God created us from nothing. His only motivation was His love for us. That is why He created man in the image of Himself (Gen 1:27) and clothed him with great dignity.
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The reverence
1 Kgs 8:22- 23,27-30
Then, in the presence of the whole assembly of Israel, Solomon stood facing the altar of Yahweh and, stretching out his hands towards heaven, said, ‘Yahweh, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, as loyal to the covenant and faithful in love to your servants as long as they walk wholeheartedly in your way. Yet will God really live with human beings on earth? Why, the heavens, the highest of the heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple built by me!
Overcoming pride and arrogance
1 Cor 1:26-31
Reading for the memorial of Saint Agatha
For consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Read More
ASK IN THE NAME OF JESUS
“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:19-20).
Jesus invites us to live in true unity with Him. He Himself is the foundation of this unity, because our Father has made Him the link between all humanity. Read More
THEIR WORKS ARE WITH THEM
“It is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish” (Mt 18:14).
Jesus uttered this sentence in the context of the parable of the lost sheep, for whose sake He was willing to leave the other ninety-nine to go in search of it and find it. Read More
The sweet compulsion
1 Cor 9:16-19,22-23 (Reading from the Novus Ordo)
In fact, preaching the gospel gives me nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion and I should be in trouble if I failed to do it. If I did it on my own initiative I would deserve a reward; but if I do it under compulsion I am simply accepting a task entrusted to me. What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me. Read More
Devotions for the first five Saturdays
According to the traditional calendar, today, 3 February, we can choose to celebrate the memorial of Saint Blaise or the first Saturday of the month to make reparation for sins against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On this occasion, I would like to focus on the so-called “Five First Saturdays Devotion”. Let us therefore listen to the Gospel for this devotion:
Jn 19:25-27
Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Mag′dalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home.
BECOMING FISHERS OF MEN
“I will once again cast the net of my love” (Inner Word).
In the midst of dark times, when the Church is weakened and disoriented, our Father wants to cast the net of His love once again. Just as at that time the Lord called Peter and the other disciples to be fishers of men (Mt 4:19), so He never ceases to cast the net of His love and to call us to cooperate in fishing, even in the most difficult times.
Feast of the Presentation of the Lord: Recognising the Messiah
Lk 2:22-32
When the day came for them to be purified in keeping with the Law of Moses, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord and also to offer in sacrifice, in accordance with what is prescribed in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons. Now in Jerusalem there was a man named Simeon. He was an upright and devout man; he looked forward to the restoration of Israel and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had set eyes on the Christ of the Lord.
THINK BIG OF GOD’S LOVE
“You still think too little of my goodness and my love” (Father’s message to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
We can interpret these words of our Heavenly Father in different ways. On the one hand, it is a statement that recalls Jesus’ frequent rebukes of His disciples for their lack of faith (see, for example, Mt 16:9). Surely our Father wants us to understand that His goodness and love are immeasurable and that it grieves Him greatly that we do not yet know it well enough.