‘O infinitely good God! You never deprive us of your gifts, unless we ourselves withdraw our hearts from you’ (St. Francis de Sales).
The wonderful gifts that God has given us, whether natural or supernatural, are meant to praise His glory and only reach their true splendour when we use them for this purpose. How empty art becomes when it does not glorify God! How vain are words if they do not praise God and edify men! How empty life becomes when it is lived with our backs turned to God!
“No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth.” (3 Jn 1:4).
These are words from the third letter of Saint John, addressed to a certain “Gaius,” about whom we have no further information. We can undoubtedly put these words in the mouth of our Heavenly Father. As this entire epistle attests, our life must be lived in accordance with the truth, both in word and deed, bearing witness to Our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Hold fast to me and enter into the depths of your being” (Inner Word).
If we want to follow the Lord, it is essential that we cultivate our inner life. Otherwise, we run the risk of remaining in an outward Christianity that does not reflect the beauty of the faith nor possess the strength of conviction necessary to help our Heavenly Father invite men to His Kingdom, to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
“For Me it is a very fitting way of living…in the souls of all those in a state of grace
[through My Holy Spirit]” (Message of God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
What unspeakable grace is divine indwelling, of which we should become more aware every day: the Father and the Son have sent us the Holy Spirit to dwell in our souls, illuminating them with His light and adorning them with His gifts. Let us try to imagine the joy God experiences in a soul that cooperates with His grace. It must be a delight for our Father, just as He was pleased to see the work of His creation, and especially human beings. The simple fact that we can be the cause of such joy for God is reason enough to leave behind all lukewarmness and live to please Him. What a strong and at the same time sweet helper the Father sends us to dwell in our souls!
“II have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.” (Jer 31:3).
This is the love of which the people of Israel lived. Time and again, they were able to experience the faithfulness and compassion of their Heavenly Father. It was this love that moved Him to send His own Son as Saviour for His people, so that He might reveal His love to them and make it fruitful. By sending the Holy Spirit, He brought everything to fulfilment so that God’s eternal love might be proclaimed to all humanity.
“Look at my Son: did he not always hold me close? The same must happen to you” (Inner Word).
We must imitate Our Lord Jesus Christ in everything, and thus we will be introduced into the Heart of our Heavenly Father. If we try to do this day after day and return to Jesus as soon as possible if we have lost our way, then it will become increasingly natural for us to keep our eyes fixed on our Heavenly Father. We know that Jesus did nothing without first raising His gaze to the Heavenly Father in order to act in full conformity with Him. Saint Joan of Arc expressed it this way: ‘All my words and actions are in God’s hands; in all things I hope in Him.’
‘Adversity can do you more good than a thousand joys’ (St. Bonaventure).
The most difficult lessons in the spiritual life is to take advantage of the tribulations and crosses that our Father allows to come upon us in order to draw us more deeply to Himself. A German proverb aptly says: ‘Adversity teaches us to pray.’ This statement alone can help us understand that God has allowed this or that difficulty so that we may turn to Him.
‘We need do nothing else but strive sincerely to do God’s will, and to please Him in all things’ (St. Francis of Assisi).
This is the simple advice given to us by St. Francis of Assisi, based on his own experience. This advice corresponds to the exhortation of Our Lord: ‘seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.’ (Mt 6:33).
‘The greatest joy in life is the conviction of being loved’ (Saint Dominic of Guzmán).
All people could share in this happiness, even if their circumstances in life are difficult. This is truly so, for God loves all people. In this certainty lies the greatest happiness for every creature. No one is excluded from it, and our Heavenly Father invites all people to know His love and to live in it.
‘Go deep and immerse yourself again and again in me. Then you will find the inner guidance you need’ (Inner Word).
Our Father will never leave us without His guidance. He can reveal it to us in various ways. In today’s sentence, God urges us to go within ourselves. When we seek Him and perceive Him in our soul, when we immerse ourselves in Him and remain there, we make it easy for our Father to communicate His Will to us. The various influences and distractions from outside diminish. The more we have learned to distinguish the voice of God whispering within us from the impulses of our nature or even from the dark side, the easier it will be for us to understand His instructions.
