Oct 1 Thu - What's love all about?

 

Oct 1 Thu

What's love all about?

The Ancient Greeks had 6 Words for Love 
(Knowing them can change your life).

Today’s coffee culture has an incredibly sophisticated vocabulary. Do you want a cappuccino, an espresso, a skinny latte, or maybe an iced caramel macchiato?

While we just say “love”, the ancient Greeks were just as sophisticated in the way they talked about love, recognizing six different varieties. 

1. PHILIA, or deep friendship. It concerned the deep, comradely friendship that developed between brothers in arms who had fought side by side on the battlefield, or love between parents and their children. It was about showing loyalty to your friends, sacrificing for them, as well as sharing your emotions with them

2. AGAPE, selfless love or love for everyone. It was later translated into Latin as caritas, which is the origin of our word “charity.” It is a “gift love,” the highest form of Christian love.
 
3. LUDUS, or playful love. It concerns the playful affection between children or the flirting between casual lovers at the onset of a serious relationship.

4. EROS, or sexual passion. It was viewed as a dangerous, fiery, and irrational form of love that could take hold of you and possess you.

5. PRAGMA, commitment, or longstanding love. It is a mature, realistic love that is commonly found amongst long-established couples. Pragma is about making compromises to help the relationship work over time, and showing patience and tolerance.

6. PHILAUTIA, or love of the self. They admitted two types. One is an unhealthy narcissism, where one becomes self-obsessed and focuses on personal fame and fortune. A healthier version is self-assurance

A person who lives celibacy, out of a greater Love, only gives up the number 4 (eros) kind of love.

Thus, we must love God with total, committed, disinterested love. Anything short of it is a fraud. And we must allow Him to love us. But the Lord sets conditions. “If anyone loves father …more than me, is not worthy of me” (Lk 14:26). Hard to hear. 

To love with the Love of God means to love as God has loved us in Christ, that is, unconditionally, fully, even unto death. This is confirmed by a phrase of St. Josemaría: "Only if we try to understand the mystery of God's love, of that love that reaches to death, will we be able to give ourselves totally to others, without letting ourselves be overcome by difficulty or indifference."

St. Josemaría spoke about “going deep into the depth of God’s Love.” When someone made him notice the repetition of the word “deep,” he answered, “And still I fall short”. 

Sep 30 Wed - Can I change my brain?

 

Sep 30 Wed

Can I change my brain?

Often you hear, ‘I Changed My Mind.’

A curious idiom in English and difficult for non-native speakers to grasp. If I say, “I changed my mind,” it looks like I am saying I had one mind, but I swapped it out for another. The closest analogues, after all, are expressions like “I changed my clothes” or “I changed a tire.” But how can I get a grip on my mind, and even change it? And how would I know that it was a new mind there, rather than the old one still?

In contrast, “I had a change of heart” seems to make perfect sense. Something can happen to me which makes me change my heart. Even so, if I don’t change my mind, it looks like nothing –no one– can change my heart.

Deuteronomy 6:5 says only: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.”

But Our Lord in the New Covenant took pains (it’s recorded in all three synoptic Gospels) to add: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might, and WITH ALL YOUR MIND.”

This fact is hidden in some translations. “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Lk 5:32): but it says literally, I have come to call sinners to change their minds (μετάνοιαν, metanoian).

The Lord says to his disciples just before ascending into Heaven: “Thus, it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations” (Lk 24:46-47) – literally, “change of mind and forgiveness of sins.” Thus, forgiveness is linked to a change of mind.

In one of his most beautiful passages, St. Paul says that he wants to see Christians “changed in form,” by making their minds new, or more precisely their intellect: “I appeal to you … be transformed by the renewal of your mind." (Rom 12:2)

The beauty of “I changed my mind” is in the completeness it signals. “Did you want the steak after all?” “No, I changed my mind and decided upon fish.” Steak is just no longer in view. We are blind to the steak. We are thinking about wine pairings with fish.

How disarming, for its simplicity, it could be to speak in this way! “Yeah, before, I used to fool around. But after I stuck to Christ as my Savior and Lord, and I learned his commandments, I changed my mind.”

“If you really have changed your mind, as you say, then, through what you do, provide convincing evidence to me that this is so.” It’s a paraphrase, and yet a perfectly precise account of the meaning of the Baptist’s words, which the Church puts before us: “Bear fruit worthy of repentance." (Mt 3:8). 

‘I Changed My Mind’

Show then the change with the testimony of your life.

Excerpts from Michael Pakaluk 

Sep 29 Tue - How can I explain the Cross?

 

Sep 29 Tue

How can I explain the Cross?

The Cross is not explained with words; it is carried on our shoulders with Christ.

The Cross, humanly speaking, is a paradox. How can an instrument of death become a source of life? How can a defeated and crucified man be the Savior of the world? It is precisely here that God's way of acting is manifested.

Before Our Lord began his public life, He spent 40 days in the wilderness. 
The desert is "the place of trial" where our securities disappear, and we are called to decide in whom we place our trust. As happened to the people of Israel or to Jesus himself, temptation always presents a choice between trusting in God or trusting only in ourselves.

On the Cross, we understand the Love that remains faithful to the end.
When we look at the Cross, we see a great Love. It shows us to what extent man is capable of causing suffering, but above all it shows us how far God is capable of loving and forgiving.

This is why the Church exalts the Cross. We do not exalt pain, violence, or death. We exalt the Love which, in the midst of pain and death, remains faithful to the end.

We often want to win by eliminating suffering; Christ conquers through it. We would like to overcome evil with violence; Christ conquers it with the gift of himself. We would like to save ourselves; Christ saves us by giving himself.

It is precisely from this that Christian hope is born, because the Cross does not promise us a life without suffering, but something greater: embracing the Cross, there is no suffering in which God cannot be present.

For this reason, the Cross is not explained in words. The Cross is carried on our shoulders, and by carrying it with Christ, we discover that hardships can also become the moments when God manifests himself as Love.
The mystery of the Cross is the mystery of a Love that goes to the end.

Where can we find hope?

Since the events at Golgotha, we Christians cannot offer easy explanations, but we can point to the Cross and say: God did not abandon man on Golgotha. God entered the wound of humanity and left, a few steps from Golgotha, an empty tomb.

That is why the Cross is hope. Because the Cross carries within it the hope of the resurrection, and we are all called to proclaim the meaning of the Cross.

Thus, from Jerusalem, Mount Calvary continues proclaiming to all: God so loved the world... And each crucifix continues to remind us that this love reached up to the Cross.

This is the journey of our faith: from the desert to trust, from temptation to abandonment to God. From the Cross to life, from wound to hope. Because the Cross tells us that we have been loved without measure, loved to the end. And there, at the foot of the Cross, we find our Mother Mary. 

Sep 28 Mon - Do I need strength of character to grow in my interior life?

 

Sep 28 Mon

Do I need strength of character to grow in my interior life?

We need to strengthen our character by combining serene courage with flexible and intelligent daring.

Our Lord uses difficulties and temptations to strengthen our character as we fight against discouragement and bravely struggle on, relying on God's strength. 

God has given us intelligence to overcome ignorance, make correct judgments, and stand as a shield and light, ever steadfast amid life's trials and tribulations. Only in this way will our love for God and souls be effective and not get lost in useless dreams and fantasies.

