Aug 16 Sun - How can we reconcile the silence of God with the faith of the Canaanite woman?

 

Aug 16 Sun

How can we reconcile the silence of God with the faith of the Canaanite woman?

In today's Gospel, we encounter the Lord's initial resistance and the unflinching insistence of the Canaanite woman: "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is cruelly tormented by the devil." It is the anguished cry of so many mothers who witness evil take hold of their children.

There are evils of the body, but there are also evils of the spirit—people who do not believe in God. And evils of the will—people who refuse to believe because it demands commitment.

The silence of God!
This mother does not protest or accuse, but prostrates herself before Jesus and says, "Lord, help me."

"Ask, and it will be given to you..." Yes, but so many have abandoned the life of prayer, withdrawing their trust in God when their petitions go unanswered. "What is the use of praying?" people scornfully ask when their problems remain unsolved. When God does not grant what we ask for, it does not mean He has not heard us.

To expect God to fulfill our desires would not be asking but commanding Him. And what do we ask for, most of the time? The removal of pain, easy success, a quick solution to a problem. Yet, our Father God, who knows better than we do what is best for us, lets events unfold because they will bring about a greater good. Ignorant or impulsive, we ask for stones instead of bread.

This Canaanite woman symbolizes the Church that cries out to God, day and night, year after year, throughout the centuries, for all to be delivered from evil.

There are stages in her history when it seems that God is silent. But this is not so. The Church believes in the salvation offered by God, even if evil seems to triumph, just as this woman believed. "Because of what you have said, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter," Jesus said. "And when she returned to her house, she found the child in bed, and the demon gone away." Faith makes it possible to foresee the outcome.

Christ encourages us to petition God with filial boldness.

With PRAYER OF PETITION, we inform God what we want so He can grant it to us. Of course, we cannot ask for something inherently evil for us and expect to be heard.

Likewise, we can make PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING with filial boldness, thanking Him for anything that is not sinful.

PRAYER OF ATONEMENT should also be made, expressing sorrow to God for all our sins and the evils we see around us.

Finally, we can PRAY AND ADORE GOD. Also, some make the sign of the cross when passing a church, or pray a Hail Mary when passing an accident scene, or genuflect unhurriedly before the Blessed Sacrament. 

Aug 15 Sat - What is the Assumption of Our Lady?

 Aug 15 Sat

What is the Assumption of Our Lady?

The Blessed Virgin Mary, beautiful and pure, was preserved from Original Sin and filled with graces by God’s design. Inside her womb, Jesus Christ dwelt. We honor her with the highest honor a creature can receive.

Christ is the first to rise from the dead, and the rest of us will arise in “proper order,” at his second coming.

In Mary’s case, the proper order for her was her Assumption into heaven, body and soul, since she never sinned, and so it was not fitting for her body to undergo corruption.

What is the doctrine of the Assumption we celebrate today?

“The Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death” (CCC 966).

“The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians” (CCC 966).

We properly show this special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary by participating in this liturgical feast, and through the Marian prayers, especially the Rosary.

Why not say the Rosary daily? It can be recited in the family, while walking alone, while driving, before or after daily Mass.

In honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary, we receive from her far more than we give. The reason is that she mediates for us with her Son. The King of Heaven listens to the petitions of his Queen Mother.

To travel faithfully the "sure path" that our Lady has prepared for each of us, we go to her with childlike confidence. We ask, “Set our poor hearts on fire, so that we will love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit with our whole being;" so that, by God's grace, we will deepen in our loving contemplation of the intimate life of the Most Holy Trinity. Mother, obtain for us the strength we need to follow with docility the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, the sanctifier of our souls.

“Inspire us with a great Love for the Church and the Pope, and make us live in full obedience to all their teachings. And since your prayer is all-powerful in the presence of God, allow us to choose you as special protectress, so that, after having lived a holy life on earth, we may have the joy of praising the Most Blessed Trinity with you forever in heaven. Amen."

Only by offending God do we lose that joy, because sin is the fruit of selfishness, and selfishness is the root of sadness. But neither God nor his Mother can ever forget us. If we repent, if an act of sorrow springs from our heart, if we purify ourselves in the holy sacrament of penance, God comes out to meet us and forgive us. Then there can be no sadness whatsoever.

Aug 14 Fri - Does God talk to me in prayer? (II)

 

Aug 14 Fri

Does God talk to me in prayer? (II)

Christ had outlined the main conditions for prayer and for a genuine relationship with God. What are those conditions?

The first condition is the RECTITUDE OF INTENTION: it means turning to God for God’s sake, not for other reasons; certainly not simply to be seen by others, nor to pretend a goodness we lack (cf. Mt 6:5). We turn to God because He is a personal being who must not be used as a means to an end. He has given us everything we possess; we exist because of his love; He has made us his children; He tenderly cares for us; and He has given his own life to save us.

Why do all people (Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, pagans) pray? Why do they pray? Why do even those who believe that they are not praying pray? The answer is very simple. “I pray because God exists. I know that God exists. That is why I pray."

The second condition is TRUST: we address Him as Father, Abba. God is not a distant being, much less an enemy of humankind, whom we must keep happy by constantly appeasing His wrath or meeting His demands. He is the Father who cares for His children, who knows what they need, and who gives them what is best for them (cf. Mt 6:8).

The third of the conditions for prayer, which introduces the revelation of the Lord’s Prayer: Simplicity, DO NOT USE TOO MANY WORDS (cf. Mt 6:7).

Too many words can overwhelm us and distract us. Thus, instead of turning our gaze to God and resting in his love, we run the risk of becoming prisoners of our urgent needs, our anxieties, or our plans. In other words, we may end up closed off, without prayer truly opening us to God and his transforming love.

“In the evening, you will be tested on love; learn to love as God wishes to be loved, and transform your condition.” To love means to attune oneself to the other, to discover their preferences and take joy in fulfilling them, and to learn—sometimes through some suffering—that our good intentions alone are not enough; rather, we must learn to get it right.

And how will we learn to love God? How will we know what He likes?
Above all, it is openness to a God who has revealed His true face to us and opened the intimacy of His heart to us. Only by knowing what dwells in God’s heart can we truly pray; only then can we love Him as He wishes to be loved. And, in light of that knowledge, we can change and align our prayer and learn to pray in the best way possible.

Using inspired words from the Sacred Scripture, we will find in them “solid food” (cf. Heb 5:14) for our prayer. Also, using the psalms and prayers of the Mass.

All of it, done under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes new horizons open up before our eyes, without us really being able to explain. Why? It is the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts. And we must listen. 

Aug 13 Thu - Does God talk to me in prayer? (I)

 

Aug 13 Thu

Does God talk to me in prayer? (I)

Prayer is an impulse, an invocation that goes beyond ourselves: something that arises from the depths of our being and reaches out because it longs for an encounter. That longing, which is more than a need: it is a path. Prayer is the voice of an “I” that gropes its way forward, feeling its way, in search of a “you.” The encounter between the “I” and the “you” cannot be calculated: it is a human encounter, and we often grope our way forward to find the “you” that my “I” is seeking.

