Today’s reading, taken from the Book of Jeremiah, reminds us to listen to the prophets. God speaks to us through them, to guide us back to the straight path. We know that, since He sent His own Son into the world, God speaks to us through Himself (Heb 1:1-2) and with the voice of the Church; however, it would be wrong to exclude the prophetic dimension altogether now. The Lord says to Jeremiah:
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LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 22: “Faithfulness to Tradition”
Let us begin today’s meditation by listening to the Lord’s words to His disciples in today’s Gospel:
“Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved. Therefore, anyone who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but the person who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven” (Mt 5:17-19).
I CANNOT HOLD BACK MY LOVE
“When I look into my Heart, I cannot hold back my love. It always wants to pour itself out on men, to envelop them and to give itself to them”.
How does the fire of love burn in our Father’s Heart, wanting to give itself to us!
This is what divine love is like: it always wants to give itself and never ceases. Certainly, one can close oneself to it. But this cannot diminish, much less extinguish the fire in the Heart of God. Even if we do not allow it to enter our heart so that it can bring us its light and warmth, the fire is not extinguished.
“God is love” (1 Jn 4:8) and possesses in Himself its fullness. It is an unquenchable flame. If God were not like this, He would not be our loving Father.
If we want to become persons full of love, burning with love, then we must draw near to this fire. To the extent that our heart is filled with the love of God – which is the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5) – to the extent that it is freed from disordered self-love and from all coldness, it will also become a source of love.
When God dwells in our hearts, illuminating even its innermost recesses, then His fire enkindles us and permeates us, wanting to pour Himself out on men also through us.
In this way, we become people who love and who now have a share in God’s longing for His own. The more we allow ourselves to be moved by His Spirit, the more perseveringly we will carry out the works of God and cast the nets of love.
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 21: “The grace of the sacraments”
- The Holy Eucharist
In our spiritual journey, the holy sacraments of the Church deserve special attention, in particular the Holy Eucharist. It should be the high point of the Church’s life and belong naturally to our beloved Catholic identity.
TRUST ME UNRESERVEDLY
“Trust in me without reserve” – I heard one day in prayer.
The love of our Father invites us to trust Him unreservedly. There is nothing that God does not know; He knows us better than we know ourselves, He knows our heart:
“Lord, you examine me and know me,
you know when I sit, when I rise,
you understand my thoughts from afar. Read More
GOD’S LOVE IS ALWAYS THERE
All people must realise that they have a most loving Father. This is the objective reality on which their lives are founded. Only by internalising this truth can they awaken to the fullness of life (cf. Jn 10:10b).
It is the Heavenly Father who can heal all our wounds and make us discover the loving meaning of our existence by making Himself known to us. Herein lies man’s true happiness! Read More
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 20: “Passive purification”
As we progress on our path of discipleship and the Lord sees that we take it seriously and strive for holiness, He responds to our efforts by sending us so-called “passive purifications”.
There are those who are frightened just by hearing this word. They are not aware that it is a sign of great love and care on the part of our Father. Purification means that our capacity to love is to be awakened and strengthened and, at the same time, that we are to rid ourselves of all that hinders us from responding fully to God’s love. Therefore, purification is a grace, which usually goes hand in hand with the intensification of inner prayer and the passage into contemplation.
JESUS PROCEEDS FROM THE FATHER
When His hour had come, Jesus turns to the Father and commends His own to Him and assures Him: “[They] have indeed accepted it and know for certain that I came from you, and have believed that it was you who sent me” (Jn 17:8b). Read More
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 19: On prayer
Yesterday we had talked about the importance of a regular rhythm of prayer. If this becomes a norm for us, we will also have built a refuge to protect us from the temptations of the world, which want to draw us away from what is essential and drag us towards what is superficial. Read More
JESUS TRANSMITS TO US THE WORDS OF THE FATHER
In His great prayer to the Father, Jesus can testify that His own, who were entrusted to Him by the Father, have kept His Word: “Now at last they have recognised that all you have given me comes from you, for I have given them the teaching you gave to me, and they have indeed accepted it” (Jn 17:7-8). Read More