, trustingly and without fear. Our God is a Father who looks upon us gladly, and who never abandons us. It is we, his poor creatures, who leave him, or who forget to live with him. And, now that there are so many who leave him or who are intent on ignoring him, we have to try to be even closer to him. How? I have told you already: by seeking him, by loving him more every day, by asking his help and making up to him when we realize we haven't treated him well."

“In spiritual matters, we must be very rich in doctrine and in the knowledge and love of God. Invoke the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us, and tell him of your desire to give yourselves completely and to be very docile to his grace."

We will love God at every moment if we do everything just for him and never mechanically or for personal advantage. We will love him all day if we try to ensure that all our actions are accompanied by an offering that is real, living, and ardent: "For the love of you, Lord! Because I love you!"

God has given us his love, for us to love him, and also for us to love others as he loves them.
We have only one heart, which has to be full of only one love, with which we love everyone: God and others. St. Josemaría tells us, “With the same love with which I could have loved another human being, with that same heart I love Jesus Christ, and the Father and the Holy Spirit and our Blessed Mother."

Pic: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Le Nain

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Sep 12 Thu - Today, Mary's most holy name.

 Sep 12 Thu
Last Sunday we celebrated the birthday of Mary, and today, her most holy name. Let’s wish happy birthday to the Mother of God, who is also our Mother. And our Lady, who is in heaven body and soul, will joyfully welcome our signs of affection.

“We can begin our life anew. And therefore, throughout the day, we have to rectify our intention many times. We can never forget that in our interior life we have to fight without becoming discouraged. We can't lose heart when we see the need, not once but many times, to rectify our course in our service to God. We have the duty to do so, whenever we haven't been completely faithful in our struggle as Christians, children of Mary.” The Blessed Virgin, our Mother, accepts us as we are, with our miseries, if we struggle to overcome them.”

“When wishing someone we love, happy birthday, we usually offer some kind words and a gift, some tokens of affection or sacrifice. And you? What are you going to give our Lady today? Let's see, my son. Glance back over the years that have passed. Is there anything there that you can give her? Is there some flower, with some fragrance, some color? Perhaps there isn't much. It doesn't matter. Now is the time to tell your Mother: ‘This is all I can give you at the moment, but I will continue struggling, I will continue cultivating this garden. I will continue making one effort after another so that I can offer you a beautiful bouquet of fresh flowers on the days the Church celebrates one of your feasts’.”

“Then our attention is drawn to that big area in our life that allows thorns to thrive there. It is a good moment to ask God for forgiveness, and our blessed Mother for help. It is a good moment to renew our petition to our Lady, asking that this forgiveness may be a pledge of the help she is going to grant us. And it is a good moment to make an act of contrition.” It will blossom into a flower that we can offer to our Lady.

“Mother of ours, today we hope for your gifts. Today we will feel the gentleness of your hands, the warmth of your Most Sweet Heart, your protection for the whole Work. And despite the realization that we haven't been good sons, we dare to say:
Show us that you are our Mother! Make us be good sons. You who are the Mother of Fair Love, Seat of Wisdom, Handmaid of the Lord: Sancta Maria, filios tuos adiuva! I've repeated this aspiration to you so many times that it already forms part of our spiritual life. But repeat it especially today.” Saint Josemaría

Image: Russian icon of the Nativity of our Blessed Mother, with Saint Joachim and Anne.

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Sep 11 Wed - Should I serve?

 Sep 11 Wed
Should I serve?
There is something pejorative when we hear about serving. To serve is often seen as a humiliation, something inferior, which places a man who does serve on a level some degree below human dignity.

Nevertheless, Jesus himself said that he had come to serve, not to be served, and told them to serve one another. To serve, then, is not to do something demeaning; nor is it in any way beneath human dignity. The condition of a servant does not bear any kind of stigma; service is not humiliation. Joseph of Nazareth did nothing except to serve his own with his love, and his neighbors with his work. Of no unusual significance or extraordinary importance, his work, not even praised in the Gospel, is what work should be for all men –a means of livelihood and a source of learning. His daily tasks strengthened the life of Joseph.

Service is not servility. A mother does not feel humbled through having to serve her own children, or a wife through serving her husband. When one loves, service is not disgusting, the very work itself is loved. When one sees in one’s neighbor the image and likeness of God, to serve him does not humiliate. When one does a job joyfully, the question does not even arise.

Servility, on the other hand, is born when one believes himself to be so great that he should not serve others. He would think himself debased by lowering himself in the eyes of his inferiors. Nevertheless, because he is obliged, he serves, but against his will. Neither the humble person nor one who is in love is servile. Only the egoist, the self-interested, or the proud man can become servile.

It is not easy for the head of a family to fulfill his duty if he does not want to serve unselfishly his own people, seeking above all their good. He must not see himself as being humbled merely because service to one’s own involves giving over the necessary time to the family, even though such service might also imply cutting back somewhat on friends, entertainment, and social or business arrangements.

Today not even those of us who call ourselves Christians – which is to say disciples of Christ – seem very much inclined to the virtue of humility. Perhaps this is the reason for the deterioration of standards in so many trades and professions, which are carried on without love, without a spirit of service, without any real care for “doing a good job.” A Christian ought to know that he is no more than his Master. And if Jesus said he had come not to be served but to serve, then to be the servant of others ought to be what Christians aspire to. We have an obligation toward those whom God has put in our care. Thus, St. John Paul II: “O Christ! Let me be made a servant, and allow me to remain one . . . Make me a servant!”
Excerpts from F. Suarez

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Sep 10 Tue - What is it to love God?

 Sep 10 Tue
What is it to love God?

Love is sufficient of itself; it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself.
Love is its own merit, its own reward.
Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself.
Love’s profit lies in its practice.
I love because I love, I love that I may love.
Love is a great thing as long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, and flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes it.

Of all the movements, sensations, and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make a similar return however unequal it may be. For when God loves, all He desires is to be loved in return; the sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him.

But love is not only words or feelings, it bears the fruit of deeds.

Unless we love the neighbor whom we see everywhere, we cannot love the God we see nowhere. Indeed, we find the neighbor at every turn, God, being pure spirit, is easily evaded.

Nevertheless, in Christian life, we need to integrate the two loves, with the help of grace to complete the job.

The problem, however, is that to love both the God we do not see and the neighbor whom we do see, we must first love ourselves, which for not a few people these days has become a barrier they cannot seem to overcome, a hurdle they cannot clear. Not in the post-human world that appears to be taking shape all around us, even as it assumes an ever more toxic and anti-human form.

Why is that? The answer is obvious. If you can only love what you know, then not knowing who you are, prevents you from knowing or loving anyone else.

We need true love for self. If being a person is possessing oneself, to give oneself and be useful, what happens with people who possess no self to give? These are people who do not fight to control themselves. Such is the nature of the identity crisis we are facing today.

