“Inasmuch as love grows in you, in so much beauty grows; for love is itself the beauty of the soul” (St. Augustine of Hippo).
The true beauty of a person comes from an intimate union with the heavenly Father. When we are filled with His love, our eyes shine and our hearts rejoice. How cold is outward beauty if it does not come from the love that warms the heart! How easily it even becomes a mask if the Father cannot dwell in the heart with His sanctifying grace! Read More
“Do not be afraid; remain united with me always and in all circumstances” (Inner Word).
We know that the Lord often exhorts us not to be afraid. The supernatural world is often foreign to human beings, and it is not uncommon for us to be frightened by natural realities. In the context of the inner word on which we are meditating, it is appropriate to emphasize “not to be afraid at all”. Obviously, our Father wants an undivided trust on our part; a trust so great and strong that no circumstance, no matter how difficult, can frighten us. Read More
“The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless” (Ps 146:9).
In His love and providence, our Father has all people in view; and He exhorts us to pay special attention to those who are easily marginalized. Strangers are liable to be exploited and deceived, if love does not take care of them and meet their foreign character with gentleness, so that they may know that they are sheltered by this love.
“The Lord gives sight to the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down” (Ps 146:8).
Indeed, the blind came to Jesus and He opened their eyes (cf. Mk 10:46-52). What a great grace when a person whose physical eyes could not see, regains ability to look on the glorious Creation and to see people face to face!
“The compassion of man is for his neighbor, but the compassion of the Lord is for all living beings” (Sir 18:13).
“He has caused his wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful” (Ps 111:4).
It is not only the great wonders that the Lord accomplished in the history of the people of Israel that must remain engraved in our memory, but every day countless miracles of our Father take place before our eyes, which must arouse in us the gratitude and love that are due to us. If we overlook them, we will not be able to truly perceive the loving providence of our Father, and consequently our hearts will not easily rise to Him. This is why the Psalmist exhorts us: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits” (Ps 103:2).
Our Father knows how easily we forget His goodness. That is why He gives us a memory of His wonders. This living memory of God in us is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father and the Son send to remind us of all that Jesus said and did:
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn 14:26).
When we become aware of the wonders of the Lord, which are so numerous and so great that even eternity will not be enough to praise Him sufficiently, it becomes increasingly clear to us that everything our Father does is an expression of His love. In this way, our eyes are opened and praise flows naturally from our hearts. And it is the Holy Spirit Himself who cries out within us: “Abba, beloved Father” (Gal 4:6), revealing to us ever more deeply His grace and mercy.
“Go simply from day to day and leave the future in my hands” (Interior Word).
Let us continue to reflect a little on the wise advice of St. Francis de Sales that we heard yesterday, because our Father wants us to live with great trust in Him.
If every day we are attentive to the task entrusted to us and carry it out, we will discover a profound meaning to our life, an immeasurable dignity and honor: our life, wanted by God and precious in His eyes, is at the service of the Kingdom of God. How many people are still searching for the reason and meaning of their existence and still do not find the answer!
Our Father, however, gives us a simple answer, which the Church has transmitted to humanity throughout the centuries: “You, O human beings, are here on earth to praise me, to glorify me and to serve me”. In other words, as the Father said in the message to Mother Eugenia Ravasio, “to know, to honor and to love God.” Everything else comes from this!
And this “everything else”, which is the wonderful and honorable cooperation in God’s salvific plans, we must not take into our own hands, nor pretend to fulfill it according to our human criteria, but let ourselves be guided by the Holy Spirit. In this way we will be at the service of our Father and of all humanity.
Thus we model our future in the Lord, entrusting ourselves to the wise providence of our Father, who loves it when we turn to Him in this attitude of trust. In this way the Father can draw us more and more into his Will and make our lives fruitful.
“My past no longer concerns me. It belongs to Divine mercy. My future does not yet concern me. It belongs to Divine providence. What concerns me and what challenges me is today, which belongs to God’s grace and to the devotion of my heart and my good will” (St. Francis de Sales). Read More
“God often permits us to fall, to be humbled by our sinfulness” (St. Teresa of Avila).
The love of our Father, always attentive to the salvation of our souls, knows how to include even the weaknesses of our human nature in His plan of salvation. This certainty is very consoling, because generally we cannot overcome our weaknesses overnight, but we have to struggle for a long time and count on the Lord’s help until we manage to restrain them at least moderately. The prospect that God is able to benefit from our failures – which we often find painful, embarrassing, and humiliating – gives us hope and confidence in our Father. Read More
“I want to show you how I come to you through my Holy Spirit” (The Father’s Message to Sr. Eugenia Ravasio).
