May 1 Thu - Why did God choose Saint Joseph, a worker?

 

May 1 Thu
Why did God choose Saint Joseph, a worker?
Saint Joseph was a good worker. With admirable simplicity, an ancient document from the early Christian era shows that Christians need to work. “If anyone wishes to live amongst you, let him have a job; let him work and thus feed himself. And if he has no job, make provision for him with prudence so that no lazy Christian is in your midst. If he does not want to act in this way, he is a trafficker in Christ. Be on your guard against such people."

A Christian should not be content with keeping himself busy all day long with different activities. He must sanctify everything he does. “If we want to live this way, sanctifying our profession or job, we really must work well, with human and supernatural intensity." This means using our time well, dedicating whatever time may be necessary, and putting to the best use the tools which God has placed in our hands.

The life of Saint Joseph was not spent amongst miracles, but in hard and steady work. “Saint Joseph was not one for easy solutions and little miracles, but a man of perseverance, effort, and, when needed, ingenuity. The Christian knows that God works miracles, that He did them centuries ago, and that He continues doing them now, because 'the Lord's hand is not shortened'. But miracles are a sign of the saving power of God, not a cure for incompetence nor an easy way to dodge effort."

“The 'miracle' which God asks of you is to persevere in your Christian and divine vocation, sanctifying each day's work: the miracle of turning the prose of each day into heroic verse by the love you put into your ordinary work. God waits for you there. He expects you to be a responsible person, with the zeal of an apostle and the competence of a good worker."

Serious work goes united to prayer – Saint Joseph knew how to listen to God, and to talk to Him. He had Him, as a Man, right there, at home, in the workshop. This is prayer.

Prayer is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God. In every moment of our day, we must follow the path of love, desiring the good of the other. God is love and that is all He is.

“Every day we should set aside time especially for speaking with God, but without forgetting that our prayer must be constant, like the beating of our heart: aspirations, acts of love, acts of thanksgiving, acts of reparation, spiritual communions. When we walk along the street, when we close or open a door, when we see a church bell-tower in the distance, when we begin and end our tasks, and while we are carrying them out, we direct everything to God. We are obliged to make a continual prayer of our ordinary life, for we are contemplative souls along all the pathways of the world.” (Saint Josemaría)

Thank you, Father, for conferring on me the passion and courage with which I must fulfill your will. I humbly beseech You to increase my faith and my hope.
Lord, I ask that I may not reject your Love, that I may always be close to You as the little hatchlings to the hen. May my freedom be always to choose You.

When someone goes that way, the Blessed Trinity transforms the soul in which it dwells, imprinting signs of its presence on it, making it more and more like Itself.

Apr 30 Wed - What is the way to a full and happy life?

 

Apr 30 Wed
What is the way to a full and happy life?
Find your life's purpose through love, service, and faithfulness to God.

In the New Testament, the term "He chose us" appears as a definitive action carried out by God, for the benefit of the recipients of the election.

He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we might be holy and blameless before him for love. God chooses everyone for something, not just some privileged persons.
        
“Before the foundation of the world, " the election has a permanent, ethical, and spiritual purpose: "that we may be holy and blameless."

Vocation is a deeply Christian concept that invites us to discover God’s will for our lives. It is not just a call to pursue a career or profession, but a divine invitation to live according to a higher purpose that gives meaning to our existence. Every human being, regardless of their condition, has been created with a unique and special plan, and finding that vocation is part of the spiritual journey that leads us to holiness.

The Purpose of Vocation: Following Christ.
Vocation is not about being recognized or achieving worldly success, but responding to a call to live with purpose, love, and service. As Christians, we are called to follow Christ and live according to His example, and to participate in His redemptive work in the world.

We all have a vocation, a call to holiness. Each of us has a special mission to fulfill in the world, and it is through our vocation that we accomplish that mission fully. There is no small or great vocation; each has eternal value in the eyes of God.

Vocations are diverse; each has its path and is equally valuable in God’s eyes. Saint Augustine tells us: “A vocation is not in what you do, but in how you do it,” emphasizing that holiness does not depend on our occupation, but on the dedication with which we live that occupation.

For those who feel the call to the priesthood or consecrated life, the path is one of total dedication. Lay apostolic life is another manifestation of love and sacrifice for the Kingdom of God.

Marriage, like other vocations, is a divine calling. It is where love is made visible, where spouses support each other in their pursuit of holiness and forming a Christian family. It is a path of sanctification for spouses, a path traveled together with Christ.

Marriage and family are the primordial vocation of humanity, and the family is the first school of love. The call to marriage is not only an act of love between two people, but a sacred covenant with God to build a Christian family that will be a light in the world.

Discernment helps us tune into divine will and hear God’s call for each of us, not in an imposing way, but in profound inner peace.

On the journey to holiness, all vocations call us to live according to the Gospel. No matter your path, the important thing is that you live with love, generosity, and service to others. Love is not something we give when we have time or when we feel good. Love is given now. Each of us has a calling to live in love, and that is the very essence of every vocation.

Living our vocation is the path to a fulfilling life, full of peace, love, and purpose. Whatever your path, always remember that your vocation is a call to live in love, and it is through it that we find the true happiness and peace that only God can give.

May each of us discover and live our vocation with joy, confidence, and generosity, knowing that in service to God and others lies the path to holiness.

April 29 Tuesday _ Should I defend freedom?

 

April 29 Tuesday
Should I defend freedom?
Almighty God has created us free.
“We have learned with gratitude, because it makes us realize the happiness we are being called to, that all creatures have been created out of nothing by God and for God: both men, who are rational creatures, although we so often act unreasonably, and the irrational beings who roam the surface of the earth, or burrow in its inmost recesses, or sail the azure skies - some soaring so high that they come face to face with the sun. But in all this wonderful variety, it is only we men (I am not referring now to the angels) who can unite ourselves to the Creator by using our freedom. We are in a position to give him, or deny him, the glory that is his due as the Author of everything that exists."

“This possibility makes up the light and shade of human freedom. Our Lord invites us, urges us to choose the good, so tenderly does he love us! ‘See, today I set before you a choice between life and death, good and evil. If you pay heed to the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you this day, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live... Choose life, that you may live.’ "

God's plans always take into account and respect our freedom. There is no love where there is coercion. But since our freedom is limited, it entails the possibility of rebelling against God, saying ‘No’ to his demands.

“Ask yourself now (I too am examining my conscience) whether you are holding firmly and unshakably to your choice of Life. When you hear the most lovable voice of God urging you on to holiness, do you freely answer ‘Yes’? Let us turn our gaze once more to Jesus, as he speaks to the people in the towns and countryside of Palestine. He doesn't want to force himself upon us. If you have a mind to be perfect..., he says to the rich young man. The young man refused to take the hint, and the Gospel goes on to say: he went away forlorn. That is why I have sometimes called him the ‘sad lad’. He lost his happiness, because he refused to hand over his freedom to God."

Loving and defending freedom is an essential characteristic of a Christian.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. “We should be great friends of freedom: in love with freedom, defenders of freedom, propagators of freedom. Of the freedom of everyone: first, the freedom of others; then our own. Of personal freedom. But - always! - of freedom with responsibility. They are two things that should always go together."

“The only freedom that can assail the faith is a misinterpreted freedom, an aimless freedom, one without objective principles, one that is lawless and irresponsible. In a word, licentiousness. Unfortunately, this is what some people are advocating, and their claim does indeed constitute a threat to the faith."

