A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Prayer of the Heart (Part II)     

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The prayer of the heart-or Jesus prayer-requires a certain preparation. In this regard, let us listen again to Metropolitan Serafim Joanta:

“The dispositions for the Jesus prayer are, as for any other prayer, the following: To be at peace with one’s neighbor, to be free from excessive worries, a certain disposition of the soul, a quiet place…. No one can pray a pure prayer – that is, a prayer that is not tainted by extraneous thoughts, by external impressions of the senses and memories – as long as he is not at peace with his neighbor. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Prayer of the Heart (Part I) 

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Those who wish to enrich and intensify their prayer life will find a very valuable practice in the tradition of the Eastern Church: the so-called “prayer of the heart” or “Jesus prayer”.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is worth clarifying that this form of prayer is part of the rich treasure of the Universal Church, although it is practiced mainly by the faithful of Orthodoxy. It is by no means a foreign practice that comes from the forms of meditation of other Eastern religions; it is genuinely Christian. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: The Holy Rosary

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Having reflected on the sufferings of prayer and on Eucharistic Adoration, let us now turn to the various forms of prayer. Although prayer is in itself a simple thing, it is not always easy for us to pray, and even less so to pray well. This too is an art, and in order to learn it, we need to study the various forms and methods of prayer that exist and, above all, to practice prayer fervently. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Eucharistic Adoration (Part II)

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Eucharistic adoration and inner healing

People in general – including we, the faithful – are often wounded within because we have not received enough love or have experienced an abuse of our love. As a result, serious deficiencies can arise in the soul, and the emotional sphere can suffer such a disturbance that it could become closed inwardly.

If such emotions manifest themselves in us, we can open them up to the healing power of the Blessed Sacrament by surrendering them to the Lord in prayer or by invoking the name of Jesus in silence. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Sufferings in Prayer (Part I)

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Anyone who seriously undertakes a life of prayer – that is, who does not only pray occasionally or when going through great anguish – will realize that it is not always an easy path; rather, there are sufferings that can make prayer even wearisome for us. Therefore, we will have to fight against the laziness of our human nature, go through processes of purification and, of course, confront various temptations, which want to discourage us. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Preparation for Prayer

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The best preparation for prayer, which at the same time is its very fruit, is the focus of our life on God. This means, in the first instance, living in a state of grace; that is, in conformity with the divine will.

Only under this condition can prayer be profoundly effective and can God penetrate our hearts. We will then become more and more capable of listening to God, of understanding Him and of seeking Him deeply. We will not have to begin each time by removing fundamental obstacles that impede the exchange with God. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Introduction to Prayer

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NOTE: We have decided to extend the series on the spiritual life, hoping it will be of benefit to our listeners, so that they can get a more complete idea of the path of following Christ. As far as possible, we will continue to offer the links where you might find a meditation from previous years based on the reading or the gospel of the day. Those who are interested can simply review the written text, where you will find the links at the end, as long as we have them available. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: The Virtue of Justice

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“Justice is the constant and firm will to give to each one what is his due.”

(St. Thomas Aquinas)

In this simple definition we find the basis for the practice of this cardinal virtue. Justice is directed, in the first place, to God Himself, for there is nothing more just than to render to Him the worship that corresponds to Him as Creator and Father: adoration, honor, glory, gratitude, trust, faithful fulfillment of His commandments, humble and dedicated service to Him… Read More