“If our religion is truly the truth and the Gospel is truly the Word of God, then we must believe and live according to it, even if we were the only ones” (St. Bonaventure).
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WILL I FIND SOMEONE?
“I so ardently thirst to be loved by men in the Most Blessed Sacrament that this thirst devours Me, and I find no one who strives to quench it in order to respond in some way to My love.” (Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque)
Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque and the Heart of the Redeemer
Those who receive a special commission from the Lord do not always have an easy time of it. They encounter resistance of all kinds, often from the people closest to them. However, it is precisely in such circumstances, when the chosen ones cling to their mission despite all the difficulties, that God’s work bears fruit, revealing its divine origin.
This was the case with Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, whose feast day we celebrate today according to the traditional calendar.
“MY LOVE NEVER GAVE UP”
Let us continue with the story that our Father tells us in the Message to Mother Eugenia to help us understand how great His love is for us, mankind. Let us remember that this is a soul who never gave thanks for the blessings God granted her, who offended Him, who lived immersed in a web of errors, and for whom mortal sin had become habitual.
Saint Hedwig: Purified by Suffering and Lover of the Poor
With joy, I ventured to undertake this series on the lives of the saints in order to meditate on them and benefit from their example. But I did not know what awaited me, nor the wonderful people I would encounter. Through them, the life of Christ becomes so palpable that our own efforts seem insignificant in comparison to those they undertook to follow the Lord. Thus, their shining example teaches us humility.
What heroic saints have made and continue to make God’s light shine in the world! They followed the Lord with such patience and perseverance, undaunted by the difficulties they encountered along the way! Through them, the Lamb of God has left an unforgettable witness imprinted on the firmament of the Church.
OUR FATHER’S WAITING
“I was waiting for him,” says Our Father in His account of the soul that did not want to listen to Him and constantly offended Him with his way of life. This expresses the great waiting of Our heavenly Father for all people, whom He has destined for eternal communion with Him. He waits until we enter eternity, when we will never again stray from His side. Only then will the waiting be consummated in a feast of unshakeable joy. Sometimes in this life, we can experience a foretaste of this joy, but its fullness remains a promise.
Saint Teresa of Ávila: A light for those who seek.
Anyone interested in the inner path of following Christ will quickly come across Saint Teresa of Ávila, who was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
Teresa was born on March 28, 1515, the third child of Don Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda’s second marriage. Considered a very pious child, she was encouraged by her parents to be devout through reading appropriate books and listening to readings, especially those regarding the veneration of Mary and the legends of the saints.
In 1531, at the age of 16, her father sent her to the Augustinian convent in Ávila for further education. However, she had to leave after 18 months due to illness.
THE LOVING TREATMENT OF THE FATHER TOWARDS AN UNGRATEFUL SOUL
The message from the Heavenly Father to Mother Eugenia Ravasio aims to help us get to know God the Father better. One of the most moving passages is when He tells the story of a soul who constantly offended Him with his sins and whom He nevertheless accompanied patiently until the hour of his death. Shortly before dying, this person repented for his life and invoked the Father. I highly recommend reading this passage in its entirety, as it allows one to deeply reflect on the heart of our Father: https://www.dioepadre.org/msg/msg_inglese.pdf (Part I of the message, last two pages). Or here: https://www.fatherspeaks.net/eugenia_msg.html
Saint Callistus: From Slave to Pope
Today, we celebrate the memory of an early-century pope whose story is very moving: Pope Callixtus I (*160 †222/223).
Much of his life remains unknown, and his implacable enemies are the main source of information about him, so some details may be biased by their hostility.
THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS: Saint Edward, King of England
In a way, the saints embody the Gospel in action and thus bear witness to the authenticity of our faith. They are a great treasure for our Church. We could say that they are like stars in the firmament of the Church.
Starting today, I want to begin a short series talking about the saint of the day and others whom I would like to introduce. I hope that, through their examples, each of these meditations will strengthen us in following Christ. After a brief biography, I will share some reflections on their legacy.
Those who prefer to follow the meditation on the day’s reading or Gospel will find the respective link at the end of each text.
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