A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Prayer of the Heart (Part I) 

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Those who wish to enrich and intensify their prayer life will find a very valuable practice in the tradition of the Eastern Church: the so-called “prayer of the heart” or “Jesus prayer”.

In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is worth clarifying that this form of prayer is part of the rich treasure of the Universal Church, although it is practiced mainly by the faithful of Orthodoxy. It is by no means a foreign practice that comes from the forms of meditation of other Eastern religions; it is genuinely Christian. Read More

THE HOLY WORD OF GOD

125th Meditation

“Your promises have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them” (Ps 119:140).

The Word of God has been given to us so that through it we may have life. It is different from merely human words. It has the power to illuminate our whole life and to transform us. It is the Lord Himself who communicates to us through His Word. Indeed, God speaks to us and thus gives us access to His own being. Through the words that come from His Heart, He grants us an encounter with His love. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: The Holy Rosary

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Having reflected on the sufferings of prayer and on Eucharistic Adoration, let us now turn to the various forms of prayer. Although prayer is in itself a simple thing, it is not always easy for us to pray, and even less so to pray well. This too is an art, and in order to learn it, we need to study the various forms and methods of prayer that exist and, above all, to practice prayer fervently. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Eucharistic Adoration (Part II)

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Eucharistic adoration and inner healing

People in general – including we, the faithful – are often wounded within because we have not received enough love or have experienced an abuse of our love. As a result, serious deficiencies can arise in the soul, and the emotional sphere can suffer such a disturbance that it could become closed inwardly.

If such emotions manifest themselves in us, we can open them up to the healing power of the Blessed Sacrament by surrendering them to the Lord in prayer or by invoking the name of Jesus in silence. Read More

LOVE GROWS

123rd Meditation on God the Father

“The more you respond to my love, the more love you will receive” (Interior Word).

It is proper that love would grow the more space it is given. Therefore, the more we welcome the love of our Father within us, and the more we seek it, the more He will be able to communicate it to us.

Let us keep in mind that God’s love is unlimited, while our capacity to love is limited. When our Father dwells in us, He illuminates and warms our hearts with the power of the Holy Spirit. Read More

LET ME TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING!

122nd Meditation

“Do not overburden yourselves or burden yourselves with unnecessary worries – let me take care of everything! I want you totally pure and sincere, walking hand in hand with the Father like children, without worrying about what tomorrow will bring” (Inner Word).

Unconcern-not to be confused with naivety or lack of responsibility-is founded on trust in God and confers a special radiance to the path of following Christ. It often goes hand in hand with a certain joy and serenity, which even in the most difficult situations does not fade. Read More

A SERIES ON THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: Sufferings in Prayer (Part I)

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Anyone who seriously undertakes a life of prayer – that is, who does not only pray occasionally or when going through great anguish – will realize that it is not always an easy path; rather, there are sufferings that can make prayer even wearisome for us. Therefore, we will have to fight against the laziness of our human nature, go through processes of purification and, of course, confront various temptations, which want to discourage us. Read More