We need strength of character to correct ourselves as often as necessary and to take the risk that every step forward entails. “To walk forward, we need to have one foot in the air. We can't get anywhere with both feet planted on the ground. In every human venture there's always the chance of failure, but if you refuse to lift either foot, you'll never get anywhere."

By responding to grace, we will be increasingly better instruments in God's hands. We will never allow our laziness or indecision to slow down the apostolate or obstruct the will of God.

Interior struggle leads to a mature personality.
We need an orderly, rich personality to serve God effectively. This entails a whole range of virtues, guided by prudence and sustained by love, while we strive to overcome shortcomings in our own temperament.

Jesus Christ is the mirror in which we should see ourselves. The true Christian thinks, judges, and acts consistently in accord with right reason illumined by the example and teaching of Christ. True character is not consistency and determination in one’s conduct based on subjective principles, but only constancy in following God-given principles of justice.

“God needs strong and courageous people who refuse to come to terms with mediocrity and who enter all kinds of environments with a sure step." Such maturity requires constant struggle and training. We have to strive to be strong foundation stones that sustain the building's weight, but these require a very specific shape, given blow after blow by the chisel. God can raise children of Abraham from stones. But we must make sure that the stone is not brittle; a hard rock may be shapeless, but it is a better element to build from. 

God needs us to be persistent in our daily struggle, perhaps on a particular point of fortitude, or generosity, or temperance. “Soft people complain about a thousand silly trivialities; they do not know how to sacrifice themselves for Jesus in those daily trifles - let alone sacrifice themselves for others."

What a shame if you easily become hard and demanding toward other people, but do not show the same attitude in your daily life.

By taking care of little things, we will grow in strength of character and become obedient to divine grace, ready to do God’s will. “If you wish..., you will spread the word of God, which is blessed a thousand, thousand times and cannot fail. If you are generous..., if you respond, with your own sanctification, you will obtain that of others: the kingdom of Christ: ‘All with Peter to Jesus through Mary’." 

Sep 27 Sun - Do I want to do the Will of God?

 

Sep 27 Sun

Do I want to do the Will of God?

If we turn from our sins and do what is right, God will give us life now and eternal life after this life. God assists us by his grace, which helps us to desire to do what is right and to actually do it.

But we have an essential part in doing what is right. Our intellect says yes to God’s law, and our will cooperates with God’s will.

St. Paul recommends that we have the same attitude toward others that Our Lord has.
It is the opposite of selfishness, vainglory, and everyone only looking out for his own interests.
The attitude of Christ is:

- humbly regarding others as more important than oneself,
- looking out for the interests of others,
- encouraging others,
- giving loving support to others,
- listening to what the Holy Spirit wants you to say and do for others,
- showing compassion and mercy toward others,
- and everyone being of one mind in love.

This attitude of Christ is seen in his self-emptying, in his taking the form of a slave, in humbling himself and “becoming obedient” to his Father’s will “to the point of death, even on a cross.”

Our attitude toward doing the will of God must be effective, not just a desire. It is better to be a person who resists God’s will but then does it than to be a person who says he will do God’s will but does not do it. The best way is to say yes to God’s will and then to do it, like Mary, who heard the word of God and kept it.

Our Faith teaches us that God’s will for us is entirely good, a far greater good than we can even imagine. So, in theory, it is easy to say, “Thy will be done.”

But it is often not easy to do in practice. One of the most basic aspects of our human condition is that we want pleasure and happiness and hate pain and suffering. This is why we resist and may even reject the will of God. We see that what God wants, or what we think He wants, will make us suffer or prevent us from being happy. 

We can accept and even embrace the things that happen to us as coming from God for our good or the good of others. We can do this even when what happens is objectively bad: God is not sending us evil, but permitting it, and He will draw a greater good from it.

Many things that are the will of God and that we can see are perfectly good are just hard. For example, it is hard to obey one of the commandments when a strong passion is making us want to disobey it.

St. Josemaría had a succinct and practical formula for doing the will of God: “Stages: to be resigned to the will of God; to conform to the will of God, to want the will of God; to love the will of God.” Where are you on the journey through these stages? 

Sep 26 Sat - How can an ordinary Christian be involved in the universal mission of the Church?

 

 Sep 26 Sat

How can an ordinary Christian be involved in the universal mission of the Church?

As part of the Church, ordinary Christians are called to foster a personal zeal to help others discover Christ.

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and invited many people to his banquet. Here on earth, all souls are called to the great King's wedding feast, yet souls do not want to go. They reject the invitation, and the hall remains empty."

"Our Lord has prepared for us a fullness of Love: without betrayals, without getting tired, with all goodness and beauty."

"But they went off, one to his farm: to their selfishness, to their comfort. And another to his business: to their profession, which they did not know how to turn into a divine path on earth."

And the servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so, the wedding hall was filled with guests. We, too, must do as these servants did, and draw as many people as possible to the pathways of God.

"Wherever there are people capable of serving God, there must we be present, to lead them to Christ. We have to proclaim to them the great King's invitation: Everything is ready, come to the banquet. We must call many souls to dedicate themselves to work in the service of God."

"Opus Dei, St Josemaría wrote, constitutes a new fact in ecclesiastical history, while at the same time being as old as the Gospel itself." Although it is a path with its own distinct features within the Church, the Work is universal and provides Christians with a profound Catholic sense. Because of its emphasis on work as the proper material for our sanctification, our spirit is open to people of every age, race, and state in life: married and single, priests and laity, men and women, young and old. The universality of our spirit enables us to reach souls in every sphere of life. "We can well say, without boasting, that the Work of God has opened up all the divine pathways of the earth as a real vocation."

The knowledge that our personal vocation is a sharing in the Church's universal mission should lead us to feel a greater sense of responsibility.

"We will show that we are Catholics by the fruits of sanctity which we produce, for sanctity does not admit of frontiers, nor is it the patrimony of any particular group. We will show that we are Catholics if we pray, if we strive to talk with God at all times, if always, and in all things, we make an effort to be just (in the broadest sense of the word "justice", which nowadays is quite often used with a materialistic and erroneous connotation); if we love and defend the personal freedom of other men."

Our Blessed Mother, Queen of the Apostles, will obtain for us from her Son the holy "imprudence" we need to draw many souls close to his Son.

Sep 25 Fri - Is there a vocation to marriage?

 

Sep 25 Fri

Is there a vocation to marriage?

Our Lord has wanted the universal call to holiness to resound with renewed strength in the ears of all Christians. By the Church, thus, through Opus Dei, He makes it clear that all states and upright situations in life are suitable for seeking and finding God. And for those who are called to marriage, their path as well is truly a DIVINE VOCATION.

St. Josemaría wrote: Since most of my children are married, their conjugal love and duties form part of their divine vocation. Opus Dei has been responsible for marriage being considered a divine path, a vocation… How frequently I have seen a couple's eyes light up when, thinking that their noble and clean love was incompatible with dedication to God, they heard me say that "marriage is a divine path on earth!"

