May 13 Tuesday - Why does Our Lady urge us to make reparation for sins?

 

May 13 Tuesday
Why does Our Lady urge us to make reparation for sins?
In her apparitions at Fatima, the Blessed Virgin insisted on the urgency of making reparation for the sins that are committed throughout the world. In the third apparition, on the 13th of July, the shepherd children say that she asked them for sacrifices for the conversion of sinners; at the same time, she showed them the torments suffered by the damned. And in August, she once again insisted: “Pray, pray a lot, and do sacrifices for sinners, because many souls are going to hell because they have no one who sacrifices himself and prays for them."

These words should ring in the hearts of all Christians, but especially in those of us who truly wish to care for souls. And not this alone - they should move us to make very specific resolutions to make atonement to our Lord with our whole life.

“The situation is serious, my daughters and sons, Saint Josemaría said. The whole battle front is threatened. Let it not be breached because of one of us... How many offences against God are there! We are as fragile, and even more fragile, than others; but we have a commitment of Love; we must now give our existence a sense of reparation. Sacred and Merciful Heart of Jesus, give us peace!"

“We have repaid light with darkness. We have repaid generosity with egoism. We have repaid love with coldness and contempt. Do not be ashamed to acknowledge our constant misery; rather, let us ask for forgiveness."

“Every day, I become more aware of these realities, and every day, I am seeking more intimacy with God in reparation and atonement. Let us place before Him the number of souls being lost and would not have to be lost if they had not been exposed. They are souls that have abandoned the Faith, since nowadays one can make unrestricted propaganda of every type of falsehood and heresy; souls that have been scandalized by so much apostasy and by so much malice; souls that have been deprived of the help of the Sacraments and of sound doctrine..."

“Through the intercession of Holy Mary and of the Holy Patriarch, Saint Joseph, ask our Lord to increase our spirit of reparation, that we have sorrow for our sins and that we know how to have recourse to the Sacrament of Penance."

In Fatima, the summons to penance is maternal; and, at the same time, it is energetic and resolute... The call to penance is united, as always, with a call to prayer. Following a tradition of many centuries, the Lady of the message of Fatima points out the Rosary, which can rightly be defined as 'the prayer of Mary', the prayer in which she feels particularly united to us. She herself prays with us.

Our Lady has often recommended praying the Rosary: to win peace for the world: “To pray the Holy Rosary, considering the mysteries, repeating the Our Father and Hail Mary, with the praises to the Blessed Trinity and the constant invocation to the Mother of God, is a continuous act of faith, hope and love, of adoration and reparation."

Saint Josemaría: “I repeat to the Blessed Virgin many times each day, in different tones - some asking for help, others thanking her, but always with Love - Mother, my Mother! That is what I am saying to Our Lady of Fatima."

May 12 Monday - What is the main apostolate of Opus Dei?

 

May 12 Monday
What is the main apostolate of Opus Dei?
The Ethiopian was reading a passage from the Bible. Then Philip, beginning with this Scripture, told him the good news of Jesus; he helped him to know Jesus, the incarnate God, and begin to love him.

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Blessed Alvaro del Portillo, Bishop, who presided Opus Dei. Like every Christian, we must spread the good news of Jesus. We must get rid of ignorance through an abundance of revealed doctrine, the truth of Christ. “The Christian apostolate - and I'm talking about an ordinary Christian, living as just one more man or woman among equals - is a great work of teaching. Through real, personal, loyal friendship, you create in others a hunger for God and help them discover new horizons, naturally, simply: with the example of your faith lived to the full, with a loving word which is full of the force of divine truth."

In the Work, “whatever the external forms our apostolates may adopt, they always tend towards one end: that of giving doctrine." We must teach doctrine, taking advantage of every occasion, and making opportunities where none exist.

