Aug 1 Fri - Do we all have bad tendencies?

 

Aug 1 Fri
Do we all have bad tendencies?
We all tend to seek personal satisfaction and love ourselves, even when it is in opposition to God's Will.

Nowadays, there is a universal tendency to center everything on man. We live in a materialistic atmosphere that pays no attention to man's transcendental vocation, and confuses freedom with permissiveness, while commercializing human passions. It is depressing to see droves of people allowing themselves to be dictated to by a small number of individuals who impose their own dogmas, myths, and indeed a whole desacralized ritual.
We need to combat this tendency with the resources of Christian doctrine.

God has revealed about himself, about our human condition and our mission in the world. Without an interior battle, without sharing in our Lord's Passion, no one can follow the Master. Perhaps that is why we are witnessing that disgraceful stampede.

Many people seem to think they can combine a purely worldly lifestyle with following Christ, without the Cross and without suffering. That is not possible without substantially altering our Redeemer's message, for the disciple is not above his Master; Christ's disciple must be ready to deny himself and lose his life for the salvation of others.

We live in a society that lives for pleasure, the most sacred principles, which were the sure guides for the behavior of individuals and society, are being hollowed out by false pretenses concerning freedom, the sacredness of life, the indissolubility of marriage, the true meaning of human sexuality, and the right attitude towards the material advances that progress has to offer. Many people are now tempted to self-indulgence and consumerism, and human identity is often defined by what one owns.

If we are not careful, we too could succumb to this terrible disease, which is incompatible with true Christian living. The unrestrained seeking after enjoyment, and a corresponding flight from anything that entails pain or suffering, is openly opposed to Christ's teachings.

The goal we aim at is a high one: God himself. St Paul encourages us: Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we, an imperishable one. Notice how many people there are, St. Josemaría remarked, who make great sacrifices for merely human, even if quite noble, ends. Their sense of responsibility gives them the strength to abstain from whatever is not suitable and to practice self-denial joyfully.

Our struggle must not be something sad or resentful. We cannot give grudgingly, as if we didn't really want to. If our heart is still attached to some memory, if our senses wander out of control, if we give in to self-indulgence once in a while, we should ask for God's help and struggle to be more generous. It is only in this way that we will be able, with the help of grace, to bring our tendencies under the control of our will, so that nothing will satisfy us except what is demanded by love, and one of those demands is the need to remain vigilant at all times.

Jul 31 Thu - Why do we say the “Gloria”?

 

Jul 31 Thu
Why do we say the “Gloria”?
The Gloria or “Greater Doxology” is among the earliest of all Christian hymns. No phrase in it does not also appear in the epistles of St Paul or in the writings of St John.

The first Christians used to sing it in their meetings, usually early in the morning. They saw in the rising sun a symbol of Christ, a great light that comes to dispel darkness. Soon, it was introduced in the Mass.

The Gloria begins with the words the angels said to the shepherds on Christmas night (Lk 2:14), for which reason this composition is also known as the Angelic Hymn:

Like them, we must be a living testimony to God’s glory.
Of what use would all our acts of piety be if we did not amend our lives, if we did not fulfill our professional duties?
We do not want to proclaim the glories of God while our mind and will are clothed in vanity.
We do not want to speak of them while our hearts are full of bitterness toward our neighbor. You and I must not act thus.

The first part of the Gloria is addressed to the Father:
Lord God, heavenly King…

Man must worship the Creator before asking favors of him.
Here, we confess God’s glory, and thank him, not for what He has done, but for what He is: for his great glory, for his immensity, for his incomprehensibility.

The second part is addressed to Jesus Christ:
Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father…

The soul praises and blesses the Son of God, the “Only Begotten Son.” He is the Good Shepherd, and the spotless Lamb who did not hesitate to become the “man of sorrows” and to burden himself with our sins, to take away the sins of the world, to reconcile man with God.
He had such compassion on our infirmities that he left behind his seat in heaven “at the right hand of the Father.”

Greater love than this no man had, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Now, if He is such a friend of ours, why should we not ask him humbly to have mercy on us?
Thus, we say: “Receive our prayer.” We poor men can never stop begging from God. May we never lack the faith and humility to continue doing so.

We can find in this hymn the four reasons for which the Mass is said. These should also be our dispositions when we participate in the Mass:

Praise of God: “We worship you..., we praise you....”

Thanksgiving: “We give you thanks...for your great glory.”

Atonement and sorrow for sins: “You take away the sins of the world: have mercy on us.”

Petition: “Receive our prayer.”

The soul sings the Gloria, even though the lips may only be reciting it. The soul sings in the name of the entire creation, yearning for the coming of the kingdom of God, which is announced and effected in the Mass.

This most beautiful of hymns is brought to its end in sublime simplicity:

For you alone are the Holy One…Amen.

Jul 30 Wed - How can I live, work, and die as someone in love?

 

Jul 30 Wed
How can I live, work, and die as someone in love?
Putting our whole heart, without fear, into our relationship with Jesus.
"My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways." Our Lord wants us to love him as He has loved us: with all our faculties and senses, all the strength of our being, all the capacity of our poor heart. "Ask Jesus to grant you a Love like a purifying furnace, where your poor flesh -your poor heart- may be consumed and cleansed of all earthly miseries... Pray that it be emptied of self and filled with him."

We must love Jesus with the only heart we have - our heart of flesh, born to love - without fear of going too far." God does not want us to be dry and rigid, lifeless. He wants us to be filled with his love! We're not bachelors or spinsters, who are often unhappy people who never had the generosity to love. We should live, work, and die as people in love, if we're faithful." 

But if we do not put our whole heart into loving our Lord, we cannot claim we really love him. “I don't have one heart for loving God with, and another for loving people here on earth, St Josemaría stressed. With the same heart with which I loved my parents, with the same heart with which I love my daughters and sons, I love Christ, and the Father, and the Holy Spirit."

On occasions, we may find ourselves cold and listless. We should not then get discouraged and follow our Lord begrudgingly, as if fulfilling an onerous duty. Loving with our whole heart does not necessarily mean that our feelings will respond. What is essential is our conscious decision to love God, even if we feel nothing. If we sense our love cooling down, we should try to get our hearts to react. "If you want your heart to respond well, I advise you to place yourself in one of our Lord's wounds ... while always recognizing how little we are, we need to come close to him, hold on to him tightly, and feel the beating of his Heart."

Inside the Heart of Christ, our own love is enkindled, and we always find peace: “Most Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus, grant us peace!"

Then, in all humility, we will do what we can, and in all humility, we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as He grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work."

Our Blessed Mother Mary, Handmaid of the Lord, will teach us to love God with our whole heart. “She will let you partake of the treasures she keeps in her heart, St Josemaría wrote, for never has it been known that anyone who sought her protection was left unaided."

Jul 29 Tue - Can one be holy just by taking care of the family home?

 

Jul 29 Tue
Can one be holy just by taking care of the family home?
Today, we celebrate the feast of three siblings, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

Martha had a sister, Mary, who listened attentively to Jesus' words.
Now He addresses his words to you, and wants you too to choose the better part, to make Him your only concern."

To do so, an upright intention is essential. If it is lacking, what we read today about Martha could also happen to us: But Martha was distracted with much serving. But the Lord told her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her."

The family of Bethany's refined treatment of Jesus is a model of cheerful service, based on a love without limits. The domestic work of Martha and Mary's solicitous attention invites us to consider the work of the household administration in our homes. Their job is a privilege for which we can never thank our Lord enough. In carrying out these tasks, these persons admirably unite the love of Mary and the complete dedication of Martha.