Thus, prayer is a journey to walk alongside Jesus to come to contemplate God in our everyday lives. Its goal is to facilitate that encounter with the One who has loved us from eternity, so that He may transform our lives and enable us to bear fruit that, though beyond our reach, is tailored to our hearts. 

Prayer is a gift that God wants to give to all of us. It is up to each of us to remove the obstacles that prevent us from welcoming Him with open arms. The means used, such as inspirational books or listening to a preacher, should help us to long for, ask for, and nurture that relationship that will transform our lives into what God wanted them to be.

Jesus’ first disciples were often fascinated and amazed by their Master: He taught with authority, demons submitted to Him, He claimed the power to forgive sins, He performed miracles so they would not doubt… A man so remarkable must have held some mystery. One of those days, at dawn, just as they were about to begin another exhausting day, the disciples could not find Jesus. They left the house worried and searched the small town of Capernaum. Jesus was nowhere to be found. Finally, on a hillside overlooking the lake, they found him… praying! (cf. Mk 1:35).

The evangelist leads us to believe that they did not understand it at first, but they soon realized that the episode in Capernaum was not an isolated incident. Prayer was as much a part of the Master’s life as preaching, attending to people’s needs, or resting. 

But while all those activities were understandable and even admirable to them, the moments of silence fascinated them, even though they did not fully understand them. Only after spending some time with the Master did they dare to ask him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1).

We know Jesus’ response to that request: the Lord’s Prayer. And some might think that the disciples must have been disappointed: just those few words? Is that what the Master did for hours on end? Did he always repeat the same thing? 

St. Luke places the teaching of the Lord’s Prayer in the context of the Sermon on the Mount: there, Christ had outlined the main conditions for prayer and for a genuine relationship with God. What are those conditions?

Come here tomorrow to continue our dialogue. 

Aug 12 Wed - As in politics, are there different categories of Catholics?

 

Aug 12 Wed

As in politics, are there different categories of Catholics?

We must reject some ideological categories that some often use to divide by classifying the faithful within the Church. Yet one is either Catholic or one is not. There is no third option.

Certain terms such as “conservative” and “progressive” have become established in everyday language. So, apparently, there are all kinds of Catholics: left-wing Catholics; right-wing Catholics; reformist Catholics; progressives; reactionaries; traditionalists; progressivists, and so on. A particularly clever neologism is “different Catholics.”

It is the Magisterium that correctly interprets the faith, not a group of people who proclaim: “We are the Church!” The Church’s faith is the criterion and defining characteristic of a Catholic. We call heresies all deviations from it.  Instead of “a different kind of Catholic,” it would be more accurate to speak of “no longer Catholic!” The views of these people, skilled in sophistry, should be identified for what they are: heretical.

Just because something is labeled “Catholic” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “Catholic” on the inside. When it comes to yogurt, when we say it has a “sting,” we mean that it has already gone bad. Similarly, additional attributes attached to “Catholic” reveal that the corresponding interpretation of the faith or practice of the faith is in fact corrupt, erroneous, or false.  What “Catholic” means in the full sense of the word requires no further clarification. 
The Church stands for frankness here. “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ Anything beyond that comes from the evil one.” (Mt 5:37)

As far as the Church’s faith is concerned, there is no “diversity.” There is diversity in the rites and expressions through which this shared faith is expressed. But the Church’s faith in Germany is no different from that in Africa. In its essence, Faith is definite and indivisible, Catholic and apostolic. It is deepened over time, interpreted in a way that is appropriate for each era (as determined by the Magisterium), and handed down (apostolic tradition).

Thus, we speak of the depositum fidei, the deposit of faith, which does not change over time but is faithfully handed down from generation to generation by the Church’s Magisterium. 

Peter is the rock, not the shifting sand dune that shifts with every (false) opinion. In this respect, all attributes intended to define what is “Catholic” remain suspect. Those who use them are, in reality, “dissidents.” They are “diverse,” to use a buzzword of our time, whose application in our context is just as wrong as in the one from which it originates. 

Some want to belong, to be regarded as Catholic, but to redefine the Church’s faith from within according to their own preferences and to live it differently (“diverse”), e.g., as a homosexual couple. They do not openly admit that they do not share the Church’s faith; they want to change it, to live it in a “contemporary” way. And the world loves them. It loves only what belongs to it.

We must no longer go along with this and speak as Catholics who are simply Catholic. Either you are, or you aren’t! That’s what it’s all about! 

Aug 11 Tue - Do I need the "gift of tongues" to talk about God?

 

Aug 11 Tue

Do I need the "gift of tongues" to talk about God?

Even when Jesus talked about really deep stuff, He kept it simple; He could connect with anyone. "Jesus respects people's mentality and background. Fishermen hear about nets and fish, farmers about seeds and vines, housewives about lost coins, and the Samaritan woman about the very water she came to Jacob's well to get."

No one left feeling lost; everyone got the message in a way that made sense to them. Jesus' message, the Good News, was for everyone, and people slowly started to get it. As it became late, they even had to be sent home because He was so easy to listen to.

Christ gave us those words of eternal life. We know that God's worst enemy on earth is ignorance; and as one of the Popes has written, it is the cause and root of all the evils poisoning peoples and distressing souls. That is why we ardently desire to lead all souls to the truth of Christ himself. How can people love him if they don't know him? You don't love what you don't know. This means we have to adjust to different mindsets and backgrounds, rather than assuming everyone thinks the same way.

So, we need the gift of tongues, which means knowing how to share what you know about God – something super important for anyone who wants to be an apostle."

Teaching something means making it easy for people to understand. When you're sharing, be clear. We can't let people shrug and say, 'whatever': the truth is one. The gift of tongues means you adapt to who's listening and what they already know. It comes from you preparing your material and the love and faith you put into this apostolic work."

This knack for matching what one teaches with how people think is so crucial in the apostolate that St. Josemaría asked God to give his daughters and sons the gift of tongues, so that what we all say is clear to everyone.

Talking to people "in their own language" is a good start, but in the doctrinal apostolate, we also need to say the same things over and over. First, because people might not get it all the first time, and second, because they might forget it.

"This means being ready to explain ideas fifty different ways if you have to. Eventually, they'll get it. At first, only three people understand, then ten, and finally thirty."
 
Patience is key, so we don't get discouraged by our own mistakes or when others are slow to catch on. “In this way we will topple the idols of misunderstanding, of injustice, of ignorance, and of those who claim to be self-sufficient and arrogantly turn their backs on God."

We have to say the same things, but in different ways. What we believe about faith and morals stays the same, obviously, but our style should be fresh and varied. The same ideas, in a hundred different ways, pleasantly, so that what we say is always kind, seasoned with salt, so we know how to answer everyone.

But most of all, what you say must be aligned with the testimony of your life. 

Aug 10 Mon - Is the Church necessary for salvation?

 

Aug 10 Mon

Is the Church necessary for salvation?

The Church has declared: “It must be firmly believed …that salvation… is offered and accomplished once for all in the mystery of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of the Son of God."

This unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude our participation. Just as Christ is the one and only mediator between God and humans, so also is the Church the one and universal means—sacrament—of salvation.

The Church, as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church. No man can be saved without belonging to her, either completely (as a full member) or at least in spirit (by his heartfelt attitude, that is, by a desire).