Saint Josemaría told us: “Build up a store of good doctrine and fill your heads with clear ideas. Absorb our God-given Christian spirit in its fullness so that you can give to others from your abundance. To teach good doctrine, you have to possess it; nobody can give what they don't have. We can’t wait for some inspiration from God, who does not need to give it to us. He has already given us the practical human means: work and study. We must study; we have to learn."
“Ours should be the piety of children and the sure doctrine of theologians."

“If the world has come from God, if He has created man in his image and likeness, and given him a spark of divine light, the task of our intellect should be to uncover the divine meaning embedded in all things, even if this can be attained only by dint of hard work. And with the light of faith, we can also perceive their supernatural purpose, resulting from raising the natural order to the higher order of grace. We can never be afraid of developing human knowledge, because all intellectual effort, if it is serious, is aimed at truth. And Christ has said: I am the Truth."

“The Christian must have a hunger to know. Everything, from the most abstract knowledge to manual techniques, can and should lead to God. For there is no human undertaking that cannot be sanctified, which cannot be an opportunity to sanctify ourselves and to cooperate with God in the sanctification of the people with whom we work. The light of the followers of Jesus Christ should not be hidden in the depths of some valley, but should be placed on the mountain peak, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."

As well as doctrinal formation - indeed, as an integral part of it - we also need the gift of tongues. “Such a gift of tongues does not mean knowing many languages, but knowing how to adapt oneself to the capacities of one's hearers."

“It's not a question of 'simplifying the message to get through to the masses', but of speaking words of wisdom in clear Christian speech that all can understand.
This is the gift of tongues that I ask our Lord and his holy Mother for all their children."

May 11 Sunday - Why is Jesus the Good Shepherd?

 

May 11 Sunday
Why is Jesus the Good Shepherd?
If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine safely on the hills, and go in search of the one that went astray?

Perhaps the sheep that was not with the others in the sheepfold was simply straggling behind. Maybe it was just idly nibbling at the grass along the way, or wandering among the bushes. Or possibly it was already dead, killed by some beast of prey. But no upright shepherd ever abandons a sheep that has gone astray. He leaves the rest of the flock in a safe place and goes off to look for the lost sheep.

Jesus Christ goes in search of the lost sheep, regardless of the difficulties, and he does not give up until He finds it. “Our Lord's perseverance is wonderful! My daughter, my son, if the thought should ever cross your mind, as a diabolical temptation to take your peace away (bear in mind that the devil would strip you, if he could, of all the gifts God has given you, especially faith, purity and vocation); if, as I was saying, you ever suffered the temptation of thinking you had strayed so far from God that you couldn't return, remember how, as in the parable, Christ always goes to look for the soul that has gone astray; and He for his part never denies you the grace to begin again.”

“Then, if you are humble and acknowledge your mistakes, you will persevere. Try to raise your eyes to heaven; don't just look at things from a purely selfish point of view. Have faith and hope, and trust in the love which Jesus has for you. He is the Good Shepherd, and for your sake, He will make his way through crags and ravines, to take you in his arms, hug you to his wounded breast, and urge you to be faithful. It is only if you reject him with a flat "No", or if you are foolishly determined to throw yourself over the precipice, that He will be unable to bring you back to the right path.”

Don't be ashamed of being wretched, if sometimes you are. Don't panic because you find the ‘fomes peccati’ (the inclination of sin) in your heart. Don't be afraid of anything. Be truly faithful! Sincere! Be sincere! Let's have the common sense and the supernatural spirit to realize that God our Father, loves us with a Love that is both fatherly and motherly. Yet He does not force himself on us, he leaves things very much open. And for that very reason, and because you want to be a steady, reliable sheep, with common sense, to let the Good Shepherd work on you.

“Lord, knowing that you are the Good Shepherd and that we are sheep of your flock, how confident we can be, and how easy it is to begin again and persevere!”

“My daughter, my son, if you should ever go astray, either a lot or a little, don't deprive our Lord of the joy of finding you, and of being able to say: ‘Here's a sheep of mine who wants to be faithful, who wants to persevere in my flock’."

