“WHOEVER TRUSTED IN THE LORD AND WAS PUT TO SHAME?”

266th Meditation

“Whoever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?” (Sir 2:10).

No one! We can say it with firm conviction.

If disappointments arise, the problem is on our side, because we do not understand God’s Will and perhaps we had expectations that were not fulfilled as we would have wished. Full trust in God means holding on to the certainty that, whatever happens, “God works with those who love him and turns everything to their good” (Rom 8:28), even if we do not understand and the situation remains in the dark for us. Read More

LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 15: “The fight against pride”

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The most difficult spiritual vice to overcome is undoubtedly pride. It takes a constant struggle and a strong grace from God to flee from pride and to live in that humility which counteracts and decisively weakens it.

John Cassian describes pride in these terms: “It is a cruel beast, which fiercely attacks even the perfect and can wound with deadly poison those who are close to perfection”. Read More

THE LITTLE BIRD AT MY WINDOW

265th Meditation

“Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?” (Mt 6:26).

We continue today with the theme of the loving Providence of our heavenly Father. He wants us to live truly carefree. Is it not easy to understand this, considering that we are His children? Is it not natural that He, being our loving Father, should take care to provide us with all that we need for our temporal and eternal good? Even we humans take care of those entrusted to our care. Read More

LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 14: “The struggle against acedia and vainglory”

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On our journey towards the great Feast of the Resurrection, we have to go through each day consciously and with God’s grace, as a stage on the way. For this we need perseverance, for on our journey we may encounter a demon which the desert fathers called “acedia” or the “demon of the noonday”. This acedia – which we can describe as a spiritual sluggishness or laziness – is related to the “tristitia” (sadness) we were talking about yesterday. The monks in the desert were attacked by acedia, but we too can be affected by it, so it is good to know at least something about it.  Read More

SUSTAINED BY LOVE

264th Meditation

“It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep” (Ps 126:2).

As in yesterday’s meditation, the Father allows us, through this verse of the psalm, to have a glimpse into His heart, which is always concerned for us. God does not want to make our life’s journey more difficult; on the contrary, He wants to make it easier for us. We are to walk it in divine simplicity. Read More

LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 12: “The fight against greed and wrath”

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Continuing the theme of fighting against vices, we will talk today about greed and wrath.

  1. The fight against greed 

John Cassian points out that this vice should be easier to fight, because its object is not rooted in our nature. However, if we have given greed a place, then, according to Cassian, it becomes a vice even more dangerous than the others, which is difficult to get rid of. St. Paul also states that “The love of money is the root of all evils” (1 Tim 6:10), because it can become the fuel for various other vices. Read More

“WHOEVER ABIDES IN THE TEACHING…”

262nd Meditation

 “Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son” (2 Jn 1:9).

Our Heavenly Father has shown us a sure way to remain in communion with Him. Holy Scripture urges us again and again to hold fast to the doctrine that has been revealed to us. St. Paul even states that though an angel should come down from heaven and preach to us a gospel other than the one we have received, “let him be accursed” (Gal 1:8). No false doctrine must find a place in us, so that communion with our Father may unfold in the fullness of truth. Read More

“IF ANYONE DOES LOVE THE WORLD…”

261st Meditation

“If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him” (1 Jn 2:15).

As the Gospel tells us, “no one can serve two masters” (Mt 6:24). Our heart must belong undividedly to the Heavenly Father, and then we will learn to love the world with the love of the Father: “This is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son” (Jn 3:16). Read More