Our Lord had already said in Holy Scripture that, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” In sending the apostles around Galilee, He said to them: “And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. Truly, I say to you, it shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.”

The Church is not merely a way of salvation; she is the only way. This is not a human opinion, but the express will of Christ. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

“Outside the Catholic Church,” St. Augustine says, “you can find everything except salvation. You can have honor and sacraments; you can sing alleluia and respond amen. You can uphold the Gospel, have faith in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Spirit, and preach that faith. But never, except in the Catholic Church, can you find salvation.”

Those not saved inside the Church can also attain salvation if they fulfill the natural law and obey God, but this is always by means of the Church. 

But the Council was also very clear about this: “Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved.”

In the light of the documents already examined, the Church’s tradition can be summed up as follows:

- It is a dogma of faith that “the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation.”

- “They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter her, or to remain in her.”

Yet the circumstances and capabilities of each individual should be borne in mind.

- One must have a desire or aspiration, not necessarily explicit, but it must be motivated by perfect charity, which implies an act of supernatural faith.

The texts of the Magisterium are insistent on two points:

- “There must be an effort to fulfill God’s will in deeds, by living an upright life.”

- But this cannot be achieved and have a saving effect except under the influence of grace. 

Aug 9 Sun - How should I pray?

 

Aug 9 Sun

How should I pray?

Jesus went up on the mountain by himself to pray. Jesus’ prayer to the Father is the perfect model of prayer. Often done in solitude and in secret, as we see in today’s Gospel, the prayer of Jesus involves a loving adherence to the will of the Father even to the Cross and an absolute confidence in being heard.

In his teaching, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with a purified heart, with lively and persevering faith, with filial boldness. He calls them to vigilance and invites them to present their petitions to God in his name. Jesus Christ himself answers prayers addressed to him.

While the Mass is the perfect prayer, we also need to have a private life of prayer, a daily and intimate conversation with God. Heaven is communion with God, and one way to begin this communion now is by the conversation of mental prayer.

As was the case with Christ and his mother, the heart of prayer is offering oneself in loving adherence to the will of the Father, regardless of the cost. 
“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

“And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” In imitation of Christ our Master, we also must have the sureness that God will answer our prayers. So, we pray with faith. 

We cannot expect our life of prayer to mean anything without an ongoing conversion of heart. If we don’t work with God to purify our lives of sin, we can’t expect a life of prayer. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.

We must pray with “filial boldness” or the audacity of a loved child. We can ask for what we want, so long as it is not evil. “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

We pray to the Father through Christ and directly to Christ. Christ invites his disciples to present their petitions to God in his name. Jesus Christ himself answers prayers addressed to him.

To be vigilant means to be on watch. We are vigilant if we say to Our Lord, I will pray at this time every day, and I will pray in these ways every day, and then actually do it.

We can find the solitude Elijah and Christ sought and that Christ recommends for us anytime we want by entering into our own interiority—even if things are busy and noisy around us. However, the best place for prayer is before the Blessed Sacrament in a quiet Church. 

Aug 8 Sat - How can I overcome difficulties?

 

Aug 8 Sat 

How can I overcome difficulties?

Keys to Mental Strength and Resilience Through the Example of Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal is one of the world’s most renowned athletes who has found in psychological strength a tool to give his best in every match. Maintaining alertness, knowing how to control his thoughts, emotions, and actions to focus on the present are some of the practices Nadal has honed to reach such heights. 

Mental resilience differs from physical resilience in that the latter refers to the healthy state of the body that allows it to resist and overcome illnesses or accidents, with greater recovery power. However, mental stability is knowing how to remain strong and healthy after something negative, difficult, or challenging happens to us.

It can also be described as the ability to manage and withstand difficult situations without succumbing to frustration. Developing this skill is key to interpreting and responding to everything that happens to us and surrounds us, both personally and professionally. The greater a person’s mental strength, the better their ability to manage stress and insecurities.

For this reason, cultivating it is one of the secrets of elite athletes. In addition to mastering their sport, it’s also important for these professionals to have the ability to manage their actions and emotions to avoid frustration, especially during play.

Fortitude is one of those virtues that helps us be better parents, children, professionals, or businesspeople. In particular, it helps us have the firmness, patience, and perseverance to make the necessary decisions to achieve the good we seek, even in the midst of difficulties. A strong person perseveres in fulfilling what they believe they must do, according to their conscience; one who does not measure the value of a task solely by the benefits received, but by the service rendered to others. The strong person sometimes suffers, but endures; they may weep, but they swallow their tears. When adversity intensifies, they do not yield.

Cultivating this habit helps us improve personally and professionally, because it allows us to overcome challenging professional situations more quickly and achieve our goals. Growing in this virtue is not easy; it’s a never-ending process, and one can never truly claim or boast about possessing it. The important thing is to strive to develop it without comparing oneself to others.

“No man, whether he be a Christian or not, has an easy life. To be sure, at certain times it seems as though everything goes as we had planned. But this generally lasts for only a short time. Life is a matter of facing up to difficulties and of experiencing in our hearts both joy and sorrow. It is in this forge that man can acquire fortitude, patience, magnanimity and composure."

And remember, “If God gives you the burden, God will give you the strength."

“Let those very obstacles give you strength. God's grace will not fail you: You shall pass through the mountains!"

And even, “Does it matter that you have to curtail your activity, for the moment, if afterwards, like a spring which has been compressed, you will reach incomparably farther than you ever dreamed?" 

Aug 7 Fri - Is the hunt for material things the only motivation in my life?

 

Aug 7 Fri

Is the hunt for material things the only motivation in my life?

Our life here on Earth is like a trip we're taking towards love: loving God and loving everyone else. But, because of the first sin, we humans got a bit messed up. We often love ourselves too much and look for happiness in stuff here on Earth, even when it goes against what God wants for us.

Now, when we reasonably are into material things and keep them in check, that's actually good. We use it to meet our basic human needs.

But sometimes, temptations can make us want things that aren't good for us. So, we have to be careful about those urges that could pull us away from God. This is super important these days, when a lot of people think happiness is all about having and enjoying earthly stuff. It's like we have a battle going on inside us: a fight against our own twisted desires. 

To be vigilant, we must be constantly battling against temptations or anything that makes our faith weaker, our hope fizzle out, or our love get messed up. Everyone feels a lot of pressure, pushed by the devil.

Don't forget that sin, which is basically turning away from God and only focusing on worldly things, starts to sneak into our souls through those evil desires and that urge to enjoy earthly pleasures, no matter what, feeding our earthly ambitions until we forget about God and why we were even created.

Nowadays, there is a universal tendency to center everything on man. We're living in a world that's all about material things. It confuses freedom with permissiveness, while commercializing human passions. It's pretty sad to see so many people letting themselves be told what to do by a few folks who push their own ideas, myths, and even a whole non-religious way of doing things.

We need to combat this tendency with the resources of Christian doctrine, in a constant and worldwide work of Christian formation.