The work of household administration in our homes is a true and very direct service to God. Perhaps you don't realize this. It might seem an insignificant thread in the tapestry of the home, but in reality, it is the backing that supports the finest embroideries. Without it, a large portion of our work would be impossible, and the atmosphere of a home, which helps us so much in the service of God, would be lacking.

This may not seem strange to you. Yet many people cannot understand it. They look down at it. They don't think it is possible to seek Christian perfection while engaged in a simple job, remaining in the middle of the world, without changing one's state. After much effort and with the help of divine grace, they will understand.

Let us ask our Lord to give us his grace, so that we know how to make him stay with us as Martha and Mary did, as the disciples of Emmaus did. Lord, we need you. Never abandon us. May we never leave you.

“Lord, stay with us! Stay with us in the Bethany that our home is! Stay in our hearts! And if we ever have the misfortune of separating ourselves from You, come out to meet us yourself, and remind us that only You have the words of eternal Life, of peace, of tranquility; of a peace and joy that the world cannot give."

Consequently, let us thank God for the atmosphere at our home that helps us to be with Jesus as though we were in Bethany and in Nazareth, next to Mary and Joseph. Let us also thank these persons who take care of our home and accomplish it as a real professional work, most pleasing to God.

Jul 28 Mon - What is the difference between Nationalism and Patriotism?

 

Jul 28 Mon
What is the difference between Nationalism and Patriotism?
Nationalism is attachment to one’s country, while despising all others.

Patriotism is love and preference for one’s country, without despising the others.

We must love our country, without being nationalistic.
The Second Vatican Council teaches that “God, who has fatherly concern for everyone, has willed that all men should constitute one family and treat one another in a spirit of brotherhood." In his Providence, God takes into consideration our social nature; thus, the Body of Christ, the Church, forms a society, the People of God.

Every human being is born into a family, and we absorb from our surroundings all the culture and traditions that make for spiritual growth and perfection. “Man's social nature makes it evident that the progress of the human person and the advance of society itself hinge on one another. For the beginning, the subject and the goal of all social institutions is and must be the human person, which for its part and by its very nature stands completely in need of social life. This social life is not something added on to man, but rather, through his dealings with others, through reciprocal duties, and through fraternal dialogue he develops all his gifts and is able to rise to his destiny."

We owe a great deal, therefore, to society, and in particular to our country, and we are naturally obliged to be grateful. But for a Christian, patriotism must be animated by charity. “Nationalism is a sin. It is a lack of justice towards other nations. And what about love for one's country? That is a virtue, a Christian virtue, and I bless it with both hands. It is important to distinguish between the two."

The Church therefore, teaches that citizens must cultivate a generous and loyal spirit of patriotism, but without being narrow-minded. This means that they will always direct their attention to the good of the whole human family, united by the different ties which bind together races, people, and nations.

Thus, we must shoulder our civic responsibilities. “Politics, in the best sense of the term, is the attempt to achieve the common good of the earthly city. This good has broad repercussions. In the political forum, debates take place and laws of the greatest importance are passed on issues such as marriage, the family, education, private property, the dignity of the human person, and the rights and duties of citizens. All these matters, and others besides, are of prime interest to religion, and no apostle can remain indifferent and uncommitted in their regard."

We are obliged, then, to work for the good of the national community to which we belong. “Frequently, indeed, one comes across responsible and devout Catholics who think they are only obliged to fulfill their family and religious duties and who don't want to hear anything about civic duties. It is not a question of selfishness, but simply a lack of formation. The virtue of justice, and the sense of Christian solidarity, are expressed by being involved in, being informed about, and contributing to solving the problems affecting the whole community."

Jul 27 Sun - Does God answer our prayers?

 

Jul 27 Sun
Does God answer our prayers?
One of Jesus’ disciples “prayed,” that is, “asked” how to pray, and Jesus answered him.

The content of our prayer, Christ says, should be to honor God, adjust ourselves to his plan, ask for our daily needs, beg forgiveness for our sins, and request not to be overcome when tested.

The manner of our prayer should be persistent, trusting, and with the humility of a son talking to his Father.

Persistence is the point of the parable of the three loaves, and a feature of the way Abraham petitioned God to spare Sodom for the sake of the innocent.

Does God answer our prayers? Everyone who prays has the experience of prayers that seem not to be answered or are still unanswered.
Our Father wants to give us what we truly need, but He wants us to ask for it.
God may delay granting it until we realize how much we need him.

God cannot give us what is bad for us, for He desires our well-being, our life. God wants us to ask for what He wants to give us. If we enter into the desire of his Spirit, we shall be heard.” As St. Augustine puts it, “God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what He is prepared to give.”

What does God want to give us most of all?

Think, “Why did God make me?” The answer is “God made me to KNOW Him, to LOVE Him, and to SERVE Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in the next.”

Thus, knowing God as our Father is the first gift we need. That means we must know our faith well, through solid formation, including God’s Word and good books.

To love God, we must both know him and experience his love.

The most fundamental ways we love God are:
- Participation in the liturgy and receptions of the Sacraments,
- Dialogue with God in prayer,
- Effort to do good and avoid evil according to God’s law,
- Service to our neighbor.

To serve God, we must become transformed according to the image of Christ, the perfect man. That means we change, and change is not easy.
This change is not a one-moment event; rather, it is a lifelong process.

St. Josemaria wrote, “A forge is a place where metal is heated red hot and then pounded into shape with hammer blows."
The Bible often uses the image of a crucible, where pure gold is separated from its impurities.
Job said life on earth is warfare, and St. Paul advised to put on our spiritual armor to fight it. This fight is primarily against oneself, the new man against the old.

Our Lord himself said that if anyone wants to come after him, he must take up his cross daily.

Thus, knowing, loving, and serving God is like going on a diet or exercise plan, not for two months to lose thirty pounds and to gain a flat stomach, but for life to lose all our vices and to gain the attitude and natural and supernatural virtues of Christ.

Jul 26 Sat - Where did Our Lady grow?

 

Jul 26 Sat
Where did Our Lady grow?
In the home of her parents, Joachim and Anne, the Virgin Mary received the training needed to become the Mother of God. There, Mary learned to pray and developed all those virtues that were so pleasing to the eyes of God, and that prepared her to answer God's call. 

Love for Jesus led Christians to want to know as much as possible about Christ's earthly family. Although the Gospels do not mention Mary's parents, the Church's Tradition tells us: “Our Lady’s parents were Joachim and Anne, who were pleasing to God during their lives and gave birth to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was to be both temple of God and Mother of God. The name Joachim means ‘preparation for the Lord,’ for he was an instrument in preparing the temple of the Lord, the Blessed Virgin. Similarly, the name Anne means ‘grace.’ For Joachim and Anne received the grace to bring forth a most beautiful offspring."

The greatest mission parents can accomplish for their children is to bring them up in holiness, preparing them to become good children of God. “Experience shows in all Christian environments what good effects come from this natural and supernatural introduction to the life of piety given in the warmth of the home. Children learn to place God first and foremost in their affections. They learn to see God as their Father, and Mary as their Mother, and remember to pray following their parents' example.”

“One can easily see what a wonderful apostolate parents have and how they must live a fully Christian life of prayer, so they can communicate their love of God to their children, which is something more than just teaching them."

“How can they go about this? In the few, short, daily religious practices that have always been lived in Christian families and that I think are marvelous: grace at meals, morning and night prayers, the family rosary ..."