We are not afraid of human love, of our parents' holy love, which God utilized to give us life. I bless this love with both hands. I don't allow any of my children to fail to have a great love for the holy sacrament of matrimony. Therefore, we aren't afraid to sing songs about clean, human love, which are ballads of divine love as well.

I ask you to love one another. Always have the eager love you had when you were first engaged. It would be a poor concept of marriage, which is an ideal and a vocation, to think that the joy is over when the difficulties and hard times that life brings begin.

Then is when love is strengthened, when it becomes stronger than death. Suffering and setbacks can never extinguish true love. For sacrifice shared with generosity unites you even more.

Ordinarily, your marriage will be very fruitful. And if God doesn't grant you children, you will dedicate your energies more intensely to the apostolic work, which will bring you a splendid spiritual fruitfulness. Our Lord usually crowns Christian families with children. Always receive them with joy and thanksgiving, because they are God's gift and blessing and a proof of his confidence in you.

I would like to share seven pieces of advice for young couples:

1. Understand life as a gift called to become a gift for others.

2. Your neighbor's garden is not greener than yours. Always be grateful for your own garden with all the good and not-so-good fruits it gives.

3. Live by your principles and according to your faith; otherwise, you will end up modifying your principles according to how you live.

4. Facing difficulties, ask yourself, What would Christ do in my place?

5. Remember that it is impossible to achieve happiness apart from the truth about the commitment you have made.

6. I have met many people who regret not having more children. I have never met anyone who regretted having given too many children to society, to the family, and to the Church.

7. The important things in life happen in humble settings and not in sumptuous ones that dazzle. 

Sep 24 Thu - What is Opus Dei?

 

Sep 24 Thu

What is Opus Dei?

“Opus Dei aims to encourage people of every sector of society to desire holiness in the midst of the world. In other words, Opus Dei proposes to help ordinary citizens like yourself to lead a fully Christian life, without modifying their normal way of life, their daily work, their aspirations and ambitions."

“Opus Dei’s members are people who live in the world and hold normal jobs. They do not join Opus Dei to give up their job. On the contrary, what they look for in the Work is the spiritual help they need to sanctify their ordinary work." St. Josemaría

Here are, in my opinion, the main characteristics of the charism of Opus Dei:
 
- Divine filiation: From the moment of baptism, a Christian is a child of God. The formation provided by the Prelature promotes, in the Christian faithful, a lively sense of their condition as children of God, and helps them to conduct themselves in accordance with this reality; it fosters trust in divine providence, and simplicity in dealing with God and with others.

- Ordinary life: "It is in the midst of the most material things of the earth that we should sanctify ourselves, serving God and all men and women," said St. Josemaría Escrivá. Family, marriage, and work are opportunities to try and imitate Jesus Christ, trying to practice human and Christian virtues.”

- Sanctify work: “To seek holiness in our ordinary work means to strive to do it well, with professional competence, and with Christian outlook, that is, out of love for God, and to serve people.”

- Prayer and sacrifice: “The means of formation of Opus Dei remind all of the need to cultivate the prayer and penance proper to the Christian spirit. The faithful of the Prelature attend daily Mass, dedicate time to reading the Gospel, frequently go to the sacrament of penance, and foster devotion to the Mother of God.”

- Unity of life: The founder of Opus Dei explained that a Christian should not "lead a kind of double life: the interior life, the life of relationship with God, on the one hand; and on the other, a different, and separate family, professional and social life.” On the contrary, St. Josemaría pointed out, "there should be only one life, made up of flesh and spirit, and that is the one that has to be – in soul and body– holy and full of God.”

- Freedom: The faithful of Opus Dei are citizens who enjoy the same rights, and are subject to the same obligations as other citizens, their equals. In their political, economic, cultural, etc. actions, they act with personal freedom and responsibility, without involving the Church or Opus Dei in their decisions or presenting them as the only ones consistent with the faith. This implies respecting the freedom and opinions of others.

- Charity: Christians are witnesses to Jesus Christ, and spread his message of hope among relatives, friends and colleagues, by example and by word. This eagerness to make Christ known is inseparable from the desire to contribute to solving the material and social needs of the environment. 

Sep 23 Wed - Are children assets or liabilities?

 

Sep 23 Wed

Are children assets or liabilities?

We need to help our children understand that they add value to our lives, to our world, and to each other.

I began by asking young boys if they knew the difference between an asset and a liability. One explained that a liability costs you money, and an asset generates money. This set me up to explain that most people today view children as liabilities—something that just costs parents money—which is why there is resistance to having more. But to me, children are an asset.

An asset should not be thought of exclusively in terms of money. A fruit-bearing apple tree is an asset even if you eat the apples rather than sell them. Children produce a lot of joy. A dancing toddler is funny; an older sibling meeting a newborn for the first time is precious.

Beyond joy, children can help out around the house.
Often, we expect children to work and contribute to the household because that is what humans are supposed to do, and this is how anyone learns to be a functioning adult in society.

Thus, we form citizens capable of leading families of their own and being competent in society in ways that coddled young adults are not. Children become assets to a family naturally when they are encouraged to develop skills useful in adulthood.

As they develop practical skills, siblings can help each other, even as adults later in life.

A father with many kids hopes that at least some of them will help him when he's old. That's an actual long-term care plan more reliable than trusting in some insurance company.

The Bible certainly views children as a blessing:

    Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord,
    Happy is the man who has
    his quiver full of them.
    He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.             
    

When I read this verse, I picture an aging but not necessarily old man arguing with a group of degenerates at the edge of his property. He’s confidently telling them to move along because his armed sons are casually standing some distance behind him as backup. The Bible is unequivocal: children are blessings and assets.

Children are also assets to each other. They will be like godparents to other siblings, friends you call for advice, investors in your business, the people you rely on to help you move furniture. Your sibling might be your future lawyer or plumber. This is a practical reason to stay close to and be nice to your siblings. Be careful with your words; you don’t want to say things now that destroy your future relationship.

Today, nepotism has become a bad word; but historically, your family was your network.

Siblings should not be just someone you see at Christmas or (if you are fortunate) share an inheritance with. Your sibling is not someone who deprives you of parental attention or money. They are assets.

St. Teresa of Calcutta commented: “How can there be too many children? That’s like saying there are too many flowers.”

Some excerpts from J.C. Miller 

Sep 22 Tue - Do I really need to offer sacrifices?

 

Sep 22 Tue   

Do I really need to offer sacrifices?

We need to mortify our body to share in Christ's Cross.

Corporal mortification is a necessary means, not an end in itself. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

“There comes to mind the dream of that author of the golden age of Spanish literature. The writer sees two roads opening up before him. One of them is broad and smooth, easy to travel, with many comfortable inns, taverns, and other places of beauty and rest. Along this road go great crowds of people on horseback or in carriages, in a hubbub of music and mindless laughter. One sees a multitude intoxicated by a joy which is simply short-lived and superficial, for this road leads to a bottomless precipice. It is the road taken by the worldly-minded, ever seeking material pleasure, boasting a happiness that they do not really possess and craving insatiably for comfort and pleasure..."

“They are terrified at the thought of suffering, self-denial or sacrifice. They have no wish to know anything about the Cross of Christ. They think it is sheer madness. But it is they who are insane, for they are slaves of envy, gluttony, and sensuality. They end up suffering far more, and only too late do they realize that they have squandered both their earthly and their eternal happiness in exchange for meaningless trifles.” 