All know that Real Madrid football club is the best team in the world. Recently the coach gave a pep-talk to the players which serves us to explain how to love God with deeds.

1. We must balance the attack (the effort to grow in virtue and piety) with the defense (the fight to reject temptations).

2. Attitude. Realize what team you belong to (you are a child of God). Behave as such. Concentrate on winning.

3. Commitment. All together in the Church. Do not think only of yourself, think of the team. Be committed to it.

Pic: Our Lady of the Almudena, Patroness of Madrid

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Sep 9 Mon - What is the most important thing in life?

 Sep 9 Mon
What is the most important thing in life?
One came up to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?" Like him, we must judge wisely about the important things in life.

Like us, that man wanted to clearly know the principles on which to base his personal behavior. The great variety of opinions on these matters, and the many different situations encountered in life, lead us to seek some norms of judgment and behavior that are certain, permanent, harmonious, and simple.

When we have clear principles, we have a basis for assessing the value of the learning that we acquire. Then we can check how this acquired knowledge may lead us to our ultimate purpose or end.

Our Christian life, our relationship with God in prayer and the sacraments, the formation we receive, and the good example of others, all help to give us a set of solid objective values and make us souls of sound judgment. We will then be able to judge correctly the events and situations in which we find ourselves. St. Josemaría: “I am going to stir your memories, so that some thought may come to you that will strike you: and that way you will improve your life, and enter upon ways of prayer and Love. And end up becoming a soul of worth: someone with sound judgment."

We must give full effect to these desires, so that, from our abundance, others too may have their fill. If God has placed this treasure in our hands, it is so that we may share it with others. Each of us can truthfully say, in the words of an ancient writer: ‘This treasure is not mine, but Another has entrusted it to me, for I am no more than a beggar’.

At the same time, we know we must keep it safe, clean, and pure.

If we ask this of God, he will lead us to that mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine.

To be truly wise, it is not enough to know many things, even if they appear very profound. There needs to be an overall harmony, with some items of knowledge subordinated to others within a proper order. If this is to happen in our lives, we must use a fundamental principle that assigns each thing to its place. That supreme principle, which should guide our whole life, is what our Lord explains in the Gospel when he says: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments. "It is a quality discernment beyond human knowledge and experience: "I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts."

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Sep 8 Sun - Who invented the sacraments?

 Sep 8 Sun
Who invented the sacraments?
God is ready to give salvation to every kind of person who wants it.
St James describes God’s own (and so ours by duty) preferential option for the poor and those in need in any way. It is not that God does not love the rich but the poor are in urgent material need.

Our Lord uses physical signs to cure a man’s deafness. “He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha!’— that is, ‘Be opened!’”

Signs indicate but do not effect what they signify. If you plant the Philippine flag (the “sign” of the country) on Mount Everest, the Himalayas do not become Philippine territory.

Jesus usually conveys his gifts by the Sacraments of the Church, signs that effect what they signify.

Christ established a sacramental Church; that is, Christ pours out his graces on humanity largely through the seven sacraments.

The seven sacraments fulfill the types and figures of the Old Covenant, signify and make actively present the salvation wrought by Christ, and prefigure and anticipate the glory of heaven.

The sacraments signify and make actively present the salvation wrought by Christ. For example, the baptismal washing is a sign of inward cleansing from sin which actually effects that inward purification, won by the merits of Christ.

The sacraments also prefigure and anticipate the glory of heaven.

Thus, we must go to the Sacraments and to the needy.

Since God’s grace largely comes to us through the Sacraments, we must go to them:

Don’t delay your own child’s baptism; encourage others to have their children baptized as soon as possible.
See that your children receive First Confession, First Eucharist, and Confirmation as soon as the Church permits.
Go to confession frequently and according to a schedule, like every month on a certain day and at a certain time. Go to confession as soon as possible if you are aware of having committed a serious sin.
Receive Communion frequently, even daily, provided you are in a state of grace.
Be sure that family members who are in danger of death receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
If you are a priest, call on the graces of Holy Orders to conform your will to God’s will.
If you are married, take advantage of your matrimonial graces to be faithful Christian spouses and parents. Don’t forget that the natural marital act open to life is a renewal of your mutual covenant with God.

Go also to the needy.
Since Christ loves them so much, we show our love for Christ by aiding them, and because they are everywhere, even in our own families, we can show our love for Christ and for them whenever we want.
So, who is needy around you? What can you do for them?

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Sep 7 Sat - The worn-out sandals of Mary.

 

Sep 7 Sat
The worn-out sandals of Mary.
Recently, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Gospel, we see the young girl from Nazareth who, after receiving the Angel's announcement, immediately sets out to visit her cousin.

The expression in the Gospel is beautiful: "Mary set out and went" (Lk 1:39). It shows that Mary doesn't see the news she received from the Angel as a privilege only for herself but, on the contrary, she leaves home and sets out with the haste of someone who wishes to announce that joy to others, and with the eagerness to be of service to her cousin.

This first journey is a metaphor for Mary's entire life because, from that moment forward, Mary is always on the move, following Jesus, not only as his Mother but also as a disciple of the Kingdom. Eventually, her earthly pilgrimage culminates in her Assumption into Heaven where, together with her Son, she enjoys the joy of eternal life forever.

We shouldn't imagine Mary "as a motionless wax statue," but in her, we can see a woman... with worn-out sandals... and with so much weariness, for having followed the Lord and meeting others, concluding her journey in the glory of Heaven. In this way, the Blessed Virgin is She who goes before us on the journey, reminding us that our life is also a continuous journey towards the horizon of the definitive encounter. Are my sandals worn-out, like those of Mary, trying to please God?
Let us pray to Our Lady to help us on this journey towards the encounter with the Lord.

The hope of this encounter and its eternal nature should nourish our own life journey, especially during the most tiring and difficult times. It is good for us to ask ourselves: Do I nurture this hope, knowing that the Lord is always with me and awaits me at the end of my earthly journey? Am I progressing on this pilgrimage of life or have I become complacent, living day by day as if I will be here forever? Do I remember that I am destined for Heaven? That I must seek the Lord (sanctity) and love my brothers (apostolate), or do I think only of myself and remain enclosed in earthly matters?

Elizabeth's praise, "Blessed are you who believed."
This is the highest compliment that can be said to a simple, humble, poor little girl, who had the good fortune to speak with angels, she who is a nonentity, and now is told that she will have to have a Son who will be the Holy One, the Son of the Most High; yes, that's her, the last and smallest "remnant" of Israel.

A remnant is a group of people that is left over after a catastrophic devastation. It’s what remains after the invasion of a foreign army. It is the faithful ones.

We must decide to choose Mary as our teacher in the faith.
Yes, precisely of faith.

