395th Meditation
“You must not fear as slaves the Father who loves you to the end” (Inner Word).
We can imagine how it feels when we love someone with all our heart and are ready to do everything possible for that person, but he or she is afraid of us and behaves as if being oppressed by us. This hurts and we feel misunderstood! Moreover, a true relationship of love and trust cannot develop in such circumstances. Read More
Eph 3:14-19
‘This, then, is what I pray, kneeling before the Father, from whom every fatherhood, in heaven or on earth, takes its name.
394th Meditation
“He who strives to conform himself to the truth and does not care so much about how people treat or esteem him, finds his serenity in God” (Blessed Henry Suso).
“Serenity in God” is the great theme of the German mystic Henry Suso. It refers to that profound peace that springs from trust in the goodness of God. Read More
NOTE: In the traditional calendar, St. Bonaventure is celebrated today. We will therefore listen to the reading of his memorial:
2 Tim 4:1-8
Before God and before Christ Jesus who is to be judge of the living and the dead, I charge you, in the name of his appearing and of his kingdom: proclaim the message and, welcome or unwelcome, insist on it.
393rd Meditation
“My God, Trinity whom I adore (…), pacify my soul; make it your heaven, your beloved abode and the place of your repose. May I never leave you alone in it, but may I be there entirely, fully awake in my faith, in adoration, surrendered without reserve to your creative action” (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity). Read More
392nd Meditation
“Nothing should you consider as an obstacle on the way to the Lord. Do not pay so much attention to whether you are enthusiastic or discouraged. It is part of our condition of exile to change thus from one state of mind to the next. At such times, believe that He never changes, that in His goodness He always bends over you to draw you in and shelter you” (St. Elizabeth of the Trinity). Read More
NOTE: Since in recent years I have already meditated on most of the biblical texts of the liturgical calendar, I sometimes have recourse to the readings of the traditional calendar when it comes to passages that are very important to me. The Gospel I have chosen today, taken from the Votive Mass for the Propagation of the Faith, is one of them, since it deals with a very topical theme, as I will point out towards the end of this meditation.
Mt 10:1-7
‘Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to drive them out and to cure all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon who is known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who was also his betrayer.
391st Meditation
“He who preaches with love, refutes heretics (HERetiks) enough, even if he does not utter a single argument against them” (St. Francis de Sales).
A wonderful quote from St. Francis, which lends itself to meditation in our “3 minutes for Abba”. Read More
390th Meditation
“Someone says to me: ‘I must understand in order to believe’. I reply: ‘Believe that you may understand'” (St. Augustine).
In these words of St. Augustine we find once again that simplicity which pervades Sacred Scripture; a simplicity which enables us to arrive at the goal with certainty. Read More