May 10 Saturday - Does Jesus want me to go back to Him?

 

May 10 Saturday
Does Jesus want me to go back to Him?
Glory belongs to God alone because He is the Lord of all things.  And on being made man and coming to live among us, He has shown us that we are not on this earth to seek a passing, temporal happiness. We are here to reach eternal happiness, following in his footsteps. And we will only attain this by learning from him.

The world was created for the glory of God. He is the highest good and supreme goodness, and He knows that we can only be happy if we live for him. And the only purpose of created beings, man included, is to give glory to God. We were born to give him glory. “If life did not have as its aim to give glory to God, it would be detestable - even more, loathsome.” St Josemaría.

Thus, our life should be one of continuous praise to God, and redirect ourselves to Him. Because whatever is lovable in us belongs to God. Convinced of this reality, we must not work for our own glory, but to disappear from view; and with our sacrifice, we shall put Christ at the summit of all human activities.

Thus, we shall be, each, an icon of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
It wasn't enough for Jesus merely to show us the way to the richest pastures; nor was He content simply to come into the world in search of the lost sheep. He was not satisfied with dying and rising from the dead for his flock; nor did he stop at giving himself to us - Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity - in the Sacrament of the altar. Knowing our failings and weaknesses, He saw to it that as often as we went astray, we could return to him, cleansed and renewed by the Sacrament of Penance.

“My children, the sacrament of Penance not only serves to forgive sins, be they big or small; it also strengthens our soul for the struggle, renews our sorrow for not having been true to our word, as good children feel sorry at having offended their father.”

“Confession is so helpful! Never neglect it. Foster the devotion of making a good Confession, although there may be nothing grave to accuse yourselves of. Make a good examination of conscience, and you will see things. Above all, you will renew your sorrow for your past sins, and you will receive more grace for the struggle. You will be given some spiritual advice that will set your heart on fire, making you capable of everything good, everything great, whatever requires sacrifice.”

Let us allow ourselves to be guided by the Good Shepherd, to be faithful to our mission. Let us renew every day our "yes" to Christ, and be a worthy sign of his love for every person around us.
Let us tell Him: "Lord, for myself I want nothing. All for your glory and for Love."
Lord, raise up generous souls, ready to be icons of the Good Shepherd, and place themselves totally at the service of the Kingdom of God.

Our Lady lived a hidden existence, and yet her whole life was a constant act of praise, a "yes" to God. _Magnificat anima mea Dominum_, my soul glorifies the Lord. Let us ask her to help us rectify our intention, and go along the right track, many times during the day; and imitating her, let us repeat: _Deo omnis Gloria!_ - all the glory for God.

May 9 Fri - How can I rectify and begin again?

 

May 9 Fri
How can I rectify and begin again?
We must foster hope, despite our defects.
God himself encourages our desires for love and dedication. Possumus! - We can! For we rely on his help, despite our frequent falls. He makes use of our mistakes to help us be humble and begin again.

"What does it matter that we stumble on the way, if we find in the pain of our fall the energy to pick ourselves up and go on with renewed vigor? Don't forget that a saint is not a person who never falls, but rather the one who never fails to get up again, humbly and with holy stubbornness.

If the Book of Proverbs says that the just man falls seven times a day, who are we, poor creatures, you and I, to be surprised or discouraged by our weaknesses and falls? We will be able to keep going ahead, if only we seek our fortitude in him who says: ‘Come to me, all who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest.’ Thank you, Lord, because you, and you alone, my God, have always been my strength, my refuge, and my support."

Our hope must rest on God's desire to share his holiness with us. St Josemaría teaches: “If you want to progress in the interior life, be humble. Turn constantly and confidently to the help of our Lord and of his Blessed Mother, who is your mother too. No matter how much the still open wound of your latest fall may hurt, embrace the cross once more and, calmly, without getting upset, say: ‘With your help, Lord, I'll fight, so as not to be held back. I'll respond faithfully to your invitations. I won't be afraid of steep climbs, nor of the apparent monotony of my daily work, nor of the thistles and loose stones on the way. I know that I am aided by your mercy and that, at the end of the road, I will find eternal happiness, full of joy and love forever and ever.’"