“I still pray aloud the bedside prayers I learned as a child from my mother's lips, and I say so with the pride and gratitude of a son. As I offer to God the day that is beginning, or thank him for the day that is drawing to a close, I ask him to increase in heaven the happiness of those whom I especially love and so unite us there forever."

In a truly Christian home, imbued with a life of piety, the divine grace of a particular vocation takes hold more easily. For this reason, St. Josemaría told us that we owe our parents a considerable measure of our Christian vocation.

Moreover, we try to help our parents share in the great happiness we have found. Our charity would be disordered if we were to direct our apostolic efforts towards many souls and neglect our families. 

Thus, we must pray often for them and get in touch with them regularly, especially when family anniversaries and special events come around. We will keep in mind their concerns and plans, their needs and hopes. We will help them realize that, although we may be far away, our calling has strengthened our love for them and made us more united with them than ever. 

Jul 25 Fri - Should I try to be holy by doing spectacular, extraordinary actions?

 

Jul 25 Fri
Should I try to be holy by doing spectacular, extraordinary actions?
We must seek holiness in the little things of each day.

St Josemaría pointed out the way for us to become saints, as our Lord wants. It is a very clear path: "sanctity in ordinary things, sanctity in little things, sanctity in our professional work... Sanctity to sanctify. So, I say to you, if you want to become a thorough-going Christian - and I know you are willing, even though you often find it difficult to conquer yourself - then you will have to be very attentive to the most minute details. The holiness that our Lord demands of you is to be achieved by carrying out with love of God your work, and your daily duties, and these will almost always consist of small realities."

Some, despite years of experience, still go about dreaming … waiting to hunt lions in the corridors of their homes, where the most they find are mice. But you should be accompanying God through the faithful fulfilment of your ordinary daily duties, winning the little struggles, which fill our Lord with joy, and which are known only to him and to each one of us.

"Rest assured that you will usually find few opportunities for dazzling deeds, one reason being that they seldom occur. On the other hand, you will not lack opportunities, in the small and ordinary things around you, of showing your love for Christ."

Besides putting this into practice, we have to teach those around us to finish things lovingly and add the final touches, practicing heroism in little things. "Inexperience leads some to disdain little things, the common, everyday things: a small detail, silence..., tidiness. We need to confront this grave error head-on by helping them consider the well-known maxim, ‘He who despises small things will fall little by little in the big ones.’ And the verse from St Luke: ‘He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much’."

We have to keep a constant and loving watch, asking our Lord to help us see clearly any small deviations which, if not corrected, could become serious. Our vigilance should extend to small things. Do you really want to be a saint? -Carry out the little duty of each moment: do what you ought and concentrate on what you are doing. Because he who is faithful in the little thing is also faithful in the great.

A person who doesn't struggle in small things, who says: "I'm holding myself back for the big moment," ends up making a fool of himself. 

God seeks our heroic response in little things to reward us with great happiness. We need to recall the simple life of our Blessed Mother Mary, who passed unnoticed among the women of her land. "If you live in this way, you will make of your life a fruitful apostolate. And at the end of the way, you will receive Jesus' praise: Since you have been faithful in the little things, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your Lord." 

Jul 24 Thu - Why do we repeat, “Lord, have mercy”?

 

Jul 24 Thu
Why do we repeat, “Lord, have mercy”?
In the Mass, after the Penitential Rite, having bridged the gap between God’s love and our feeble love through penance, we feel the need to express our joy again. The presence of Christ makes us break into praise with the Kyrie and the Gloria.

To give glory to God and to beg his mercy are two reasons why man turns to God: We know that God is almighty, and we ask him to have mercy on us. All the nuances of these two inseparable purposes are expressed in the Kyrie.
Kyrie eleison means “Lord, have mercy.” This formula comes straight from the Gospel. Both the blind man of Jericho and the Canaanite woman cried, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And the lepers cried aloud, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (Lk 17:13).

St. Josemaría invites us to consider: 
“Don’t you feel the same urge to cry out? You who are also waiting at the side of the way, of this highway of life that is so very short? You who need more light, you who need more grace to make up your mind to seek holiness? Don’t you feel an urgent need to cry out, “Jesus, son of David, have pity on me”? What a beautiful aspiration for you to repeat again and again!"

This cry of supplication passed into the liturgy of Christians, for we too have to call upon the divine mercy. But this prayer presupposes a previous declaration of our guilt: It is the completion of an earlier invocation. It is, in reality, the response to a litany. The Kyrie is a remnant of those litany dialogues, of those frequently long prayers that accompanied the procession of the celebrant up to the altar. It originated in the Greek speaking East, where the Spanish pilgrim Eteria heard it sung in Jerusalem about the year 390. You probably know that Greek, rather than Latin, was the prevalent liturgical language of the early Church. From the East, the litany passed into the Latin Church.

Toward the eighth century, the pope reduced the acclamations to just nine. The first three were addressed to God the Father. The second group of acclamations, which in Rome became “Christe eleison” (Christ, have mercy), was addressed to God the Son, and the last three invocations were to the Holy Spirit.

People received a triumphant warrior after a battle with similar acclamations. They celebrated his victory, as well as sought his favor. And that is precisely the meaning the acclamations keep, transposed to the supernatural level. The Kyrie is a song by which the faithful praise the Lord and implore his mercy.

We have nothing, but we hope to receive everything from him -especially his mercy, which is indispensable for us to be forgiven.

The Kyrie is also a clear and vibrant profession of faith, because when we acclaim Christ as our Lord, we express our determined resolution not to serve two lords, but him alone. 

Jul 23 Wed - Like Jacob, should I “wrestle” with God?

 

Jul 23 Wed
Like Jacob, should I “wrestle” with God?
Recently, Peterson, a clinical psychologist, wrote about the psychological dimension of the Genesis stories. He presents the biblical prophets Elijah and Moses as emblematic of the transformation every human must go through to bring them closer to God. God leads human beings up, inviting them to “wrestle” with him by engaging with the deepest questions, one’s deepest desires, to find answers.

The tragic event of Adam and Eve sets the pattern for human sin, leading to unhappiness; it establishes the necessity to pursue spiritual growth through sacrifice and work.

The two brothers, Cain and Abel, stand for the good and evil in human beings, with Peterson defining “good” as dedicated, sacrificial work, and “evil” as selfishness, anger, and resentment, which are destructive for oneself and others.

The great deluge is emblematic of God’s anger at the sinfulness of rebellious humanity. God calls Noah; he, by heeding God’s call, brings about a peaceful new covenant.

Babylon, the site of the tower, becomes the prototype for “arrogant empire” and political tyranny. As a fitting punishment, the pride of Babel results in linguistic confusion.

Abraham listens to God’s call to become “the father of nations,” and he maintains faith in God, ready to sacrifice everything. Abraham thus symbolizes the adventurous spirit that accepts new challenges to please God, while becoming morally mature.

Moses’ narrative reveals God as being on the side of freedom and the oppressed, culminating in the provision of the Ten Commandments. Obeying these, Moses leads the Israelites through the desert and fights against their tendency toward materialism, idolatry, and moral backsliding.

Jonah’s call to convert the city of Nineveh, his resistance to this call, and his turnaround illustrate the dangers of silence in the face of evil.

This “wrestling” with God is especially urgent in the rapidly changing world of today.