“Our Lord has warned us about this. The man who tries to save his life shall lose it; it is the man who loses his life for my sake who will secure it. How is the man the better for it if he gains the whole world at the cost of losing his own soul?"

“In that dream there is another path going in a different direction. It is so steep and narrow that the travelers who take it cannot go on horseback. All who take it must go on foot, perhaps zigzagging from side to side, but they move steadily on, treading on thorns and briars, picking their way round rocks and boulders. At times their clothing gets torn, and even their flesh. But at the end of this road a garden of paradise awaits them, eternal happiness, heaven.”

“This is the way taken by holy people, who humble themselves and who, out of love for Jesus, gladly sacrifice themselves for others. It's the path of those who are not afraid of an uphill climb, who bear the cross lovingly, no matter how heavy it may be, because they know that if they fall under its weight, they can still get up and continue their ascent. Christ is the strength of these travelers."

To live with Christ, we need to contemplate again what Jesus suffered for us in his Passion and Death; we can conquer our resistance and arouse our determination to follow our Lord closely.

“So much do I love Christ on the Cross that every crucifix is like a loving reproach from my God: 
‘I... suffering, and you... a coward. 
I... loving you, and you... forgetting me. 
I... begging you, and you... denying me. 
I... here, with arms wide open as an Eternal Priest, suffering all that can be suffered for love of you... and you... complaining at the slightest misunderstanding, over the tiniest humiliation...’” 

Sep 21 Mon - Did God enter human history as just one more character?

 

Sep 21 Mon

Did God enter human history as just one more character?

Our Lord Jesus Christ lived at a particular moment in history, appearing to people as a true man, born of the Virgin Mary.

Some first-century heretics taught that Jesus Christ did not have a true body, but merely an apparent body, like angels who appeared to men. They thought that death on the cross was impossible for and unworthy of the Son of God. Yet St. John the Apostle wrote, "Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God."

At the same time, He is God. We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten born of the Father … true God from true God; begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father.”

In this regard, the three “Abrahamic” religions have far greater differences than similarities.

Catholics pray the Nicene Creed at every Sunday Mass. It’s the specific expression of what we believe. For 17 centuries, men and women have died defending it. Except for the Creed’s first line, Islam rejects every key element of the text.

St. John Paul II held more substantive meetings with Muslim leaders than all previous popes combined. And he approached Islam with sincere goodwill, without diminishing its differences from Christianity.

The Pope set his appeal within the context of Muslims’ belief in the one God who is Creator and author of justice and peace: “We believe in the same God, the one God, the living God, the God who created the world and brings his creatures to their perfection.” However, this perception needs qualification. Islam and Judeo-Christianity are indeed monotheistic, but Christians and Muslims do not have an identical vision of the one God. The common journey undertaken by individual believers must not be taken to imply a common creed.

“Whoever knows the Old and New Testaments, and then reads the Qur'an, clearly sees the process by which it completely reduces Divine Revelation. It is impossible not to note the movement away from what God said about Himself, first in the Old Testament through the Prophets, and then finally in the New Testament through His Son. In Islam, all the richness of God’s self-revelation, which constitutes the heritage of the Old and New Testaments, has definitively been set aside."

“Some of the most beautiful names in the human language are given to the God of the Qur'an, but He is ultimately a God outside of the world, a God who is only Majesty, never Emmanuel, God-with-us." 

“Islam is not a religion of redemption. There is no room for the Cross and the Resurrection. Jesus is mentioned, but only as a prophet who prepares for the last prophet, Muhammad. There is also mention of Mary, His Virgin Mother, but the tragedy of redemption is completely absent. For this reason, not only the theology but also the anthropology of Islam is very distant from Christianity."

To realize that God chose to become man, dwell among us, and die for us! We should reflect on the consequences. 

Sep 20 Sun - What must I do to reach eternal happiness?

 

Sep 20 Sun

What must I do to reach eternal happiness?

This parable of the workers in the vineyard is like the parable of the prodigal son. The owner of the vineyard is like the father; the first-hired laborers are like the older brother, and the last-hired laborers are like the prodigal son. The first-hired laborers are upset by the landowner's behavior, and the elder brother is upset by his father's behavior. Both think they are being treated unjustly.

The parable of the prodigal son focuses on God’s unconditional love, while this parable focuses on God’s generosity. God’s goodness is for every one of his children: all we have to do, with His help, is to turn to Him.

God offers eternal life and happiness to everyone who turns to Him. That is generosity.

We should not compare ourselves with others. One reason is that we lack sufficient knowledge even of ourselves to know how much merit we have in God's eyes. Have we really borne the day's burden and the heat? 

We also don't know the others' standing. This is why Our Lord says, "the last will be first, and the first will be last." Thus, we must turn away from our evil ways and do the "fruitful labor," the good work, set before us.

A second reason we should not compare ourselves with others is that we can become falsely proud and, consequently, upset at God’s generous love. We have to remember that God’s ways are not our ways; He is all Wisdom.

How should we conduct ourselves to be worthy of the gospel of Christ?

Aiming at the final end for which we have been created, but are not guaranteed to reach: beatitude; that is, eternal life.

How can we reach it? There are two ways, and the second builds on the first.

The first is to stop sinning, and the second is to start loving.

The first way of reaching the beatitude for which we have been created, which pertains to every human being, is to STOP SINNING, through right conduct freely chosen, with the help of God’s law and grace. Everyone must do what is right and just. The basic moral law is written in every human heart, so everyone is capable of knowing it. God also offers everyone sufficient grace to do what is right to be saved.

On the other hand, we also have the grace of the sacraments to give us strength to freely choose and to act with right conduct, and then to begin again when we fail.

The second way is to START LOVING God above all things and your neighbor as yourself. 

Our Lord importantly modified love of neighbor, adding: “as yourself.” In his new law of love, He directed us ‘to love one another as He has loved us,’ that is, without limit, with a sacrificial love.

“Most people who have personal problems, St. Josemaría would say, have them because they selfishly think too much about themselves. Give yourselves, give yourselves, give yourselves! Give yourselves to the others, serve the others out of love for God: that is the way. It is so effective that God rewards it with a humility filled with joy." 

Sep 19 Sat - What should parents do for their children?

 

Sep 19 Sat

What should parents do for their children?

Parents have the right and duty to educate their offspring. By conferring life on their children, they cooperate with God in creating a new human person; thus, they must help that person live a fully human life.

The family is, therefore, the principal school of the social virtues, which are necessary to every society. Parents are the first and most important educators of their children, and they also possess a fundamental competence in this area; they are educators because they are parents.

Much of the formation in the home is indirect, embodied in a loving and tender atmosphere, for it arises from the presence and example of parents whose love is pure and generous.

Although family life is spiritual, we cannot ignore the material element: the family needs a home. To make its educational mission effective, the family needs an adequate environment and a minimum of comfortable material facilities.

Parents exercise their educational role through example and instruction. Both must go together. This family education is a preparation for the practice of virtues in the wider sphere of society.

