“To depart from You is to die. To return to You is to rise again. To dwell with You is to live.” (St. Augustine)
With these few words, dear Father, St. Augustine expresses it perfectly. For if we were to go away from You—which may You always prevent—we would no longer be able to receive the grace, Your living love for us. Everything within us would begin to wither, everything that truly reveals to us the real value of existence.
“All who wish to follow Me will experience the hostility of hell and also of those who listen to the demons.” (Inner Word)
This is inevitable once we begin to follow Christ. The expression of this hostility may take different forms, but it will certainly appear. The Father has made this clear to us through His Son and through the testimony of those who followed Him.
“Everyone can become brothers and sisters if they believe in Me.” (Inner Word)
This refers to the kinship our Lord speaks of in the Gospel:
“Some one told him, ‘Your mother and your brethren are standing outside, asking to speak to you’. But he replied to the man who told him, ‘Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brethren! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, and sister, and mother.’” (Mt 12:47–50)
“Look at Me, just as I look at you!” (Inner Word)
This is our Heavenly Father’s loving invitation to walk a path of intimacy through this earthly life. What tenderness we encounter in these words! The Father’s gaze upon us humans is filled with caring love for our physical and spiritual needs. God’s love always precedes us, for He had already looked upon us before we were in our mother’s womb:
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you” (Jer 1:5).
“Was it not thou that didst cut Rahab in pieces, that didst pierce the dragon?” (Isaiah 51:9)
Beloved Father, it is not always easy for us to understand why evil exists—why there is so much destruction, immeasurable suffering, senseless wars, and evil spiritual beings who live in rebellion against You. They have left fellowship with You and want to drag us humans into their lostness.
“Move forward, constantly examine everything within Me, and step out!” (inner word)
Our Father wants us to consciously walk the path to eternity and grow in faith, hope, and love along the way. God gives us this opportunity every day. When we understand and practice this, much is transformed. Eternity is then no longer an indefinite distance away—something we hardly think about or not at all. On the contrary: the more we become aware of it and the more our heart begins to long for it, the more it reaches into our daily reality. It teaches us to carry out the task set before us with greater attention. This makes us more prudent and also more decisive, and we more easily leave behind things that are not so important and focus more on what is essential.
“What defines you is my nearness.” (Inner word)
We humans often carry within us the desire to be capable of something great, perhaps even to leave behind something that has significance. This desire is not wrong, as long as it does not serve vanity or the pursuit of personal power. After all, we are called by our Heavenly Father to accomplish great things, for everything we do in connection with and on behalf of God is great. Thus, every day we have the opportunity to do what is truly great by fulfilling His will.
“In illness, one learns much, if one is willing.” (Brother Konrad von Parzham)
The spiritual fathers—among whom Brother Konrad von Parzham certainly belongs—always show us how we can grow on our spiritual journey. When our Father allows a cross—and illness is such a cross—this is generally an opportunity for people of faith to grow and mature. Aside from the fact that it can also involve the dimension of atonement, especially for the many offenses against God and humanity, our Father wants us to learn something important.
“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Ps 34:1)
Our Father certainly does not need our praise and worship for His own sake, for He is perfect in Himself and lacks nothing. That does not mean, however, that it is not pleasing to Him when His children offer Him heartfelt praise.
“Remain in the light and bring it to everybody, and it will be a powerful means both to obtain conversions and to shut, if possible, the gates of hell!” (From the message of God the Father to M. Eugenia Ravasio)