“The greatest expression of our freedom is to tell our Lord: put iron shackles on me, tie me to you, for all I want is to serve you and love you."

Apr 28 - Who is the right person to date?

 

Apr 28
Who is the right person to date?
There you have a list with several points to consider.

1. People don't change much. What you see is what you get.
If you fall in love with someone who talks a lot, she will talk more later.
The “I'll change her” later doesn't work.
You may like your partner to change, but you can't do anything to make her change. One can change only when one decides to change. But first, you have to tell her with affection what you expect.

2. Keep yourself open to dialogue.
You must be able to ask: “What about me that you don't like? How could I improve?”
If you have a boyfriend who asks you this, don't leave him; he's good.
But you don't have to throw him the cavalry. You also have defects.

3. You must not want to manipulate and change people.
You marry a person with his virtues and his defects. We all have virtues and defects. If you see and think that your boyfriend has no flaws, leave him, or try to discover his flaws, until you know him well.

4. About laziness.
Some don't make an effort for anything. If, when asked to do something, the answer is, “I can't,” or “I'm already trying, but I can't,” he is a bad candidate for courtship and marriage.

5. About drinking.
Likewise, a point to consider.

6. About pornography.
There are a lot of people hooked on porn. There is no ‘lite’ pornography; addicted people imagine that sex is what they see in pornography; this has affective and physiological consequences and leads the person to self-centeredness.

7. About gluttony.
An honorable person should know how to handle things well.

8. Courtship should make you a better person.
Falling in love should get the best out of yourself; to become the best friend, best student, best son, and best brother. If courtship separates you from others or makes you more unlikable, that infatuation is not good.
 
9. Listen to your parents.
They have good intentions, even if there are parents who objectively never find a good enough boyfriend, a good enough girlfriend for their child.

10. Listen to your friends.
If you have a friend who is doing badly, you have to tell him so. Yet the decision will be made by him. Because falling in love blinds us, and hormones make us see things differently. It's great to have someone warn you. Even if, at first, out of pride, you don't want to recognize it.
A courtship should not separate you from anyone. A good courtship should give you peace and bring you closer to all. It should make you a radiant person.

11. A good courtship should be based on respect for each other and delicacy in treatment.
Disrespect cannot be tolerated. A suitor who is physically violent with his girlfriend is not a good future partner.

12. Courtship should bring you closer to God.
If it separates you from God, you must be strong and decide.
And if you are not a believer, still, courtship should make you a better person. These are alerts that must be taken into account.

Apr 27 Sun - Lord, I am weak. Increase my faith!

 

Apr 27 Sun
Lord, I am weak. Increase my faith!
Ours is a God who doesn’t give up on us easily. This Sunday of Divine Mercy, among other things, shows us that Jesus is the Lord of do-overs.
Doubting Thomas’s quick turnabout serves as a lesson to anyone who dares to doubt or disbelieve in matters of faith. It says: the impossible is possible. The faithless can become faithful. Even the unbelieving can believe.

What do you think of this? Do you think that the absence of Thomas the disciple on the previous occasion was a mere chance? Was it by chance that when he came, he listened, and on listening he doubted, and through doubting he touched, and by touching he believed? No, this did not happen by chance, but was willed by Divine Providence. God's mercy worked admirably, so that, at the touch of that unbelieving disciple on the wounds of the Master, God would be able to heal the wounds of our unbelief. To some extent, Thomas' incredulity was more advantageous for our faith than the faith of the disciples who believed, because by his deciding to believe only by touching, our soul is affirmed in faith, and all our doubts are dispelled.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ, is a child of God. Indeed, faith helps us recognize that Christ is God; it shows us that he is our Savior; it brings us to identify ourselves with him and to act as he acted.

Without faith, there is no hope; still less charity, because no one can love what they do not know. Without faith, there is no true and profound humility, which is the foundation for all the other virtues. Without faith, life will be worldly and choked by the worries of the earth. Faith is so necessary that without it, it is impossible to please God.

“Humbly ask God to increase your faith. Then, with new lights, you will see clearly the difference between the world's paths and your way as an apostle.

“Let us take another look at the Master. You, too, may find yourself now hearing his gentle reproach to Thomas: ‘Let me have your finger: see, here are my hands. Let me have your hand; put it into my side. Cease your doubting, and believe’; and, with the Apostle, a sincere cry of contrition will rise from your soul: 'My Lord, and my God!' I acknowledge you once and for all as the Master. From now on, with your help, I shall always treasure your teachings and I shall strive to follow them loyally."

Illustration: The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Caravaggio, c.1601

Apr 26 Sat - Should I be faithful constantly?

 

Apr 26 Sat
Should I be faithful constantly?
“When we were baptized in Christ Jesus, we were baptized in his death; in other words, when we were baptized, we went into the tomb with Him and joined Him in death, therefore, as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glory, we too might live a new life.”

“I want to remind you of a comparison which I have used several times. Think of those great birds that have the gift of soaring high in majestic flight. They don't feel the weight of their wings, despite their enormous size and weight. If their wings were cut off, or if they could take them off themselves, the birds would weigh less, but they wouldn't be able to fly anymore. Live the Christian spirit, I beg you, in the conviction that the obligations flowing from it are not a dead weight, or something negative. They are a constant declaration of genuine Love."

And by the faithful fulfillment of your obligations, we will fly very high, because despite our individual insignificance, we will all be living God's life. We will soar up to the sun, like ascending eagles.

Faithfulness is a "yes" we each say to God every day, and since we all belong to the one Mystical Body, it is also something we offer to others.

“Being faithful to God demands a struggle. And it means close combat, man to man, - the old man against the man of God - in one small thing after another, without giving in."

I am like a little child held in the arms of my Father God, facing my mother, the Blessed Virgin. Thus, Christ calls me every day to a new life in the glory of the Father, and then He appears to make it happen. I should not delude myself into thinking that I am the protagonist of my Christian life, for better or worse,  but I am not.

He is the protagonist of history, and the protagonist of my salvation. My job is to realize that his grace is operating in me; my duty is to cooperate, to receive, and to respond — not to stand in his way.

I should ask him to remind me, each time, when and where He is showing up in my life, and to praise him for that presence. My wish is to seek him constantly, to find him, to open the door for him, to let him in, to sit down with him, to talk to him, to be always accompanying him.

Apr 25 Fri - Whom do you seek?

 

Apr 25 Fri
Whom do you seek?
Several days had already gone by since our Lord's Resurrection. The apostles, in obedience to the command which Jesus gave them through Mary Magdalene - tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me - went back home to Capharnaum. And while they were waiting, they each took up their ordinary work. After going fishing, the Lord appeared to them, and remained with them.

Mary Magdalene was asked by the angels why she was crying; we should recognize the presence of our Guardian Angels by our side, helping us to find Christ.

Jesus Christ continues to live among us; He is the same one whom Mary Magdalene mistook for the local gardener; Christ is alive.

This is the transcendental question that Jesus is directing to each of us: “Whom do you seek?”

As with Mary Magdalene, Jesus calls us by our name, in his unmistakable tone of voice. He is very close to each one of us. May external circumstances –sorrow, failure, pain, or discouragement– never prevent us from finding Him.

Mary was prevented by her tears from seeing the Risen Lord, even though He was so close, just beside her. May we seek Him always in our ordinary occupations. May we not fail to find Jesus beside us.

Later, Jesus appeared to the apostles and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them. Lord, pour out on us the Spirit who creates and renews.