The self-giving that inspires the love of husband and wife for each other is the model and norm for the self-giving that must be practiced in the relationships between siblings and different generations living together in the family. And the communion and sharing that are part of everyday life in the home at times of joy and at times of difficulty are the most concrete and effective pedagogy for the active, responsible and fruitful inclusion of the children in the wider horizon of society.

Parents are especially suited for education; they will cherish their children, not for their external success or for any other particular dimension of their activity, but for who they are.

Still, it is, above all, the sacramental grace of marriage that transforms parents into cooperators of the authority and love of God the Father and of Christ the Shepherd, as well as of the motherly love of the Church. At the same time, it enriches them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as wisdom, counsel, and fortitude, which greatly help in their educational task.

Parents must also make sure that the doctrinal formation their children receive is sound. They must actually exercise their right—and obligation—to participate in the direction of their education.

The good example and leadership of parents is essential; this is also true for education in a spirit of sacrifice in families, which are subject more than ever today to the pressures of materialism and consumerism.

The first example and the greatest help that parents can give their children is their generosity in accepting life.

Finally, parents must foster the formation of right values, especially a correct attitude of freedom concerning material goods, the adoption of a simple and austere lifestyle, and a conviction that it is what a man is, rather than what he has, that counts. 

Sep 18 Fri - What could be a practical concept of hope?

 

Sep 18 Fri

What could be a practical concept of hope?

Hope is not about thinking that everything will be well, but about knowing that God is with us.

There are difficult experiences where usual structures collapse, and often the most lucid responses about the essence of faith and inner resistance arise. Then, we must transform prolonged suffering into a school of spiritual maturity.

We must not equate hope with naive optimism or the statistical possibility that things will go well in a difficult situation. It is not about believing that everything will be well, but that God is on our side. This definition makes any easy or overly sweet conception of religion impossible, since it shifts from human expectation to God's presence itself.

Instead of yielding to discouragement or bitterness, we must turn our attention to squeezing the sacred value from every available moment, living the present with absolute intensity, with love and mindfulness.

Human beings naturally tend to seek tangible guarantees, to draw up detailed plans, and to measure the value of their existence according to goals achieved or external recognition. When all this disappears due to time or injustice, the void can be dizzying.

We must navigate the future not only through probability calculations, but by accepting one’s vulnerability and leaving space for a force that does not come from one’s own merits.

In everyday life, small and great daily frustrations test the consistency of anyone’s personal ideals. Often, discouragement seizes the mood when expected results are slow to arrive or when one’s efforts seem to fall apart.

We must put aside sterile complaints and paralyzing laments. The value of our actions lies not in their immediate prominence or the measurable success they produce, but in the faithfulness to duty with which we face them.

The distinction between earthly optimism and theological hope also marks a clear limit to passive resignation. Knowing that God remains present in the midst of trials does not mean crossing our arms waiting for a magical miracle that alters the laws of physics or history without human participation. It implies, on the contrary, an intense interior activity that translates into courage, rejection of lies, and rigorous fidelity to one’s principles, even when the environment is decidedly hostile. The patience required is not synonymous with weakness, but with a well-founded strength that resists the onslaught of time and misunderstanding.

Looking at reality from this point of view helps to lessen the impact of the emergencies and burdens that characterize the rhythm of contemporary life. Precious energies are often invested in trying to control variables that completely escape personal domain, generating sterile weariness.

We must then simplify our attitude, entrust the past to God’s mercy, and leave the future in the hands of Providence, concentrating all our capacity to respond in today’s task. That serene concentration dispels fear for tomorrow and returns to the individual the rudder of their own dignity.

Dreaming of perfect futures becomes useless when one discovers that authentic peace results from the certainty of never walking alone, even in the middle of the darkest night.
Some excerpts from Francisco Maria. 

Sep 17 Thu - Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

 

Sep 17 Thu

Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

When we are asked if we truly have a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” they imply an emotional, warm, intimate feeling of encounter.

Of course, as Catholics, we may easily respond, “Yes, indeed, I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ every time I receive Him in Holy Communion.”

An emotional response when receiving Communion can be a welcome consolation, but it is often lacking. Mother Teresa of Calcutta turned to a priest during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and lamented, “I feel nothing.”

Would you conclude that she had no “personal relationship” with Jesus in the Blessed Eucharist?

Faith is necessary to enter into communion with Him. The Divine plan is to spark a response of faith rather than promising good feelings. God redirects love of consolations to authentic Christian love. “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Faith is tested and strengthened when God suspends his consolations for a time.

Imagine Jesus continuing his sacred ministry in person after the Cross and Resurrection, cultivating friendly “personal relationships.” 
Some would hope to render obsolete inconvenient teachings such as, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

True faith, rather, directs our attention to Jesus through the unchanging Deposit of Faith handed down throughout the ages after the death of the last Apostle. And personal relationships are the pastoral duty of his disciples who are commissioned to “baptize all nations” in his name.

Jesus entrusts Himself to the members of His Church. So, our encounter with Him is through healthy personal relationships with his representatives, members of his Mystical Body. Through the Mass—and through the ministry of the ordained priests of the Church—our faith directs us to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist. The mediation of the priest gives way to a direct and true personal relationship with Jesus in faith.

Such a relationship may be unemotional, even dry, plodding, and frustrating. But a ready faith remains spiritually profitable, always ready to say with Saint Peter in times of confusion, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

True faith sticks with Jesus, and recognizes that Jesus sticks with us, through all the trials of life—like the faith of Mary at the foot of the Cross, like the faith of the holy martyrs in the early Church.

Our encounter with Jesus in Holy Communion is the most glorious encounter we can have this side of heaven, the very foretaste of heaven. It is an encounter of faith, but an encounter where faith comes into direct contact with a personal and living Reality. And God and man are reconciled.

Our communion with Him impels us to enter more deeply into a bond of familial love: “Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother.” 

Reception of Holy Communion in faithful obedience to Christ is the perfect personal relationship with Jesus, whether or not we feel it. But there is always something sweet and consoling about a good conscience at peace with God’s will.
Excerpts from Father Jerry Pokorsky 

Sep 16 Wed - Why do bad things happen to good people?

 Sep 16 Wed

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Bad things happen to good people because sin, human freedom, natural limits, and suffering wound the world. God does not delight in evil or injustice, but He permits them within his Providence and can bring good from them—though we often cannot see how in this life.

God showed us the reason for our suffering in Christ’s Passion and Death: although Jesus did good, He was crucified; yet his Resurrection conquered sin and death. Thus, suffering is not proof that God has abandoned us, but that He wants us to continue improving.

Jesus wanted to be tempted to show solidarity with our weaknesses and to set us an example. The Devil offered him comfort instead of the cross, spectacular miracles instead of a life of harsh struggle, political dominion of the world instead of a reign within souls.

Satan cannot prevent the building up of God's reign, although he acts in the world out of hatred for God and the kingdom of Jesus Christ. And even though his actions cause great harm of a spiritual nature –and indirectly even of a physical nature– to people and society, those actions are permitted by divine Providence, which with strength and gentleness guides human and world history. It is a great mystery that Providence should permit diabolical activity, but we know that in everything God works for good with those who love him.

We must not consider every tragedy a direct punishment, nor should we passively accept preventable suffering. We should oppose evil, protect the vulnerable, relieve pain, and accompany those who suffer.

