THE WILL OF THE FATHER

467th Meditation

“Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother” (Mt 12:50).

With these words, Jesus makes us understand in what the deepest unity between God and humanity consists.

Certainly, we are all called to live as children of God and to love and respect one another. But this fraternity can only be fully realized when we fulfill the condition that Jesus mentions by striving with all our will and with all our heart to do the Will of our Father. Then the closest bond with the Son of God is formed and we become “one spirit” with Him. And not only with Him, but with all the believers here on earth and with the whole heavenly family whose joy it is to always do the Father’s Will. Read More

JESUS PRAISES THE WISDOM OF THE FATHER

466th Meditation

 

“I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to babes” (Mt 11:25).

In these words of Jesus we can perceive how much He rejoices in the wisdom of His Father. If we praise the Father for His wisdom as we come to know and love Him more and more each day, how much more will our Lord do so! As His beloved Son, He understands the Heavenly Father on another level. He knows the glory of the Father in all its fullness, without the limitations that we human beings have. Read More

Saint Francis of Assisi and the radicallity of the call

Lk 9:57-62

As they were going along the road, a man said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head.”  To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”  But he said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.”  Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God. Read More

Justice and mercy

Lk 9:51-56

‘Now it happened that as the time drew near for him to be taken up, he resolutely turned his face towards Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Read More

AT THE END OF TIME YOU SENT YOUR SON

464th Meditation

“But at the end of time You sent Your Son – our Lord Jesus Christ – and You required of Yourself the sacrifice that Abraham was not made to offer. You gave Your only begotten Son for the life of the whole world, so that Your people and all the peoples of the earth might find their salvation in Him” (Hymn of Praise to the Most Holy Trinity). Read More

To obey the angel

Ex 23:20-23

Reading corresponding to the memorial of the Guardian Angels

Behold, I send an angel before you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place which I have prepared. Give heed to him and hearken to his voice, do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression; for my name is in him. “But if you hearken attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. “ Read More

IN YOUR GOODNESS, YOU SENT THE PROPHETS

463rd Meditation

“In Your goodness, You sent the prophets to bring them back to the right path, but how often did Your people not listen to their words, but persecuted and killed those whom You sent!” (Praise of the Blessed Trinity).

Our Father did everything to lead His people on the path of salvation. But again and again, the history of Israel shows how they strayed. It was difficult for them to be different from the surrounding nations. Read More

THE PEOPLE REJECT GOD

462nd Meditation

“There [in the Promised Land] You would have had them led by judges, but they, wanting to be like other peoples, preferred to have kings. So You gave them kings, but they often did what displeased You” (Praise of the Blessed Trinity).

The drama surrounding the people of Israel was not over. After Joshua’s death, the Israelites turned away from the Lord and served the Baals. They followed the gods of the surrounding peoples (Judg 2:11-12). As a rebuke, the Lord delivered them into the hands of the robbers and the enemies around them (v. 14). They were no longer victorious in the wars and fell into great misery. Read More