264th Meditation
“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Ps 126:2).
As in yesterday’s meditation, the Father allows us, through this verse of the psalm, to have a glimpse into His heart, which is always concerned for us. God does not want to make our life’s journey more difficult; on the contrary, He wants to make it easier for us. We are to walk it in divine simplicity. Read More
263rd Meditation
“If the Lord does not build a house in vain do its builders toil.
If the Lord does not guard a city in vain does its guard keep watch” (Ps 126:1).
Our Father reminds us of the foundation of our life. In the German language we have a saying that reflects what this verse of the psalm expresses: “On God’s grace all things depend”. Read More
In our Lenten itinerary, we continue today with the struggle against vices, which is part of the purgative way. On this occasion, we will focus on the vice of “tristitia”, i.e. sadness.
“Chase sorrow far away” says the sage Ben Sirach, ” for sorrow has been the ruin of many, and is no use to anybody” (Sir 30:23). Read More
Continuing the theme of fighting against vices, we will talk today about greed and wrath.
John Cassian points out that this vice should be easier to fight, because its object is not rooted in our nature. However, if we have given greed a place, then, according to Cassian, it becomes a vice even more dangerous than the others, which is difficult to get rid of. St. Paul also states that “The love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10), because it can become the fuel for various other vices. Read More
262nd Meditation
“Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 Jn 1:9).
Our Heavenly Father has shown us a sure way to remain in communion with Him. Holy Scripture urges us again and again to hold fast to the doctrine that has been revealed to us. St. Paul even states that though an angel should come down from heaven and preach to us a gospel other than the one we have received, “let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8). No false doctrine must find a place in us, so that communion with our Father may unfold in the fullness of truth. Read More
261st Meditation
“If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him” (1 Jn 2:15).
As the Gospel tells us, “no one can serve two masters” (Mt 6:24). Our heart must belong undividedly to the Heavenly Father, and then we will learn to love the world with the love of the Father: “This is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). Read More
Today we have reached the eleventh day of our Lenten itinerary, which prepares us throughout these forty days for the great Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Today we will continue to develop the theme of the fight against vices. Read More
260th Meditation
When we begin to give heartfelt thanks to our Father, we go deeper and deeper into the reality of our existence. We discover more and more how much He has given us. Everything that we often take for granted, becomes from this perspective a reason for us to thank the Father unceasingly and joyfully, and enables us to grow in the awareness of His love for us. Read More
Yesterday we reflected on the passage of the purification of the Temple, and then applied it to our “inner temple,” which also requires purification.
At the beginning of our “Lenten itinerary” I quoted the prayer of St. Nicholas of Flüe, the first part of which said, “My Lord and my God, detach me from everything that distances me from You.” This affirmation synthesizes the so-called “purgative way” in the spiritual journey. Read More
Having heard in yesterday’s reading how the “wrath of the Lord” because of the wickedness of the City of Nineveh was appeased by the penitence of its inhabitants, so that the punishment did not fall on them, it is fitting that today we meditate on the passage of the purification of the Temple (Mt 21:12-13), which was the Gospel of the Traditional Mass two days ago. Read More