Yet God promises that suffering and death will not have the final word. Faith gives hope that He can draw a good from evil—a good whose full meaning may be known only in eternal life.

“God is very pleased with those who recognize his goodness by making an act of thanksgiving whenever something out of the ordinary happens, without caring whether it may have been good or bad, as the world reckons these things. Because everything comes from the hands of our Father: so, though the blow of the chisel may hurt our flesh, it is a sign of Love, as He smooths off our rough edges and brings us closer to perfection."

But God never abandons us, His children. “Let me assure you, it's something which I have touched with my own hands and seen with my own eyes, that, if you trust in God's Providence, if you abandon yourselves in his all-powerful arms, you will never lack the means to serve God, his Holy Church and the souls of men; and this without having to neglect any of your duties. You will then rejoice in the joy and peace which all the goods of the world cannot give."

God did not exempt his Mother from suffering and contradictions, yet “Mary glorifies the power of Our Lord, who 'has put down the mighty from their thrones and has exalted the lowly'. And she sings of how his divine providence has once again been fulfilled in her: 'because He has regarded the lowliness of his handmaid, behold all generations henceforth shall call me blessed'."

Sep 15 Tue - What should be the basic attitude of a Christian?

 

Sep 15 Tue

What should be the basic attitude of a Christian?

To be a Christian means being united to the Cross.
The Church makes present for all ages the fruits of Christ's death on the Cross. All the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, unite us to his Passion. 
But God also wants us to be united to his mission. He has called us to be co-redeemers. 

St Paul tells us: “Now I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the Church.” 
To co-redeem with Christ, we must not shun sacrifices in daily life. St. Josemaría wrote: “Being a Christian is not simply a way to personal contentment; it implies a mission..."

“Being a Christian is not something incidental; it is a divine reality that takes root deep in our life. It gives us a clear vision and strengthens our will to act as God wants. So, we learn that the Christian's pilgrimage in the world must express itself in a continuous service in all kinds of ways, varying with each person's circumstances, but always motivated by love of God and of our neighbor. Being a Christian means forgetting petty objectives of personal prestige and ambition and even possibly nobler aims, like philanthropy and compassion for the misfortunes of others. It means setting our mind and heart on reaching the fullness of love which Jesus Christ showed by dying for us."

“Let me give you an example of the kind of attitude which develops if one is unable to penetrate this mystery of Jesus. Some people tend to see Christianity as a collection of devout practices, failing to realize their relation to the circumstances of ordinary life, including the urgency to meet the needs of other people and remedy injustice. I would say that anyone who has that attitude has not yet understood the meaning of the Incarnation."

“Others tend to imagine that to remain human one must set aside some central aspects of Christian dogma. They act as if the life of prayer, the continual relationship with God, implied fleeing from responsibilities and forsaking the world. But they forget that it was none other than Jesus who showed us the extreme to which we should go in love and service. Only if we try to understand the mystery of God's love –a love which went as far as death– will we be able to give ourselves totally to others and not let ourselves be overcome by difficulties or indifference."

The path to becoming co-redeemers with Christ is that of the Cross. “We are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” There is no other way. 

Love captivates the soul and leads it quietly and gently to complete self-denial; and by that self-giving, the soul is purified, cleansed, divinized. “Our Lord asks for generous hearts that are truly detached. We will achieve this if we resolutely cut the thick bonds or the subtle threads that tie us to ourselves. This entails a constant struggle."

If you already know what you have to do and you don't do it, you're worse off than before. 

Sep 14 Mon - Do I allow Jesus to enter my boat?

 

Sep 14 Mon

Do I allow Jesus to enter my boat?

St Luke tells us in the Gospel: “While the people pressed upon Jesus to hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And He saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, He asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat."

“He got into Peter's boat. Jesus began by asking him for that old boat and ended up asking for all his energies, his whole life! Hasn't the same happened to you?"

Christ wants to enter our boat, as He entered Peter's, to make us fishers of men.

How naturally Jesus gets into our own boat! To "complicate" our lives, some people might say. He got into your soul and mine, to complicate our lives gently and lovingly, wonderfully ...

“Your boat has no value unless it's no longer yours, unless you give it to Christ. With your boat you're headed for shipwreck. Leave it all, everything: your personal plans, your silly imaginings, your human ambitions that don't lead you to Christ, your pride, those worldly aspirations... That is your boat which is going to sink unless you give it to Christ. And so, if we give our boat to God, if Jesus feels He's the boat's captain..."

“Sometimes it seems that He's absent, that He's not looking after us in the boat... But then Jesus comes walking over the waves, through the storm, and He gets into our boat, which is His, and immediately the wind dies down. If we give ourselves, He gives Himself to us. But we must give ourselves, and do so entirely ... Let us truly give ourselves, let us tell Jesus, with deeds, that our boat belongs to Him."

“We have climbed into Peter's boat along with Christ, into this boat of the Church, which seems so fragile and rickety but which no storm can ever sink." 

I came because I wanted to. I love you, Lord, because I wish to love you. I could have given this poor heart to some human being... but no! I place it whole, young, vibrant, noble and clean, at your feet, because I want to!

“Together with your heart, you also gave Jesus your freedom; now your own ambitions have become very secondary. You can move freely within the boat, with the freedom of the children of God, who are in the Truth, fulfilling the divine Will. But never forget that you must remain always within the limits of the boat. And this is because you wanted to. I repeat what I told you yesterday or the day before: if you leave the boat, you will be submerged by the waves, you will die, you will perish, drowned in the ocean, and you will cease to be with Christ, losing that companionship you voluntarily embraced when He offered it to you."

If we ever feel like sinking, it is because, like Peter, we have concentrated our whole attention on the winds of public opinion, on the currents of indifference, on the military, economic, and political opposition from this quarter or from that. We shall be sinking for the same reason that Peter sank: We had taken our eyes off the Master.

Sep 13 Sun - Should I forgive offenses?

 

Sep 13 Sun

Should I forgive offenses?

Having been forgiven a huge debt, the wicked servant did not forgive the little debt of a co-worker. Christ tells us that we must always forgive those who sin against us. If we do not, then our heavenly Father will not forgive our sins until we “pay back the whole debt” we owe him; a payback that, in the words of the parable, will be a tortured imprisonment.

“Strictly speaking, no one will deny him the right to demand what was his. Nevertheless, there is something inside us that rebels and tells us that his intolerant attitude was very far from real justice. It is not right that a person who only a moment previously has been treated with mercy and understanding, should not then react with at least a little patience towards his own debtor."

When we sin against God or a fellow human being, God is not hurt, but that fellow human being is hurt (and perhaps many others), and we are damaged. God wants us to repair that hurt. God also wants us to become more like him: good and generous.

Here is the amazing good news: “For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.”

“The glory of God consists in the realization of this manifestation and communication of his goodness, for which the world was created.” Thus, God’s creatures, through their very being, glorify God.

And more, for God’s rational creatures, God created us “to be his sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.”
So, “The ultimate purpose of creation is that God, ‘who is the creator of all things, may at last become ‘all in all,’ thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude.’”

