Showing all posts by Elija

As we have often recalled, the aim of our Lenten meditations is to strive to be better disciples of the Lord. This call is addressed to us in difficult times, both in the Church and in the world, as we have noted at length in the light of the discernment of spirits. Therefore, spiritual warfare is inevitable. In this regard, we have reflected on the various elements of the spiritual armour described by the Apostle Paul with which we must clothe ourselves in order to go into battle. His advice ends with the exhortation to “pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph 6:18), and so in the last few meditations we have talked about prayer of the heart and the Holy Rosary. Today and tomorrow we want to go deeper into Eucharistic adoration: another effective weapon in the spiritual battle.

Remaining in silence before the Blessed Sacrament, whether the Blessed Sacrament is exposed or simply present in the Tabernacle, has a great effect on the deepening of prayer. Therefore, in the context of these meditations on the theme of prayer, it is fitting that we dedicate two days specifically to Eucharistic Adoration.

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In keeping with the Solemnity of the Annunciation that we celebrate today, I would like to speak about another ‘great prayer’ that should be included in our daily prayer routine. Certainly many already know and practise it. This prayer is a real treasure in the life of the faithful, whether it is prayed in community or alone. I would like to refer to a meditation from last year, so that, in the context of the spiritual combat, I can once again recall the value of this prayer and encourage everyone to pray it daily: it is the Holy Rosary.

In many of her authentic apparitions, the Virgin Mary tells us how important it is to her that we pray the Rosary. That is why it is worthwhile to meditate on this valuable prayer.

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“Pray always in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18).

We are coming to the end of St Paul’s advice for spiritual warfare. Surely all believers know how essential prayer is, without which there can be no spiritual life. If we neglect prayer, we are always in danger that temptations will overcome us more easily, that distractions will increase and that the temptations of the world will have a greater influence on us. We will also be weaker and more vulnerable when it comes to fighting the battle that has been entrusted to us with the appropriate weapons.

On the other hand, if we take advantage of the Lord’s opportunities to pray, our souls will be prepared and docile to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Through prayer we will be able to conquer strongholds with the Lord.

Yesterday I ended the meditation by quoting part of a Starez’s exhortation on the prayer of Jesus. He was clear that this prayer is a special weapon against the power of the devil. The full quote is:

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“Besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one.” (Eph 6:16).

The Lord’s training of His faithful to be able to resist in battle continues today with the allusion to the shield of faith. It is important that we immediately and swiftly repel the darts of the Evil One, even when they want to penetrate us through our thoughts. The more vigilant we are, the less evil or wrong thoughts will be able to pierce and hurt us. The same applies to useless words, whether spoken or written. Read More

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Before entering into the theme, let us briefly review the Lenten meditations: the spirit of discernment (discretio) urges us to enter consciously into a spiritual battle. Those who follow Christ know this struggle well. There are, however, two particular circumstances that we must always keep in mind, so that we “do not box as one beating the air” (cf. 1 Cor 9:26):

1. The enemy is not only attacking from outside the Church, but also from within, and he has wide areas under his influence.
2. He has penetrated right into the hierarchy, and from the very top he is trying to impose his pernicious course on the whole Church.

With this in mind, let us continue to listen to St Paul’s instructions to be prepared for battle:

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