"Therefore, with our heart now fully enkindled, we tell God ‘Yes’, that we want to be faithful and are ready for any sacrifice; we should add: Jesus, with your grace; Mother of mine, with your help. I'm so weak and prone to error, to small mistakes, that I see myself capable of committing big ones, if you leave me. I know I shall succeed, not because I am sure of myself, Jesus, but because I am sure of you."

These good resolutions must be followed by a daily effort to begin again, preparing yourself for the next day's struggle by doing the daily Examination of Conscience.

How can I make the EXAMINATION  OF CONSCIENCE (every evening)?

    Make a brief examination of conscience before going to rest at night. 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: What have I done wrong? What have I done right? What could I have done better?

•    Examine your conscience with sincerity:
    Did I often consider that God is my Father? Did I offer him my work? Did I make good use of my time? Did I pray slowly and with attention?

    Did I try to make life pleasant for other people? Did I criticize anyone? Was I forgiving? Did I pray and offer some sacrifices for the Church, the Pope and for all those around me?

    Did I allow myself to be carried away by sensuality? By pride?

•    Sorrow. Make an act of contrition, asking our Lord’s pardon.

•    Resolution. Make a specific resolution for tomorrow:
    Staying away from certain temptations.
    Avoiding some specific faults.
    Exerting special effort to practice some virtue.
    Taking advantage of occasions for improvement.

•    Pray three Hail Marys to the Virgin Mary asking for the virtue of purity for yourself and your loved ones.

May 8 Thu - How does the Holy Spirit intervene in the Eucharist?

 

May 8 Thu
How does the Holy Spirit intervene in the Eucharist?
The Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Spirit plays an essential role in the Eucharist, particularly in the consecration of the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and in uniting the faithful as the Mystical Body of Christ.

The Holy Spirit and Transubstantiation.
The essential signs of the Eucharist are wheat bread and grape wine.
The priest invokes the Holy Spirit to bless these elements.

During the Eucharistic Prayer, specifically in the epiclesis, the priest requests God the Father to send the Holy Spirit so that the bread and wine offered may become Christ’s Body and Blood and so we may be able to celebrate the Eucharistic mystery, and to make all the effects of the sacrament operative in us.
The change occurs through the institution narrative, by the power of Christ's words pronounced by the celebrant.

At the same time, the priest extends his hands, palms downward, over the chalice and host, and traces the sign of the cross over them. With this gesture, he asks God to pour his blessing over the gifts offered and to turn them into his Son’s body and blood.

St. Thomas Aquinas asks himself, “Why does the priest ask for what he positively knows will happen at the Consecration?” And he answers, “How many times did Jesus Christ ask for what He well knew would infallibly happen? The priest seems to pray, not so much for the miracle of transubstantiation as for the happy fruits it may produce in our souls.”

How often have we relegated the Holy Spirit to a secondary role! We now promise him we shall be more docile to his sanctifying action. “That means we should be aware of the work of the Holy Spirit all around us, and in our own selves we should recognize the gifts He distributes, the movements and institutions He inspires, the affections and decisions he provokes in our hearts.”

Through the action of the Holy Spirit, the substance of the bread and wine is changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, while the appearances (accidents) of bread and wine remain.
This change is called transubstantiation. The Church has always held that by the consecration of the bread and wine, a change occurs where the whole substance of the bread becomes the Body of Christ and the whole substance of the wine becomes the Blood of Christ.

Because of transubstantiation, Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Christ is truly present—Body and Blood, soul and divinity. The Eucharistic presence of Christ begins at the moment of consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist.

The Holy Spirit unites the faithful in the Mystical Body of Christ.
Thus, the priest asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon the assembly, so that those who take part in the Eucharist may be one body and one spirit.