And I explain. You must know, that the march of faith must be done complete, and on foot.
This is our good fortune, we must not tremble in the darkness, we must not slow down when it seems that we cannot take it anymore.
Some excerpts from Pope Francis.

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Sep 6 Fri - Why Did Nathanael Believe in Jesus?

 

Sep 6 Fri
Why Did Nathanael Believe in Jesus?
In John’s Gospel, we find the puzzling scene of Nathanael coming to accept Jesus as the Messiah based on seemingly little evidence. Nathanael is approached by his friend Philip, who says, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

Nathanael responds, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" He is skeptical that the humble, backwater village of Nazareth could be the place where the long-awaited Messiah comes from. However, he agrees to meet with Jesus. As he approaches, Jesus declares, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"

Nathanael, surprised, asks, "How do you know me?" Here comes the cryptic part. Jesus seems to sidestep the question and says, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Instead of asking for more clarification, Nathanael responds with a statement of faith: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!"

Perhaps Nathanael is stunned that Jesus miraculously knows that he was standing under a fig tree, and this divine sign is enough to convince him that Jesus is the Messiah.

Perhaps, but it seems insufficient.

Jesus's words have resonated with Nathanael on a deeper level. The clue lies in what Philip told Nathanael: "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote." Nathanael begins to realize that Jesus has connected Old Testament texts in a way that identifies Him as the Savior of Israel.

Nathanael is particularly familiar with the prophecies of Zechariah. Thus, he knows that during the promised time of renewal, people will invite their neighbors under their vine and fig tree. He knows he was standing under a fig tree when Philip invited him, and he is amazed by Jesus's miraculous knowledge of that event. But what seals the deal for Nathanael is Jesus's invocation of the Old Testament prophecy pointing to the coming Messiah.

Nathanael also knows that Jesus comes from Nazareth. In the Zechariah prophecy, new life will spring from the land of God's people, a land that had been left barren and desolate after Babylon destroyed Jerusalem. Similarly, in Nathanael's time, new life will come from the least expected place: the lowly town of Nazareth.

Additionally, Nathanael may have Isaiah in mind, with the promise that spiritual renewal will come from the "branch" (netser), hence the name “Nazareth.” In a moment of spiritual insight, Nathanael realizes that the Nazarene standing before him is the Lord's Anointed One.

To conclude the passage, there is another allusion to the patriarch Jacob when Jesus essentially says, "You haven't seen anything yet! Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." This refers to Jacob's Ladder vision described in Genesis.

By invoking this imagery, Jesus dramatically places Himself at the center of the Old Testament as the Son of God and Son of Man, revealing Himself to be the "one mediator between God and men" who has come into the world so that the gates of heaven may be opened to all who believe.
Excerpts from Clement Harrold

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Sep 5 Thu - Why do we speak of transubstantiation?

 

Sep 5 Thu
Why do we speak of transubstantiation?

The Eucharistic discourse of St. John develops in a unique way, which can be described as a spiral or spiral staircase. In this discourse, Jesus seems to continuously return to the same themes, but each time introduces a new element that elevates our contemplation of the mystery. The new element in this case is bread, which is repeated up to five times.

The sacraments are signs that produce what they signify. Therefore, it is important to understand what bread means for humanity. To grasp the meaning of the Eucharist, it is better to look at the work of the farmer, the miller, the housewife, or the baker, rather than relying solely on the theologian.

Bread is a symbol of work, waiting, nourishment, domestic joy, unity, and solidarity among those who partake in it. Unlike other foods, bread never causes nausea, it is consumed daily, and its taste is always pleasing. It complements all types of food. People who suffer from hunger do not envy the rich for their caviar or smoked salmon; they primarily long for fresh bread.

What happens when this bread reaches the altar and is consecrated by the priest? Catholic doctrine expresses it with the word "transubstantiation." This means that at the moment of consecration, the bread ceases to be bread and becomes the Body of Christ. The substance, the true essence of the bread, which can only be perceived by the mind and not the eyes, gives way to the divine Person who is the living and risen Christ, while the external appearances (referred to as "accidents" in theological terms) still resemble bread.

To better understand transubstantiation, it is helpful to look at the word "transformation," which is similar and more familiar to us. Transformation means to move from one form to another, whereas transubstantiation refers to moving from one substance to another. For instance, if we see a lady coming out of the hairdresser with a completely new hairstyle, we would say, "What a transformation!" No one would exclaim, "What a transubstantiation!"

Of course, the lady has changed her external appearance, but not her essence or personality. If she was intelligent before, she remains intelligent now; if she was not, unfortunately, she still is not intelligent. The appearances have changed, but not the substance.

In the Eucharist, the opposite occurs: the substance changes, but not the appearances. The bread is transubstantiated, but not transformed; the external characteristics (shape, taste, color, weight) remain the same, while the profound reality changes—it becomes the Body of Christ.

The Eucharist enlightens, elevates, and consecrates the entire reality of the world and human activity. In the Eucharist, material elements such as the sun, earth, and water are presented to God and fulfill their purpose, which is to serve and proclaim the glory of the Creator. The Eucharist is the true "canticle of creatures."

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Sep 4 Wed - Why do we feel temptations?

 

Sep 4 Wed
Why do we feel temptations?
Temptation is an inducement to sin; it can never come from God. It always comes from any of the three causes: the world, the devil, and the flesh.
The WORLD refers here to men and society in general, “lifestyles” organized without regard for God.
The FLESH refers to the internal disorder in man, caused by original sin and aggravated by personal sins.
It has three manifestations: “the lust of the flesh,” which encourages man to impurity, gluttony, etc.; “the lust of the eyes,” which encourages him to greed; and the “pride of life,” which is the beginning of all sins (cf. 1 Jn 2:16).
The DEVIL encourages us to sin with strength and skill. We should neither ignore nor be surprised at his action (cf. 1 Pt 5:8; Jas 4:7).

Feeling a temptation is not a sin. Consenting to it, that is, accepting it by our will, is.
It is not right to arouse a temptation willfully. Putting oneself in danger of committing a mortal sin without serious cause will already be a serious sin, even if the sin is eventually not committed. It shows that one does not mind seriously offending God, and this is a serious sin in itself.

Sin renews and aggravates the four wounds left by original sin: ignorance in the intellect, malice in the will, weakness in the irascible appetite (wrath), and disorderly desires in the concupiscible appetite (lust).

Mortal sin causes the loss of sanctifying grace, and of the infused virtues (faith and hope may remain, but formless and dead), the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and all previously acquired merits (which, however, are recovered with grace when the sin is forgiven).

Sin spreads not just within the soul, but through the whole self. It produces a remorse of conscience. In addition, man is condemned to eternal punishment. Sin also affects human products —art, technology, even language.

Sin is not a passing event. It lasts. Sin is primarily a choice, and choices are spiritual acts that completely mark the persons who make them. Our choices cause us to be, in moral terms, the kind of persons we are, what we have chosen to be.

