Showing all posts by Elija

In Biblical Meditations

The hierarchy of commandments

Author ElijaPosted on

Mt 22:34-40

But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to put him to the test, one of them put a further question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said to him, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.’

It is important to keep in mind the order of the commandments in regard to acting in accordance with this hierarchy. The first and most important of the commandments is to love God. This is the decisive factor for man to correspond to the fundamental order of his existence.

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In 3 Minutes for God the Father

LIVING FOR GOD’S JOY (II)

Author ElijaPosted on

“His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man; but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:10–11)

It is not man’s natural abilities—often so admired and sometimes even idealized in the world—that bring joy to our Father. They are merely tools and derive their true value only from the purpose for which they are used. What good is great intelligence in the eyes of the Lord if it is not used for good?

Time and again, people are tempted to define their worth based on things that merely add to their lives and do not constitute what is essential. This temptation can even penetrate the Church, and it is not uncommon for people to adopt worldly standards instead of applying the standards that God uses. We are very familiar with these standards from the Holy Scriptures. Today’s passage is a good example.

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In Biblical Meditations

The wedding garment  

Author ElijaPosted on

Mt 22:1-14

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.’  But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.  Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.’  And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.  Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.’  For many are called, but few are chosen.” Read More

In 3 Minutes for God the Father

LIVING FOR GOD’S JOY

Author ElijaPosted on

One of the most beautiful things in this world is when people strive to bring joy to one another. This is something everyone knows, especially when it is free from self‑interest and marked by selflessness.

However, the most beautiful thing is when we live for God’s joy—when we entrust our entire lives to our heavenly Father simply because we love Him and respond to His love. This brings a certain bliss to earth because our lives point beyond ourselves to the One who is our joy, whose joy we are becoming more and more.

In Madre Eugenia’s Little Book of the Father, the heavenly Father immediately draws our attention to the source of His joy. He says, “My joy consists in being known and loved by my children—that is, by all present and future humanity.”

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In 3 Minutes for God the Father

“MARY’S RESPONSE”

Author ElijaPosted on

“Let it be to me according to your word.” (Lc 1:38)

As I conclude this reflection on August 15, I cannot and will not pass by our dear Mother of God, Mary, without thinking of her and writing a few words.

How lovingly our Heavenly Father must have looked upon the one He chose to be the mother of His Son—a holy and pure virgin! As we know from the teaching of the Church, she was exempt from original sin (the Immaculate Conception), just like the woman in Paradise whom we know as Eve.

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In Biblical Meditations

The responsibility of shepherds  

Author ElijaPosted on

Ez 34:1-11

The word of Yahweh was addressed to me as follows, ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, “Shepherds, the Lord Yahweh says this: Disaster is in store for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Are not shepherds meant to feed a flock? Yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the injured ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and harshly. For lack of a shepherd they have been scattered, to become the prey of all the wild animals; they have been scattered. My flock is astray on every mountain and on every high hill; my flock has been scattered all over the world; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.

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In 3 Minutes for God the Father

TRUE UNITY  

Author ElijaPosted on

“Any false unity that is not founded in Me cannot endure and will crumble.” (Inner word)

We humans long for unity, and when we find it, great peace enters our souls—first with God, and then with other people.

Yet there is one condition for true unity. It can exist only in truth and is therefore founded on God Himself. Certainly, there are many interest groups and various forms of associations. But these are only peripheral in nature and therefore cannot reach the depth that true unity embodies.

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In Reflexion

Flavia Helena Augusta  

Author ElijaPosted on

Today’s meditation is dedicated to St. Helena, Empress and mother of Emperor Constantine. The 18th of August is considered to be the day of her death, which is why her memory is celebrated on this date in some parts of the Catholic Church.

Instead of taking a biblical reading, we will begin this meditation with a few words from the Magnificat canticle:

The Lord “has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly” (Lk 1:52).

Helen, the great empress who played such an important role in the spread of Christianity, was born into a poor, pagan family in Bithynia (Asia Minor) around the middle of the 3rd century.

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In Reflexion

St. Radegund of Thuringia

Author ElijaPosted on

There is a rich array of saints to write about, and each time it is a profound experience to witness how God’s grace reaches a person and leads them beyond themselves. They show us what becomes possible when one hears God’s call and follows it. We must not assume that this was not also accompanied by struggles in which these people became aware of their own weakness. Yet they held fast to God, and thus the Lord was able to guide them and be glorified through them. It is moving when a person who holds a high social position is so deeply drawn to the holy faith that they do not shy away from performing the simplest—and often most difficult—acts of service toward their neighbor. Saint Radegund followed such a path and became a model for many other nobles to walk the way of Christ and to give their lives.

Radegund is the first queen to descend from the princely throne into a humble monastic cell to follow the poor Jesus in poverty; she is the first German princess upon whom monastic life exerted its wondrous influence, inspiring many crowned heads to follow her example. Born in 519, she was the daughter of Berthar, King of Thuringia, and was orphaned at an early age when her father was cruelly murdered by his brother Hermanfried out of a lust for power.

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In 3 Minutes for God the Father

“GOOD UNDERSTANDING”

Author ElijaPosted on

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it.” (Psalm 111:10)

We understand the gift of the fear of the Lord as the first of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we practice it, our lives take on a clear and unmistakable direction. We examine our actions in the presence of God to see whether they might offend our Heavenly Father. This is a profound turning point in life, and thus the healing power of the Holy Spirit can unfold radiantly in our souls. At first, this gift may be accompanied more by a holy fear of doing even the slightest thing that might displease God. The memory of what might happen as a consequence if we stray from the path is also very vivid.

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