You promised to be with your disciples to the end of time; stay with us throughout this day and remain with us for ever.

– Lord, grant us the blessings of your resurrection.

Apr 24 Thu - 8 tips for raising solid children who know how to go against the tide

 

Apr 24 Thu
8 tips for raising solid children who know how to go against the tide

If you are concerned that your children may be swept up by the dominant ideologies and the relativistic nature of our society, here are eight tips to help raise strong children with strong personalities to go against the current and resist.

1. Parents' lives must be coherent.
Children are sponges that absorb everything and are specialists in detecting the inconsistencies of their parents. It's hard to expect a child not to lie if he hears his father lying on the phone. Parents must live the Christian principles they want their children to live, so values are instilled. One transmits only what one lives.

2. Marriage must be strong.
The child feels loved in three ways: the affection that his mother has for him, the affection that his father has for him, and the affection that his parents have for each other. And this lays the foundation for children with strong personalities. The breakup of parents opens wounds for children.

3. Children should feel proud of their values.
You defend only what you are proud of. They should learn to say no to many things that they know will not benefit them, even if that makes them feel rejected.
This is achieved by giving reasons to children and living those virtues. Why does a child become a fan of a football team? Because he sees his father rejoicing, suffering, and having a good time with that team. For a child to become a Christian, he must see his parents living a Christian life.

4. Parents must know their children well.
Trust between parents and children is needed so that children can tell their concerns about what they experience every day. For this, there is no better time than during dinner. Of course, without television.
Many parents don't get to know their children because they've never had serious conversations about what love, joy, or faithfulness are. This is a great time to talk to your children and bring up their accomplishments, struggles, and problems.

5. We must not overprotect.
Protecting children is the duty of parents. Overprotecting can have dire consequences. Preserving children from assuming responsibilities will cause them to feel insecure when facing their obligations. This can generate a lack of self-esteem. A person who is not demanded is a person who is not valued, and he will not feel loved.

6. They should feel loved.
Parents should tell them 'I love you' and not only when they are children, but throughout their lives because that fills the child with joy and gratitude.

7. Educate in sobriety.
The key question is, does my child need this? I'm sure you've all heard this phrase, "It's just that all my friends have it." This is the perfect time for the child to compete against a hostile environment.

8. Prepare them; they will be attacked and persecuted for being faithful to their Christian principles.
They must be taught that, sometimes, they may be rejected and misunderstood. But there is a silver lining to this. The attacks will reinforce the values of these children, who will feel even more proud of who they are.
 
Some excerpts from Revista Mision

Apr 23 Wed - Why does the Lord remain in the Tabernacle?

 

Apr 23 Wed
Why does the Lord remain in the Tabernacle?

That very day, two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. To win back those two disciples, who may well have spent a long time in his company, our Lord went out personally to look for them and prevent them from being lost. Initially, they did not recognize him; they thought he was just another traveler. They recognized Him “at the breaking of the Bread.”

Our Lord remains with us in the tabernacle, and is solemnly exposed also, to be adored.
I noticed Exodus 16:31-32 about the description of manna:
“Now the house of Israel called its name manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. And Moses said, ‘This is what the Lord has commanded: “Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

Manna is a forerunner to the Eucharist. It gave life to the People of God in the desert as a gift from Him to be eaten, saving the people from starvation. Notice, however, that not all of it was meant, at least immediately, for eating. For the good of the people, manna was also meant to be displayed. The people would see and remember with gratitude how God had provided for them.

I looked further into the Old Testament antecedents to the Eucharist. That is when I discovered the Showbread, which was special bread that God commanded the priests to prepare each week and place on an altar in the Holy of Holies. On the great festival days in Jerusalem, the priests would lift the bread up and show it to the people, announcing to the gathered faithful, “Behold how precious you are to God.” The Showbread was also called the Bread of the Presence, meaning it was a display of the miraculous face of God to His people. The people did not eat the bread. They looked at it.

God was teaching His people to gaze upon His presence, to linger with Him. He was establishing a communion with them through a beautiful, aesthetic display. He revealed His majesty, even if in a veiled manner, and in doing so, created a connection between Himself and His children.

Our faith is not meant to be limited to what is functional.

Yes, of course, the primary purpose of the Eucharist is to be eaten. This is what Christ desires, that we consume Him and become more like Him in both His death and His life. But there’s a reason the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is a mysterious, overlapping set of beautiful symbols. The Eucharist is the mystery of our faith, a precious jewel, and it won’t do to narrow the Blessed Sacrament down to the functional act of eating.
Perhaps we could say that there are two ways to eat —with the mouth and with the eyes. Equally important is that in the Eucharist, Christ is looking back at you.

Apr 22 Tue - How should be my apostolate?

 

Apr 22 Tue
How should be my apostolate?
The whole of Jesus Christ's life, and in particular his sufferings during his Passion and Death, speak to us eloquently of the value that souls have in God's eyes and of his great love for them. God continues to show that love through the miracle of the Resurrection and even after Christ's Ascension into heaven.

The Holy Spirit, the Love of God, is the driving force of the apostolate. How could we love God without at the same time loving those who are his children, the objects of his love and fatherly care?

“Our Christian vocation, this calling which our Lord makes to each of us personally, leads us to become identified with Him. But we should not forget that He came on earth to redeem everyone, because He wishes all men to be saved. There is not a single soul in whom Christ is not interested. Each soul has cost him the price of his Blood."

We must feel strongly urged to bring everyone before our Lord, and place them at his feet: those who are close to us, and the millions of others whom we do not yet know. “Yours is only a small love if you are not zealous for the salvation of all souls. Yours is only a poor love if you are not eager to inflame other apostles with your madness."

We find a good example of this zeal for souls in today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which describes how, on the day of Pentecost, Peter and the other Apostles spoke to the crowd without fear or human respect. "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

On hearing this, the crowd was cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles. "Brethren, what shall we do?" And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Apostolic zeal is a divine madness I want you to have, and it has these symptoms:
- Hunger to know the Master; it is the love for God within us that attracts souls.

- Constant concern for souls, that will keep us from wasting any opportunity that arises, since the time for souls will not wait. And when the opportunity comes, we have to create an atmosphere of trust straight away, leading to personal and direct apostolate.

- Perseverance that nothing can shake, that leads us to cry out to our Lord again and again: “Jesus, souls... apostolic souls! They are for you, for your glory! You will see how He will end up listening to you."

If we want to ensure that this apostolic zeal is not just a passing sentiment, but remains a constant concern, we have to be closely united to our Lord. “The closer an apostle is to God, the more universal his desires. His heart expands and takes in everybody and everything, in its longing to lay the universe at the feet of Jesus."

Apr 21 Mon - What can I do with my failings?

 

Apr 21 Mon
What can I do with my failings?
“As time goes by, people sometimes experience loneliness in their professional, social, and even interior lives - the loneliness of Christ on the Cross. But if they realize that they are other christs, Christ himself, they can overcome that loneliness by seeking help from this Lord of ours who has conquered death and now reigns victorious over all things. And with his help, they too are victorious."

“Love Christ and his loneliness. And don't let your mistakes get you down, as long as you try to pick yourself up and start again. For, I repeat, if we feel that we are other christs, we will seek help from Christ on the Cross."

When I met you, Lord, for the first time…, I trembled with love and with horror. And now, I shiver, and I burn. I shiver because of the infinite distance between You and me; I burn because of the closeness and resemblance, because You love me.