We cannot erase our own sins.

Guilt is the persistence of sin, not a matter of feelings. Sin remains until sinners change their minds and hearts —themselves— by repenting before God and seeking forgiveness by the Church. Repenting means a great deal more than simply not repeating sinful behavior.

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Sep 3 Tue - Why should I live fraternity?

 Sep 3 Tue
Why should I live fraternity?
We are all good shepherds to one another. God wants to use our help to sanctify others; He requests our cooperation. This is the best expression of fraternal affection. If the mere fact of coming from the same town is sufficient for many people to be friends, what level of love must there not be among us, who share the same House, the same Table, the same life, the same Head; the same Pastor and King and Judge and Creator and Father?

Nobody should feel alone: we are united by our common destiny to holiness. St. Josemaría: "The constant concern my children should have for one another is a blessed consequence of our unity: nothing, no matter how small it seems, can ever be indifferent to us if it affects any of us in any way. None of you is alone, none of you is an isolated verse; we are verses of the same poem, a divine epic."

Let us examine ourselves courageously, in the presence of God, to see how we can make a better contribution to the sanctification of others.

First of all, we have to be sensitive to the needs of others and be aware of what is on their minds: their concerns, their problems, or their sorrows. If we are too self-centered or engrossed in ourselves and not attentive to those around us, we won't notice when something is bothering them, and as a result, we won't be there to help them when they need us.

"Let's be friends with our co-workers, with everyone around us, even if they are separated from God. We should be even better friends with such people because they need us more. The ones who need us most are the lukewarm Catholics who are not living up to the faith they profess. Let's reach out to them with all our charity and understanding, offering them genuine and sincere friendship that is both natural and supernatural."

No matter the challenges, we should never stop striving to help souls. With great love and careful consideration for people's freedom, we should never let human respect or cowardice prevent us from doing everything we can to obtain God's grace for their conversion.

Fraternal correction contributes strongly to the sanctification of others. But we should be extremely tactful, realizing that we are not above falling into the same fault ourselves if God were to allow us to do so: "Not seeking, says St Augustine, something to reprimand, but what has to be corrected." And likewise, whenever we are corrected, it is a consequence of fraternal affection.

This could be a good time to renew our hearts and to ask God to increase our fraternal affection, and our readiness to show that affection. Our Mother Mary was faithful all her life long, and so we call her Virgin most faithful. Let us make the resolution now to say the Memorare prayer, devoutly many times a day for the person who needs it most.

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Sep 2 Mon - Is God my Father?

 Sep 2 Mon
Is God my Father?
The Hebrew word nefesh (נפש, pronounced "neh-fésh") is generally translated as "soul". To fully grasp the weight of the Hebrew word nefésh, we need to return to the beginnings. God called the world into being with the power of His Word. But man came alive because God breathed into him and –made him in the likeness of God.

Man is the recipient of God’s Covenant. “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (nefésh).” Nefésh highlights the weight and worth of the Covenant.

In Psalm 19, David wrote: "How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory… no speech or words are used, no sound is heard; Yet their message goes out to all the world and is heard to the ends of the earth."

Have you ever considered that, just like the sky reveals God’s glory, your life is supposed to reveal it too? You, your soul, –your nefésh– should reflect the One who created you. Are you revealing God –His glory– to the people around you, with your words, with your example, and with your actions?

Baptism is a rebirth into a new life. We become "children of God" and, as such, must live as children of our Father. Our life must acquire a unity of life which has as its core the presence of God Our Father; this can and must be a daily reality. Living in the presence of God thus becomes the innermost joy of the Christian.

This biblical concept is clear: for a faithful Israelite, living in the presence of God in the Promised Land was the source of joy. Similarly, we must come to understand, through faith and spiritual struggle, that God is always by our side, acting as a loving Father. He loves each one of us even more than all the mothers in the world love their children. He helps us, inspires us, blesses us, and forgives us.

Therefore, our Christian life should be characterized by living in the presence of the Father, with joy, optimism, strength, serene hope, and love. The fatherhood of God demands that our dealings with Him should never be one of servile obedience or formal reverence, but rather one of sincerity and trust, like a child with his loving father.

As in the parable of the prodigal son, God is never scandalized by us. He never tires of our infidelities. Our Heavenly Father forgives every offense when we return to Him, repent, and ask for forgiveness. He is a Father who anticipates our desire to be forgiven, and opens His arms to us with His grace.

Indeed, no one could turn to the Father if it were not for Him, the God of the Covenant, taking the initiative to come out and meet us, calling us with His grace. A Christian conversion is never a solitary act; God always comes out to meet us. It is not a humiliating experience for us; rather, it has the joyful flavor of returning to our Father's house.

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Sep 1 Sun - Do I want what God wants?

 

Sep 1 Sun
Do I want what God wants? Can only a few be holy?
God looks after us throughout the day, hour by hour, helping us grow in holiness. He is always there, like a loving Father, ready to comfort and support us. Every day, we need to renew our desire to be holy. We become saints precisely through our work and daily duties. We should always be prepared to live our simple life as God intends, so that we can lovingly elevate the ordinary events of our day to a supernatural level and make them apostolically fruitful.

Saint Chantal was married and had six children. After her husband passed away, she performed many good works for the poor and the sick. She then founded the Order of the Visitation and led it wisely.

One day, she asked, "My dear daughters, most of the saints were not martyrs. Why do you think that is?"

After each nun shared her thoughts, she continued, "I believe it is because there is a martyrdom of love: God keeps His children alive to carry out their ordinary lives, full of love, for His glory, and this makes them martyrs and saints. I know this is the kind of martyrdom my daughters must endure."

One sister wanted to understand how this martyrdom would manifest in practice.
– "Give God your unconditional love and consent," she replied, "and then you will find out. He will be present in your soul, and, like a sharp sword, He will separate you from your self-centered pursuits."

Another sister asked how long this martyrdom would likely last.
– "From the moment we wholeheartedly surrender ourselves to God until the moment we die," she answered. "But this applies to generous hearts who remain faithful to love and do not retract their offering. Our Lord does not bother to make martyrs out of weak hearts and those with little love and constancy. He simply lets them continue in their own irrelevant ways. He waits, in case they give up and return to Him; He never forces our free will."

She was asked if this martyrdom of love is as painful as physical martyrdom.
– "We should not compare, but the martyrdom of love is no less painful than the physical kind because love is as strong as death, and martyrs of love suffer infinitely more by remaining alive and fulfilling God's will than if they were to give up their lives for their faith and endure suffering for a few moments."