"Remember, this inner struggle isn't just about us disciplining ourselves. It's what naturally follows from the truths God has shown us about Himself, about being human, and about our purpose in the world. Without that inner fight, without sharing in what Jesus went through, no one can really follow Him. Maybe that's why we're seeing this messed-up rush. A lot of people seem to think they can live a totally worldly life and still follow Christ, without the Cross and without suffering."

We live in a society that's all about having fun, and materialism is everywhere. The most important principles, which guided how individuals and society behaved, are being hollowed out by fake ideas about freedom, how sacred life is, that marriage is forever, what human sexuality really means, and how we should view the material advancements that progress brings. Many people are now tempted to just indulge themselves and buy a lot of stuff, and who we are is often defined by what we own."

If we are not careful, we too could succumb to this terrible disease, which is incompatible with true Christian living. 

Aug 6 Thu - Is religion a good fit for people?

 

Aug 6 Thu

Is religion a good fit for people?

People are naturally religious. Their experiences in the world make them instinctively think there's a Being behind everything, "whom everyone calls God."

Anyone can understand God with a bit of common sense, just by thinking about their life experiences. Things like being amazed by nature's beauty, surprised by the gift of life, or happy when feeling loved—all these make us think about the "mystery" behind it all.

Our human spirit, with its ability to self-reflect, grow culturally and technically, and understand right from wrong, shows that we're different from other creatures. We're more than just physical beings; we go beyond the material world and point to a higher, spiritual being that gives us these human qualities.

Our religious feelings aren't just us wishing for happiness; they come from genuinely looking at reality. That's why denying God or trying to push Him out of culture and public life is a pretty new thing, mostly in some parts of the Western world. The big questions about religion and life haven't changed over time, which proves that religion isn't just a "childish" phase that disappears as we learn more.

Realizing that people are naturally religious suggests that when God created us, He already set us up to receive our ultimate calling: being one with God through Christ.

For example, Tertullian noticed how the pagans of his time would naturally say "God is great" or "God is good." He believed the human soul was somehow drawn to the Christian faith. In his book 'Apologetics,' he wrote: "Anima naturaliter christiana"—we all have a naturally Christian soul.

Saint Thomas believed that humans have "a natural desire to see God." But our experiences show that we can't achieve this on our own. It can only happen if God comes to us and shows Himself as He truly is. But that's what Revelation is all about.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church sums up some of these ideas:

Our minds can figure out that God exists by looking at the created world, through two paths: physical creation and the human person.

These ways of seeing God's existence aren't "proofs" in the same way math or science proves things. Instead, they're different arguments that become more convincing depending on how much someone has thought about them and what they've learned.

They're also not "proofs" as in experimental sciences (such as physics or biology), because we can't observe or measure God. We can't watch Him like a sunset or a sandstorm and then draw conclusions. 

Aug 5 Wed - Should I always try to appear good and proclaim my qualities?

 

Aug 5 Wed

Should I always try to appear good and proclaim my qualities?

In a person’s life, “There is no greater road to travel than the way of love, but only the humble can travel it." 

Humility is not the most important virtue, but without it, other virtues cannot exist. “Do not forget that humility is such an important virtue that, if it is lacking, there can be no virtue. I will repeat that, in the interior life, humility is the salt that seasons all foods. For even though a particular act may seem virtuous, it cannot be, if it is the consequence of pride, of vanity, or of stupidity, or if we do it thinking about ourselves, instead of putting ourselves at the service of God."

“When our attention turns to ourselves, and we dwell on whether others are going to praise or criticize us, we are doing ourselves very great harm. God alone should interest us, and for His sake, all those closest to us, and all the souls in the world without exception. So, away with self! It is a hindrance."

To a certain extent, all virtue can be seen as an expression of humility, in line with St. Josemaría's teaching: 
“PRAYER is the humility of the man who acknowledges his profound wretchedness and the greatness of God. He addresses and adores God as one who expects everything from Him and nothing from himself.

FAITH is the humility of the mind which renounces its own judgment and surrenders to the verdict and authority of the Church.

OBEDIENCE is the humility of the will which subjects itself to another's will, for God's sake.

CHASTITY is the humility of the flesh, which subjects itself to the spirit.

EXTERIOR MORTIFICATION is the humility of the senses.

PENANCE is the humility of all the passions, immolated to the Lord.
Humility is truth on the road of the ascetic struggle.”

We must be on our guard against any form of pride that tries to disguise itself as humility. In the words of St Jerome: “It is one thing to be virtuous, and quite another to appear to be virtuous. There is no worse pride than that which hides under the appearance of humility.”

St. Josemaría gives us a reliable test to recognize it: “Are you truly humble? Can you mortify your self-love, for the sake of charity? Can you accept the humiliations God asks of you in unimportant matters that don't obscure the truth? What is it that makes charity sluggish? Quite simply, pride. So, ask our Lord to grant you humility, because if pride is not taken in hand promptly, with the passage of time it only gets worse."

On the other hand, “To be humble does not mean to go around dirty and unkempt. It does not mean being indifferent to all that happens around us and constantly failing to exercise our rights. Much less does it mean to go around proclaiming silly things about ourselves. There can be no humility if we are theatrical or if we are hypocrites, because humility is truth." 

Aug 4 Tue - Do the Gospels show some human virtues in Our Lady?

 

Aug 4 Tue

Do the Gospels show some human virtues in Our Lady?

The Gospels reveal some aspects of our Mother's soul, namely, some human virtues. Among them:

1. SOLIDARITY: The Gospel of Saint Luke tells us that after the angel Gabriel announced to her that she would be the mother of Christ, Mary hurried off, running to the mountains of Judea to help her relative Elizabeth. Mary showed solidarity in the face of another’s need, risking her life and health to assist the elderly woman who needed her help.

The same sense of solidarity must move us to step outside ourselves, away from our comforts and our often selfish interests, to think of others and serve them, aware that we are all responsible for one another.

2.- EMPATHY: In his Gospel, Saint John recounts Mary’s concern when the wine ran out at the Wedding at Cana –a concern that went beyond mere pity, much less criticism. Mary was an empathetic woman who took action to find a solution to others’ needs.

In our case, we may not always have the solution to every problem at our fingertips, but empathy must move us to seek solutions together, setting aside destructive criticism and any personal, economic, partisan, or other interests to work for the common good.

3. RESPONSIBILITY: Saint Luke recounts an episode in the life of the holy family of Nazareth, when the child Jesus was lost and found in the temple. The twelve-year-old Jesus was left behind at the Temple of Jerusalem after a pilgrimage. Mary and Joseph, mindful of their responsibility as parents, returned to look for Jesus.

Even though they knew that Jesus was the Son of God, they were committed to caring for and raising him, and, as Scripture tells us, Jesus remained under their authority.

A country's future depends on the education of its children. It is an inalienable right of parents to educate their children according to their beliefs. Thus, all parents must assume this responsibility and ensure their children's well-rounded education.

This responsibility involves doing what is required according to the roles we fulfill—with honesty, dedication, integrity, and rectitude. If we all do our part responsibly, everything will go more smoothly in our society.

4. COMMUNION: The Acts of the Apostles tells us that Mary was with the apostolic community, united in prayer and in the breaking of bread. Mary was a woman of communion, of closeness; she did not create polarization.