The Holy Spirit unites all the members of the Mystical Body to Christ and to one another.

Partaking in the Eucharist unites each person to the Lord, making them one spirit with Him in a new life that comes from the Holy Spirit.
The Eucharist should increase love for one another and remind everyone of their responsibilities toward one another.

As members of the Mystical Body, the faithful must represent Christ and bring Christ to the world, sharing the Good News through words and actions, and working against injustice.

The Eucharist commits everyone to the poor, recognizing Christ in the poorest.

In summary, the Holy Spirit is essential to the Eucharist in both the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ and in uniting the faithful as the Mystical Body of Christ, fostering communion, love, and a shared responsibility to represent Christ in the world.

May 7 Wed - Should I work or pray?

 

May 7 Wed
Should I work or pray?
You must be holy while working. Work cannot be sanctified without piety.
Working hard and well is only one condition. It is certainly the first, indispensable step to sanctify ourselves. The Lord tells us: “You shall not offer anything that has a blemish." But at the same time, he reminds us: “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? ... Bring no more vain offerings ... Learn to do good, seek justice."

The Lord is not interested in external acts if the right inner dispositions do not accompany them. “Thus, we will sanctify our work if we are holy, if we are truly striving to be holy. Our mission is divine, and we can only carry it out in union with God: Apart from me, you can do nothing."

“If you did not have interior life while doing your work, instead of "divinizing" it, you too could lose your strength, light, and fire. I don't want any work or apostolic projects unless my children improve in it. I measure the value and effectiveness of undertakings by the degree of holiness achieved by the instruments that carry them out."

“With the same insistence with which I previously invited you to work, and work well, without fear of tiredness, I now invite you to have interior life. I will never tire of repeating it: your Norms of piety, your prayer, come first. Without ascetical struggle, our life would be worth nothing; we would be ineffective, sheep without a shepherd, the blind leading the blind. ..."

Thus, we must have unity of life: neither piety without work, nor work without piety.
“We do not lead a double life, but a unity of life, which is simple and strong and in which all our actions are united."

“When we respond generously to this spirit, we acquire a second nature. Without realizing it, we are thinking of our Lord all day long, and we feel an impulse to put God into everything, for without him, nothing would have any attraction. The time then comes when we can't tell where prayer ends and where work begins; for our work is also prayer, contemplation, a true life of mystical union with God without any oddities. This is ‘good divinization’."

“For us, professional work, human friendship, and social relations, our effort to achieve the common good and the progress of society hand in hand with our fellow citizens, are all natural results and consequences of that life-giving energy which is Christ present in our souls. They are Christ's work, Opus Dei, operatio Dei."

“Work and piety are intimately united as two aspects of one and the same reality. This is the only way for us to become saints. Without work, interior life cannot be sustained, and if we lacked piety or were not continually attentive to our Lord, neither talent nor knowledge, no effort whatsoever, would suffice, for our Lord would leave us. Then we would go wrong, even in the most trivial things." Without piety, our work would not even yield fruit on the human level.

May 6 Tue - Can I reach heaven without sharing Jesus’ Cross?

 

May 6 Tue
Can I reach heaven without sharing Jesus’ Cross?
The Church continues to sing of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and she invites us to be filled with confidence. “Because we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also come to life with him."

However, our Lord's ascension, his departure, is now imminent. “I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father". The time has come to think about Jesus' final recommendation to his disciples when He left them. “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

We need to pray, lifting our hearts up to God. He is watching us from heaven. We should ask him for everything we need. The Lord is infinite wisdom; He knows exactly what we require to become saints and apostles.

Still, prayer must be followed by mortification. As always,  the Christian finds Christ’s Cross along the way. Without personal sacrifice, there will be no fruit. “The Cross is present in everything, and it comes when one least expects it. But don't forget that normally, the Cross comes when you start to be effective.”

While embracing His Cross, we must allow Jesus to transform us, to raise us up to the level of divine life. Then, we shall have a divine way of thinking: our Faith; and a divine way of loving: our Charity.

