“I was waiting for him,” says Our Father in His account of the soul that did not want to listen to Him and constantly offended Him with his way of life. This expresses the great waiting of Our heavenly Father for all people, whom He has destined for eternal communion with Him. He waits until we enter eternity, when we will never again stray from His side. Only then will the waiting be consummated in a feast of unshakeable joy. Sometimes in this life, we can experience a foretaste of this joy, but its fullness remains a promise.
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Saint Teresa of Ávila: A light for those who seek.
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.
THE LOVING TREATMENT OF THE FATHER TOWARDS AN UNGRATEFUL SOUL
The message from the Heavenly Father to Mother Eugenia Ravasio aims to help us get to know God the Father better. One of the most moving passages is when He tells the story of a soul who constantly offended Him with his sins and whom He nevertheless accompanied patiently until the hour of his death. Shortly before dying, this person repented for his life and invoked the Father. I highly recommend reading this passage in its entirety, as it allows one to deeply reflect on the heart of our Father: https://www.dioepadre.org/msg/msg_inglese.pdf (Part I of the message, last two pages). Or here: https://www.fatherspeaks.net/eugenia_msg.html
Saint Callistus: From Slave to Pope
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.
THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS: Saint Edward, King of England
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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LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF THE LORD IN YOUR HEART!
“When you contemplate what I tell you in the depths of your heart, you gain much more than if you read many books. Oh, if only souls would listen to my voice when I speak to them in their hearts, they would quickly reach the summit of holiness” (From the Diary of Sister Faustina).
Gratitude
Lk 17:11-19
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 1And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
WHEN WILL I SEE THE FACE OF GOD?
“My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” (Psalm 42:2).
THE SOUL: When, beloved Father, when will the hour come? I am dying of thirst!”
OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL
“For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways” (Ps 91:11).
Listen and put into practice
Lk 11:27-28
While Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
According to the traditional calendar, today we celebrated the Feast of the Motherhood of Mary. Throughout the centuries, the Church has held in high esteem the special vocation of the Mother of God and has rightly dedicated a special feast to her divine motherhood.