Showing all posts by Elija

In Reflexion

 The virtue of fortitude (Part I)

Author ElijaPosted on

The readings of the last few days presented us with impressive examples of faith, faithfulness and fortitude. I have therefore decided to dedicate some meditations to the cardinal virtue of fortitude. In these times of turmoil, it is particularly important to aspire to and practice this virtue, in order to be able to resist the various temptations that are presented to us. Let us take as our model those people we met in the readings of the last days, who showed us that obedience and faithfulness to God are above all earthly values and that, with God’s help, it is even possible to overcome fear.

Fortitude does not mean the absence of fear. It is not the ideal of courage conveyed to us in the stories of heroes who fear nothing and no one. Even a fearful person can, through grace, become strong and courageous, because it is God who makes them capable of it. But he, for his part, will have to exercise himself in this virtue and acquire it. It is not that we can simply avoid being overcome by this fear that appears without our seeking it, but what we can do are concrete acts, so that it does not paralyse us, preventing us from doing what has been entrusted to us.

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In Biblical Meditations

Obedience to God comes before obedience to men  

Author ElijaPosted on

1 Macc 2:15-29

‘The king’s commissioners who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein for the sacrifices. Many Israelites gathered round them, but Mattathias and his sons drew apart. The king’s commissioners then addressed Mattathias as follows, ‘You are a respected leader, a great man in this town; you have sons and brothers to support you. Be the first to step forward and conform to the king’s decree, as all the nations have done, and the leaders of Judah and the survivors in Jerusalem; you and your sons shall be reckoned among the Friends of the King, you and your sons will be honoured with gold and silver and many presents.’ Raising his voice, Mattathias retorted, ‘Even if every nation living in the king’s dominions obeys him, each forsaking its ancestral religion to conform to his decrees, I, my sons and my brothers will still follow the covenant of our ancestors. May Heaven preserve us from forsaking the Law and its observances.

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In Biblical Meditations

Incredible bravery  

Author ElijaPosted on

2 Macc 7:1,20-31

It also happened that seven brothers were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste some pork, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. But the mother was especially admirable and worthy of honourable remembrance, for she watched the death of seven sons in the course of a single day, and bravely endured it because of her hopes in the Lord. Indeed she encouraged each of them in their ancestral tongue; filled with noble conviction, she reinforced her womanly argument with manly courage, saying to them, ‘I do not know how you appeared in my womb; it was not I who endowed you with breath and life, I had not the shaping of your every part. And hence, the Creator of the world, who made everyone and ordained the origin of all things, will in his mercy give you back breath and life, since for the sake of his laws you have no concern for yourselves.’

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In Biblical Meditations

Faithful till the death  

Author ElijaPosted on

2 Macc 6:18-31

Eleazar, one of the foremost teachers of the Law, a man already advanced in years and of most noble appearance, had his mouth forced open, to make him eat a piece of pork. But he, resolving to die with honour rather than to live disgraced, walked of his own accord to the torture of the wheel, having spat the stuff out, as befits those with the courage to reject what is not lawful to taste, rather than live. The people supervising the ritual meal, forbidden by the Law, because of the length of time for which they had known him, took him aside and privately urged him to have meat brought of a kind he could properly use, prepared by himself, and only pretend to eat the portions of sacrificial meat as prescribed by the king; this action would enable him to escape death, by availing himself of an act of kindness prompted by their long friendship.

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In Reflexion

Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus: Miracles in the service of evangelization

Author ElijaPosted on

Today, the traditional calendar commemorates Saint Gregory Thaumaturgus, a saint credited by the Lord with performing extraordinary miracles. In today’s meditation, I will recount some of them. We know that the ministry of Our Lord and the apostles was also accompanied by great miracles, manifesting God’s loving omnipotence.

While miracles should not occupy a central place in our faith, and we should not seek extraordinary phenomena out of sensationalism, we cannot overlook them—much less deny them. Miracles continue to occur today, as in Lourdes (France), where they are even subjected to scientific investigation.

We can marvel at the many miracles St. Gregory performed in God’s name, which validated his message and led many to faith. Indeed, the latter is the greatest miracle that can happen in a person’s life: to awaken to true faith and begin to live as a child of God.

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