If God manifests his glory by sharing his goodness with all of creation, and with us, then we can greatly benefit from meditating on this truth. So, a first practical application is that we can take to our MENTAL PRAYER the truths drawn above from the Gospel, often made explicit in the Catechism.

A second application is to respond to God in wonder and THANKSGIVING for all He has given us.

A third application is to determine to cooperate with God’s plan for us. 

Moreover, He wants us fully alive, in possession of eternal happiness. On our part, our baby steps are found in our grace-inspired and grace-assisted efforts to put sin behind us and begin to do only good. This is our CONVERSION or transformation in Christ. 

Conversion includes repentance, a good confession, and beginning that process of real personal growth again: Remember, it is never too late to become the person you should have been. 

Sep 12 Sat - Today, the most holy Name of Mary

 

Sep 12 Sat 

Last September 8, we celebrated Mary's birthday, and today, her most holy name. Let’s wish a happy birthday to the Mother of God, who is also our Mother. And our Lady, who is in heaven body and soul, will joyfully welcome our signs of affection.

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

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

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

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

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

Sep 11 Fri - Is there a good defense against drugs?

 Sep 11 Fri

Is there a good defense against drugs?

There is no better defense against drugs than a good family.

By “drugs,” we understand any substance—with or without medical applications—that is self-administered for non-medical purposes, causing a physiological or psychological alteration. The resultant condition may be pleasant or unpleasant. In the first case, drugs are usually addicting; that is, they gradually lead to the need for larger doses, creating a state of dependence on the part of the consumer.

Addiction is a more or less irresistible urge to habitually consume a certain drug. Its nature can be physiological, psychological, or both. Sudden interruption of supply causes a typical and violent reaction called withdrawal syndrome. Its actual symptoms vary widely with age, degree of tolerance, and type of drug. However, in all cases, it produces serious or even very serious psychopathic alterations. In some cases, the dependence may be so strong that the subject feels the compulsion to use any licit or illicit means to satisfy this craving.

The term “soft drugs" is commonly applied to marijuana, hashish, amphetamines, and some sedatives and analgesics. Yet we must distinguish between occasional use, habitual use, and intoxication.

Although the occasional use of soft drugs does not cause serious alterations in the organism, it should be considered in principle a serious sin. It risks becoming a potentially serious sin. It endangers psychological health, increases propensity to impurity, may cause scandal, and constitutes a proximate danger of slipping down the path of vice.

Morality of habitual use: After some time, there is a clear and proximate danger—even moral certitude—of becoming a drug addict. This implies a misuse of one’s life and faculties, an abuse that is a grave offense.

Intoxication, the third stage, is a serious sin.

Clandestine production of and trafficking in drugs constitute direct cooperation in evil, since they encourage people to engage in gravely sinful practices.

Pope Leo XIV recently spoke on drug addiction: “The suffering of young people calls for comprehensive responses: community-based prevention, scientific care, justice with a human face, and close pastoral support.”

Pope Leo then pointed to four “bridges” that converged at the meeting, representing four paths of cooperation.

First, a bridge “between the Church and international organizations, as no one can tackle the problem of drugs alone.”

Second, a bridge “between science and faith. The Church does not intervene in the issue of drugs with the intention of competing with or taking the place of neuroscience, psychiatry or public health. Rather, she seeks to shed the light of the Gospel upon it through an integral understanding of the human person.”

Third, a bridge “within the Church as people with common goals come together to share their suffering, hopes, and pastoral enthusiasm.”

Fourth, an ecumenical bridge, “practicing a common language rooted in faith to accompany and assist young people in their needs and dreams.”

Pope Leo said, “the family is the place where life is nurtured, cared for and given direction. There is no better protection against drugs than a good family.”

Through the families, the Church seeks to “touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others.”

Sep 10 Thu - Me? A saint? No way!

 

Sep 10 Thu

Me? A saint? No way!

Yes, way. You must be a saint. But holiness is a lifelong venture.

This is the will of God: your sanctification. This is the greatness of the Christian vocation. Personal holiness is everyone's duty, a lifelong "commitment of love." It requires a constant and loving effort to attain the goal. St. Josemaría: "For nearly thirty years, God has been putting into my heart the desire to help people of every condition and background to understand that ordinary life can be holy and full of God. Our Lord is calling us to sanctify the ordinary tasks of every day, for Christian perfection is to be found precisely there."

We need to struggle, to rectify a little each day, by setting specific and attainable goals. This is what God asks of us: effort, the readiness to improve. Mistakes do not matter when we have the goodwill to begin again, time after time. Then, “the ascetical struggle is not something negative and therefore hateful, but rather a joyful affirmation. It is a sport."

“A good sportsman doesn't fight to gain just one victory, and that at the first attempt. He has to build himself up for it, training over a long period of time, calmly and confidently. He keeps trying again and again, and if he doesn't succeed at the first attempt, he keeps on trying with determination until the obstacle is overcome."

God asks us to show our love through the daily effort to fulfill our obligations, the little duties of each moment. “Holiness doesn't consist in doing increasingly difficult things, but in doing them with increasingly greater love."

If we act out of love, we will feel the need to do what we should at every moment and reject the tendency to comfort-seeking. Rectifying will be easy; we will be hungry to give ourselves, hungry for work, not sparing any effort or sacrifice. It is well worth being generous, being eager to give ourselves, even though we know that our love will always fall short. Knowing that our daily struggle pleases God spurs us to begin anew day after day.

To reach this goal, we must say yes, without setting limits to grace.

The fullness of Christian life requires a continual resolve to improve: only in this way will we be faithful. Whoever does not aspire to be better does not deserve the name "good". The moment a person no longer desires to be better, that person stops being good.

We cannot be content with what we have already accomplished. Remember, it’s never too late to become the person you should have been.

Examine yourself, and don't be satisfied with who you are if you want to become who you still are not. For as soon as you become complacent, your progress stops. If you say "enough," you are lost.

If we put limits on our dedication, we would have strayed from the path. Seeking holiness is not just an option open to us, but God's express command. To disregard his will would mean we had failed in life, supernaturally and humanly. 

Sep 9 Wed - Let us sing to the Lord a song of love.

 

Sep 9 Wed

Let us sing to the Lord a song of love.

Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the importance of sacred music in the liturgy, calling for the Church’s musical heritage to be preserved while fostering healthy inculturation of local traditions.

“Music, indeed, is part of the liturgical action and is not merely a decorative part of the celebration,” Leo said. “In particular, music expresses the affective dimension of prayer.
“Singing also fosters communion. It contributes to the unity of hearts, overcoming differences between people and bringing everyone together in praise of God through the symphony of voices,” he added.

St. Augustine says: ‘Singing belongs to those who love.’”
“Sing to the Lord a new song; his praise is in the assembly of the saints." We are urged to sing a new song to the Lord, as new men who have learned a new song. A song is a thing of joy; or rather, it is a thing of love. Anyone who has learned to love his new life in Christ has learned to sing a new song, and the new song reminds us of our new life. The new man, the new song, and the new covenant all belong to the one kingdom of God; so, the new man will sing a new song and belong to the new covenant.

We all love something, but the question is, what to love. The psalms do not tell us not to love, but to choose the object of our love. But how can we choose unless we are first chosen? We cannot love unless someone has loved us first. Listen to the apostle John: “We love Him, because He first loved us." Man can love God only because God loved him first. He has given us Himself as the object of our love, and He has also given us the strength to love.