In these early Christian communities, there were no individual interests; rather, people worked for the common good, for the good of all their brothers and sisters.
In our case, we must not allow purely partisan elements to polarize the family or working environment.

Thus, we must entrust our society to Mary’s maternal intercession and ask for the grace to imitate her virtues of solidarity, empathy, responsibility, and communion. 

Aug 3 Mon - Was Saint Joseph an old man at Our Lady’s Annunciation?

 

Aug 3 Mon

Was Saint Joseph an old man at Our Lady’s Annunciation?

The Gospels do not tell us anything about St. Joseph's age at the time of his betrothal to Mary. He must have been some years older than she was, but not by much. There are many reasons to suppose that Our Lady married a young man.

One of them is that it would be the normal course of events. Of course, this particular young man was endowed with exceptional qualities. It is the apocryphal Gospels that describe for us events that are incredible in the full sense of the word.

They try to fill in the details that the evangelists did not mention with unbridled fantasy. They tell us that Joseph was an ugly widower to offer better safeguards for Mary's virginity. These ideas were accepted by some of the ancient writers, especially St. Epiphanius.

This is also seen in the way St. Joseph is frequently portrayed in paintings and holy cards during the Middle Ages and down through the centuries that followed, including in our own era. 

However, the oldest surviving depictions follow a completely different path from this apocryphal image, representing Mary's spouse instead as a young and vigorous man. Traces of those apocryphal accounts only started to appear in the 5th and 6th centuries and subsequently. Various historians and archaeologists have noted this.

Among the mosaics representing St. Joseph, the one in the triumphal arch of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome from the time of Pope Sixtus III is notable. Within the mystery of the life of Christ, where St. Joseph is portrayed, his appearance is young and full of strength. In many of the paintings in which Pope John VI, in the 8th century, decorated the churches, St. Joseph appears young.

On some of the paintings on Christian sarcophagi of the early centuries, St. Joseph wears a workman's overalls and has a strong, manly face. 

From the Gospel narratives, we can presume that Mary's spouse was young and full of energy, since more than once he had to pack up his household and move elsewhere, and likewise, had to provide for his family under difficult circumstances. Furthermore, Jesus passed for Joseph's son, according to the flesh, which would not have happened if Joseph had been an elderly man.

St. Josemaría writes, 
“I don't agree with the traditional picture of St Joseph as an old man, even though it may have been prompted by a desire to emphasize the perpetual virginity of Mary. I see him as a strong young man, perhaps a few years older than our Lady, but in the prime of his life and work."

“You don't have to wait to be old or lifeless to practice the virtue of chastity. Purity comes from love, and the strength and gaiety of youth are no obstacle for noble love. Joseph had a young heart and a young body when he married Mary, when he learned of the mystery of her divine motherhood, when he lived in her company, respecting the integrity God wished to give the world as one more sign that he had come to share the life of his creatures." 

Aug 2 Sun - How can I help others?

 

Aug 2 Sun   

How can I help others?

Many times in Jewish history, especially in times of distress, the Chosen people were overwhelmed and unsure whether they would even survive.

We also, because of the constant drag of original sin, can often feel empty inside and worry that we will never have the good things we desire, never really have life.

God promises to satisfy our hunger and thirst for physical and spiritual goods. This is what He promises: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Some say, “We have no need of other persons, and we have no need of God.” These are fictions. Some think it is degrading to consider oneself like a hungry child or a beggar.

It is a fiction that we are not in need, and it is not degrading to be needy. We really are interdependent in the natural world and on other human beings. And we certainly are dependent on God.

It is good that God is just and kind so that we can call upon him with confidence.

By the miracles, Jesus signaled that in the kingdom, people would have their physical needs fulfilled. They will eat and be satisfied for free.

“By freeing some individuals from the earthly evils of hunger, injustice, illness, and death, Jesus performed messianic signs. Nevertheless, He did not come to abolish all evils here below, but to free men from the gravest slavery, sin, which thwarts them in their vocation as God’s sons and causes all forms of human bondage.”

Does sin really thwart one’s vocation as a child of God? Yes. It is the only thing that can separate us from the love of Christ.

Is sin really the cause of every form of human bondage? Yes.

There are many “signs” that we, children of God, can perform with the help of the graces God bestows on us. One group of these is the spiritual works of mercy.

The seven are converting the sinner, instructing the ignorant, counseling the doubtful, comforting the sorrowful, bearing wrongs patiently, forgiving injuries, and praying for the living and the dead.

The needs of the body are important, but objectively those of the soul are even more, because, as we have seen, sin is the gravest slavery.

It is good to think about our current situation, the people around us, and their needs. That will reveal the opportunities we have to perform these works of mercy. There certainly are such opportunities in every person’s life.

Among these: “Foster happiness among those around you by cheerfully serving the people you work with and by striving to carry out your job as perfectly as you can, showing understanding, smiling, and having a Christian approach to life. And do everything for God, thinking of his glory, with your sights set high and longing for the definitive homeland, because there is no other goal worthwhile."

Reciprocally, we must receive good counsel and warnings as coming from God.
“Spiritual direction. Don’t object to someone poking at your soul with supernatural sense and holy shamelessness to check how true it is that you are able –and willing– to give glory to God." 

Aug 1 Sat - Can prayer help me find clear directions in my life?

 

Aug 1 Sat

Can prayer help me find clear directions in my life?

Those who truly pray know that prayer affects one's entire life; it is not merely an activity, but involves them personally—in their identity and their relationships. This stems from having discovered who God is.

Prayer is the response of one who knows that his life unfolds in God. That recognition is gradual: with the help of grace, it grows… or wanes. What matters is not what to do during moments of prayer or how to address God, but rather knowing God, knowing and believing in His Love, and then recognizing one’s unworthiness, avoiding evil, and abhorring sin.

Prayer is getting to know oneself and others… adoration of God, gratitude.

A person may understand life: 
- either as a gift, and thus live with gratitude (this is the beginning of true prayer), or 
- as a right, and live in the discontent of constant demands. 
Hence, the fundamental disposition of humility. To enter into a life of prayer is to gradually discover one’s own weakness and the wonder of God: two things that are closely linked.

Three general guidelines for prayer:

The first is to learn about God (reading the Gospel, the life of Christ, or other accessible texts…): prayer arises in the presence of God’s reality. Thus, I will stir a longing to know and love Him at the beginning of the journey and always. What matters most is not so much what I do, but where prayer leads me, what I am seeking.

The second is to trust a spiritual director who respects my freedom and will help me recognize my own frailty.

This person will help me to better understand my life: to acknowledge my responsibility for my own gifts, to find opportunities to serve, truly trusting God (which leads me to take risks for Him…), and to accept my own limitations. Thus, I can turn these into opportunities to live out my divine sonship, to delve deeper into God’s mercy, and to ask for the virtue of hope.

A third point is to realize that I am not an isolated verse but part of the story of redemption, which includes a tradition. Thus, the need for direction–a guide–to understand myself and God, who speaks to me and also reveals Himself to a people… My personal story must be understood in the context of what came before, what surrounds me, and what follows. That is why I need to turn to the masters of prayer and learn from those around us: St. Josemaría and his writings, the means of formation…

Ultimately, prayer is a means of making myself aware of my relationship with God. This involves presenting myself before Him just as I am, and recognizing His action just as He has chosen to carry it out. Prayer is living with trust in the recognition of Someone—my Father God—who transcends and surpasses me. Only by praying will I learn to pray.