“Far from discouraging us, the difficulties we meet must spur us on to mature as Christians. This fight sanctifies us and gives effectiveness to everything we do ... We must be convinced that to imitate Christ, and be good disciples of his, we must take his advice to heart: If any man has a mind to come my way, let him renounce self, and take up his cross, and follow me. That is why I like to ask Jesus, for myself: Lord, no day without a Cross! Then, through God's grace, our characters will grow strong, and we will become a point of support for our God, over and above our wretchedness.

“Take a nail, for instance. If you meet no resistance when you hammer it into a wall, what can you expect to hang on it? Likewise, if we do not let God toughen us through sacrifice, we will never become our Lord's instruments. On the other hand, if we decide to accept difficulties gladly and make use of them for the love of God, then in the face of what is difficult and unpleasant, when things are hard and uncomfortable, we will be able to exclaim with the Apostles James and John: Possumus! Yes, we can!” St Josemaría

To achieve the reward in heaven, we need to embrace Christ’s Cross and use all the human means available, regardless of the cost. There is no possible comparison between the effort required of us, limited and only for a certain number of years, and the infinite reward that is forever. With a supernatural outlook, with serenity and peace. That is the way to see things, people and events -from the viewpoint of eternity.

And then, whatever barrier blocks your way -even if it is, humanly speaking, enormous - when you really raise your eyes to heaven, how tiny it becomes! We must not be afraid of the difficulties that crop up. The thought of glory should move us to greater self-giving, to steer clear of anything that could draw us away from our path to heaven.

May 5 Mon - What is the purpose of my life?

 

May 5 Mon
What is the purpose of my life?
God's glory should be the sole purpose of created beings.

In the Book of Revelation, St John reveals the glory which is given to God in heaven: I looked and behold, a great multitude … standing before the throne and before the Lamb, … crying out with a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb!"

Glory belongs to God alone because He is the Lord of all things. Everything is his, and all things should proclaim the glory of their Creator, who conserves them and takes care of them in his Providence. The whole of creation is united in this praise, which is the true purpose of its existence.

Through Christian doctrine, we know “that our Lord is the beginning, the end, and the center of all creation. And on being made man and coming to live among us, He has shown us that we are not on this earth to seek a passing, temporal happiness. We are here to reach eternal happiness, following in his footsteps. And we will only attain this by learning from him."

The only purpose of created beings, man included, is to give glory to God. We were born to give him glory. “If life did not have as its aim to give glory to God, it would be detestable - even more, loathsome."

Our life should be one of continuous praise, ceaselessly giving glory to God. How can we achieve this? By always attributing to the Lord every good thing He has placed in us.

Whatever is lovable in us belongs to God. Convinced of this reality, “we must not work for our own glory, but to disappear from view; and with our sacrifice, we shall put Christ at the summit of all human activities."

“Our motto should be that of John the Baptist: It is right that Christ grow in me, and that I become smaller."

“We have already seen Jesus' example. Let us return to it once more by reading a marvelous text from St Paul, which I have already quoted to you on another occasion: We ought not to please ourselves ... For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, ‘the reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.’"

As well as our Lord's example, we also have another very useful remedy to overcome our tendency towards self-complacency. “Do you want to free yourself from vainglory and people's praise? St John Damascene asks. Do not show your deeds to men. Work quietly so that no one sees you but God alone."

St. Josemaría told us: “Give all the glory to God. With your will aided by grace, ‘squeeze’ out each one of your actions, so that nothing remains in them that smacks of human pride, of self-complacency."

“I have insisted on the need to put aside all earthly ambitions and to be filled with a continuous concern to serve. We are convinced that nothing is worthwhile, that nothing is of any importance, and that nothing is of any consequence, when compared to that sublime mission of serving Christ our Lord. Because we have learned to shun human applause and any show of vanity, our desire to preserve the treasure of humility must be ever more attentive and careful."