You may learn clearly from the apostle Paul what this strength is: “The love of God has been poured into our hearts." This love is not something we generate ourselves; it comes to us “through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

So, let us love God with the love He has given us. As John tells us more fully: “God is love, and whoever dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him."

All of us have been born again in Christ, and our life is from above. Listen to me; or rather, listen to the Holy Spirit saying through me: “Sing to the Lord a new song." Look, you tell me, I am singing. Yes indeed, you are singing; you are singing clearly; I can hear you. But make sure that your life does not contradict the words of your song. Sing with your voices, sing with your hearts, sing with your lips, but, mostly, sing with your lives: “Sing to the Lord a new song."

Now, you desire to sing to him whom you love, but you ask me how to sing his praises. You wish to know what praises to sing. The answer is: “His praise is in the assembly of the saints"; it is in the singers themselves. If you desire to praise Him, then live what you express: Love your neighbor. Live good lives, and you yourselves will become a praise to God who made you so. 

Sep 8 Tue - How should I look at an icon of Mother Mary?

 

Sep 8 Tue   

How should I look at an icon of Mother Mary?

This is Our Lady of Vladimir, a Russian icon (twelfth century). Belongs to the Our Lady of Tenderness type. It is one of the most revered images of Our Lady in Russia.

Our first glance goes towards the eyes of Our Lady. Although her head is bowed toward her Son, her gaze is fixed on the viewer, almost with a sense of urgency, as if through a windowpane, and her large, beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, bearing deep melancholy, are the defining feature of her face.
My child, why do you make my Son and me suffer? Couldn’t you do more? Couldn’t you take your life more seriously? Couldn’t you be more faithful to your Christian vocation? Leave aside whatever separates you from my Son, and come with me.
Our Lady’s veil tells us of her immaculate purity. 

We continue our contemplation looking at the details of the icon following a circular path. Next, her deep blue mantle evokes the spiritual depth of her love. 
Three stars appear on Mary's dress (one covered by the Child): her virginity before, during, and after her Son's birth. The stars help us realize that she is the favorite Daughter of God the Father, the Mother of God the Son, and the Spouse and Temple of the Holy Spirit.

Next, we admire her hands. She cradles her Child in her right hand, and she supports Him. 
Am I “supporting” the Body of Jesus, which is the Church? Am I taking Him to my friends and colleagues?
Our Mother’s left hand calls the viewer’s attention to Jesus; she always directs us to Him, “Do whatever He tells you”, she said, opening a space for us to approach Jesus without fear.

Now we are gazing at the Child. The contrast between Our Lady’s dark mantle and his bright golden robes, her shadowed face, and his bright face, creates an effect that feels timeless and eternal; she seems to recede to the background even as she offers her Son to the viewer. Mother, that I should never be separated from Him.

The Child sits in her right hand, presented as a wise man dressed in adult clothes. His bare feet dangle, showing us that He took a human nature from her. Paradoxically, the Virgin and Child sit motionless and serene; and yet the Child’s whole body moves toward her. His eyes are directed toward his mother’s face. He reaches upward to her, embraces her fully around the neck with his left hand, clutching her veil with his right, and pressing his cheek to hers. 

The Child shows us that God is not ashamed to be close to us, our God, to be identified as the One who is involved with us; here, though, it is as if He is not merely unashamed but positively shameless in his eagerness, longing to embrace and be embraced. It is not simply that God condescends not to mind our company; rather, he is passionate for it. The image of God’s action we are presented with here is of a hungry love. 
My Lord, you are seeking my love; and I am distancing myself from you.

Closing the circular movement, we conclude where we began, looking at Our Mother’s countenance. 
Mother, the gentle tenderness you share with your child is a quiet, strong feeling, reflected from your image. There is no distance between his soft but total embrace and you. He loves you. Yes, there is no doubt! O how this Child loves you! And He is God. And yet, His Body is from your body, his flesh from your flesh, his Heart from your heart. His eyes praise you and thank you for your share in his humanity.

The entire surface of the icon, including its frame, is uniformly pitted and chipped. Perhaps the flaked paint and scars on the surface remind us that we are wounded, and not yet fitted for the beatific vision. We can approach Mary and Jesus in this icon because it reminds us of our condition: worn, damaged, and impermanent. And while they have reached resurrected glory, we still have to fight for it with our obedience to God’s Will.

These abrasions also suggest that over the centuries, devotees have not only handled the icon, but have touched it in meaningful gestures, connecting to the Virgin and Child through their hands. They give us tangible proof that Jesus and Mary do not remain ensconced in heaven but participate in our daily endeavors.

The icon's golden background evokes a situation outside the limits of time and space, our true Fatherland, heaven. 

Sep 7 Mon - Are there limits to parents’ authority?

 

Sep 7 Mon

Are there limits to parents’ authority?

Problems arise when parents seek to impose their ideas on their children and decide their future for them. This happens both when it comes to choosing a career or job and when it comes to choosing a boyfriend or girlfriend.

This imposition of ideas is even more frequent when children are thinking of following a call from God to work in the service of souls. Is there any justification for this attitude on the part of parents? Doesn't it violate the freedom young people need to become personally mature?

“The decisions that determine the course of an entire life must be taken by each individual personally, with freedom, without coercion or pressure of any kind. This is not to say that the intervention of others is not usually necessary. Because these are decisive steps that affect an entire life, and because a person's happiness depends to a great extent on the decisions made, it is clear that they should be taken calmly, without precipitation. They should be particularly responsible and prudent decisions."

“A part of prudence consists precisely in seeking advice. It would be presumption — for which we usually pay dearly — to think that we can decide alone, without the grace of God and without the love and guidance of other people, and especially of our parents."

“Parents can, and should, be a great help to their children. They can open new horizons for them, share their experiences and make them reflect, so they do not allow themselves to be carried away by passing emotional experiences. They can offer them a realistic scale of values."

“Sometimes they can help with personal advice; on other occasions they should encourage their children to seek other suitable people such as a loyal and sincere friend, a learned and holy priest or an expert in career guidance."

“Advice does not take away freedom. It gives elements on which to judge and thus enlarges the possibilities of choice and ensures that decisions are not taken based on irrational factors. After hearing the opinions of others and considering everything, there comes a moment in which a choice has to be made, and then no one has the right to force a young person's freedom."

“Parents have to be on guard against the temptation of wanting to project themselves unduly on their children or of molding them according to their own preferences. They should respect their individual, God-given inclinations and aptitudes. If their love is true, this is easy enough."

“Even in the extreme case, when a young person takes a decision that the parents have good reason to consider mistaken and when they think it will lead to future unhappiness, the answer lies not in force, but in understanding. Very often it consists in knowing how to stand by their child to help him overcome the difficulties and, if necessary, draw all the benefit possible from an unfortunate situation."

“After giving their advice and suggestions, parents who sincerely love and seek the good of their children should step tactfully into the background so that nothing can stand in the way of the great gift of freedom that makes man capable of loving and serving God. They should remember that God himself has wanted to be loved and served with freedom and He always respects our personal decisions." St. Josemaría