I received life and live my life; now, with prayer, I must embrace my life and give life. 

Jul 31 Fri - Should I help others come close to Jesus, or is this only for priests?

 

Jul 31 Fri

Should I help others come close to Jesus, or is this only for priests?

Like Jesus, we must have compassion for souls, who are like sheep without a shepherd.
They wander through life without ever hearing that the divine Shepherd came to ransom them from their sins. 

“No one can rest content in Opus Dei without feeling troubled by the anonymous crowds: a drove, 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 bring them back to life, heal them, enlighten their minds, and strengthen their wills, so they can become useful!"

Zeal for the salvation of all souls is an essential characteristic of all God's children. We have to fan it 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 other people 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, 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 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 my children must feel the generous urge to reactivate men's rusty, torpid 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."

Our charity should be orderly to reach everyone.
God has called us by our name and loves us with special affection. 
“But we have not received the grace of a Christian vocation for ourselves alone." God has called us to spread his message of infinite love throughout the whole world. Not a single soul is excluded from our charity. When Christians understand and implement the catholicity of the Church, when they realize how urgent it is to announce the good news of salvation to everyone, they find that they have to become all things to all people, to save them all.

“We begin with those closest to us; from the heart of the family to our workplace, then to civil society, to the seat of learning, or to the political arena. Our apostolic zeal is at work among all our fellow-citizens in every walk of life. It reaches out to international relations, and encompasses whole races, continents, and civilizations in its love."

“Jesus is urging us on." 

Jul 30 Thu - Should I forget myself and open myself to others?

 

Jul 30 Thu

Should I forget myself and open myself to others?

Love bears fruit only if we lose a part of “ourselves” to make room for the other.

Pope Leo XIV reflected on the nature of true love, which –he said– requires at least three essential attitudes: “detachment, loss, and friendliness.”

Love bears fruit only when we are willing to lose a little of ourselves to make room for another, to lose a little time to listen to a friend, and to lose a little comfort to share in a difficult situation.

We find it hard to understand this, especially in a world where losing seems to be a weakness, and people are obsessed with having and possessing.

St. Josemaría: “After losing those human consolations, you have been left with a feeling of loneliness, as if you were suspended by a mere thread over the black emptiness of the abyss. And your cries, your shouts for help seem to be heard by nobody."

“Be humble, don't seek yourself, don't seek consolation. Love the Cross –to bear it is little– and our Lord will hear your prayer. And calm will be restored to your senses. And your wounded heart will heal. And you will have peace."

"Unto death, death on a cross. You have to get out of yourself; you have to complicate your life, losing it for love of God and souls. So, you wanted to live a quiet life. But God wanted otherwise. Two wills exist: your will should be corrected to become identified with God's will: you must not bend God's will to suit yours."

“Some have dedicated all their yearnings and their professional work to the service of the Church, for the good of all men."

“Let us learn to obey, let us learn to serve. There is no better leadership than wanting to give yourself freely, to be useful to others."

Whoever keeps his life only for himself –as the Gospel says– actually loses it, because he does not open himself to the joy of love, and he becomes barren.

Jesus asked us to follow him and to be witnesses to his Kingdom. This is not about some external acts, but about committing our whole being to a loving relationship with him.

From the moment the Lord began to send His apostles on mission, He wanted them to be free from any ties. This principle applies to everyone: even the most important attachments find their fulfillment only in the love that Christ gives us.

Married life, for example, can only be lived to the full by “leaving one’s parents’ home” to be committed to the marital relationship.

Similarly, in the upbringing of children, we help them fulfill their potential and find happiness by teaching them to be self-reliant and make their own decisions.

For this reason, Jesus invites us to embrace the Cross: He offered Himself, He lost Himself, and precisely, this way, we receive His life in abundance. Likewise, if we live according to the logic of gift, we too will be able to bring forth new life in our friendly relationships. 

Jul 29 Wed - Should I fully embrace the Council?

 

Jul 29 Wed

Should I fully embrace the Council?

A Christian Catholic must enthusiastically accept the teachings of all the Councils of the Church.

Last year, the Church celebrated the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Most Christians embraced it. Yet to this day, one can detect the lingering influence of the Arian heresy; there are theologians in Catholic universities still propounding the idea—anathematized at Nicaea—that Jesus is “mutable or subject to change.”

Aha! I tricked you, didn’t I? When I opened with a question about “the Council,” you assumed that I was referring to Vatican II. For decades now, Catholics have spoken about Vatican II as THE COUNCIL, often implying that it is the only Council that matters.

Every ecumenical council is an important moment in the life of the Church, and Vatican II is no exception.

The Second Vatican Council was convened in no small part to continue the work the First left unfinished, after the First was cut short when Italian troops occupied Rome. 

Vatican I focused on the role of the Roman Pontiff, leaving open questions about the authority of bishops. Vatican II took up that question, among others, but still, many questions remain about the nature of a diocesan bishop’s authority. The Council (and here I do mean Vatican II) did not resolve all those questions.

Many questions remain. Not only questions about episcopal authority and collegiality, but also questions about the necessity of the Catholic Church for salvation, the understanding of conscience, and the proper form of the Eucharistic liturgy. On all these questions, an inquisitive Catholic can easily find sharply opposed opinions, some of them clearly at odds with the actual written pronouncements of the Council.

How can these conflicts be resolved? Pope Benedict XVI, who participated in the conciliar debates, offered the very reasonable proposal that every conciliar teaching—of Vatican II or any other council—should be interpreted with the “hermeneutic of continuity,” on the unassailable understanding that what the Church has always taught remains what the Church will always teach, since the Truth entrusted to the Church in Jesus Christ is not “mutable or subject to change.”

Continuity –not rupture– is fidelity to Jesus, to his Revelation. Thus, the word of God with a new garment is kept alive and is handed down from generation to generation by the Church with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.

Opposed to this continuity, we sometimes hear opinions about the need for “rupture,” to cut off with most of what the Church has always taught.

The teachings of an ecumenical council are not proclaimed to break or discontinue the Faith.  Yet they do not represent the complete and final definitive statement of the Church. Every Council leaves some questions unanswered, some statements unclear, and some points in need of clarification.

But if anyone interprets Vatican II as repudiating fundamental principles of Catholic teaching, he must be misinterpreting the Council. But here again, I am saying “the” Council. Which Council is he misinterpreting? Probably all of them.

How I wish that many good Catholics would wholeheartedly accept Vatican II, what that Council actually taught and sought. For this to come, we should understand the teachings of Vatican II as the Council Fathers would understand them.

Excerpts from Phil Lawler 

Jul 28 Tue - Did God choose me? And for what?

 

Jul 28 Tue 

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 for 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. 

Jul 27 Mon - Is stubbornness a virtue or a sin?

 

Jul 27 Mon

Is stubbornness a virtue or a sin?

Stubbornness is not automatically a sin or a virtue; it depends on what you are refusing to yield to and why.