Jacob wrestled throughout the night with the Lord God (Gen 32:23-33).
He began his adventure on the wrong foot. He just wanted to set himself straight. Despite his substantial flaws, he made a covenant with God to do exactly that. That was a decision; a moral decision, and with that decision, he began the journey up toward the highest good.

He then faced a horizon of expanding opportunities, each of which demanded, in sequence, a sacrifice of increasing magnitude – a maturation and transformation of character. This transformation proceeded to a point so revolutionary that to go through it, he had, in some sense, to be reborn and become a new person. Hence his new name, Israel, ‘he who wrestles with God.’

Jacob’s personal struggle is our everyday struggle against sin and tepidity. It is a combat between ‘what God expects from me’ and ‘what my bad tendencies force me to do.’

Our Lord constantly seeks us out after we are lost. We must hasten to meet Him and to respond to his never-failing Love. Our response should be to begin over and over again, not in a vague manner, but in the main points of our interior struggle, enthusiastically. If that wrestling is done in the proper spirit, the victory is ours.

Jul 22 Tue - When is it a good day to begin again?

 

Jul 22 Tue
When is it a good day to begin again?
Today is a good day to be converted anew.

“Those who have their hearts stained by pride act with pride, and usually behind their pride lies hidden a host of sins. They judge others badly, they criticize, they're incapable of speaking plainly. They don't understand that if they open their heart, they can be helped to amend their lives."

Also, we must reject human respects. Some people worry about 'what will others say?' And perhaps more so among those who should live with their sights set on God, overcoming human respects. What a sad thing it would be to prefer to 'look good' in men's eyes, and less good or even bad in God's! In his infinite mercy, and his infinite justice as well, our Lord lets himself be won over by sincere love, by Magdalene's love filled with sorrow, and he doesn't deny her his forgiveness.

“Let us go to Mary Magdalene, who teaches us to love our Lord ardently. Christ is the Good Shepherd who goes out in search of the lost sheep, and doesn't return until he finds it. But He admits no half-measures. Our Lord also spoke with the adulterous woman, but He told her, with charity and clarity, to amend her life and to sin no more."

“Learn from the Master's example. We aren't silly creatures who do strange things. We act with naturalness, but also with supernatural sense. We flee from the occasions of sin; this requires courage. We avoid inappropriate dealings that lead us to waste our time or can even separate us from God. Don't be reckless: we should never be in a place where it would be impossible for us to be with Jesus Christ."

“Today is a very good occasion for a deeper, more sincere conversion, a conversion that will lead us to decisively detach ourselves from all that can still bind us here below, to belong more to God. In a word, we need the clear determination to be more fully souls of prayer. To be a soul of prayer means to be very close to our Lord; it means love, dedication, a clean life, purity."

Mary Magdalene's love was so great, her conversion so deep and generous, that she deserved to be at Christ's side and form part of that group of holy women who followed him and provided for him out of their means.

We, by recognizing that we are poor sinners, come to understand her tears of contrition, and our soul too is filled with a sincere sorrow for the suffering we have caused our Lord. We have only to glance at our life, at the occasions when we voluntarily turned our back on God's will, for our hearts to be filled with a deep sorrow of love. But Christ has forgiven us and always forgives us when we approach him contritely in the sacrament of Penance. Today, we want to kneel at his feet and tell him with heartfelt sorrow that we never want to offend him again.

Jul 21 Mon - What have I done with my Baptism?

 

Jul 21 Mon
What have I done with my Baptism?
For the word of God to be rooted in the human heart, it must receive a just response: this response is faith.

The Church, in raising the questions that exist within the human person, at the same time gives their essential response. This response is Christ, it is his Gospel, his Passion, Cross, and Resurrection. It is a special and ineffable gift from God to humanity.

We live in an era when the quantity and speed of information are increasing phenomenally. The risk is that the dizzying flow of news about so many things will stifle questions about the crucial issues of life. “Who am I? Where have I come from, and where am I going? Why is there evil in the world? What is there after this life?”

These questions have always been at the center of attention for all: thus, we recall the famous admonition, “Know yourself,” carved on the temple portal at Delphi.
It is precisely when the human being looks ardently and in the right direction for the answer to these fundamental questions that he shows he is “wise.” Philosophy, whose precise meaning is “love of wisdom,” is rooted in this fundamental quest. Faith, for its part, does not fear but rather encourages this exercise of reason. Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.

This is another mystery: Why do some believe and others do not? An answer must be given at this point. How is it that someone cannot believe and does not believe? We can ask, if someone thinks he does not believe, is he an unbeliever? Or is he a believer, if he is seeking faith? 
Jesus knows if the person is at fault or perhaps suffers from it unintentionally. I think that very often non-believing is a form of suffering, but we find ourselves here close to a mystery of the human spirit.

We should ask ourselves, What have I done with my Baptism? How am I responding to my vocation? What have I done with my Confirmation? Have I made the gifts and charisms of the Spirit bear fruit? Is Christ the “You” always present in my life? Am I fully and deeply a member of the Church, mystery of apostolic communion, as willed by her Founder and as accomplished in her living Tradition? In my decisions, am I faithful to the truth taught by the Church’s Magisterium? Are my marital, family, and professional life imbued with Christ’s teaching? Is my social and political involvement based on Gospel principles and the social doctrine of the Church? What contribution do I make to creating ways of life more worthy of man and to living the Gospel amid the great changes taking place?

Jul 20 Sun - Whom should I imitate, Martha or Mary?

 

Jul 20 Sun
Whom should I imitate, Martha or Mary?
Martha was distracted with much serving. Understandably, Martha wanted to welcome the Lord properly. At a certain point, she became frustrated due to her misreading of the situation.

Mary, on the other hand, sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. She preferred to devote herself to their guest. She was just listening to Jesus’ words.

With the help of divine grace, we have to learn how to live a unity of life, which consists of the union of Martha’s and Mary’s attitudes. Our love of God should be inseparable from our apostolic zeal, and our work well done for the glory of God.

Showing a real sense of trust in her guest, the elder sister complained to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”

For many centuries, these two sisters have been held to represent two rival lifestyles. Mary exemplified the way of contemplation, the life of union with God. Martha was seen as the personification of an active life of work. But the contemplative life does not consist in simply being at the feet of Jesus, doing nothing. That would be a disorder, if not pure and simple indolence.

We must find God in our daily job, showing our love for God through the exercise of the human as well as the supernatural virtues. If we lack a serious commitment to our daily work, it will be very difficult, perhaps impossible, to have a deep interior life and exercise a vibrant apostolate.

There should not be any incompatibility between ordinary work and the interior life. It is there, in the midst of daily work, and by means of it, not in spite of it, that God calls most Christians to be holy.

We are to sanctify the world and sanctify ourselves with a life of prayer that gives divine meaning to earthly tasks. This was the constant message of the Founder of Opus Dei, who taught thousands to find God in their ordinary lives. “You must understand clearly that God is calling you to serve him 'in and from’ the ordinary, material, and secular activities of human life. He waits for us every day, in the laboratory, in the operating theatre, in the army barracks, in the university lecture room, in the factory, in the workshop, in the fields, in the home, and in all the immense panorama of work. Understand this well: there is something holy, something divine hidden in the most ordinary situations, and it is up to each one of you to discover it. There is no other way. Either we learn to find our Lord in ordinary, everyday life, or else we shall never find him.”

We need to have a unity of lift which is so vibrantly integral that work itself will lead us to be in the presence of God. At the same time, those periods we devote to prayer will help us to work better.

Jul 19 Sat - What is to believe as a Christian?