For a child of God who views things from a supernatural perspective, the ordinary setbacks of the day provide an opportunity to draw closer to God, increase our spirit of sacrifice, and to improve in specific areas of our lives. This is how we can clearly demonstrate that our self-surrender is genuine and based on love. "How many people, who would willingly be nailed to a cross before the amazed gaze of thousands of spectators, cannot bear the daily annoyances with a Christian spirit! Think about which is more heroic." St. Josemaría

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Aug 31 Sat - Can I say that God’s Wisdom rules the universe and keeps it in order?

 

Aug 31 Sat
Can I say that God’s Wisdom rules the universe and keeps it in order?
The world, like the masterpiece of an artist, is marked by the signature of its Creator. We receive the gifts of God and can take them for granted: our lives, our family, the world, our intelligence, friends... everything! But some people do not bother to find out where all these come from and why they have been granted to them.

In Jules Verneʹs novel “The Mysterious Island” he describes a group of men shipwrecked on an unknown island in the Pacific. They believed themselves to be alone but at critical moments they received help: a toolbox; a rope hanging from a rock; enemies exterminated... However, they didn’t know where it came from, or who was helping them.

One night, finding themselves lost at sea after an exploration to a nearby island, they saw a bonfire from afar that served as a beacon to guide them back. This fire saved their lives. The seafarers believed that the fire had been lit by their leader, who had remained on land. But later they discover that it wasn’t him.

The main character of the novel tries to find the mysterious helper, but some others don’t care who provides that help; they just benefit from it without asking questions.

As in Verneʹs novel, some people see the world, but don’t bother to ask “Who made it?” After all, ʹnothing comes from nothingʹ. If we find a football in the jungle, we wonder how it ended up there; we need an explanation because we know that footballs don’t grow on trees. A human soul –capable of loving and thinking– is to the material universe what a football is to a jungle. It does not come spontaneously into it.

Towards the end of the adventure, the main character says: ʺWhat I do know is that a beneficent hand has constantly protected us since our arrival on the island, that we all owe our lives to this good, generous, and powerful being.ʺ He did not stop searching and eventually he found his benefactor.

In the face of the unexpected and unforeseen, we may initially be disconcerted. However, we should quickly try to recognize our Lord, who once again tells us: “Take heart, it is I; have no fear." Peace and calm should be constant features of our lives. “Have no anxiety about anything. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Trusting in Providence brings cheerfulness as well as peace. Thus, the source of our optimism and cheerfulness should be the awareness that we are children of God.

Mary, Mother of the Creator, help men to encourage everyone never to stop looking for the reason behind everything, searching for the Truth. What we are looking for is happiness; not a momentary happiness, but one that is deep and forever, and both human and supernatural.

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Aug 30 Fri - Why is the Lord silent?

 

Aug 30 Fri
Why is the Lord silent?
The summer of our Lord's second year of public life draws near. The latest miracles at the lakeside, the spectacular multiplication of the loaves and fishes, the great promise of the Eucharist, have all failed to move the hard hearts of the Jewish leaders. And Jesus, exhausted, goes off with the Apostles to Gentile territory to find a quiet place to rest.

The inhabitants of that quiet countryside overlooking the sea regard our Lord as just another stranger. Nevertheless, some have heard stories about the great prophet from Galilee traveling all over Palestine, curing many diseases and afflictions. The word spreads from house to house and along the shore. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon."

The action of the Canaanite woman is a wonderful lesson in daring petition. Spurred on by her daughter's pitiful plight, she leaves no stone unturned: she runs, she seeks, she enquires, until eventually she finds the Master and tells him the reason for her anguish. It is her love that causes her to cry out as she does.

There is an air of expectation among Christ's followers. Jesus is the only hope the woman has of seeing her daughter cured, and the anguish in her voice reveals the pain in her soul. But he did not answer her a word.

Christ is silent. It is not hardness of heart. Our Lord often tests our faith like this, because he wishes to strengthen us in the conviction that without Him, we can do nothing. Christ's lack of responsiveness here reveals his infinite love, which seeks to make the motive of our perseverance more supernatural. At times, Jesus keeps silent; he allows us to feel like strangers and exiles. “We may even imagine that our Lord does not hear us; that we are being deluded, that all we hear is the monologue of our own voice. We find ourselves, as it were, without support on earth and abandoned by heaven." It may seem to us that the Gospel scene is being repeated in our lives.

The Canaanite woman doesn't get discouraged. She begs him again and again. At times, when we want something really important, our Lord wants us to pray for it for many years: a prayer composed of supplication and work, of striving to fulfill his commandments and abandonment to his merciful designs; a prayer of our entire existence, which makes us more humble and draws us closer to Christ, because we discover that he is our only recourse.

Even so, we must pray even though it may seem that God is not listening to our plea.
“Everything has its time. Our Lord knows perfectly well what our needs are, yet he wants us to ask with the same persistence as the people in the Gospel."
“Ask the same way they did: they asked him for everything.”

Aug 29 Thu - What can I give to the Lord?

 

Aug 29 Thu
What can I give to the Lord?
The Gospel tells us about the miracle of the loaves and fishes (cf. Jn 6:1-15). A miracle, that is a “sign”, a “sign”, whose protagonists perform three gestures that Jesus will come to repeat at the Last Supper. What are these gestures? Offering, giving thanks, and sharing.

The first: TO OFFER. The Gospel tells us about a boy who has five loaves and two fish (Jn 6:9). It is the gesture with which we acknowledge we have something good to give, and we say our “yes”, even if what we have is too little compared to what is needed. This is emphasized, during the Mass, when the priest offers the bread and wine on the altar, and each person offers himself, his own life.

It is a gesture that may seem small, when we think of the immense needs of humanity, just like the five loaves and two fish in front of a crowd of thousands; but God makes it the material for the miracle, the greatest miracle there is – that in which He makes Himself present among us, for the salvation of the world.

 And so, we understand the second gesture: GIVING THANKS (cf. Jn 6:11). The first gesture is offering, and the second is giving thanks. It is saying to the Lord humbly, with also with joy: “All that I have is your gift, Lord, and to thank you I can only give back to you what You gave me first, together with your Son Jesus Christ, adding what I can; every one of us can add a little something.

What can I give to the Lord? What little thing can I give? My feeble love”. To give… to say to the Lord, “I love you”; but we, poor things, our love is so small, but if we give it to the Lord, the Lord receives it.

Offering, giving thanks, and the third gesture is SHARING. Within the Mass, there is the Communion, when together we approach the altar to receive the Body and Blood of Christ: the fruit of everyone’s gift transformed by the Lord into food for all. It is a beautiful moment, that of communion, which teaches us to live every gesture of love as a gift of grace, both for those who give it and those who receive it.

Let us ask ourselves: Do I truly believe that, by the grace of God, I have something unique to give to my brothers and sisters, or do I feel anonymously “one among many”? Am I active in giving good? Am I grateful to the Lord for the gifts with which He continuously manifests His love? Do I live sharing with others as a moment of encounter and mutual enrichment? May the Virgin Mary help us to live every Eucharistic celebration with faith, and to recognize and savor every day the “miracles” of God’s grace.
Pope Francis.
Today is the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist

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Aug 28 Wed - Is faith just a collection of truths to be believed?

