“Be convinced: heaven and earth will pass away before the Lord will lose sight of you if you remain obedient, or at least if you are determined to be obedient” (St. Francis de Sales).
Showing all posts by Elija
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 3: “Do everything with your eyes fixed on the Lord”
The Gospel presented to us today in the lectionary of the Traditional Mass offers us important warnings for our holy journey towards the Feast of the Resurrection.
Having set out, marked with the cross of ashes, determined to deepen our conversion and to integrate fasting as an important aid on the spiritual journey, the Lord warns us today in the Gospel of an inclination that we must overcome with His help:
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 2: Wood for the fire of love
The holy journey of Lent also includes – whenever possible – bodily fasting and the renunciation of certain things.
In doing so, we exercise ourselves in an asceticism that is beneficial for the spiritual life. If practised properly, the words of one of the Lenten Prefaces become a reality:
NOT BELIEVING OURSELVES CAPABLE
“When we renounce everything, the Lord takes care of everything and directs everything. If, on the other hand, we keep something for ourselves because we don’t want to entrust it to Him, He leaves us to it, as if to say, ‘If you think you’re smart enough to do it without me, then do it on your own! You will see how far you get!'” (St. Francis de Sales).
LENTEN ITINERARY – Day 1: “The Call to Conversion”
During Lent we will once again follow the “itinerary” that led us through these forty days last year. We especially recommend ourselves to your prayers as we will be on mission in Brazil and Argentina for most of Lent. A major concern in our hearts and prayers is world peace, which is particularly threatened in Ukraine and Israel. As we have close ties with the Holy Land, where we spend much of our time, I have written a prayer that I ask you to pray with us throughout Lent. The written version can be found at the end of the meditation text, and the audio version can be found at the following link:
HEARTS THAT ARE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND ME
“What do I desire to achieve with this work of love, if not to find hearts able to understand Me?” (Message of God the Father to Sr. Eugenia Ravasio)
I KNOW YOUR HEART
“I know your heart and I know that you love me. That alone counts, for love forgives much!” (Inner Word)
These words of the Father remind us of that golden phrase attributed to St. Augustine: “Love and do what you want”.
To resist temptations
Jas 1:12-18
Blessed is anyone who perseveres when trials come. Such a person is of proven worth and will win the prize of life, the crown that the Lord has promised to those who love him. Never, when you are being put to the test, say, ‘God is tempting me’; God cannot be tempted by evil, and he does not put anybody to the test. Everyone is put to the test by being attracted and seduced by that person’s own wrong desire. Read More
Resisting doubt
Jas 1:1-11
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greeting. Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Read More
NOT TO LOSE HEART
In prayer, I heard one day these words: “Do not lose heart when evil seems to triumph. These are Pyrrhic victories, fictitious victories, after which comes defeat and the definitive separation between good and evil.”
When we notice how evil seems to triumph in the world and around us, the temptation is great that we become despondent, lose heart and thus indirectly give evil even more influence. But it should not be so! Read More