Showing all posts in Reflexion

Why would someone become a hermit? Why would he leave everything behind for Christ, giving up the opportunity to live in community with other brothers and sisters, in order to be alone with God?

This choice can only be understood through the eyes of faith. From the world’s perspective—so far removed from God—it might seem selfish. However, throughout the centuries, the Church and the faithful have held the hermit life in high esteem.

Although a hermit may feel a strong longing for solitude and intimacy with God, and although he may want to retreat to the most secluded place possible to find Him, it may happen that the Lord’s plans differ from what he himself desires. God is the master of every vocation, and following His will is more valuable than fulfilling one’s own desires, no matter how pious they may be.

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According to the new liturgical calendar, 19 October is the feast day of Saint Jean de Brébeuf. As yesterday’s meditation was dedicated to another saint, today I would like to talk about the heroic life of this tireless missionary.

What is the motivation that can lead a man to undergo terrible hardship and suffering for the salvation of souls, so that they may receive the message of Christ? It is that ineffable love which moved God Himself to come into this world and expose Himself to suffering in the person of His Son in order to wrest His prey from the powers of darkness and lead men into His eternal Kingdom.

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Pedro Garavito was born in Alcántara, Spain, in 1499 and, at the age of sixteen, entered the Franciscan Order. There he led a life of strict penance, particularly with regard to food and sleep, to a degree that is difficult for us to imagine today. This is why we tend to admire the saints for their asceticism rather than imitate it. While this is understandable, it can also have negative long-term effects. In fact, asceticism has almost completely disappeared from the life of the Church, so that, in general, fasting barely exists anymore. We risk losing the ability to imagine restraining ourselves from bodily comforts for love of the Lord.

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Those who receive a special commission from the Lord do not always have an easy time of it. They encounter resistance of all kinds, often from the people closest to them. However, it is precisely in such circumstances, when the chosen ones cling to their mission despite all the difficulties, that God’s work bears fruit, revealing its divine origin.

This was the case with Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, whose feast day we celebrate today according to the traditional calendar.

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With joy, I ventured to undertake this series on the lives of the saints in order to meditate on them and benefit from their example. But I did not know what awaited me, nor the wonderful people I would encounter. Through them, the life of Christ becomes so palpable that our own efforts seem insignificant in comparison to those they undertook to follow the Lord. Thus, their shining example teaches us humility.

What heroic saints have made and continue to make God’s light shine in the world! They followed the Lord with such patience and perseverance, undaunted by the difficulties they encountered along the way! Through them, the Lamb of God has left an unforgettable witness imprinted on the firmament of the Church.

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Anyone interested in the inner path of following Christ will quickly come across Saint Teresa of Ávila, who was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Teresa was born on March 28, 1515, the third child of Don Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda’s second marriage. Considered a very pious child, she was encouraged by her parents to be devout through reading appropriate books and listening to readings, especially those regarding the veneration of Mary and the legends of the saints.

In 1531, at the age of 16, her father sent her to the Augustinian convent in Ávila for further education. However, she had to leave after 18 months due to illness.

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Today, we celebrate the memory of an early-century pope whose story is very moving: Pope Callixtus I (*160 †222/223).

Much of his life remains unknown, and his implacable enemies are the main source of information about him, so some details may be biased by their hostility.

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In a way, the saints embody the Gospel in action and thus bear witness to the authenticity of our faith. They are a great treasure for our Church. We could say that they are like stars in the firmament of the Church.

Starting today, I want to begin a short series talking about the saint of the day and others whom I would like to introduce. I hope that, through their examples, each of these meditations will strengthen us in following Christ. After a brief biography, I will share some reflections on their legacy.

Those who prefer to follow the meditation on the day’s reading or Gospel will find the respective link at the end of each text.

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Yesterday, I began addressing the “healing of the subconscious.” Before delving further into the subject, I would like to quote a verse from Psalm 19: “Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.” (Psalm 19:12). Although, in this case, it refers to faults involving guilt, we can adapt these words and direct them as a request to the Lord: “Deliver me from the chains of which I am unaware. May they not have dominion over me!”

The following example will help us understand what I mean by “healing the subconscious.”

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Before moving on to another aspect related to the healing of the soul, which differs somewhat from previous subtopics, I felt it was important to explain the classic healing process through the practice of true Catholic faith.

From the beginning of this series, I have emphasized that true faith is essential for inner healing. By this, I mean that we should avoid resorting to questionable therapies offered in the esoteric realm, and hold fast to the traditional faith within the Church without allowing ourselves to be infected by modernist distortions. Any deviation will have consequences that slow down or prevent inner healing. In the worst case, the wounds of the soul can be exacerbated.

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