May 4 Sun - Should everyone be an apostle?

 

May 4 Sun
Should everyone be an apostle?
As an eyewitness, St. John recounts this amazing encounter of Peter and five other disciples with the risen Christ. Peter decides to go fishing, and the others follow. They fish all night but catch nothing.
Then at dawn, the Lord gives them something to eat: fish and bread He cooked for them on a charcoal fire.

Our Lord’s concern is so homely. He wants to make sure they are fed. Then he turns to something very serious and deep: Peter’s love, his vocation of service to lead Christ’s Church, and his future martyrdom.

One of the reasons we say that the Church is Apostolic—that is, founded on the apostles—is that the Apostles were the witnesses chosen and sent on mission by Christ himself. Likewise, every Christian must be a witness of Christ, an apostle.

What God has done for us, we must do for others. And out of love, we want to.
However, we should not consider anything we do as done on our own, but rather begun and made possible only by grace; at the same time, God is counting on us for our efforts.

It is both an honor and a great responsibility to have been chosen by God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ. “A Christian knows that he is grafted onto Christ through Baptism. He is empowered to fight for Christ through Confirmation, called to act in the world, sharing the royal, prophetic, and priestly role of Christ. He has become one and the same thing with Christ through the Eucharist, the sacrament of unity and love. And so, like Christ, he has to live for others, loving each one around him and indeed all humanity."

We have to give testimony to the whole world of everything that God the Father has made us know and love through Jesus Christ. “Ut eatis! (Go forth!), St. Josemaría said, I am very happy that you are spread all over the world. This is how it should be… I would like to have you beside me always, materially very close to me. But at the same time, I love to see how you are spread out, sowing with love, with hunger for the harvest... What a beautiful wheat field, my children! What a blessing from God!"

“Forward! Each of you must be secure in your Christian vocation, without admitting a shadow of doubt!... Ut eatis! So, we will go... everywhere in the world, to all the points of the compass. And there, completely immersed in our part of the world and in all human activities, we will become salt and light; light to enlighten minds and hearts, salt to give flavor and preserve from corruption. If we lacked apostolic zeal, we would become insipid, useless; we would be cheating others, and our life wouldn't make sense."

St John Chrysostom said, “If others become insipid, you can restore their flavor; but if you become insipid, you will drag down the others as well. So, the more responsibility you have, the more fervor and zeal you need."

Every Christian should make Christ present among men. He ought to act in such a way that those who know him sense the bonus odor Christi, the fragrance of Christ. People should be able to recognize the Master in his disciples.

We must do apostolate, whatever our age, and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. “Father, what about when I turn eighty? Just the same: in your family life, with your colleagues, with your friends..." We must enkindle the light and warmth of genuine Christian life in everybody: we cannot let any soul who comes close to us be lost.

May 3 Sat - What is to be wise?

 

May 3 Sat
What is to be wise?
The Holy Scripture speaks of wisdom frequently. To begin with, God is Wisdom and Might. His is counsel and prudence. Thus, all God’s works are ordained perfectly. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, the concern to avoid offending Him.

There is no doubt about Solomon's extraordinary wisdom, the fame of which extended to the countries neighboring Israel. As the book of Kings puts it: "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding beyond measure, and eagerness of mind like the sand on the seashore, so that Solomon's wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt" (1 Kings 4:29-30).

From these writings, we can say that the wise man is above all a man of faith, a prudent man, interested in the cultural and religious development of his people; a genuine teacher, whose mission is one of counseling and is different from that of a priest or a prophet. The book of Jeremiah contains this reference: "The law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet" (Jer 18:18).