St. Josemaría: “The charity of Jesus Christ will often lead you to make concessions. That is very noble. And the charity of Jesus Christ will often lead you to stand your ground. That too is very noble."

“Be uncompromising in doctrine and conduct. But be yielding in manner –a mace of tempered steel, wrapped in a quilted covering.
Be uncompromising, but don't be obstinate."

When is “stubbornness” a sin?

“Stubbornness” (or obstinacy) is a willful determination to yield –a kind of refusal that resists correction or legitimate guidance.

That kind of obstinacy can become seriously sinful, especially when it hardens into an interior resistance to grace and truth.

Sometimes, “to compromise is a sure sign of not possessing the truth. When a man gives way in matters of ideals, of honor, or of Faith, that man is a man without ideals, without honor, and without Faith."

“Listen to a man of God: 'So, that I won't yield an inch? And why should I, if I am convinced of the truth of my ideals? You, on the other hand, are very ready to compromise… Would you agree that two and two are three and a half? Wouldn't you? Surely for friendship's sake you will yield in such a little thing?'
And why won't you? Simply because, for the first time, you feel convinced that you possess the truth, and you have come over to my way of thinking!"

In that spiritual sense, stubbornness is also associated with the sin against the Holy Spirit, commonly listed as including “obstinacy” (along with despair, presumption, and impenitence).

And Thomas Aquinas distinguishes “obstinacy” in evil as involving a certain firmness that makes turning back to God difficult, though in this life it’s not always total, and it can still be addressed by grace.

When can “stubbornness” be a virtue?

Sometimes what people call “stubbornness” is actually fortitude or perseverance –a firmness in doing good.

That “stubbornness” ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. Enriched by perseverance and patience, one develops an inner strength that allows one to keep doing good amid setbacks and hostility.

That inner fortitude is love readily bearing all things for the sake of the loved object.

So, if “stubbornness” means refusing to quit in prayer, refusing to abandon the good, refusing to let fear or pressure force you to betray conscience, it becomes a virtue rather than a vice.

A practical rule of thumb:

Stubbornness is a virtue when it leads to firmness for the good, patience under difficulty, and loyal persistence to truth and duty.

It is sin-leaning when it becomes a willful refusal to yield to lawful authority or correction –especially when it becomes a hardened resistance to God’s truth and grace. 

In short, stubbornness is sinful when it is obstinate resistance to what you are morally bound to accept (God’s truth and lawful authority); it is virtuous when it is firmness in the pursuit of the good under hardship. 

Jul 26 Sun - How do I know what God wants me to do?

 

Jul 26 Sun

How do I know what God wants me to do?

The man who discovered a treasure buried in a field could not ask other people what to do, so he had to counsel himself.

- Judgment means to decide what among the many possibilities is best, meaning what will be both moral and likely to be effective. In some cases, the prudent thing will be to do nothing. 

The man who found the treasure reasoned that the best course of action was to sell everything he had and buy that field.

- Decision means to finally take action. Based on what your reason tells you is best, you then tell your will to do it. 

The man did sell his worldly possessions and bought that field, and so got the treasure.
The Lord says he will give Solomon anything he asks for. Solomon does not ask for a long life, or riches, or the life of his enemies, or any of the other valuable things people want. 

Instead, he asks for prudence so he can govern Israel. That is what he means by “an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.” He means practical wisdom; this is the cardinal virtue of prudence.

Prudence, or practical wisdom, or sound decision-making, is the ability to know what to do in any situation and to act on that knowledge.

Prudence leads us to choose what God wants. At first, virtually no one fully welcomes God’s will. The reason is our concupiscence or inclination to sin. This attraction will put us in conflict with God’s will. Therefore, the first victory of the human being over himself is to say yes to the will of God. That is the first positive level of the spiritual life, and it is good. It is good to say yes to God’s will and no to your own when the two conflict.

But we must not only accept God’s will, but love it. We must see God’s will as not only right because God commands it, but also precious, a delight, desirable, and wonderful.

To realize that God will judge me for the good and evil I do in this life is the beginning of prudence if it moves me to repent of the evil and to do good. 

Thomas Aquinas identified three steps or activities within prudence. They are counsel, judgment, and decision. 

- Counsel means to deliberate about what to do, to think it over, to pray about it, to ask for advice, to use your intellect to try to discover the best course of action. 

Prudence is necessary for us to be good citizens of this earth and to prepare to be good citizens of heaven. 

We are faced with choices every day and from time to time with very big decisions. 
- The most prudent thing children can do is obey their parents and teachers.
- The most prudent thing a teenager can do is to have a close relationship with God and to discover one’s divine vocation.
- The most prudent thing an adult can do is always to ask, “What does God want me to do?” God will always want what is moral and what will be effective. 

Jul 25 Sat - Does Christian life imply doing weird things and obeying orders beyond your understanding?

 

Jul 25 Sat

Does Christian life imply doing weird things and obeying orders beyond your understanding?

And getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed.

This paralytic sets us a good example of docility. Lying there on his stretcher, with an expression of quiet supplication, he is used to being moved around and doing what other people tell him. On being brought before our Lord, he abandons himself completely into his power. He has been eagerly awaiting this meeting, and now that he is face-to-face with him, he doesn't ask him for anything. He simply looks at him, trusting in his mercy.

Our Lord knows us inside out. He takes everything in at a glance: the malice of the scribes, whose only interest in the scene is to see if they can undermine his authority, and the faith of the paralytic and his companions. All of it lies open to Christ's gaze.

Have courage, my son; your sins are forgiven. This is Jesus Christ's merciful response to us. Our Lord treats us as little children. 
During the Last Supper, his heart was moved at the thought of having to leave the Apostles, and He called them "little children": very small children of a divine Father.

We need to become children and touch God's heart by the trusting abandonment with which we seek him. Our Lord is there in Holy Communion, as He was at the Last Supper, waiting for us as a father awaits his child. We need to become very little so we can be docile and allow ourselves to be guided towards Jesus in spiritual direction. We need to let ourselves be led; to ask to be brought to Jesus, and not put up any resistance. We need to be the ones who facilitate the task of those who guide us, taking good note of what we are told.

We should be docile and confident in spiritual guidance, like a sick man who seeks out the people who can cure him and then places himself in their hands. We should trust the person who is leading us along our path to sanctity. By being docile to the advice we are given, we will become children again of our Father God.

But do not think that spiritual life consists of blindly obeying and doing complicated things indicated in spiritual direction.

“Some people could perhaps imagine that ordinary life contains very little that can be offered to God: it's made up of trifles or worthless things. Yet small children who want to please their parents give them whatever they've got: a lead soldier with its head missing, an empty cotton reel, a few colorful pebbles, a couple of buttons: everything they value, their "treasures". And a father doesn't consider how babyish the present is: he thanks his child for it with the tenderest of hugs. Let's act in the same way towards God, because these silly little things become great deeds when our love is great. That is what we are here for, to make something heroic out of the little details of every day and every moment, by our Love." 

Jul 24 Fri - Should I examine my conscience daily?

 

Jul 24 Fri

Should I examine my conscience daily?

Why should I foster a spirit of examination? 