On Good Friday, I saw the suffering image of the pierced One; it reminded me of the crucifixes of the ancient Church: the cross surrounded by luminous rays, a sign of both death and resurrection.

Thus, Christ has hidden himself, but through this impenetrable darkness, on Sunday, he has risen and become my light, my salvation.

“Earthly things are only as important as we make them be. If we are immersed in God, nothing will disturb our interior peace. When, out of weakness, we make a big deal out of these insignificant events and let them get us down, it is because we want to. If we stay close to our Lord, however, we feel secure. If we unite ourselves to Christ's Cross and his glorious Resurrection, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome.”

“Of course, sometimes sufferings can last somewhat longer, and our body can give out on us and fall sick, so that we have to drag it around like a tired donkey. Nevertheless, you and I have the perfect remedy for this: the Sacraments and the help of spiritual accompaniment. … We must open our hearts and let God's grace in!"

“Be faithful to our Lord at every moment of your life, and when you feel that you have not been faithful, give an extra push in your struggle, with a cheerful, sporting spirit, and you will be victorious. Take all your failings, all those obstacles on the road, and place them at Christ's feet, so that he will be raised on high and triumph, and you will triumph along with Him.”

The Lord has risen. “Don't let anything bother you; rectify your intention; try and try again; and in the end, if you can't manage, our Lord will come and help you to leap the hurdle, the hurdle of holiness. This is the way to be renewed, to conquer ourselves: getting up again every day in the certainty that we will make it to the end of the road, where love awaits us." St Josemaría

Lord, you are all goodness and beauty, and I….so insignificant. And yet, You come to me in the Eucharist and talk to me in prayer.

Apr 20 Sun - Tell us, Mary, say, what thou didst see on the way?

 

Apr 20 Sun
Tell us, Mary, say, what thou didst see on the way? I saw Christ's glory as He rose. Christ, my hope has risen!

In the middle of my daily work, when I am trying to overcome my selfishness, when I am enjoying the cheerful friendship of other people, there, I should rediscover God.

Through Christ and in the Holy Spirit, I have access to the intimacy of my Father God, and I should spend my life looking for the Kingdom which is not of this world. I must seek Christ in the word and in the bread, in the Eucharist, and in prayer. And I want to treat him as a Friend, as the real, living person He is – for He has risen.

“After the hosannas of his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, the time came when Christ was left alone, nailed to a piece of wood to die.
“Our Lord is all alone, and his disciples fled. And who stays by his side? Mary, with a small group of faithful women and one young man, all the others have turned and run.

"Right now, let us tell our Lord fervently that we will be faithful, that we are ready to make any sacrifice, let us tell him: Lord, with your grace; Mary, my Mother, I need your help. I am so weak, I make so many mistakes, I commit so many little errors that if you leave me alone, I feel I would be capable of committing great mistakes.

“But despite everything we dare to say to God our Lord: I am ready for anything; I want to become what you called me to be, when you gave me this Christian vocation; not just another Christ, but Christ himself. Nevertheless, I am so weak, so prone to error that unless you help me, I'll just waste my life.

“This is the great day which the Lord has made, this is the day of his victory. Where are those who crucified Jesus? Today, it is Christ's enemies who are fleeing, for he never loses battles.” St Josemaria

Right now, Jesus is giving you such an opportunity to be holy, holier than all the saints that have ever been, because the world needs shining lives, beacons to see by, guides ready to offer their lives entirely.

Apr 19 Sat - Have I allow God to enter my life?

 

Apr 19 Sat
Have I allow God to enter my life?
On that first Holy Saturday, the Apostles were weak in their faith and were on the point of losing the spirit they needed to continue along the way. In their time of trial, they turned to Mary, and with her, how easy it is!

Our life must also be a life of faith, especially when there are difficulties and moments of darkness. If the winds of temptation arise and you come up against the reefs of tribulation, look up at the star and call upon Mary. God chose her to be our advocate, to be our Mother and our sure path.
You will not lose the way if you follow her. You will not lose hope if you implore her aid. You will not be lost if you think of her.

Take a look now at the Cross. Jesus has died, and there is yet no sign of his glorious triumph. It is a good time to examine how much we really want to live as Christians, to be holy... We can trust in God and resolve to put love into the things we do each day.
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.

The experience of sin should lead us to sorrow. We should make a more mature and deeper decision to be faithful and truly identify ourselves with Christ, persevering no matter what it costs, in the priestly mission that he has given every single one of his disciples. That mission should spur us on to be the salt and light of the world.

While doing so, never put a lid on God. You can give God a thimble and ask for a quart. It won't work. What you give, your plans, your projects, your dreams have to always be bigger than you, so God has room to operate. I want you to get good ideas, crazy ideas, extravagant ideas, holy ambitions. Nothing is too much for ‘The Lord’ to do - emphasis on 'The Lord'.

Apr 18 Fri - How can I accompany Jesus in His sacrifice?

 

Apr 18 Fri
How can I accompany Jesus in His sacrifice?
Pontius Pilate, a pagan, did not believe the Truth. The Pharisees, a minority among the People of God, hated the Truth. This situation has been often repeated throughout the history of salvation.
What did Jesus do? He continued straightaway fulfilling his mission.

“God is my Father, even though he may send me suffering. He loves me tenderly, even while wounding me. Jesus suffers, to fulfill the Will of the Father... And I, who also wish to fulfill the most holy Will of God, following in the footsteps of the Master, can I complain if I too meet suffering as my traveling companion? It will be a sure sign of my sonship, because God is treating me as he treated his own Divine Son.

“But don't drag the Cross. Carry it squarely on your shoulder, because your Cross, if you carry it like that, will not be just any Cross... It will be the Holy Cross. Don't carry your Cross with resignation: resignation is not a generous word. Love the Cross. When you really love it, your Cross will be... a Cross without a Cross.
“And surely you will find Mary on the way, just as Jesus did.

“Very likely, there will be times, when alone in front of a crucifix, you find tears coming to your eyes. Don't try to hold them back... But try to ensure that those tears give rise to a resolution.

As for your sins, God always forgives when you are totally repentant and you desire to change. He forgives... and He never gets tired of forgiving. Never. You may get tired of asking. I hope not. He never, never tires of forgiving. Never.

“We must give our life for others. That is the only way to live the life of Jesus Christ and to become one and the same thing with him.” St Josemaría

Apr 17 Thu - Today, we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and of the “Ministerial Priesthood.”

 

Apr 17 Thu
Today, we celebrate the institution of the Eucharist and of the “Ministerial Priesthood.” The Lord shares his gifts, his sacrifice, and his priesthood, with us.
He is the High Priest through whom we have been reconciled with God,
He is the Sacrifice by which we have been reconciled,
He is the Temple in which we have been reconciled,
He is God with whom we have been reconciled.
He alone is priest, sacrifice, and temple because He is all these things as God in the form of a servant; but He is not alone as God, for He is this with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God.

I am glad to share with you my small composition “Acts of Thanksgiving after Communion”, they are seven prayers, one for each day of the week. I hope this helps you to establish a real dialog with Our Lord after the Mass. You can download it in pdb (for ISilo) and in pdf.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eso7w59MImfP_wax95dvgVxKcnm16H6U?usp=sharing

Apr 16 Wed - Is it possible to “see” God?

 

Apr 16 Wed
Is it possible to “see” God?

