True joy

Lk 10:17-24

The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will. All things have been delivered to me by my Father; and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and any one to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes which see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Read More

“THE SEA OF GOD’S GOODNESS”

“Let us plunge into the sea of His goodness, where every weakness is wiped away and fear is transformed into love” (Saint Paul of the Cross).

A similar passage is found in Madre Eugenia’s Little Book of the Father, in which we are invited to plunge into the sea of the Father’s mercy, where we are to be purified and strengthened so that we may continue our journey.

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Children and angels

Mt 18:1-5.10

Reading of the memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

‘At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven?’ So he called a little child to him whom he set among them. Then he said, ‘In truth I tell you, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven. ‘Anyone who welcomes one little child like this in my name welcomes me. ‘See that you never despise any of these little ones, for I tell you that their angels in heaven are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven.’ Read More

“FORGETTING GOD”

“Oh, how My paternal love has been forgotten by Men! Yet I love you so tenderly!” (Little Book of the Father)

How easily we humans forget God’s blessings, and with them, our Father, who bestowed them upon us. The consequences are inevitable, for our living connection to God and His presence in our lives is lost. We then easily sink into the normal routine of life without remembering the Lord.

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Distance from the world

Lk 10:1-12

Jesus said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.  Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves.  Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and salute no one on the road.  Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’  And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon him; but if not, it shall return to you.  And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages; do not go from house to house.  Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you; heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’  But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off against you; nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’  I tell you, it shall be more tolerable on that day for Sodom than for that town. Read More

Living in vigilance

Mt 13:47- 52

Reading corresponding to the memorial of St. Jerome

Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a dragnet that is cast in the sea and brings in a haul of all kinds of fish. When it is full, the fishermen bring it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in baskets and throw away those that are no use.This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the upright, to throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. ‘Have you understood all these?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ And he said to them, ‘Well then, every scribe who becomes a disciple of the kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who brings out from his storeroom new things as well as old.’

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“HOLD YOUR SOUL IN YOUR HANDS”

 

“No one is wiser than the one who always holds his soul in his hands. Man has no treasure more precious than his soul. He must therefore be vigilant and constantly on guard, for nothing compares to the salvation of the soul.” (Thomas à Kempis)

Elsewhere, Thomas à Kempis laments: „For a small reward, a man will hurry away on a long journey; while for eternal life, many will hardly take a single step.“

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“RETURNING TO THE INNER SELF”  

“Sometimes it is good for us to have troubles and hardships, for they often call us back to our own hearts. Once there, we know ourselves to be strangers in this world.” (Thomas a Kempis)

The spiritual teacher Thomas a Kempis gives us an important reason why even those things that seem only to stand in our way can be used by our Father for our good. God always has the salvation of our soul in mind, and all of His guidance and allowances are intended to serve us. The greatest service the Lord renders us is the salvation and strengthening of our soul. This is what matters, as the Church rightly states: its most important task is the salvation of the soul.

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The mission of the three archangels

Dan 7:9-10,13-14

While I was watching, thrones were set in place and one most venerable took his seat. His robe was white as snow, the hair of his head as pure as wool. His throne was a blaze of flames, its wheels were a burning fire. A stream of fire poured out, issuing from his presence. A thousand thousand waited on him, ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was in session and the books lay open. I was gazing into the visions of the night, when I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven, as it were a son of man. He came to the One most venerable and was led into his presence. On him was conferred rule, honour and kingship, and all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His rule is an everlasting rule which will never pass away, and his kingship will never come to an end.

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