“The time to prove our love is short, and we only have one life” (St. Maximilian Kolbe).
You are right, dear Maximilian Kolbe. Time is short and we are often lazy and slow to do good. This is because we do not yet love our Heavenly Father enough, and we fail to understand the incredible opportunity we have to be a light in the midst of darkness, thus honoring God and serving mankind. Indeed, every day is a gift to prove our love.
Wis 9: 13-18
“For who can learn the counsel of God? Or who can discern what the Lord wills? For the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail; for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind. We can hardly guess at what is on earth, and what is at hand we find with labor; but who has traced out what is in the heavens? Who has learned your counsel, unless you have given wisdom and sent your holy spirit from on high? And thus the paths of those on earth were set right, and people were taught what pleases you, and were saved by wisdom.”
Col 1:21-23
‘You were once estranged and of hostile intent through your evil behaviour; now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body, to bring you before himself holy, faultless and irreproachable-as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the gospel, which you have heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant. ‘
Through His Son, God did everything to reconcile humanity to Himself. This is the immutable message which has been entrusted to the Church down the centuries and which is to reach all creatures. Regardless of the situation in which people find themselves, there are no hopeless cases! God has compassion on even the greatest of sinners. He loves them and wants them to be with Him. It is up to us to accept the offer of grace we receive from the Lord.
“Before long we will know exactly what paradise will be like. Surely in a hundred years none of us will be walking on this earth (…). In a little while, then, provided we prepare ourselves well, under the protection of the Immaculate.” (St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe)
“Observe the commandments of the Lord. There is nothing more noble and exalted than serving God” (St. Lawrence Justinian).
These words were spoken by St. Lawrence Justinian, Patriarch of Venice, whose feast we celebrate today according to the traditional calendar. They were his final words before he died. He died saying, “I come to You, O Jesus.”
Lk 5:33-39
‘They then said to him, ‘John’s disciples are always fasting and saying prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees, too, but yours go on eating and drinking. ‘Jesus replied, ‘Surely you cannot make the bridegroom’s attendants fast while the bridegroom is still with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them; then, in those days, they will fast. ‘He also told them a parable, ‘No one tears a piece from a new cloak to put it on an old cloak; otherwise, not only will the new one be torn, but the piece taken from the new will not match the old. ‘And nobody puts new wine in old wineskins; otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins and run to waste, and the skins will be ruined. No; new wine must be put in fresh skins. And nobody who has been drinking old wine wants new. “The old is good,” he says.’‘ Read More
“Have we not all one father? Has not one God created us?” (Mal 2:10)
Beloved Father, in these words, we catch a glimpse of the unity among all people, as you have ordained. We are all created in Your image and likeness and are all called to be with You in eternity. However, this can only happen if we live according to the order you have established. Since you created us with free will, we can fail to reach our goal if we abuse the freedom you gave us.
Lk 5:1-11
‘Now it happened that he was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats at the water’s edge. The fishermen had got out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats – it was Simon’s – and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ Simon replied, ‘Master, we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled both boats to sinking point.
“The more we read the Gospel, the stronger we will be” (St. Pius X).
To assimilate the Lord’s words, internalize them, and put them into practice is the sure compass on our journey in pursuit of Christ, provided we do so in accordance with the authentic Magisterium of the Church. It is the Word of God — not human reflection. It has the power to enlighten and strengthen us, as the Scriptures themselves affirm:
Lk 4: 38-44
At that time, Jesus left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they besought him for her. And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her; and immediately she rose and served them. Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.” And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