 

Jul 19 Sat
What is to believe as a Christian?
We Christians openly proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, without imposing our faith or convictions on anyone.

How can we be authentic Christians in a world that now has so little that is Christian about it? How can we live the faith in an environment that is hostile to it, or at least ignores it with a casual sense of self-sufficiency?

Being Christian today is not easy; we must acknowledge this. We must go against the tide. Faith is no longer, as it was perhaps in other times, a sort of choice to be taken for granted. It is a decision that demands from us firmness in our convictions, challenging the environment.

Faith is like gold: it is purified in fire. To be authentic, it must pass through the Cross of Christ (cf. 1 Pt 1:7).

To every culture, Christian faith brings the unchanging truth of God, which He reveals in history. Still, the proclamation of the Gospel in different cultures allows people to preserve their own cultural identity.

Believing as Christians means agreeing to be introduced and led by the Spirit to the fullness of truth consciously and voluntarily. It means being a community of faithful, open to the word of the Gospel of Christ. Both of these things are possible in every generation, because the living transmission of Divine Revelation, contained in Tradition and in Sacred Scripture, remains intact in the Church through the special service of the Magisterium, in harmony with the supernatural sense of faith of the People of God.

God has spoken to us. He has made known to us the deepest mysteries of his Life, recording this Truth in Sacred Scripture and the living Tradition of the Church, for the salvation of all mankind. By the infallible assistance of the Holy Spirit, the Church has transmitted faithfully from the beginning the deposit that God entrusted to her. Look what St Paul tells the Corinthians: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you” (1 Cor 11:23); and he addresses the Thessalonians: “Brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess 2:14). 

Believing as Christians also means accepting the truth revealed by God, as the Church teaches it. But at the same time, the body of the faithful as a whole... cannot err in matters of belief. Thanks to a supernatural sense of the faith which characterizes the People as a whole, it manifests this unerring quality when, ‘from the bishops down to the last member of the laity,’ it shows universal agreement in matters of faith and morals.

Believing as Christians means accepting the invitation to the conversation with God, abandoning oneself to one’s Creator and Redeemer. Faith is not a deposit to be held passively, but demands to be lived ever anew.

Now is a good moment to examine our dispositions in reading Sacred Scripture. Do I approach the holy Gospel with love and thanksgiving? Do I desire to learn from Christ's deeds and words, to incorporate all his teachings into my life? Do I try to overcome any separation between faith and my life?

Jul 18 Fri - Is educating children in the Faith a right of the State or the parents?

 

Jul 18 Fri
Is educating children in the Faith a right of the State or the parents?
In a world increasingly dominated by State-programmed ideologies, the Catholic Church raises her voice to remind us of a fundamental truth: the education of children is a natural and primary right of parents, not a concession from the State.

This principle, deeply rooted in the Church’s social doctrine, is being challenged today on multiple fronts. The battle for educational freedom thus becomes an inalienable duty for believers, and especially for Christian parents committed to the spiritual and human future of their children.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “parents have the primary responsibility for the education of their children.” This is not just one option among many, but a mission entrusted by God before any form of civil authority. This education includes not only intellectual or civic aspects, but also, and above all, moral and religious formation.

The Second Vatican Council affirms that “parents, by having given life to their children, have a most grave obligation to educate them and must therefore be recognized as their first and principal educators.” The Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church reinforces this idea, denouncing every form of state interference that seeks to supplant or condition this right.

In a healthy vision of the common good, the State has a subsidiary role, that is, it should assist, not replace, families. Its role is to ensure that everyone has access to education and to safeguard the quality of the system, but it should never impose a single model of thought or discriminate against those who wish to be educated according to their faith.

However, in many parts of the world, there is a worrying advance of educational policies that impose gender ideologies, moral relativism, or practical atheism. Parents who try to exercise their right to an education following their religious beliefs face legal, economic, and social obstacles.

In this context, Catholic-inspired schools remain a beacon of light amidst the confusion, integrating faith, reason, and culture into a coherent vision of the human being. But even these schools are often pressured to compromise their principles or else be excluded from public funding systems.

Freedom of education and the right of parents to choose the religious and moral education they desire for their children are recognized in international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To deny this right is to undermine the dignity of the family and democracy itself.

The battle for educational freedom is not ideological, but profoundly human and Christian. It requires parents to inform themselves, organize, and act courageously, demanding that public authorities respect their rights and fostering spaces where faith can be transmitted without censorship or fear.

As St. John Paul II reminded us, “the family is the first and principal subject of education.” Upholding this principle means not only protecting our children but also preserving the moral fabric of our society.

Excerpts from Laetare in Exaudi 

Jul 17 Thu - Does the Penitential Rite at the beginning of the Mass help us to put our relationship with our Father God in order?

 

Jul 17 Thu
Does the Penitential Rite at the beginning of the Mass help us to put our relationship with our Father God in order?

Let us take a good, honest look at our own lives. How is it that sometimes we can’t find those few minutes it would take to finish lovingly the work we have to do, which is the very means of our sanctification? Why do we neglect our family duties? Why that tendency to rush through our prayers, or the holy sacrifice of the Mass? How are we so lacking in calm and serenity when it comes to fulfilling the duties of our state, and yet so unhurried as we indulge in our whims? You might say these are trifling matters. You are right, they are, but these trifles are the oil, the fuel we need to keep our flame alive and our light shining.

Now that we are before God, let us begin by being sincere,

   I have sinned through my own fault... 
   in my thoughts and in my words, 
   in what I have done, 
   and in what I have failed to do. 

This act of deep repentance, in which the hand strikes the breast, is an ancient biblical gesture. It brings consolation to the sinner in his racking sorrow; for is it not written that the humble man’s prayer pierces the clouds and that he shall be heard before the Most High?

The Church in heaven and the Church on earth are witnesses to our sin, and we beg their brotherly help in interceding for our pardon. First, the Blessed Virgin Mary, who never sinned, because “to Jesus we always go, and to him we always return, through Mary.” Then, we ask all the angels, who fought against the pride of the rebellious ones; all the saints, who were also sinners; all Christians on earth to pray for us so that we be truly sorry for our sins.

The missal carries three forms of the penitential rite. At the end of each, the priest takes refuge with his brethren in the mercy of God: 

   May almighty God have mercy on us,
   forgive us our sins, 
   and bring us to everlasting life. 

The Penitential Rite of the Mass is not a sacramental confession; therefore, it does not bring immediate remission of mortal sins. Forgiveness of mortal sins has to be obtained in the sacrament of penance. It is also important to remember that a person who has committed a mortal sin cannot go to Communion unless they go to confession beforehand. But the Penitential Rite, if it is said with true contrition, helps to obtain pardon for present venial sins, as well as to stir up new sorrow for past sins that have already been forgiven. In this way, it helps us to purify ourselves and so to take a better part in the Holy Mass.

“Amen”, we answer, while our soul overcomes the shame of contemplating our impurities before God’s splendor. 

Jul 16 Wed - Should I wear the scapular?

 

Jul 16 Wed
Should I wear the scapular?
Today, the Church wants to instill in us the assurance and joy of knowing that we are under the protection of a good and beautiful Mother who is full of grace and whose heart contains unbounded tenderness for her children.

Throughout history, Christians have found many ways of rendering devoted homage to the Queen of Heaven. Our Lady herself has sometimes guided the filial piety of her children by signaling out certain practices to which she has attached her motherly promises. Such is the case of the scapular of our Lady of Mount Carmel.