“Rectify. A little each day. This must be your constant task if you really want to become a saint." A sure way to advance is trusting God more and trusting ourselves less. 
To fall is not a failure; failure is to remain where you have fallen.
The examination of conscience is a powerful weapon for acquiring serenity and proportion, for coming to know ourselves better and coming to know God better.

We do love our Lord, and we are full of the desire to love him more every day. But those desires are not enough. Love means deeds! We must make sure that our actions match our desires.

This is why we struggle, and this is why we need the examination of conscience. It is indispensable. 

To carry out great projects, we must tackle the little details that ravage our lives: small failures in sincerity, love, or sacrifice. And is there any business more important than the business of eternal life?

This is what we aim to do when we examine our conscience: to discover the small faults that hold us back from total service to God and souls. 

Our examination of conscience makes us see what God wants of us day by day. Our spirit of examination leads us to ask ourselves repeatedly: "Am I doing what God wants me to, now, and in the way He wants me to do it?" This attitude is a natural one because love motivates us. If we are aware of being in God's presence and are trying to please him in everything, a spirit of examination is simply a manifestation of our love. 

Our spirit of examination reflects the sensitivity of our love, together with our ever-present concern to improve how we do things, aiming to have pure intention in everything. Then we can really understand the words of Jeremiah: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one drifts away, does he not turn around? 

We spend time examining our conscience every day. At the end of each day, we stop for a few minutes before God. We ask the Holy Spirit for light, and in a calm, humble dialogue with our heavenly Father, we look and see what our service has been like today. Two or three minutes are enough:
- Place yourself in the presence of God, recognizing his strength and your weakness. Tell him: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.”
- Ask your guardian angel for light to acknowledge your defects and virtues and examine your conscience with sincerity:
"What have I done wrong? Forgive me, Lord. 
What have I done well? Thank you, Lord. 
What could I have done better?" – followed by a resolution. 
It just takes two minutes, or half a minute. 

- Then, sorrow. Make an act of contrition, asking our Lord’s pardon. 
- Resolution. Make a specific resolution for tomorrow.
- Pray three Hail Marys to the Virgin Mary, asking for the virtue of purity for yourself and your loved ones.

And that's it. 

Jul 23 Thu - In the Mass, what is the Prayer after Communion?

 

Jul 23 Thu

In the Mass, what is the Prayer after Communion?

After Communion, the priest returns to the altar. He either completely consumes any consecrated hosts that remain or carries them to the tabernacle. He then collects any remaining particles, and standing at the side of the altar or at a side table, he purifies the paten or ciborium over the chalice, and then the chalice itself, drying it with a purificator. 

The vessels are then taken to a side table by a server. It is also permitted to leave them, properly covered and on a corporal, either at the altar or at a side table, and to purify them after the Mass. 

Afterward, if circumstances allow, the priest and the people may spend some time in silent prayer. If desired, the entire congregation may sing a hymn, psalm, or some other song of praise.

At this moment, we can tell our Lord how much we love him. At other times, however, we will feel as if God is hiding from us. In such moments, we will have to advance like blind men feeling their way, like little children learning to walk. Sometimes, it will be our own fault, even though our mistakes may seem to us to be nothing at all. Our pride then leads us to justify what has no justification. 

Then, standing at the altar or at the chair and facing the people, the priest, with hands outstretched, says, “Let us pray.” There may be a brief period of silence, unless this has already been observed immediately after Communion. The priest recites the Prayer after Communion, at the end of which the people respond, “Amen.”

In the Prayers after Communion, we find the characteristic features of the Roman Collects: a restrained style and an unobtrusive and quietly lyrical quality. From them, a theology of the effects of the Eucharist can be compiled: graces for the soul, an increase in the theological virtues, and in the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit; a remedy for the body; the unity of the Mystical Body; and eternal life. The expressions used (“bread of life,” “life-giving food,” “spiritual food,” etc.) formally state the doctrine of the real presence of our Lord in the Eucharist.

We have been nourished with the “bread of life,” the food that is the source of our fortitude. This virtue of fortitude enables us to sustain the daily combat against our passions and weaknesses. 
According to the teachings of St. Thomas, the virtue of fortitude is found in one: 
- who is ready to face danger;
- who is ready to put up with adversities for a just cause, for truth, or justice. 

The Gospel often repeats: “Fear not.” It teaches man that, for a just cause, for truth, for justice, one must be able to “lay down one’s life.”

We can profit a lot from these Prayers by using them as inspiration for personal reflection during the course of the day.

When it seems fitting, some brief concluding words can be addressed after the Prayer after Communion. 

Jul 22 Wed - How did the first generation of Christians live their faith?

 

Jul 22 Wed

How did the first generation of Christians live their faith?

"We must get to know and imitate the life of Jesus' disciples, of those who knew Peter and Paul and John, and who were close witnesses of the Master's Death and Resurrection." Among these, many first-generation Christians were chosen by God to bear the supreme witness of martyrdom; they paid with their blood for their faith in Christ.

The early Christians did not live in the catacombs, except occasionally, perhaps during an attack. They were ordinary people and citizens of the capital of the Roman Empire who lived in ordinary houses and walked along the streets. Each family was an "ecclesia domestica", a part of the Church.

They lived faithfully to our Lord in the midst of earthly affairs. Each community of the faithful gathered people from all social strata and all backgrounds. They were people converted to the faith of Christ, which kept them together. All professions were represented in these communities: there were doctors such as Luke; lawyers such as Zenas; financiers such as Erastus; academics such as Apollo; craftsmen such as Alexander; businessmen, small and great; jailers and their families; soldiers and officials; a proconsul, Sergius Paulus, etc. They were poor and rich; slaves and freemen; civilians and military men, like Sebastian.

A great diversity of personal circumstances enriched the Christian communities from the first moment. Upon contemplating this reality, St. Josemaría wrote: “How clear was that general calling to sanctity, within one's profession, without leaving one's own environment!” 

“Nevertheless, for centuries, the majority of Christians did not understand this: the ascetical phenomenon of many people seeking sanctity without changing their professional situation; rather, sanctifying their profession and sanctifying themselves by means of their profession. And very soon the doctrine was forgotten, on account of not being lived."

Yet “By raising up his Work in these times, the Lord has willed that the truth about everyone having the duty to reach holiness would never again be unknown or forgotten... and that the majority of Christians should sanctify themselves in the world, through ordinary work."

“Opus Dei’s spirit is both as old as the Gospel and, like the Gospel, new. The very nature of our vocation prompts us to speak of divine things in the very language of men, to uphold the same wholesome social customs as everyone else, and to share the same honest mentality. We see God from the same secular and lay viewpoint from which others see the more transcendent questions of their lives. God can never be a cold or distant model, to be admired but not loved."

The members of Opus Dei work like everyone else and live in the midst of the world, just as they did before they joined. 

Thank God, it is becoming ever clearer in new environs that, “to follow the footsteps of Christ, the modern apostle does not come to reform anything nor much less to separate himself from the historical reality surrounding him... It is enough for him to act as the first Christians did, enlivening their own environment."
Quiet and modest, but vibrant with divine impetus, let us walk in the newness of life.