“Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Ps 23:6).
Showing all posts in November 2024
Holy reverence
Rev 4:1-11
Then, in my vision, I saw a door open in heaven and heard the same voice speaking to me, the voice like a trumpet, saying, ‘Come up here: I will show you what is to take place in the future.’ With that, I fell into ecstasy and I saw a throne standing in heaven, and the One who was sitting on the throne, and the One sitting there looked like a diamond and a ruby. There was a rainbow encircling the throne, and this looked like an emerald. Round the throne in a circle were twenty-four thrones, and on them twenty-four elders sitting, dressed in white robes with golden crowns on their heads. Flashes of lightning were coming from the throne, and the sound of peals of thunder, and in front of the throne there were seven flaming lamps burning, the seven Spirits of God.
The Churches of Sardis and Laodicea
Rev 3:1-6,14-22
I, John, heard the Lord saying to me, “Write to the angel of the church in Sardis and say, ‘Here is the message of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: I know about your behaviour: how you are reputed to be alive and yet are dead.
Wake up; put some resolve into what little vigour you have left: it is dying fast. So far I have failed to notice anything in your behaviour that my God could possibly call perfect; remember how you first heard the message. Hold on to that. Repent! If you do not wake up, I shall come to you like a thief, and you will have no idea at what hour I shall come upon you. There are a few in Sardis, it is true, who have kept their robes unstained, and they are fit to come with me, dressed in white.
YOU ANOINT MY HEAD WITH OIL
“You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup brims over” (Ps 23:5).
YOU ARE AT MY SIDE
“Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me” (Ps 23:4).
To the angel of the church in Ephesus
Rev 1:1-4;2:1-5
A revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him so that he could tell his servants what is now to take place very soon; he sent his angel to make it known to his servant John, and John has borne witness to the Word of God and to the witness of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Blessed is anyone who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed those who hear them, if they treasure the content, because the Time is near. John, to the seven churches of Asia: grace and peace to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, from the seven spirits who are before his throne, Read More
THE LORD SATISFIES MY LONGING
“The Lord refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake” (Ps 23:3).
The Virtue of Justice
“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…
On an objective level, the omission of all these things is the greatest injustice, even if we would otherwise try to practice justice towards our neighbor, respecting their rights and fulfilling the various obligations we have towards them. Read More
THE QUIET SPRINGS OF HIS GRACE
“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Ps 23:2).
The Virtue of Prudence
“For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding”. (Prov 2:6)
The virtue of prudence is usually considered as the “auriga virtutum”; that is, the moderator or conductor of the other virtues, because it helps us to apply the virtue that corresponds to the given circumstances, in a wise and sensible way. With it we learn to discern things properly, and it teaches us to give the correct response in each situation.
If we keep in mind the other cardinal virtues that we have meditated on during the last few days, as well as the asceticism of thoughts as part of temperance, we will now see that it will be prudence that will help us to apply everything wisely. The virtue of fortitude, for example, should be put into practice for those things that are right and worthwhile. On the other hand, if courage were to be put into practice for insignificant things, to attract attention or, worse still, for evil purposes, it would lose its meaning. Read More