On July 16, 1251, the Blessed Virgin appeared to St Simon Stock, the superior general of the Carmelite Order, promising a special blessing for all who wear her scapular. Since then, the Church has solemnly and repeatedly approved this devotion, and various popes have granted numerous spiritual privileges to those who wear the scapular.

We should be aware of the meaning of the holy scapular of Carmen and use it devoutly. In the ceremony of investiture, the priest prays that it be received imploring the most holy Virgin that through her merits you may wear it without sin, and that she may defend you from all danger and lead you to eternal life.

The Scapular is a reminder of two key truths:
(a) Constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only during one's earthly journey but also at the moment of passing into eternal glory. 

(b) Our commitment to live a permanent Christian conduct: Devotion to Mary, symbolized by the Scapular, should not be limited to occasional prayers but should become a "habit," a permanent orientation of one's Christian life. This includes a life woven of prayer and interior life, frequent reception of the sacraments, and the practice of spiritual and corporal works of mercy.

We need our Lady's motherly assistance throughout our earthly pilgrimage. Left to ourselves, we run the risk of losing our way. But with her powerful protection, we can walk safely. To look upon holy Mary truly consoles and guides us. We find our faith, hope, and charity strengthened, along with all the other virtues. Our sights are raised above the bounds of our earthly existence, beyond the limits of the present time.

The scapular is a sign, a material token of Mary's protection. In keeping with our nature, which is both spiritual and material, we need signs perceptible to the senses to signify something spiritual in our soul.

The Blessed Virgin Mary promised to those who wear her scapular that, in the next life, she will comfort by her motherly protection those who have worn the scapular and are expiating their sins in the fires of purgatory, and bring them promptly to their heavenly home.

One day, the time will come for us to depart for the next life. At that moment, we will be in greater need than ever of our Mother to receive the trophy and crown of eternal life. Since we have lovingly invoked her so many thousands of times, and since we have piously worn her scapular, our Lady will be our sure hope in those moments. 

Jul 15 Tue - What is synodality?

 

Jul 15 Tue
What is synodality?
Synodality is a basic attitude of the Church's life and mission, understanding it as the "walking together" of Christians with Christ and towards God's Kingdom. It flows from the action of the Holy Spirit and requires our response. 

A good leader communicates a sense of mission, or it doesn’t get communicated at all. Synodality is not endless meetings, these do not energize; they sap your strength.
Meetings to create or receive “marching orders”, together, of course, can be very effective.

This may explain why Pope Leo refers to synodality as “a style” or “an attitude.”

The Pope explained the word “synod” beginning from its Greek roots (marching together along the Way). “Synodality” means that we, Catholics, are on “a way together” that benefits from the active participation of all, not so much in discussions or planning sessions but in the “way together” itself, that is, in ongoing apostolic work, ongoing witness to Christ, in fraternal union.

Under Pope St. John Paul II, anyone who truly and deeply accepted the wholeness of the Catholic Faith knew what it meant to be energized into apostolic action through an immense variety of personal and group initiatives. His motto was: ‘Duc in altum’, ‘Sail where the sea is deep.’

I suspect that many did not accept a process of wasting inordinate amounts of time, energy, and money attending huge group sessions to harvest the fruits of a synodality understood primarily in terms of what we might call “bureaucratic insight and control.” They jumped into action.

A better model for fruitful Catholic action is the classic agricultural model proposed by Jesus Christ, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Mt 9:37-38, Lk 10:2). Or as Our Lord said, apparently to those who are constantly talking about the future harvest: “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’?”

Jesus continued: “I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together." (Jn 4:35-36)

At some point, we all need to stop chattering and take our Lord’s words seriously: “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62). Talk is not only very often self-interested but exceedingly cheap. Worst of all, it often creates an illusion of progress when no real work is actually being done.

Real farmers have little use for empty talk. But they excel at working hard together, and planting. With considerable urgency, they dig in and get their hands dirty so that existing crops are harvested, and new crops begin to grow. As Pope Leo just said, “We do not need too many theoretical ideas about pastoral plans. Instead, we need to pray to the Lord of the harvest. Priority must be given, then, to our relationship with the Lord and to cultivating our dialogue with him. In this way, he will make us his laborers and send us into the field of the world to bear witness to his Kingdom.”

Some excerpts from Jeffrey Mirus

Jul 14 Mon - Have I become accustomed to sin?

 

Jul 14 Mon
Have I become accustomed to sin? 
“If anyone had a healthy sense of smell in his soul, he would perceive the stench of his sins.” 

This phrase of St. Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 37:9) may seem clear, but it says more than it looks.

He begins telling us about a sense that we do not have very developed: "The smell of the soul." Today, sin seems to have disappeared from our vocabulary. We hardly think that something can be a sin. That is, we have lost the ability to smell the damage we do to ourselves when we forget God's Will, or adjust it to our tastes and preferences.

Augustine describes the soul’s sense of smell as an internal, spiritual, and moral faculty of the human being. It is not a physical sense, of course, but the soul's ability to discern, recognize, and react to certain realities. It is like a spiritual sensitivity that allows the individual to grasp what is good and what is bad.

It is common to perceive sin as an offense to God, but we forget that it is also an offense to ourselves. By describing sin as a "stench," St. Augustine attributes to it an unpleasant quality that is perceived by those who have a clear conscience and a healthy relationship with God. The stench is something we instinctively reject. We reject it because our nature recognizes in it a danger and pain to us. By associating stench with sin, its corrupting and harmful character is emphasized.

St. Augustine suggests that a "healthy" soul always maintains its purity and its capacity for moral discernment. This soul has not become accustomed to evil, nor has it normalized it. On the contrary, his sensitivity allows him to detect the filth of sin, even when others may be insensible to it or justify it. Sin is not something neutral or desirable, but something that, in essence, is contrary to our true nature and therefore generates a reaction of aversion in a wholesome soul.

Then Augustine reminds us of the need for purification. If sin has a stench, this also suggests the need for purification and healing for the soul that has become contaminated or has lost that sensitivity. The restoration of the soul’s "sense of smell" involves a process of repentance, confession, and seeking divine grace.

With this powerful image, St. Augustine reveals the need for an awakened moral conscience and a deep interior life to recognize the true nature of sin and its negative consequences for us. 

Is my "sense of smell of my soul" still capable of perceiving the stench of sin? Or, have I become accustomed to sin? Questions that we should ask ourselves from time to time.

The reality of sin, rather than discouraging us, should spur us on to fight. 
“God, who is all-powerful and merciful, has given us all the necessary means for making good our mistakes. All we have to do is use them, and keep using them, always ready to start again, and never becoming demoralized. Do you not know that in a race, all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." 

Jul 13 Sun - How can I begin to love my neighbor?

 

Jul 13 Sun
How can I begin to love my neighbor?
The Gospel reminds us of the twin and interrelated doctrines of complete love for God and love of neighbor as self. If you want eternal life, Jesus said to the scholar and said to us, that is what you must do.

But Luke tells us that the scholar of the law wanted to “justify himself,” so he asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

The Pharisees thought that the best way for Jews to be faithful to God was to separate themselves from Gentiles and even sinful Jews. They were perplexed that Jesus associated with sinful Jews and even Samaritans.

To answer the scholar’s question, Jesus composed the story we call the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

But instead of answering the question, “Who is the neighbor I should love?” Jesus answers a different question: “Who is the man who loves his neighbor?”

The answer is the hated Samaritan, not the Levite or the Jewish priest.