These, among others, are features that distinguish the wise man of Israel:

a) He is a man of faith, deeply religious, who nourishes his spirit by reading and meditating on the Law of Yahweh. From that Law, he draws moral principles which he then applies by giving his advice in the form of maxims and proverbs.

b) He is also a realist: he understands the problems of the time he lives in. He studies what is happening and shows how events and behavior fit in with the moral precepts of the Covenant.

c) He does not lay down the law: rather, he proposes counsels and teachings in a gentle way, suggesting the right line of action. He respects the freedom of his listeners and tries, by simple but effective reasoning, to build up their convictions.

d) He clearly shows the need for consistency between faith and living, because he is conscious that true wisdom should lead a person to obey God in everything, in high spiritual matters and also in the prosaic activities of everyday life.

The book of Job is included among the wisdom writings precisely because it teaches man that pain and suffering are a mystery of divine wisdom. According to the sacred writer, the truly wise man should realize that "the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil, that is understanding" (28:28).

In a Christian, wisdom is manifested in the knowledge of the Will of God, and the means to accomplish it. The humble people acquire wisdom. Yet frequently, wisdom looks foolishness in the eyes of the world. God’s Wisdom is revealed above all in the mystery of the Cross, which every Christian must reproduce in his own life.

“Christ invites us to go regularly to the professorial chair of the cross, to fill ourselves with a new wisdom... A light of extraordinary clarity passes from the cross of Christ to the intelligence of men. The wisdom of God is given to us and the highest meaning of our existence is manifested to us, since the One who hangs on this tree is "the true Light which, coming into this world, enlightens every man" (Jn 1:9). And our will receives from the cross new joy and strength, which allow us to walk living according to the truth in charity" (Eph 4:15). St. John Paul II.

May 2 Fri - Why did Jesus say that He would attract everyone?

 

May 2 Fri
Why did Jesus say that He would attract everyone?
From the Cross, Jesus Christ attracts the gaze of all; he is the center of the faith and the meaning of life.

God has laid his hands on the bread, on pain, and on the apostles: with their participation in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ, they will be able to spread the Good News throughout the world.

"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to me." Hostile glances then, loving glances from his Mother Mary and some women, and glances from a few men prove the fulfillment of his words. From then on, men and women will understand the meaning of pain, of Redemption, of God's Love. And the hearts of the disciples united to the Cross will bring everything back to God.

Man cannot live without love. Man remains for himself an incomprehensible being, his life is devoid of meaning if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own, if he does not participate in it vividly. For this reason, Christ the Redeemer (...) fully reveals man to man himself. This profound surprise regarding the value and dignity of man is called the Gospel, that is, the Good News. It is also called Christianity." John Paul II.

The origin of evil is in man; evil does not originate in God but in the freedom of men, created in the image of God, hence they can choose to do good or to do evil, in rebellion against Him, as happened at the beginning of human history.

Yahweh is unique and good; He has definitely bet on man. We are not the playthings of mythical and capricious gods engaged in their wars, who come and go, causing tragedies among humans as if they were puppets, as developed especially in Greek and Roman mythology.

We know that God did not ignore the good creation or the sin of mankind, but that He promised, with mercy, a radical liberation while respecting the freedom of mankind. This explanation, which may not convince many, it is quite coherent and explanatory of history with its lights and shadows. That is why millions of men and women believe in Jesus Christ as Savior of the world.

The living and true God judges each one according to his works. God is not an anonymous force, nor a rational principle, nor a myth invented by men. He acts in history, is provident, and always seeks the good of men.

God intervenes in history: Christian faith in Jesus Christ is implicit in the psalms, they are the prologue of the imposing history of hope that God offers to the freedom of all men.


In the heart of every person nestles hope as a desire and expectation of goodness, even if no one knows what tomorrow will bring. However, the unpredictability of the future often gives rise to conflicting feelings: from confidence to fear, from serenity to discouragement, from certainty to doubt. We often meet people who are discouraged, who look to the future with skepticism and pessimism, as if nothing could offer them happiness. May the Jubilee be for everyone an occasion to rekindle our hope. The Word of God helps us to find the reasons for it.

There is hope with Mary. Let us allow ourselves to be guided by her toward Christ.

Excerpts from Jesús Ortiz López