Today, the Church remembers Judas' betrayal. This Apostle was to hand Jesus over to his enemies. How far off now were those first encounters with the One he had considered to be the Messiah! He was with Him but did not see Him as God. Judas Iscariot had also been chosen personally by Christ, with a divine vocation. Judas’s betrayal of Jesus was not the madness of a moment, but rather the result of a succession of infidelities.

Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
If you say, “Show me your God,” I will tell you, “Are you ready to listen? Show me your dispositions, and I will show you my God.” First, show me whether the eyes of your mind can see, and the ears of your heart hear.

It is like this. Those who can see with the eyes of their bodies know what is happening in this life on earth. They get to know the differences among material things. They distinguish light and darkness, black and white, ugliness and beauty, elegance and inelegance, proportion and lack of proportion, excess and defect. The same is true of the sounds we hear: high or low or pleasant. So, it is with the ears of our heart and the eyes of our mind to be able to hear or see God.

God can be seen by those willing to see him, provided that they keep the eyes of their mind open. All have eyes, but some have eyes that are shrouded in darkness, unable to see the light of the sun. Yet because the blind cannot see it, it does not follow that the sun does not shine. The blind man must trace the cause of his not seeing back to himself and his eyes. In the same way, that’s why you do not see; you have eyes in your mind that are shrouded in darkness because of your sins and evil deeds.

A person’s soul should be clean, like a mirror reflecting light. If there is rust on the mirror, he cannot see his face in it. In the same way, no one who has sin can see God.

But if you will, you can be healed. Hand yourself over to the doctor, and he will open the eyes of your mind and heart. Who is the doctor? It is God, who heals and gives life through his Word and Wisdom. Through his Word and Wisdom, he created the universe, for by his Word the heavens were established, and all their array by his Spirit. His Wisdom is supreme. God by Wisdom created the earth, by understanding he arranged the heavens, by his knowledge he hollowed out the depths, and the clouds began to pour out the dew.

If you understand this, and live in purity, in holiness, and justice, you may see God. But, before all, faith and the fear of the Lord must dwell in your heart, and then you will understand all this.

Later, when you have laid aside mortality and been clothed in immortality, then you will see God according to your merits. God will raise up your flesh to immortality, along with your soul, and then, once you are made immortal, you will see the immortal One, if you believe in him now.

My soul is thrilled when I see that we can all approach Christ with confidence and walk by his side, trailing our shortcomings along; we feel safe at his side, sure of his goodness and his help.

Apr 15 Tue - What must I do to take my life seriously?

 

Apr 15 Tue
What must I do to take my life seriously?
Jesus was returning from Bethany and was very tired. He, Jesus Christ, was hungry! The maker of the universe, the Lord of all things, the Almighty, is hungry!

He was hungry and went towards that fig tree, still far in the distance, with plenty of lush foliage. But on approaching it, he found nothing but leaves.
Is my life full of leaves but no fruits?
Where can I begin?

At the beginning of the Gospel of Mark (1:15) four phrases summarize the entire work of the Lord; these words nurture and give meaning to our existence:

“This is the time of fulfillment." “The kingdom of God is at hand." “Repent…, and believe the Gospel." Analyzing them, we shall understand the sense of the Incarnation and the Resurrection of Jesus.

“This is the time of fulfillment." It tells us that the time for waiting is finished: from the moment when Jesus is born on earth, he becomes at the same time the center of all human history.

“The kingdom of God is at hand." Heaven, which had been closed because of our sin, is now open, in virtue of the transfigured flesh of Christ in his Resurrection. By now his kingdom of justice and peace has definitely arrived. ... The doors of paradise have been thrown open, and the dazzling light of Christ, raised and living, introduces all to the resting place of the redeemed.

“Repent,..." It reveals to us that to enjoy eternal happiness, we must change our way of thinking, and therefore our life, totally and radically. We have been called to a continuous metanoia, a conversion, a reformulation of our priorities in life, so that this reality can also be fully realized in our existence.

“…and believe the Gospel." Finally, the fourth phrase tells us how to work this conversion: by living the Gospel. There we have all that is necessary. The Gospel, in turn, summarizes what Jesus commands his disciples: “love one another, even as I have loved you."

What must we do to take all of this seriously?
In the convent of San Giovanni Rotondo, in Rome, where Saint Pio of Pietrelcina lived, some of the friars had posters in their cells with inscriptions and reminders. Some were from the Bible, but Padre Pio had this: "Human greatness has always humility for its companion."

The sense of it seemed clear to me: we must have humility, precisely like Jesus, whom Saint Paul describes as emptying himself (Phil 2:7), that is, of making himself man even though he was God, and of dying on the cross, rejected by men.

After this poster was stolen from his room, Padre Pio put up another: "Mary is all the reason for my hope." If Mary, who is Mother of Jesus, is our hope, anyone—anyone who suffers, anyone who is alone, or anyone who feels sad—can look at the Nativity of Jesus and at his Resurrection with a heart full of hope.

 

Apr 14 Mon - How can I become the sweet fragrance of Christ?

 

Apr 14 Mon
How can I become the sweet fragrance of Christ?
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was. There, they made him a supper. Jesus was among friends, all loved Him, in a household where he was surrounded with affection. Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus.

By love of Jesus, every Christian becomes the sweet fragrance of Christ.
Holy purity is a virtue for everyone; it is a joyful "yes" from the fullness of love.

Anything that could tarnish holy purity, which is a virtue for everyone, must be kept far from our soul. St. Josemaría: “When I remind you now that Christians must keep perfect chastity, I am referring to everyone: to the unmarried, who must practice complete continence; and to those who are married, who practice chastity by fulfilling the duties of their state in life."

“If one has the spirit of God, chastity is not a troublesome and humiliating burden, but a joyful affirmation. Will-power, dominion, and self-mastery do not come from the flesh or instinct. They come from the will, especially if it is united to the will of God. To be chaste (and not merely continent or decent) we must subject our passions to reason, but for a noble motive, namely, the promptings of Love."

We have to go through life with love: with a love that is whole and entire, untarnished by anything. St Paul reminds us: “Once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light." Walking as children of light means that we have to struggle to keep our integrity, never dialoging with those foul things that continually seem to boil and rise within you.

One day we decided to serve God, taking our Christian vocation seriously. On that day we chose a way, and our choice was final. We will fight every time the Lord allows us to be tempted, but our attitude should be clear-cut: there is no room for partial concessions because every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste.

“But let's not be afraid of admitting that we have defects. We will feel the same evil inclinations of the flesh when we are fifty as we did when we were twenty. We should be able to say no for the sake of our great Love, with a capital "L". My children, never forget this as long as you live! To say no, we have to be humble."

To be chaste and clean, we depend on the knowledge of our personal weakness and on our love for God and for his most pure Mother, who do not deny us their help. “Let us learn to be humble. We need prudence to protect our Love. We must keep a careful watch and not be overcome by fear. Many of the classical spiritual authors compare the devil to a mad dog tied down by a chain. If we do not go near him, he cannot bite us, no matter how much he barks. If you foster humility in your souls, you will certainly avoid the occasions of sin, and you will react by having the courage to run away from them. You will have daily recourse to the help that comes from heaven and you will make lively progress along this path of true love."

Apr 13 Sun - Why did they welcome Him, and next, they crucified Him?

 

Apr 13 Sun
Why did they welcome Him, and next, they crucified Him?
With the ceremony of the blessing of the palms and the texts of the Mass, the liturgy again shows us how happiness and suffering, joy and sorrow, go together in our Lord's life. The Church presents the Passion and the procession united today so that the procession brings applause, and the Passion tears.
The procession represents the glory of eternal happiness, and the Passion shows us the way to reach it.

