“There is no grace sent from heaven that does not pass through Mary’s hands. The more sinful we are, the greater her compassion for us.” (St. Bernard)
Today we hear from a saint who clearly had no hesitation in officially considering the Virgin Mary the mediator of all graces. His reasoning follows the path of the Incarnation and applies it to the Mystical Body of Christ. Mary is the Mother of the Son and of His Body!
“Whoever prays is certainly saved. He who does not is certainly damned”
—St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
Teachers of the spiritual life never tire of emphasizing the importance of prayer. It is the “great dialogue with God,” as St. Teresa of Avila calls it. In today’s quote, St. Alphonsus strongly recommends it to us and even assures us that if we do not pray, we condemn ourselves. He knows very well that once prayer is neglected—which is already a temptation in itself—all kinds of temptations will follow, and it will become increasingly difficult for us to resist them.
“My Son is the vessel of this fountain, that men may go and draw from His Heart, which is always full to overflowing with the water of salvation!” (Message from God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
Here we encounter the mystery of God’s love, which pours out His inexhaustible love for us through His Son. We only have to turn to Him, knock on the door of His Heart, and His love will pour out upon us in abundance. The water of salvation in the reservoir is always fresh and offered to people so that they may come and drink from it. What a sad situation it is when people cross the desert of this life without finding the water of salvation, without even seeking it, or even drinking contaminated water!
“Do not seek comfort in people. What comfort could they give you? Go to the tabernacle and pour out your heart there. There you will find comfort.” (Saint Padre Pio)
Where do we seek comfort? Often in people; sometimes also in material goods or irrational creatures. Yet time and again we experience that we do not receive true comfort, for this can only come from the Holy Spirit. If we turn to the Lord, will He deny us His comfort?
“Jesus conquered the world, not by the sword, but by the cross” (St. Augustine).
I often end “Three Minutes for Abba” by exclaiming, “That’s our Father!” I am always amazed to discover what He is truly like.
“You will always find refuge in me and in your Mother’s heart. No one can take that away from you!” (Inner word)
We urgently need this refuge amid the confusion that surrounds us—a bastion of love and security. We will always need it, even if we have been walking in the Lord’s path for many years and have made steady progress. The refuge is there for us! In His wisdom, our heavenly Father has granted it to us so that we may find our home in the inner sanctuary of our soul. No matter how fiercely the storm rages around us or how the devil tries to frighten us, access to the depths of our heart remains open, and no one can take it away from us. This enclosure, also called the “inner cell,” not only offers us refuge but also the opportunity to deepen the love between the Father and us each day. It is, so to speak, the sacred enclosure of our soul, into which the Evil One cannot enter, because God dwells there.
“Any false unity that is not grounded in Me does not last and falls apart” (Inner Word).
True unity can only come from God and be grounded in Him. Indeed, there is no bond that unites people more deeply than sharing and living the same faith. It is, therefore, a unity that comes from God and fulfills what Jesus asks of the Father in His priestly prayer: “That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. That they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one.” (John 17:21, 22b–23a)
“If, in all adversities, we surrender ourselves serenely to God’s will, we will be on the path to holiness and we will be the happiest people in the world.” (St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori)
This is one of those phrases that, if we take it to heart, can present a great challenge for us. We have all been called by our Father to the path of holiness, and we all desire happiness. Indeed, no one could imagine Heaven without happiness.
“Contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).
The great treasure of faith requires all our efforts to protect it. It is not only about the inner dimension—about fighting when we suffer temptations, when we succumb to our weaknesses, and when we encounter again and again the abysses of our hearts that have not yet been penetrated by the light of God.
“It is I who forgives, it is I who calls, it is I who perfects” (Inner Word).
On our journey of following Christ, we must never forget that it was not we who chose Him, but He who called us (cf. Jn 15:16). This applies not only to priestly and religious vocations, but to each person individually, as echoed in the Lord’s wonderful declaration through the prophet Isaiah: “I have called you by name, you are mine” (Is 43:1).