 

Aug 28 Wed
Is faith just a collection of truths to be believed?
Faith involves both the ‘fides qua creditur’ (the faith with which one believes) and the ‘fides quae creditur’ (the faith which one believes, the content of the faith). There is a profound unity between the act by which we believe and the content to which we give our assent.

Saint Luke recounts that, Paul went on the Sabbath to proclaim the Gospel to some women; among them was Lydia and “the Lord opened her heart to give heed to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). Thus, knowing the content to be believed is not sufficient unless the heart, the authentic sacred space within the person, is opened by grace that allows the eyes to see below the surface and to understand that what has been proclaimed is the word of God.

Confessing with the lips implies public testimony and commitment. A Christian may never think of belief as a private act. Faith is choosing to stand with the Lord so as to live with him. This “standing with him” points towards an understanding of the reasons for believing. Faith, precisely because it is a free act, also demands social responsibility for what one believes.

The Church on the day of Pentecost, strengthened by the gift of the Holy Spirit, demonstrates this public dimension of believing and proclaiming one’s faith fearlessly to every person.

Profession of faith is an act both personal and communitarian. It is the Church that primarily believes. In the faith of the Christian community, each individual receives baptism.

“I believe” is the faith of the Church professed personally by each believer. “We believe” is the faith of the Church confessed by the bishops assembled in council or more generally by the liturgical assembly of believers. And the Church, our mother, teaches us to say both “I believe” and “we believe.”

Evidently, knowledge of the content of faith is essential for giving one’s own assent, that is to say for adhering fully with intellect and will to what the Church proposes. Knowledge of faith opens a door into the fullness of the saving mystery revealed by God. The giving of assent implies that, when we believe, we freely accept the whole mystery of faith, because the guarantor of its truth is God who reveals himself and allows us to know his mystery of love.

Yet many are still sincerely searching for the ultimate meaning and definitive truth of their lives and of the world. This search is an authentic “preamble” to the faith, because it guides people onto the path that leads to the mystery of God. Human reason, in fact, bears within itself a demand for “what is perennially valid and lasting.” This demand constitutes a permanent summons, indelibly written into the human heart, to set out to find the One whom we would not be seeking had he not already set out to meet us. To this encounter, faith invites us and it opens us in fullness.
Excerpts from Benedict XVI, Porta Fidei.
Pic: St Paul baptizes Lydia, the purple cloth dealer.

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Aug 27 Tue - Four physical abilities that are also very useful for the soul.

 

Aug 27 Tue
Four physical abilities that are also very useful for the soul.
Taking care of the body helps to take care of the soul.
Physical virtues bring health to our bodies. Moral virtues strengthen and guide our will to choose what is authentically good and beautiful and by aiding our relationship with God.

The abilities exercised in sport can be equally applied to the spiritual life.
Training the four elementary skills (strength, speed, endurance and flexibility), not only helps physical well-being, but also spiritual development. Both sides must grow harmoniously.

Some make their training charts without skipping any activities, but are still "too busy" for God. They find an hour every day to exercise, but don't seem to have time to go to Mass on Sundays.

There are four skills help develop the body, and improve the soul.

1. Strength.
God has given us the ability to use our body. Pushing the body further through exercise can increase strength and decrease injury.
The more the muscles are developed, the less chance there is of injury. It is the same with the soul; the more we toughen our character, the easier to avoid falling into temptations. Even if they keep coming, they will not control us.

2. Speed.
Speed training develops the ability to do intense physical activity in a short period of time. It exercises the lungs, heart, and muscle fibers like no other type of training.
The fight against temptation becomes more difficult when one delays to ask for the help of God's grace; so, speed training should not be neglected in order to react, right away, and avoid falling into temptations.

3. Resistance.
By gaining muscular and cardiovascular resistance, patience and willpower are also exercised.
In life there will always be moments of greater difficulty that may weaken faith in God and humanity; we must have patience, resist, and seek solutions.

4. Flexibility.
By training this ability, we will improve muscular functions and prevent injuries.
The human being possesses two facets: one that conforms to objective truth (justice) and another guided by love and compassion (charity). Both facets can coexist in balance thanks to flexibility.

Did you know that sport and a healthy lifestyle provide a great opportunity to grow in virtues?
Body and soul should not compete. Some may eat unhealthy food because "the physical is less important than the spiritual." They shy away from physical exertion saying: "God doesn't care what I look like."

To grow spiritually, we need exercise, proper rest, and a healthy diet.

       - Exercise: which is mortification that purifies both body and soul.

       - Rest: which is "rest in the Lord," prayer. We need rest in order to continue growing.

       - Nourishment: which is the Eucharist; to grow, and keep the "temple of the Spirit" standing. You are what you eat!

By taking care of the body and the soul, we show respect for God who made us in his image and likeness and who loves us so much.

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Aug 26 Mon - Should I have fear of God?

 

Aug 26 Mon
Should I have fear of God?

The word we translated as 'awe' or fear throughout the Bible is the Hebrew word yiráh (יראה, pronounced "yir-áh"), which can also be translated as devotion, respect, reverence and worship.

But yiráh also means ‘fear of the Lord’. Moses was filled with fear (yiráh) when he begged God to be able to see His glory, and could not behold it, lest he should die.

The Israelites were filled with fear (yiráh) when Moses came down Mount Sinai. I grew up thinking that to "fear the Lord" meant to be scared of Him. But as I was in real awe of a stunning sunset, I didn’t feel fear. I felt awe and wanted to worship the Creator. I felt yiráh! Proverbs 9:10 says: “The fear –yiráh– of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom… If you know God, the Holy One, you will understand what is right.”

The best way to regain our sense of awe is to follow God’s instructions (1 John 5:3). Jesus expressed its components, as two simple things: Love God, and love others. Do this… and we can regain our awe in God.

“The fear of God is holy.' This fear is the veneration a son has for his Father; never a servile fear, because your Father-God is not a tyrant."

“I don't like to speak of fear, for the Christian is moved by the charity of God, which has been shown to us in Christ and teaches us to love all men and the whole of creation. However, we should speak about being responsible, about being serious. "’Make no mistake about it; you cannot cheat God,’ the Apostle Paul warns us."

Thus, be consistent. Do you realize that the ‘fear of the Lord’ is expressed with our actions, by being ‘afraid’ of offending God? … by avoiding anything which may displease God? When was the last time you felt so moved by a sense of awe that all you could do was to thank God, to worship Him?

“It hurts me to see the danger of lukewarmness in which you place yourself when you do not strive seriously for perfection in your state in life.”
Say with me: “I don't want to be lukewarm! My God, pierce thou my flesh with thy fear: grant me a filial fear that will make me react!"