We cannot find complete happiness on earth. The joy of us, poor men, even when it has supernatural motives, always leaves behind some taste of bitterness. What did you expect? Here on earth, suffering is the salt of life.
Holy Week invites us to go deeper into this fundamental aspect of our Faith.

Christ experienced isolation, the bitterness of punishment, and death. And now He is suffering in his members, in all of humanity spread throughout the earth, whose head and firstborn and Redeemer He is.
Suffering is part of God's plans. This is the truth; however difficult it may be for us to understand.

The scene we contemplate today is full of sharp contrasts. What a difference between the cries of "Away with him, crucify him," and those of "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, hosanna in the highest!"; between the shouts of "King of Israel" and those, just a few days later, of "We have no king but Caesar!" What a difference between the green branches and the Cross, between the flowers and the thorns! Those who spread their garments as a carpet were shortly afterward stripping him of his garments and casting lots over them.

Amid the superficial, rowdy enthusiasm shines out the silent and docile figure of the donkey, carrying the Lord on his back faithfully and obediently.

The poor donkey, with the most graceful trot he can muster, steps over the silk and purple linen and fine robes that have been laid down to honor the entry of the Lord. But while others offer things they have, the donkey gives himself: upon his rough back, he carries the gentle load of Jesus. People run beside him, waving green olive branches, palms, and laurels. But nobody, not even the Apostles, is as close to our Lord as the donkey.

Thus, we should spend our lives generously in the service of God, allowing him to reign in our hearts. “If Jesus did not reign in my soul, in your soul, then we would have reason to despair. But fear not, Jesus makes do with a poor animal for his throne."

“There are hundreds of animals more beautiful, smarter, and stronger. But Christ chose a donkey when He presented himself to the people as king in response to their acclamation. For Jesus has no time for calculations, for astuteness, for the cruelty of cold hearts, for attractive but empty beauty. What He likes is the cheerfulness of a young heart, a simple step, a natural voice, clean eyes, and attention to his affectionate word of advice. That is how he reigns in the soul."

Apr 12 Sat - On the march to nowhere The prodigal son, an exalted deluded man.

 

Apr 12 Sat
On the march to nowhere
The prodigal son, an exalted deluded man.

This deluded young man left home and walked seduced, fascinated by the kind of life that opened up to him, welcomed him with open arms, and produced exaltation in him.

But let us not confuse exaltation and enthusiasm.

- Enthusiasm - a feeling proper to the process of ecstasy - inflames us, but it does not drive us out of our boxes; on the contrary, it transforms our freedom to maneuver into ‘creative freedom’, that is, freedom to act with the initiative to do good.

- On the other hand, the exaltation proper to the process of vertigo does not perfect our freedom, because it dilutes it, as it congests us with an absorbing, seductive reality and does not allow us to look at it from a distance.

When we allow ourselves to be seduced by a fascinating reality that makes us lose our senses, as they say, we merge with it, we get lost into it. But, as there is no encounter, there is no personal life.

This young man, who walked, illusively, towards a horizon of filled happiness, was seduced, dazzled, but not in a good mood, as it usually happens when there is enthusiasm.

Hence, even though he believed he was about to plunge into a sea of happiness, he behaved cruelly. Thus, he seemed insensitive to the pain felt by his father -who in the parable of the prodigal son acts as both father and mother- when he heard him claim his share of the inheritance, breaking the family custom, and especially when he saw him go away very determinedly towards the distance, heading nowhere.

The fascinated young man acted only from himself and for himself, rejecting all company, isolated, without taking into account how much he would lose by breaking with the family.

He could have compared several ideas in his mind successively, then considered them all together, before deciding, a sort of virtuous circle. More or less like this:

- If I go away, I leave behind my home, a place of refuge and shelter from daily needs and eventualities, and all that my parents and siblings mean, a trusting environment conducive to supportive dialogue. Everything I have been since I was a child, and that has helped me to grow up remains behind.

- It is true that I enjoy little initiative, almost none. But, with age, I will be able from this springboard to establish an environment of creative relationships, such as marriage, and to have the joy that my community life will bring me.

- Ahead of me is pure adventure, the freedom to maneuver without limits, my ability to choose at every moment how to direct my life and seek happiness... but I also face emptiness if I fail to create a life full of meaning.

This virtuous circle, this web of thoughts charged with meaning and real emotional attachments, placed before his calm mind, could have been for him a source of light. But he did not consider making this simple reflection. Being seduced by the new, by the prospect of absolute freedom of maneuver, he saw only adventure, which he identified with running a risk. He did not take the time to choose before deciding.

This life without any plan, which may have led him to creativity, appeared to him as the height of happiness. He who follows the dictates of vertigo is a deluded person, not an enthusiast. But to him, it looked like an inexhaustible source of happiness at the beginning.

God's attitude is presented in the parable. The merciful Father who embraces the prodigal son is the definitive icon of God revealed by Christ. First and foremost He is Father. It is God the Father who extends his arms in blessing and forgiveness, always waiting, never forcing any of his children. His hands support, clasp, give strength and, at the same time, comfort, console and caress.
Excerpts from Alfonso López Quintás

Apr 11 Fri - Why was Mary at the foot of the Cross?

 

Apr 11 Fri
Why was Mary at the foot of the Cross?
Within a week we shall see Jesus Christ embracing his Cross to redeem us, Our Lady is with Him. Today, we should immerse ourselves in Mary's Immaculate Heart, which suffered so much because of our sins.

From the words of Simeon, Mary learned that God had a role for her, next to her Son, in the work of redemption, which would demand suffering and sacrifice: “Behold, a sword will pierce your own soul also." Yet Our Lady placed herself unreservedly at the service of God's plan.

Now, “we realize that the supernatural value of our life does not depend on accomplishing the great undertakings suggested to us by our overactive imagination. Rather it is to be found in the faithful acceptance of God's will, and in welcoming generously the opportunities for small, daily sacrifice."

How often our Lady must have meditated on the mission she was called to carry out at Christ's side! ‘But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.’ “Let us try to imitate her, talking to our Lord, conversing like two people in love about everything that happens to us, even the most insignificant incidents."

That is the way Mary lived during the thirty years of Jesus' hidden life: thirty long years of simple, ordinary life, just like that of any other home in a small village in Galilee, but years filled with ever-increasing fervor as she carried out God's will. In these years Mary shows herself as the teacher of the sacrifice that is hidden and silent.

One day, when Jesus was about thirty, He said goodbye to his Mother and left the house of Nazareth. He was beginning his public life. From then on, until the moment of the Passion, our Lady practically disappears from the Gospel scenes: “See her, nearly always in the background, cooperating with her Son; she knows, yet keeps silence."

We must learn from our Mother how to sacrifice ourselves gladly, and without attracting attention, filled with supernatural hope. “What a contrast between our Lady's hope and our impatience! So often we call upon God to reward us at once for any little good we have done. No sooner does the first difficulty appear than we start to complain. Often, we are incapable of sustaining our efforts, of keeping our hope alive." Contemplating Mary's life will help us to rectify our outlook, and make it more supernatural.

On the Cross, Jesus wanted to have her at his side, and Mary assented. “What could she do? She united herself fully with the redemptive love of her Son, and offered to the Father her immense sorrow, which pierced her pure heart like a sharp-edged sword."

