Showing all posts in 3 Minutes for God the Father
“ON THE THRESHOLD OF HOLY WEEK”
“Lent is the autumn of the spiritual life, when one should harvest the fruits and gather them for the whole year. Do everything, I beg you, to become rich in these precious treasures, which nothing can rob or destroy (Mt 6:20). Remember what I often say: As long as we try to observe two Lents at once, we will never observe even one properly. So let us observe this one as if it were our last, and then we will observe it well.” (St. Francis de Sales – Letter to Jane Frances de Chantal)
“FOLLOW THE LORD WITHOUT BEING BLINDED”
Dear Father, in today’s Gospel reading (John 11:47–54), we encountered the stubbornness and blindness of the scribes. This was alarming and even led to the decision to kill Jesus. They deceived themselves, and thus the truth could no longer find its way into their hearts.
“MAY OUR HEARTS BE A PLACE OF PEACE”
“Now with all our heart we follow thee.” (Dan 3:18)
These words, dear Father, were spoken by Azarias as he entered the fiery furnace with two other faithful young men, after he confessed that the suffering of the Jews in Babylon was the result of their having abandoned Your commandments and instructions.
YOU TURN EVERYTHING TO YOUR WILL
Very moving, dear Father, is the story of Daniel, whom the idolaters threw into the lions’ den because he had exposed their idols and uncovered the scheme with which they deceived King Cyrus. And the lions? They did Daniel no harm, as so often happened with saints—for example, with Saint Martina of Rome. Read More
“PRAYER FOR THE LORD’S INTERVENTION”
Beloved Father, the example of Nineveh shows us this: it is not impossible for people to heed Your warning through the prophets, to repent of their sins, and thus be spared from impending disaster.
When I look at this world, dear Father, I certainly see greater evils than there were in Nineveh back then, and I also see the dangers hanging over the whole world. You Yourself have often drawn attention to this through those who made Your voice heard.
But where can we find a response like the one in Nineveh? Do people even understand that all these terrible things are happening because Your commandments are being violated, and thus death is spreading instead of life?
Is it not rather like in the days of Noah, that people do not see the danger in which they live? And yet it is made physically visible and audible through the media.
Just as I write these lines (March 20, 2026), the siren sounds again in Jerusalem, followed by a very heavy explosion. Usually, these are rockets from Iran or Lebanon, representing a response to the bombing of Iran by Israel and the U.S.
There is a way to take spiritual action against this killing. We must unite in prayer.
Here is my simple prayer, with the request that many join in:
Beloved Heavenly Father, we turn to you full of confidence, believing firmly that you will come to the aid of the peoples. Look upon the suffering caused by so many forms of unjust violence, and intervene with your power to weaken the Evil One. We especially ask you to intervene in the war in the Middle East, and to resist all those who practise, support or encourage unjust violence, whether physical or spiritual, whether humans or fallen angels. Bring true peace! We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
“TO RECOGNIZE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT”
Dear Father, it goes too far to suspect Your Son of being in league with the devil when He heals, and to accuse Him of being possessed by a demon when He speaks the word of wisdom, as happened to Him in Israel.
When such terrible things are said, one almost irrevocably closes the door to true knowledge. The more one argues against the obviousness of Your action, the greater the danger of committing the sin against the Holy Spirit. It is the very sin the devil committed: the willful sin against better knowledge. It is unforgivable, as Scripture testifies. May the Lord protect people from ever committing blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
“THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD”
“I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12).
Is there any word more beautiful than this one that You, beloved Father, have granted us through Your Son? We all long for light. Even on the natural plane, light fills us with joy—and how much more the supernatural light, which illuminates everything!
Why do so many people pass by this light? Do they perhaps love darkness more than light, as Sacred Scripture testifies?
“RAISING THE DEAD AND ETERNAL LIFE”
Beloved Father, why were the resurrections of the dead not enough to change the minds of the Pharisees? Shouldn’t a miracle of such magnitude make it clear that You are at work? What more must happen?
But we can already foresee Your answer, for You have given it to us through the testimony of Scripture. Even in the lives of the saints, it was not uncommon for the greatest miracles to fail to lead tyrants to repentance.
“SPIRITUAL VIGILANCE”
“Let me find you always vigilant, so that I may be able to count on you at all times” (Inner Word).
Vigilance is a key concept for our spiritual life and must be applied in so many areas. Holy Scripture speaks to us countless times about it.