Lord, – say it with a contrite heart – may I never offend you again ... And do not think you are disqualified because sometimes you feel also fear; that fear comes because you know God wants you to be a saint, and you do not strive to be a saint.

The fear of God leads us to make good use of His grace. "’We beg you not to offer God's grace an unsuccessful welcome’. Yes, God's grace can fill us, provided we do not close the doors of our heart. We must be well-disposed; we must really want to change; we cannot play with God's grace.” St. Josemaría

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Aug 25 Sun - Whom shall I serve?

 

Aug 25 Sun
Whom shall I serve?
Today, in the First Reading we see that Joshua asked the Israelites to declare whom they would serve. They decided this based on their experience with the Lord who freed them from Egyptian slavery, performed wonders, and protected them during their forty-year exile in the desert.
We, too, need to experience God in some way if we are to serve him. Thus, we understand God’s promise to deliver us in light of Christ and our own resurrection.

The Responsorial Psalm outlines what the just man, that is, the one who chooses God, can expect. God often asks hard things of us: “Many are the troubles of the just one.” We are just if we choose the Lord and take truth and justice as our standards.
It is better to endure difficulties, even crushing ones, with the Lord, than to enjoy the fleeting happiness of the devil.
Those who are close to the Lord retain a peace and joy even while suffering.

Each person has to decide what his way of life will be. Thus, Jesus asks the disciples if they, too, will go away.

He had told them: “It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail."

Flesh and spirit. The truth about the Eucharist that Our Lord reveals is not a natural truth (coming from the flesh) that unaided reason can discover (like honor your father and mother) but a supernatural truth. It can only be known if it is revealed by God (through the Spirit). In addition, we need the grace of Christ to assent to it.

In the case of the faithful apostles, this grace seems to come from their personal encounter with Jesus. They trusted Our Lord, so they could believe the words he spoke.

Pope Francis writes: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day.”

This is what we need. We can encounter Christ in several ways, but most especially in the Eucharist.

Today, we will recite the Creed, at the end of which we will say “Amen.”
Then a little later, after the celebrant repeats Christ’s words which instituted the New Covenant, at the end of the Eucharistic Prayer, we will say together the Great Amen. Even later, when we receive Holy Communion, we will respond with another “Amen.” These “amens” say to Christ “Yes, I believe, I trust in you, You will be faithful to your word."

Let’s let these amens and all the amens of this next week be renewals of our commitment to the New Covenant, to follow Christ closely, every day.

Our commitment must be to love God above all things, and to desire the true good of our neighbor.

Who is my neighbor? Charity begins at home and spreads outward. My neighbor is my spouse, parents, children, relatives, friends, neighbors, and anyone in need that I can serve.

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Aug 24 Sat - What is it to take a leap of faith?

 Aug 24 Sat
What is it to take a leap of faith?
There is a novel written by Graham Greene in 1951. The story is set in London during and after the Second World War, focusing on the affair between Maurice Bendrix and Sarah Miles. Sarah is married to Henry Miles, an influential English civil servant. Eventually, Sarah decides to end the affair.

Two years after their breakup, Bendrix discovers the reason for Sarah's decision while reading her diary. This revelation marks a significant turning point in the story, shedding light on Sarah's complex character.

It is revealed that during their affair, a bomb explodes in Bendrix's apartment. In that moment of anguish, Sarah makes a promise to God: If He saves him, she promises to end the illicit relationship, if He spares Bendrix's life.

Miraculously, Bendrix survives the explosion, although the damage to his apartment is extensive. Neither Bendrix nor Sarah were believers, but Sarah's instinct to pray for her lover's life is undeniable: "I love him and I will do anything as long as You allow him to live. I will say it very slowly: I will leave him forever if You allow him to live, and give him a chance...And then he appeared at the door; he was alive, and I thought: Now begins the agony of having to live without him."

Sarah struggles to keep her promise, torn between her love for Bendrix and her commitment to God. She attends talks by a rationalist, hoping to convince herself that God does not exist, and that there is no afterlife – that all that matters is living in the present. However, instead of erasing her faith, these encounters strengthen it. Sarah decides to convert to Catholicism and discovers the love, compassion, and suffering of God: "You could have killed us with happiness, but you preferred that we reach You through pain." The moral aspect of human existence becomes more apparent to her, urging her to strive for goodness and avoid evil.

Unfortunately, Sarah dies prematurely, leaving Bendrix unable to come to terms with her passing. He begins to sense the presence of God in his own life. "Because if this God exists," he thinks, "and if even you, Sarah – with your desires, infidelity, and small lies – could change so much, then perhaps we could all become saints by taking the same leap you did. That is something He can ask of each one of us, to take that leap. Only, I don't want to take it."

Who knows, Bendrix? Faith is a gift, a present. God continues to knock on the door of every person's heart. He possesses the patience, love, and loyalty that we often lack. He created us to be free and never stops extending His hand to us, beckoning us to take that leap throughout our lives.

To take that leap of faith is to embark on a lifelong journey.
Faith comes alive when it results in practical outcomes - when it guides Christians in making specific choices and decisions that shape their actual lives.
Otherwise, faith is dead, because it remains like an abstract lesson or a set of moral traditions that hold no inherent value.

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Aug 23 Fri - Something Wicked Comes This Way.

 

Aug 23 Fri
Something Wicked Comes This Way.

Evil is an inversion of the good. The philosopher Jacques Maritain likened it to a parasite clinging to a healthy body; it draws its lifeblood from the repudiation of all things wholesome. It feeds itself by attacking the people and standards that hold them accountable to higher obligations and virtuous behavior.
Thus, evil speaks eloquently of tolerance and compassion when it’s weak, but switches effortlessly to intolerance and contempt when it gains the upper hand.
It cannot bear to be “tolerated.” It demands to be affirmed and its critics punished.
Evil can never live peacefully with truth and sacrificial love because its very existence burns it, an ongoing indictment of evil’s destructive perversity.

The American writer Matthew Crawford captured the undercurrent of so much of today’s self-described “progressive” thought in a recent posting: It’s anti-white, anti-male, anti-straight sexuality (unless abortion is involved), cynical toward religion, and anti-normal. Normalcy – the everyday lives of average people doing ordinary things informed by a broadly Biblical moral sense and a simple measure of contentment – is the target of a peculiarly venomous hatred.

Modesty is mocked, and the normal is cast as “weird.” Meanwhile, political luminaries hobnob with drag queens. As Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz might say, “We’re not in Kansas anymore.”

How best to understand our present moment?

Humans have a hunger for stories. It’s in our DNA. A good story can teach about the nature of the world and our lives in it more effectively than any classroom. Like young boys growing up, I had an appetite for works of fantasy and science fiction.