On the Cross, “Jesus looks at her, and then turning his gaze to John he exclaims, Woman, this is your son. Then he said to the disciple, This is your Mother. In the person of John, Christ is entrusting all to his Mother, and especially his disciples: those who were to believe in him."

“Mother, my Mother - yours, because you are hers on many counts - may your love bind me to your Son's Cross; may I not lack the faith, nor the courage, nor the daring, to carry out the will of our Jesus."

Apr 10 Thu - All Salvation is Local.

 

Apr 10 Thu
All Salvation is Local.
The Speaker of the U.S. House, Tip O'Neill, is often credited with the saying, "All politics is local." While I may not be particularly interested in the political aspect of that statement, I find it relevant to my line of work. You could say that our struggle for holiness must be local, focused on the ordinary events of each day. All salvation is local; it takes place within individual souls. And you can't get any more local than that.

Our struggle for salvation—yours and mine—does not take place out there, in some distant location, or in someone else’s life. It isn’t found in the media or the latest gossip, whether online or otherwise. It doesn’t depend on our knowing the latest political intrigue or celebrity news. It depends on our personal and interior adherence to the Lord now, and external fight to remain so.

Sometimes we are afraid of this. We fear that God is too close, too personal. Too demanding. Too local. So, we distract ourselves by looking elsewhere, to other people, places, and things. But salvation doesn’t happen somewhere else. It happens locally, where we are, in the simple duties of our life. And we shouldn’t choose to fight it elsewhere.

In the Gospel (Luke 13:1-9), the crowd shared a recent news story with Jesus about Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices. The account included elements of politics, religion, violence, and death.

The people wrongly believed that bad things only happen to evildoers, giving them a false sense of moral superiority. They thought, "We're not as bad as the Galileans," but the real issue was their misplaced focus.

Yes, there’s an ugliness to the gossip. But what is worse, by paying attention elsewhere, they created an obstacle to the Gospel. They lacked the necessary attention, and reflection to hear our Lord.

So, He corrects them. ‘I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!’ ‘Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!’

While we may not agree with the belief that disasters only happen to the wicked, we share a fascination with events unrelated to us. Our media thrives on our desire for distraction and the intimate details of celebrities, and we eagerly participate in it.

Our technology gives us the constant ability to flee reality. We can always be somewhere else, distracted from the here and now, not present to ourselves or Him.

And much of this distraction is picking through the lives of strangers. Because it’s much easier to pore over the sins of others than to repent of our own. Plus, we can enjoy a little moral outrage and superiority. We omit any reflection on our faults because those people over there have done worse.

All salvation is local. To us, as to people of his day, our Lord says, ‘If you do not repent, you will all perish!’ It’s no excuse to say that I am better than many others, or I’m basically a good person. The call to repentance is local and personal. I must fight!
Illustration The Tower of Siloam by Tissot. Some excerpts from Fr. Paul D. Scalia.

Apr 9 Wed - Why do we genuflect in church?

 

Apr 9 Wed
Why do we genuflect in church?

Catholics genuflect as a gesture of reverence, humility, and worship, particularly in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. By bending one knee to the ground, we acknowledge God's divine majesty and our faith in His presence.

It's a physical act that reflects an inner attitude of devotion and respect, performed when passing in front of the tabernacle where the Eucharist is kept.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, explained this expression of reverence we make in church — genuflection — and why we make this sign in the liturgy.

“When we come into a church, we look for the tabernacle, where the real presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is reposed, and we genuflect!” the archbishop of New York explained.

“We go down on one knee. We genuflect. Why? That’s the ancient sign of adoration, the ancient sign of esteem, the ancient sign of worship,” he continued.

The cardinal pointed out that “when you hear the name of Jesus, every knee on earth and in heaven should bend, as St. Paul taught. That’s genuflection — we do it to Jesus, really and truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament.”

Dolan recalled that “St. Thomas Aquinas said: ‘You know what? Satan doesn’t have knees because he genuflects to no one.’ Well, we do. We genuflect to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.”

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal specifies “a genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the most Blessed Sacrament, as well as for the holy cross” on Good Friday.

During the Mass, we genuflect at certain moments. The liturgy gives us a foretaste of and a share in the song which the Angels and Saints sing in the glory of heaven, and which we are called to sing one day. Praise the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord, or show forth all his praise?

We must have a great love for the liturgy, because our whole life is centered on the Holy Mass, the summit of all the Church's liturgical actions. And it is in the Mass that we can establish a living relationship with the Blessed Trinity, with our Mother the Blessed Virgin, and with the Angels and Saints.

St. Josemaría taught us the value of piety in the Holy Liturgy! “I was not at all surprised when someone told me a few days ago, talking about a model priest who died recently: ‘What a saint he was!’ ‘Did you know him very well?’ I asked. ‘No,’ he said, ‘but I once saw him saying the Mass’.”

“Don't forget that the liturgical life is a life of love - love for God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit; together with the whole Church, which you are part of."

Our life must be influenced by the liturgy, and filled with liturgical spirit. The prayers and petitions of the liturgical acts can become a theme for our aspirations throughout the day. And our contact with God in the Mass must be prolonged in visits to the Blessed Sacrament and other acts of piety.

Video: 

Apr 8 Tue - What is the main task of the Church?

 

Apr 8 Tue
What is the main task of the Church?

The main mission of the Church, as articulated in various Church teachings, is fundamentally centered on evangelization and the proclamation of the Gospel. This mission is rooted in the command of Jesus Christ and is essential to the Church's identity and purpose in the world.

The Church's mission is not only about spiritual salvation but also encompasses the integral well-being of individuals and communities. It aims to free people from sin and the influence of evil, leading them into a loving relationship with God. This involves teaching moral principles and promoting justice, which are integral to the Gospel message.

What topic, then, should the world’s Church leaders be discussing?
How about this: How to confront the reality that a steadily growing number of Catholics—and especially young Catholics—aren’t much interested in anything the Church says. For a truly missionary Church, this is the crucial challenge of our time.

Rather than spending years discussing how the Church should change (a perfect example of “self-referential” Church) why not concentrate on how the Church might change the world?

And thus, we come, on March 17, to a timely look at St. Patrick, and what he did—and didn’t—do in Ireland.

St. Patrick’s is not all about leprechauns, shamrocks, and green beer. He was an influential saint who, 1,500 years ago, brought Christianity to the little country of Ireland. He was born about 385 in Great Britain; he was carried off, while still very young, and sold as a slave during a raid on Roman Britain by the Irish.

Six years later, he managed to escape to Europe, became a monk, and was ordained a priest. He then returned to Ireland to preach the Gospel. During his thirty years of missionary work, he covered Ireland with churches and monasteries. In 444 he founded the metropolitan see of Armagh. St. Patrick died in 461. After fifteen centuries, he remains the great bishop whom all Irishmen venerate as their father in the Faith.

He could have given up his missionary ambitions, figuring that the pagan culture was not ready for the Gospel. He might have compromised with that culture, finding ways to make common cause with the pagan Druids. He might have called together the few Druids, too, to discuss how the Gospel message could be tailored to the day's tastes.

Instead, St. Patrick jumped into that pagan culture and society, and preached the Gospel without apology, consecrating over 300 other bishops, and converting an entire nation. The story of St. Patrick gave proof—not for the first time—that the Gospel message sells. People crave the Good News: the item itself, not the talk about how it is packaged and delivered. Christ never sent His disciples out to host meetings to make others feel included; He sent His disciples out to preach the Gospel so fully and effectively as to prompt repentance—to change hearts.