To love your neighbor as yourself means to give care to anyone in need that you encounter, even if he is your enemy. To do so, you need a permanent attitude, a life of prayer, the effort to do good and to shun evil, to obey the commandments, and to love God and neighbor.

To help fulfill the Ten Commandments, the pastors of the Church have the legitimate authority to make laws that apply to all Catholics, including themselves. These laws are called the Precepts of the Church. These laws or precepts require of us something we need: the essential minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, to grow in love of God and neighbor.

The first precept requires that we participate in the Eucharistic celebration every Sunday and holy day of obligation, and rest from activities that impede sanctifying these days.

The second precept requires that we confess our sins at least once a year in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to ensure we can receive the Eucharist worthily.

The third requires that we receive the Eucharist at least once a year.

The fourth requires us to observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church.

The fifth precept is the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.

A huge area to improve in could be observing the Sunday rest by not engaging in unnecessary menial labor or activities, which might end up alienating us from resting in God.

We should confess our sins regularly, and certainly as soon as possible if we are aware of a serious sin. If we care about our spiritual lives, we should try to go at least once a month.

We should receive the Eucharist at every Mass we attend, as long as we are in the state of grace.

These practical considerations only scratch the surface of what we can do to go beyond the minimal demands that the Church places on us for our good.

Jul 12 Sat - Is a Christian ever alone?

 

Jul 12 Sat
Is a Christian ever alone?
“You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). And the sacred Author adds that “as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.” This is the mystery of the Ascension. But what do the Bible and the Liturgy wish to tell us by saying that Jesus “was lifted up”?

The verb “to lift up” was used in the Old Testament and refers to royal enthronement. Thus, Christ’s Ascension means, in the first place, the enthronement of the Crucified and Risen Son of Man, the manifestation of God’s kingship over the world.

However, there is an even deeper meaning that is not immediately perceptible. It is said first that Jesus was “lifted up” and then it says, “taken up.” The event is not described as a journey upward but rather as God introducing Jesus into the space of the Divine.

To present the Lord wrapped in clouds calls to mind the same mystery of the phrase, “seated at the right hand of God.” If Christ ascended into Heaven, the human being has entered into intimacy with God in a new and unheard-of way; man, henceforth, finds room in God forever. 

The word “Heaven” does not indicate a place above the stars but something far more daring and sublime: it indicates Christ himself, the divine Person who welcomes humanity fully and forever, the One in whom God and man are inseparably united forever. Man’s being in God, this is Heaven.

And we enter Heaven to the extent that we draw close to Jesus in communion with him. Thus, the crucified and Risen Jesus becomes invisibly present in the life of each one of us.

After the Ascension, the disciples returned to Jerusalem “with great joy.” They were happy because it was not a separation; on the contrary, they were then certain that the Crucified-Risen One was alive and that, in Him, God’s gates, the gates of eternal life, had been opened to humanity forever.

The Lord’s Ascension was not a temporary absence from the world but rather the new and definitive form of his presence. It was to be up to them and now to us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to make his presence visible by our witness, preaching, and apostolic zeal.

Like them, we, too, with serenity and enthusiasm, accept the invitation to go everywhere and proclaim the saving message of Christ’s death and Resurrection. 

He accompanies and comforts us: “Lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” The Church does not carry out the role of preparing for the return of an “absent” Jesus, but, on the contrary, lives and works to proclaim his “glorious presence” now.

Excerpts from Pope Benedict XVI

Jul 11 Fri - How bad is sin?

 

Jul 11 Fri
How bad is sin?
The ideology of liberalism proclaims the absolute autonomy of man with complete independence from God. Hence, the rejection by many of any reference to universal principles that could threaten the "freedom" of man who believes he has the right to act as he wishes, as long as it does not affect others.

However, anyone who denies his total dependence on God and rebels against His law does not free himself, but embraces the slavery of sin. The moral degradation of our society is due precisely to the rejection of the notion of sin as an absolute moral transgression. If, at all, they consider it as an error of judgment, or a defect of character that can be corrected with human forces alone, and whose consequences, in the worst case, only affect ourselves.

This vision, contrary to the perennial teaching of the Church, also shows a total ignorance of human nature. Hence, the corruption in which we have lived for decades, far from bringing true progress, has caused a large part of society to adopt sinful behaviors habitually, calmly, and without any remorse.

Thus, divorce has increased to an alarming level; many engaged couples live together before getting married and they do so without the slightest sense of guilt or shame and, not infrequently, with the approval of their parents; some married couples use contraceptives without questioning whether or not such methods are moral; the Sunday precept is not fulfilled, and then some receive communion without confessing or thinking twice; and dangerous New Age movements are fervently accepted by many Catholics as a "complement" to their spiritual life.

John Paul II warned about it: "The greatest sin in the world today consists in that men have begun to lose the sense of sin. This loss is a result of the denial of God: not only among the atheists, but also among the secularists. To sin is not only to deny God; to sin is also to live as if He did not exist; it is to erase Him from one's daily existence."

We must recognize that sin always affects society, for it is the source of all human ills and sufferings. Moreover, man's rebellion against God is the greatest of all possible evils. Hence, the saints affirm that it is better to die than to sin.

Likewise, sin weakens the will, clouds the reason, and enslaves the passions, so many saints say that if we could see the horrible effects of sin on our powers, we would sin no more.

As St. Augustine points out: "There are many who love their sins and many also who confess them. Whoever confesses them and accuses himself of them is reconciled with God. The beginning of good works is the confession of bad works."

Sin is an obstacle to salvation, so we must not only avoid sin but also every occasion of sin.

The struggle against evil is tough, and although man cannot free himself from sin by his own powers, what is impossible for man is not impossible for God, for with His grace it is possible not only to free us from sin, but to live a holy life doing His will.

Some excerpts from Angélica Barragán

Jul 10 Thu - Why do we have a penitential rite in the Mass?

 

Jul 10 Thu
Why do we have a penitential rite in the Mass?
After the initial greeting, in solemn Masses, incense is offered to God, and then the Penitential Rite follows.

We have just announced with the entrance song that Christ is with us and we are ready to unite ourselves to him, who is the Good Shepherd and King of Eternal Glory. These titles make us understand: first, the spirit of confidence with which we have to approach him, and, second, that sacred respect and reverence which pervades the heavenly liturgy. 

We feel now more than ever the need for purification, for penance. We welcome the invitation of the priest, 

To prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries, 
let us call to mind our sins. 

And then silence... We seem to hear the words of Isaiah: “Come now, let us set things right, says the Lord: Though your sins be like scarlet, they may become white as snow; though they be crimson red, they may become white as wool” (Is 1:18).

The penitential rite before the Eucharist is of the greatest antiquity. One of the oldest pieces of evidence about liturgical matters we possess, the Didaché (or Teaching of the Apostles), shows us that this penitential rite was already the practice among Christians at the beginning of the second century: “On the Lord’s Day, we meet together; break the bread and give thanks, after having first confessed our sins so that our sacrifice may be pure.” These words echo what St Paul wrote one century earlier: “Let every man examine himself before he eats of this bread.”

The penitential rite makes us aware of our unworthiness. It is not an abstract reminder of guilt, but the actual realization and admission of our sins and weaknesses. We ask pardon for our sins as we say, 

I confess to almighty God, 
and to you, my brothers and sisters... 

We grovel and accuse ourselves of our sins in the sight of heaven. 

Now you realize how much you have made Jesus suffer, and you are filled with sorrow. How easy it is to ask his pardon and weep for your past betrayals! Such is your longing for atonement that you cannot contain it in your breast!
Fine. But don’t forget that the spirit of penance consists mainly in the fulfillment of the duty of each moment, however costly it may be.

