“Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him, strong in faith” (1Pe 5:8-9).
The comparison with a roaring lion makes it clear that, in spiritual combat, we face a terrible enemy. He is ready for anything and stalks his victim carefully and aggressively. To make matters worse, this opponent does not abide by the “rules of chivalry” at all. Read More
134th Meditation
“If I scale the heavens you are there,
if I lie descend to Sheol, there you are.
If I speed away on the wings of the dawn,
if I dwell beyond the ocean,
even there your hand will be guiding me,
your right hand holding me fast” (Ps 138:8-10).
133rd Meditation
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s design that prevails” (Prov 19:21).
Wise is the one who does not simply follow the inclinations of their own heart, but examines whether they are in accord with the Lord’s designs. Indeed, His designs prevail. Not infrequently, our abundant fantasies, dreams and desires serve only to confuse us. They cause us to live in an illusion and can even make us prisoners of certain expectations, which, in the end, are not fulfilled. Then they leave an emptiness and disappointment in the soul. Read More
In the meditations of the last few days, we had first spoken about that enemy who dwells within us – that is, our flesh – which, because of our fallen nature with its evil inclinations, wants to turn us away from the way of the Lord, or at least make things difficult for us. Then we also discussed the second enemy of our soul – the world – which likewise wishes to lead us away from the spiritual path by its seductions and allurements. Now we must consider one more enemy. Read More
132nd Meditation
“Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize” (Rev 2:10).
In the Book of Revelation, the Father conveys these words to us through the mouth of the glorified Lord. God wants to give us the “crown of life,” which is a crown of victory. The Lord wants to adorn us with His glory and make us sharers in His triumph over death and hell. To this end, we must be faithful unto death. Read More
Another enemy that can greatly lead us away from the way of the Lord is the world. If the world is not permeated by the Christian spirit; that is, if it has not been transformed and leavened by the “yeast of the Gospel” (Mt 13:33), then its direction is hostile to God and, consequently, will be a threat to our spiritual life. The difficult thing about this enemy is that we perceive very little of his constant influence. On the other hand, the attacks of the devil or the temptations that come from our flesh are more easily identifiable. Read More
In the framework of this series on the spiritual life, it is also necessary to speak about the “3 enemies of the soul”, which stand in the way of our following Christ and against which we must consciously fight.
At the beginning of this series we spoke about the virtues, emphasizing the importance of acquiring them. Indeed, they constitute a powerful antidote against all enemy attacks, but especially against the inclinations of our flesh and the tendency to give ourselves inordinately to its passions. Read More
131st Meditation
“Humanity is my great weakness. Therefore you must go in search of them with the same love with which I go in search of them” (Interior Word).
Let us try to understand these words… The love of our Father for us is almost incomprehensible to us. A bishop of Italy, Bishop Salvatore Bocciacco (1938-2008), made the following prayer his own:
“God is my Papa. He loves me to the point of madness. He does wonderful things for me. Read More
As the faithful, we are called to build our life on God, and not on the fragile foundation of our human nature. Our security, that which will withstand all the storms of life, is founded on His love, on His Word, on His desire to save us. Through trust and faith, we place our security in God and thus live on a solid foundation.
This trust in God can become the fundamental and absolute principle of our life, regardless of our emotions. In fact, we cannot rely on our sensative experience to ascertain whether God is close to us or has turned away. Instead, we must always cling to the certainty that He is always on our side and loves us. Read More
130th Meditation
“Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen keep watch in vain” (Ps 127:1b).
All our human efforts always have a limit, which the Father Himself, in His wisdom, has set. We human beings easily exalt ourselves and forget from whom we come, where we are going and who it is that has given us everything we have. Read More
