Showing all posts by Elija

On several occasions, I have spoken and written in detail about the “Prayer of the Heart,” which is practiced mainly in the Eastern Church. I recommend that you reread or listen to what I have said, which you can find in the links at the bottom of the page[1]. You can also find other sources to learn more about this valuable prayer and its history[2].

Since this week we are focusing on deepening our relationship with Jesus and on his deeper indwelling in our hearts, I return once again to this prayer, which is almost indispensable for souls seeking silence and recollection. Personally, I have been practicing it for almost forty years, and now I find it impossible to imagine my life without the “Prayer of the Heart.” Anyone who has tasted the “spiritual flavor” of this prayer will agree with me and understand why I recommend the “Jesus Prayer” to all Christians. It is unsurpassed in its simplicity and can be prayed anywhere.

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Internalizing our faith is one of the decisive elements for God’s grace to unfold abundantly in our lives.

Faith must be internalized so that it consists of more than just outward gestures and actions—not to detract from the importance and value of the latter—but is also deeply rooted in our hearts. In this way, we forge a rich interior life in union with God, an interior life that is always present and growing.

God offers us various ways of internalization.

First, we must assimilate the Word of God more deeply. Scripture says of Mary that she pondered the Word in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19). To do so, we must read the Word of God daily. It is our spiritual nourishment that enlightens our understanding and illuminates our hearts (Psalm 119:105).

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On this day, when we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, it is very appropriate to talk about the Holy Rosary, a classic Christian meditation closely associated with the Virgin Mary.

In fact, she carried the Lord in her womb and in her heart. If we want Jesus to be born more deeply in our hearts, she, being our spiritual Mother, will gladly help us. What pleases her most is that we listen to her Son and allow Him to dwell in our hearts. Her joy is to see Jesus taking shape in our lives. What mother would not want her child to receive the respect, love, and attention He deserves? How much more does this apply to the Mother of God, whose Son brings us salvation!

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When reflecting on Advent, we can speak of three comings of the Lord:

1. His historical coming, when He was born in Bethlehem;
2. His birth in our hearts;
3. His glorious coming at the End of Time.

In this second week of Advent, we will reflect on the second of these: the presence of Jesus in our hearts. Indeed, it is essential that He also dwell in our hearts, for this is how our inner transformation takes place. Letting Jesus into our hearts means giving Him shelter, making room for God’s love in our souls.

We also experience this in our human relationships: when someone occupies a place in our hearts, it means they have become part of our lives, that we are also part of theirs, and that we think of them with love and gratitude. In a way, that person is present in us, even if we are not in constant contact.

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“But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Gal 4:4–5)

The angel Gabriel was sent by God to the Virgin Mary in Nazareth, and this was a decisive moment in the history of salvation. In His love, God chose from among His people the person to whom He would entrust His own Son. She was a woman who, as we know with certainty thanks to the dogma of the Catholic Church, was preserved by God from original sin.

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God keeps alive the longing for salvation in His people.

The tragedy of experiencing one’s own sin, the shortcomings of life, the longing for fulfillment, the longing for the life God intended for us—in short, the longing for God Himself… In the face of all this, the prophets come to remind us: He who will save Israel and the nations will come!

“But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in travail has brought forth; then the rest of his brethren shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth. And this shall be peace.” (Micah 5:2–5a)

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