I do not imagine St. Patrick closing a parish church in Ireland; he was far too busy opening new ones. Nor can I imagine that St. Patrick would have had the patience to endure years of talk about “preparatory workshops and assemblies for discussion,” when there is so much work to be done to bring the world to a knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Some excerpts from Phil Lawler.

Video: 

Apr 7 Mon - Can I change the World with pure (not impure) thoughts?

 

Apr 7 Mon
Can I change the World with pure (not impure) thoughts?

Sometimes our thoughts are holy and fruitful. Other times they are shameful and destructive. We can change the world by accomplishing our good thoughts: one thought, word, and deed at a time.

St. Francis of Assisi threw himself into a thorn bush to resist the temptation of impure thoughts.

Today a massive Internet pornography industry thrives. Acts of violence in movies often immediately follow impure scenes. Social scientists observe that impure imagery prepares some viewers to fulfill impure thoughts with acts of violence.

More than one modern ideological agenda is rooted in impure thoughts. An impure thought is not a harmless “victimless” sin. Impure thoughts disfigure human relationships and entire societies, just as Jesus said: “Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus uses the dismemberment metaphor to stress an impure thought's gravity. “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell...” (Mt. 5:28-30)

St. Paul reinforces the teachings of Jesus (cf. Phil. 3:17-21). The enemies of the Cross are devoid of self-control: “Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame.” He quickly promises our transfiguration in Jesus: “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it, we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”

The account of the Transfiguration gives Peter, James, and John a foretaste of heavenly glory and strengthens them for the turmoil of the Passion. But the Transfiguration isn’t only for them. The three Apostles accompanying Jesus represent the Church. Moses and Elijah—representing the Law and the Prophets—are in communion with Jesus. The entire history of Israel, and the world, is transfigured in Jesus.

The Mass re-presents the Transfiguration. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass fulfills, elevates, and transfigures the worship of the synagogue and the sacrifice of the Temple. The New and Everlasting Covenant fulfills and replaces the Old Covenant. Every imperfection is purified. All that is worldly and disfigured is transfigured in Jesus.

The thoughts and words of the Mass will help us to reject impure thoughts, as these gradually become our thoughts and words. Jesus teaches us His way during the Liturgy of the Word. We are at the foot of the Cross with Jesus during the Consecration. Through Holy Communion, Jesus transfigures us with His resurrected glorified body. Our encounter is individual and communal. The Mass unites us with the history of mankind transfigured in His love.

Our transfiguration begins with our thoughts and continues with our words and deeds. Prayerful thoughts of our transfiguration in Jesus—with words and deeds rooted in our worship—take flesh within our hearts, families, communities, and nations.

Our thoughts—transfigured by the grace of Jesus at Mass and the Sacraments—will change the world. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Mt 5:16)
Excerpts from Fr. Jerry Pokorsky

Apr 6 Sun - Is there a remedy for my interior disgrace?

 

Apr 6 Sun
Is there a remedy for my interior disgrace?
When our Lord received the news of Lazarus' illness, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Was He ignoring Lazarus?

“This could sometimes happen to us. Lord, see, I am sick. Lord, you died on the Cross out of love for me: come and heal me. And it seems as though Jesus does not hear our prayer. Trust, my child, and persevere in calling upon that loving Heart. See what He tells his disciples: ‘Lazarus sleeps, our friend is sleeping.’ Our Lord understands that we can fall asleep. He wants us to trust in him. No matter what happens, he can bring us back to life." St. Josemaría

At other times, Jesus does not wait for us to tell him anything. It is enough for us to be humble, and weep over our wretchedness and the fact that we are made of clay. “Our Lord's mercy is infinite and his immense Wisdom knows all our good desires, all our love for him.

“He also knows that everything, all those divine things, are carried in a clay vessel that can easily break. What happens then? We do what is usually done to a broken clay vessel: the pieces are put back together, and once the staples that hold the pieces together are in place, it takes on a special charm. The clay vessel continues to be useful."

“Do not let your past falls, nor the possibility of future mistakes, worry you. Let us entrust ourselves to God's loving hands. Let's present him with those desires of holiness and apostolate that are the common aim of us all, and which have made us members of this supernatural family. And then the vase will not break; and even if it does, it will be mended; and it will acquire a new charm and will continue being useful in a marvelous way, both for our holiness and for the apostolate too."

The resurrection of Lazarus shows us that everything has a remedy.
A large stone covered the entrance to the tomb. Lazarus was dead and decaying. The air was foul. “Don't you see? Apparently, there was no more that could be done. How often have I told you that our faithfulness is forged out of the struggle of every moment, with all our wretchedness and errors! Woe, pity those who do not fight! They lose their interior life, and it's very difficult to raise a dead person to life. Nevertheless, you have seen how the dead do come back to life when they hear the voice of God: Lazarus, come out."

“If earthly things don't move you, at least let Christ's voice move you. Lazarus came back to life because he heard God's voice and he wanted to get out of that state. If he had not wanted to move, he would not have come back to life. And what about you? Do you want to?"

As the eternal God raised Lazarus from the dead. In His love for us, He will lift us to everlasting life.

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Apr 5 Sat - Does my mortification facilitate my prayer?

 

Apr 5 Sat
Does my mortification facilitate my prayer?
One especially appropriate time for true penance is Lent, with its urgent call for purification, atonement, and reparation.

We need to be purified from the remains of past and present faults, and this we do by penance and mortification. These make us freer from attachment to sin, cleaner in God's eyes, and less burdened for our journey along the road to holiness.

Jesus frees us from the yoke of sin, making us capable of sharing in the divine intimacy of the Trinity, and becoming children of God.

“Lent is, then, a time of penance; this is not something negative. Lent should be lived in the spirit of filiation, which Christ has communicated to us and is alive in our souls. Our Lord calls us to come nearer to him, to be like him: ‘Be imitators of God as his dearly beloved children’, cooperating humbly but fervently in the divine purpose of mending what is broken, of saving what is lost, of bringing back order to what sinful man has put out of order, of leading to its goal what has gone astray, of re-establishing the divine balance of all creation."

Through penance, we atone to the Lord for our guilt, and through mortification, we remove the obstacles to our inner growth.
 
The more we purify ourselves, the more our interior life will progress, because mortification makes it easier for us to be friends with God. If we wish our prayers to penetrate the heavens, let us take care to purify our minds of all vices or over-human thoughts. Mortification purifies the eyes and ears of the soul. As a result, we can see the Lord more easily and be attentive to his words, in an ongoing conversation that characterizes our lives as contemplative souls.

“Just think about the wonder of God's love. Our Lord comes out to meet us, he waits for us, He is by the roadside, we cannot fail to see him. He calls each of us personally, speaking to us about our own things - which are also his. He stirs us to sorrow, and opens our conscience to be generous. He encourages us to want to be faithful, so that we can be called his disciples... Our Lord has not forgotten us during all the time in which, through our fault, we did not see him. Christ loves us with all the inexhaustible charity of God's own heart."

If we did not practice mortification, which is the prayer of the senses, and if we failed to subject our body and its inclinations to voluntary servitude, how difficult it would be for us to hear God speaking to us!

We must fight against our wretchedness to rise up to God and to hear and understand his words. Generous small mortifications help our inner recollection, enabling us to pray at all times. To attain the inner silence we need, we have to mortify our external senses, and also our imagination and memory.

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