“O my God and Father,
Grant that I praise You and work that all Your creatures praise You.
Grant, my Father, that all sinners be converted,
That all the just persevere in grace,
And all of us reach eternal glory. Amen.”
Showing all posts in October 2025
Saint Anthony Mary Claret: a burning torch of love
What would Spain be without Saint Anthony Mary Claret?
In 1861, a prominent anarchist wrote, “If it hadn’t been for Father Claret, Catalonia would have understood the message of the revolution. With his thousands of extraordinarily popular sermons, this tireless man managed to re-Christianize the whole of Catalonia. After completely transforming Catalonia, he did the same in the Canary Islands and, later, in Cuba, where Catholicism was dying out. But that was not the worst of it. His time in Madrid was a catastrophe for the Spanish revolutionary movement.”
Who was this man who exerted so much influence and had such a profound impact on the political arena despite not being a politician himself?
Antonio María Claret was born in Sallent, near Barcelona, in 1807. Like his brothers, he helped in his parents’ textile business and demonstrated such talent in his higher studies that he was entrusted with taking over a large company. However, the Lord had heard his prayers, as from a very young age he had asked for the grace of the priesthood.
The dominion over sin
NOTE: Since there is no obligatory memorial of a saint prescribed by today’s liturgical calendar, we will meditate on the reading of the day.
Rom 6:12-18
‘That is why you must not allow sin to reign over your mortal bodies and make you obey their desires; or give any parts of your bodies over to sin to be used as instruments of evil. Instead, give yourselves to God, as people brought to life from the dead, and give every part of your bodies to God to be instruments of uprightness; and then sin will no longer have any power over you – you are living not under law, but under grace. What is the implication? That we are free to sin, now that we are not under law but under grace? Out of the question! You know well that if you undertake to be somebody’s slave and obey him, you are the slave of him you obey: you can be the slave either of sin which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to saving justice. Once you were slaves of sin, but thank God you have given whole-hearted obedience to the pattern of teaching to which you were introduced; and so, being freed from serving sin, you took uprightness as your master. ‘ Read More
THE PRAYER OF A SAINT (I)
“O my God and Father, grant that I may know You and make You known;
that I love You and bring others to love You;
that I serve You and persuade others to serve You”
(St. Anthony Mary Claret).
Saint Hilarion of Gaza: A great ascetic with a heart open to those in need
Why would someone become a hermit? Why would he leave everything behind for Christ, giving up the opportunity to live in community with other brothers and sisters, in order to be alone with God?
This choice can only be understood through the eyes of faith. From the world’s perspective—so far removed from God—it might seem selfish. However, throughout the centuries, the Church and the faithful have held the hermit life in high esteem.
Although a hermit may feel a strong longing for solitude and intimacy with God, and although he may want to retreat to the most secluded place possible to find Him, it may happen that the Lord’s plans differ from what he himself desires. God is the master of every vocation, and following His will is more valuable than fulfilling one’s own desires, no matter how pious they may be.
FOCUS ON THE GOOD
“Love the virtues of your sisters and do not think about their faults” (Saint Teresa of Ávila).
“COURAGEOUS SURRENDER”
“Therefore, my God and Redeemer, I accept the chalice from your hand and invoke your name, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!” (St. Jean de Brébeuf).
Saint Jean de Brébeuf: the intrepid missionary
According to the new liturgical calendar, 19 October is the feast day of Saint Jean de Brébeuf. As yesterday’s meditation was dedicated to another saint, today I would like to talk about the heroic life of this tireless missionary.
What is the motivation that can lead a man to undergo terrible hardship and suffering for the salvation of souls, so that they may receive the message of Christ? It is that ineffable love which moved God Himself to come into this world and expose Himself to suffering in the person of His Son in order to wrest His prey from the powers of darkness and lead men into His eternal Kingdom.
Saint Peter of Alcantara: A reformer not without difficulty
Pedro Garavito was born in Alcántara, Spain, in 1499 and, at the age of sixteen, entered the Franciscan Order. There he led a life of strict penance, particularly with regard to food and sleep, to a degree that is difficult for us to imagine today. This is why we tend to admire the saints for their asceticism rather than imitate it. While this is understandable, it can also have negative long-term effects. In fact, asceticism has almost completely disappeared from the life of the Church, so that, in general, fasting barely exists anymore. We risk losing the ability to imagine restraining ourselves from bodily comforts for love of the Lord.
“LIKE THE FISH”
“Do as the fish does: when you feel a storm coming, immediately immerse yourself in contemplation and take refuge in the arms of Christ; thus you will be safe from all the temptations of the world and the dark powers” (St. Peter of Alcantara).