Bradbury, in “Something Wicked", presents a circus with Mr. Dark, who has an uncanny ability to read people’s deepest desires and grant them – for a price. Every selfish wish is satisfied, and every selfish wish is a trap. A woman desperate to be younger is returned to her childhood. . .but left friendless and miserable. Along with its blandishments, he turns everything he touches into division, conflict, and despair.

Look around at American life as we now know it. If we don’t see at least a few grasping and fractious parallels, we haven’t been awake.

Bradbury offered up a way to resist evil. It’s the deliberate choice to love when it’s easier to hate; to be grateful; to take joy from the gifts we already have in life despite its burdens and disappointments – these are what defeat Mr. Dark. These things give us peace, make us happy, and keep us fully human. Which is why they’re so infuriating to the chronically restless and dissatisfied.

Something wicked this way comes. It’s been coming for decades, pushed along by our appetites, choices, and the leaders we’ve selected. But we can change.

But if we claim to be Christians, let’s remember who we really are and what we really need before entering their circus tent.

Excerpts from Francis X. Maier

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Aug 22 Thu - Can I talk to God?

 

Aug 22 Thu
Can I talk to God?
This is the noble task of everyone, to pray and to love. To pray and to love, that is the happiness of man on earth.
 
Consider, children, a Christian’s treasure is not on earth, it is in heaven. Well then, our thoughts should turn to where our treasure is.
 
Prayer is nothing else than conversation and union with God. In it, God and the soul become like two pieces of wax molded into one; they cannot be separated any more.
 
After sin, we deserved to be left incapable of praying; but God in his goodness has allowed us to talk to him. Our prayer is incense delightful to God.
 
My children, your hearts are small, but your prayer enlarges them, and renders them capable of loving God. Prayer is a foretaste of heaven. It never leaves us without sweetness; it is like honey; it descends into the soul and sweetens everything. In a prayer well made, troubles vanish like snow under the rays of the sun.
 
Prayer makes time seem to pass quickly, and so pleasantly that one fails to notice how long it is. When I was parish priest of Bresse, once almost all my colleagues were ill, and as I made long journeys, I used to pray to God; I assure you, the time did not seem long to me. There are those who lose themselves in prayer, like a fish in water, because they are absorbed in God. There is no division in their hearts. How much I love those noble souls!
 
As for ourselves, how often do we come to church without thinking what we are going to do or what we are going to ask for. And yet, when we go to visit someone, we have no difficulty in remembering the motive why we came. Some appear as if they were about to say to God: ‘I am just going to say a couple of words, so I can get away quickly.’ I often think that when we come to adore our Lord, we should get all we ask, if we asked for it with a lively faith and a pure heart.
 On prayer, by St John Mary Vianney

Today is the Queenship of Mary

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Aug 21 Wed - Do we need fortitude to become saints?

 

Aug 21 Wed
Do we need fortitude to become saints?
We read in the Gospel that "Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison." John the Baptist had strongly condemned Herod for his immoral actions. In doing so, John was aligning himself with his role as the Precursor, which demanded that he hold himself to high standards. His uncompromising preaching, in fulfillment of God's Will, was always supported by his own rigorous lifestyle.

Fortitude is a cardinal virtue that we all require. As our Lord tells us, "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force." As ordinary Christians, we have a particular need for fortitude. We have chosen holiness as our life's goal, and becoming a saint is not an easy endeavor: we must fulfill God's Will each day, every minute.

We need fortitude to take on difficult tasks, make sacrifices, and avoid becoming attached to anything that may hinder our souls. Fortitude empowers us to echo St. Paul's words: "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." As ordinary Christians, we must constantly practice this virtue to persistently respond to the divine calling, as St. Josemaría said, "being able to risk everything on one single card, the card of God's love."

A person with fortitude persists in doing what their conscience tells them is right. They do not measure the value of a task solely based on personal benefit, but rather on the service they provide to others. The strong individual may often suffer, but they remain steadfast; they may be brought to tears, but they brush them aside. When difficulties arise rapidly and overwhelmingly, they do not yield to them.

First and foremost, we must be determined to fulfill our duties in an exemplary manner. We can achieve this by continuously renewing our love for God, which will then be evident in how we approach our daily tasks. As Clement of Alexandria states: "A valiant soul cannot be separated from the love of God, nor does it ever need to search for peace of mind, as it firmly believes that everything happens for the best. It is never irritated or angered because it loves God and devotes itself entirely to Him."

The virtues of patience, for overcoming our flaws or bad temper, and serenity, to help us remain calm under pressure, will aid us in maintaining a continuous presence of God. "We cannot act like children or mad individuals. We must be strong, true sons and daughters of God, people who do not get overly excited at work or in professional situations. A continuous presence of God will enable us to appreciate the importance of every little detail."

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Aug 20 Tue - Why does God want us to love Him?

 Aug 20 Tue
Why does God want us to love Him?
All holiness and perfection of the soul lies in our love for Jesus Christ, our God, who is our Redeemer and our supreme good. God's love leads us to acquire and increase all the virtues that make a person perfect.

Doesn't God deserve all our love? He has loved us from all eternity. He tells us, "O man, consider carefully that I loved you first. You had not yet appeared in the light of day, nor did the world exist, but I already loved you. I have loved you from all eternity."

Since God knew that favors entice people, He wanted to bind us to His love through His gifts. And all the gifts He bestowed upon us were given for this purpose. He gave us a soul, made in His likeness, and endowed us with memory, intellect, and will. He gave us a body equipped with senses. He created heaven and earth and an abundance of things for us. He made all these things out of love for us, so that all of creation might serve us, and we, in turn, might love God out of gratitude for so many gifts.

But He didn't just give us beautiful things. To win our love, He went so far as to give us the fullness of Himself. And what did He do, when He saw that we were all dead through sin, and deprived of His grace? The eternal Father went so far as to send us His only Son, to suffer and die for us. Jesus made reparation for us and called us back to a sinless life.

He did not spare His Son, to spare us of the punishment; He bestowed upon us every good thing at once: grace, love, and heaven. All of these goods are certainly inferior to the Son. If He did so, how could He fail to give us all good things along with His Son?

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

We have to love God as we are, even though, at times, we may seem to feel nothing. Our love will be purer and more supernatural.
St. Josemaría: “Sometimes one hears love described (you'll have heard me mention this more than once) as if it were a movement towards self-satisfaction, or merely a means of selfishly fulfilling one's personality.
And I have always told you that it isn't so. True love demands getting out of oneself, giving oneself. Genuine love brings joy in its wake, a joy that has its roots in the shape of the Cross."
Let us lose our fear of giving ourselves too much. Let us give ourselves to God and souls without reserve, without limits.
The more we love God, with deeds, the more we accomplish ourselves as human beings and children of God.

Some excerpts from St Alphonsus Liguori and St. Josemaría.

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