“I always guide you along the best path, the one that benefits you most” (Inner Word).
If we have consciously surrendered our lives to our heavenly Father, if we strive daily to follow His Son and pursue holiness, we need not worry about the next stage of the journey. We must simply walk it attentively each day, with the certainty that God will always choose the most suitable path for us in every area of our lives—the one that benefits us most.
With the Child of Bethlehem, a new era begins: the hour of grace.
Everyone is called, everyone is invited to welcome it.
God makes it easy for us to come to Him.
The tenderness of the Child proclaims: “Do not be afraid! I am here!”
So, why should I continue to be afraid?
The Heavenly Father sends His Son and tells us:
“I am so close to you…”
“Be like a well that first collects water within itself and then pours it out in abundance” (St. Bernard).
In today’s quote, St. Bernard emphasizes that we must walk the path of holiness ourselves, which produces abundant fruit when His grace can act powerfully in us. All teachers of the spiritual life will affirm this. In fact, it is entirely logical, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Lk 6:45).
What is the Lord trying to tell us by choosing not to be born in a royal palace, surrounded by material riches, but in a poor grotto in Bethlehem?
The words of Jesus come to mind: “My kingdom is not of this world” (Jn 18:36).
The first to receive the Good News proclaimed by the angels were simple shepherds (cf. Lk 2:8–14).
It is a different kingdom from the kingdoms of this world that Satan offered Jesus (cf. Mt 4:8–9).
No one is excluded from this Kingdom; all that is required is to accept the message of faith.
It is not the Kingdom of the rich or the learned; it is not the Kingdom of the rulers of this world; it is not a Kingdom of vanities and human honors.
During the first three weeks of Advent, we have prepared for the Coming of the Lord from three different perspectives:
For Christian life to be complete, these three aspects must go hand in hand and remain in our awareness. Without the historical reality of Redemption, our faith would be a myth; without its internalization, it would lack depth; and without the prospect of Christ’s Return, it would lose its focus on the goal and its dynamism would diminish.
“There is no grace sent from heaven that does not pass through Mary’s hands. The more sinful we are, the greater her compassion for us.” (St. Bernard)
Today we hear from a saint who clearly had no hesitation in officially considering the Virgin Mary the mediator of all graces. His reasoning follows the path of the Incarnation and applies it to the Mystical Body of Christ. Mary is the Mother of the Son and of His Body!
“Whoever prays is certainly saved. He who does not is certainly damned”
—St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
Teachers of the spiritual life never tire of emphasizing the importance of prayer. It is the “great dialogue with God,” as St. Teresa of Avila calls it. In today’s quote, St. Alphonsus strongly recommends it to us and even assures us that if we do not pray, we condemn ourselves. He knows very well that once prayer is neglected—which is already a temptation in itself—all kinds of temptations will follow, and it will become increasingly difficult for us to resist them.
Before entering the final stage leading up to the tender feast of the Nativity of Jesus, we must address other events that will take place before the Second Coming of Christ at the End of Time. Yesterday we spoke about the painful apostasy, and today we must also refer to the appearance of false prophets.
“As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?’ And Jesus answered them, ‘Take heed that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.’” (Mt 24:3–5)
What is a false prophet?
Preaching the Gospel, with particular reference to the conversion (or enlightenment) of the Jews, is a fundamental contribution to lovingly preparing for the Second Coming of the Lord. This requires us to do our utmost, for fruitful evangelization means living in accordance with the message we proclaim. Who would want to stand before the Lord one day and have Him say that, although they transmitted the right words, those words lacked inner strength because of the great discrepancy between their speech and the witness of their lives?
In the first meditations of this week, we spoke of how our lamps should be lit like those of the wise virgins (cf. Mt 25:1–13), which is achieved through good works and by putting our talents at the service of the Kingdom of God (cf. Mt 25:14–30).
In last Sunday’s meditation, I mentioned the serious signs that herald the nearness of the Lord’s Return. One of them is the decline of faith—the great apostasy. Read More
“My Son is the vessel of this fountain, that men may go and draw from His Heart, which is always full to overflowing with the water of salvation!” (Message from God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
Here we encounter the mystery of God’s love, which pours out His inexhaustible love for us through His Son. We only have to turn to Him, knock on the door of His Heart, and His love will pour out upon us in abundance. The water of salvation in the reservoir is always fresh and offered to people so that they may come and drink from it. What a sad situation it is when people cross the desert of this life without finding the water of salvation, without even seeking it, or even drinking contaminated water!