We have sinned not only before heaven but also in the sight of the earth. Every sin you or I commit lets down the whole Christian community, doesn’t it? Just as you apologize to your partner when you have made a perfectly rotten stroke at tennis, so when you have sinned, you want to apologize to your fellow Christians, for you have let them all down.

There is a too common tendency to want to deny or to excuse our wrongdoing and to put the blame for it on someone else: We accuse others to excuse ourselves, and we reproach others for having incited us to do wrong. We resort to these wretched subterfuges, which deceive no one, merely to lead ourselves astray with them.

Jul 9 Wed - What should my attitude be toward the indifferent?

 

Jul 9 Wed
What should my attitude be toward the indifferent?
Like Jesus, we must have compassion for souls who are like sheep without a shepherd.
Today we watch our Lord going from village to village, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every infirmity. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

As Christians, we too feel the same pity as Christ for the crowds of people who do not know him, but who wander through life without ever hearing that the divine Shepherd came to ransom them from their sins. “No one can rest content in God’s family without feeling troubled by the anonymous crowds: a throng, a flock, a herd, as I once called them. Under their apparent indifference, there are so many noble aspirations, so many possibilities! We must serve all of them. We must lay our hands on them one by one, as Jesus did; He laid his hands on every one of them, to bring them back to life, heal them, enlighten their minds, and strengthen their wills, so they can become useful! That is how we will turn the throng into a family, the flock into an army, and bring out of the herd those who do not want to be unclean."

Zeal for the salvation of all souls is an essential characteristic of God's children. We have to fan this zeal into a flame every day by following the example set by Jesus, who calls us to co-redeem with Him.

We may at times be tempted to dissociate ourselves from others and refuse to get involved in their lives. Against such moments, we have St. Josemaría’s warning: “If you were to fall into the temptation of wondering: ‘Who's telling me to embark on this?’ we would have to reply: 'Christ himself is telling you, is begging you.’ 

The harvest is plentiful enough, but the laborers are few. You must ask the Lord to whom the harvest belongs to send laborers out for the harvesting. Don't take the easy way out. Don't say, ‘I'm no good at this sort of thing; there are others who can do it; it isn't my line.’ No, for this sort of thing, there is no one else: if you could get away with that argument, so could everyone else. 

Christ's plea is addressed to each and every Christian. No one can consider himself excused, for whatever reason: age, health, or occupation. There are no excuses whatsoever. Either we carry out a fruitful apostolate, or our faith will prove barren."

“All of us must feel the generous urge to reactivate men's rusty, apathetic energies in the service of God. They must make whatever sacrifice is needed, devoting all their strength to the task. They should adopt as their own our Lord's cry: I have compassion on the crowd, feeling pity for the multitudes."

Mary Immaculate was found worthy to be the Spouse of the Holy Spirit. She will answer our plea: she will pray for us to have a burning zeal for souls, and an abundance of harvest from God.

Jul 8 Tue - Does God want to heal me?

 

Jul 8 Tue
Does God want to heal me?
God is ready to heal us if we trust him.
Jesus was teaching in the synagogue. Among the crowd, in an uncomfortable posture, was a woman who had had a sickness for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.

The woman had heard about Jesus' miracles, and perhaps the hope of being cured had begun to stir in her heart.

“This woman was aware of her sickness and was ready to apply the remedy. If you are often ill at ease, if difficulties rob you of your peace of mind, if you've had a deeper fall than usual, recently or in the past, then turn to the divine Physician. Make a deep, sincere examination of conscience to discover the root of your sickness. For the same thing that happened to this unfortunate woman can happen to you: she had a malignant spirit. And notice her plight: she was bent over! She couldn't look up; she couldn't see the stars shining in the heavens.” 

That woman's physical infirmity can be likened to some people's inability to detach their gaze from earthly possessions and pleasures. They are unable to contemplate divine realities. If they remain in this posture, closed off to God's action, they bend closer and closer towards the earth.

“I know, none of this may happen to you, though it could, for one reason or another. But if this advice isn't of use to you personally, it may at least help you if this difficulty arises for others, whom you have to enlighten with the light of Christ...” 

Do not stay bent over, because you don't want to straighten yourself. Be humble. Acknowledge your mistakes. Raise your sights to heaven. Don't look at things only from your personal, selfish point of view. Have faith, have hope, and be assured of Christ's love for you. And if ever the horizon seems to be blurring, and heaven and earth converge, keep your gaze on heaven. That way you'll do a lot of good on earth, by looking to heaven.’ 

 If you do something very foolish, be sincere about it right away and ask for help. And everything will be sorted out. This will give you a lot of peace and joy, and the certainty of victory. Put into practice the advice you have been given, and continue forward.

Our trust in God will never be deceived, for we are his children. No matter what happens in our lives, God remains our Father. He loves us without limit and counts on our wretchedness to make us holy, if we struggle. Your prayer should go like this: "My wretchedness weighs me down, but it doesn't overwhelm me because I am a son of God. I want to atone, to Love... I want to turn my weaknesses to good use, convinced that our Lord will not abandon those who place their trust in him."

Carry on like that. I assure you that - with God's grace - you will succeed, and you will overcome your wretchedness and your shortcomings.

Jul 7 Mon - Did God choose me? And for what?

 

Jul 7 Mon
Did God choose me? And for what?
“God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will” (Eph 1:4-5).

In the original Greek text, the verb ‘to choose’ describes the election as a historical fact, fulfilled in God's eternal plan, before time had begun, emphasizing the certainty and definitiveness of this divine act from the perspective of eternity.

Indeed, the expression “before the creation of the world” further underlines the dimension of the pre-existence and eternity of God's saving plan. This phrase not only indicates temporal precedence to creation, but also points to the immutability and certainty of God's purpose in choosing us.

The word used, "to select, to choose," in the New Testament, always implies a choice for an end (e.g., choosing apostles, choosing sons for God).

In this passage, the divine action of choosing is associated with His blessing mentioned in the previous verses. The direct object "us" identifies the recipients of God’s election, while the phrase "in him" specifies the sphere of the election: in Christ.

The expression "in Christ" suggests that the election directs all believers corporately to Christ rather than individually. This phrase indicates that Christ is not merely the instrument of election, the One who chooses, but also the destination or realm toward which we are chosen. The election is not abstract, but takes place "in Christ". This underscores that the choice of all believers is intrinsically linked to the person and work of Jesus Christ. It is through their identification with Christ that believers are the object of this eternal election: to be ‘another’ christ.

The verb ‘to choose’ appears in about 22 passages and always with the nuance of "choosing people for a purpose". Underlying all of them is the divine initiative: "It was not you who chose me, but I chose you" (Jn 15:16). In Ephesians, the emphasis is on the election of believers "in Christ."

St. John Chrysostom observes that God has chosen us to "be holy and blameless before Him." That is, the divine election entails the call to live a blameless life before God. He adds that God is Holy, and therefore we must aim to holiness. This election does not exempt us from moral responsibility; on the contrary, it demands that we respond to God’s election with a holy life.

And what motivated God to choose me? My merits?
God thought of us in Christ from eternity. And "before the foundation of the world," God loved us and chose us (cf. Eph 1:4; 1 Peter 1:20), to include us in his family. This election is free grace that engenders holiness. It is God's "free and gratuitous initiative" before creation.
God chose me because He loved me. And His love remains.