“Any day a man gains more by devout prayer than the whole world is worth” (St Bonaventure).
This wonderful phrase should penetrate deeply into our hearts and enlighten our minds, for it clearly shows us the true hierarchy of values. Devout prayer, uttered in the Spirit of the Lord, which embraces our whole existence, traverses heaven and earth and reaches the Heart of our Father.
‘A spiritual joy is the greatest sign of the divine grace dwelling in a soul’ (St. Bonaventure).
St Bonaventure refers to joy in God and for God’s sake, and identifies it as the surest sign of divine grace in man. Indeed, where could this joy come from if not from grace? It is not merely a natural joy, however beautiful that may be. There are people with a very cheerful temperament and a positive attitude towards life, which can be very attractive to others. But this is not yet the joy in God.
‘I have a good Master, that is God; it is to Him I look in everything and to none other’ (Saint Joan of Arc).
The Maid of Orleans made the right choice! “One is your Master”, the Lord tells us in Mt 23:8. Although we can receive help from people filled with the Holy Spirit, and should be grateful when we meet them, or even if we have someone to accompany us spiritually, this guidance only becomes a priceless gift when it is imbued with God’s wisdom.
“I would rather die than revoke what God has made me do” (St. Joan of Arc).
Only those who are deeply united to the Lord and who live in truth can dare to say such words. Joan of Arc spoke them knowing that her life was in danger. She had placed herself completely under the guidance of God, and it was only from Him that she drew her safety. The young Joan had to defend herself against the accusation of witchcraft in an unjust ecclesiastical trial convened by a bishop who collaborated with her enemies. She faced a large number of scholars, most of whom were ready to condemn her.
“It is better to be alone with God. His friendship will not fail me, nor His counsel, nor His love. In His strength I will dare and dare and dare until I die” (Saint Joan of Arc).
These words were spoken by Saint Joan of Arc, to whom the Lord entrusted the great mission of leading the legitimate King of France to his coronation and driving the English occupying troops out of her country. She did everything with her eyes fixed on the Father, and God alone was her consolation during the most difficult period of her life, when, while still very young, she was seized by her enemies, who subsequently condemned her to the stake.
“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:6).
The Lord says these words in connection with His recommendation to pray and give alms in secret.
Our Father is pleased when we do good in secret, without seeking to attract the attention of others. Certainly, there are works that must be done in public so that God may be praised and acknowledged (cf. Mt 5:16). However, the Lord is not referring to these, but to those works that are most fruitful when they are done in secret for God.
“We cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20).
This is the response of the Apostles when the religious authorities of the time tried to forbid them to continue proclaiming the Risen Lord. But how could they keep silent?
‘For the just there is no death, but transition’ (St. Athanasius).
How beautiful it would be if we understood this reality better day by day! Indeed, it is like this: if we have centred our life on our Heavenly Father and serve Him with sincerity, death will be the return to our Father’s house, who is waiting for us. And each day that passes in our earthly life brings us closer to eternity.
“There is no better measure of love than trust” (Meister Eckhart).
The more we trust God, the more we love Him. We can understand this measure well and use it to examine the state of our love. The same can be said in reverse: the less we trust, the less love has triumphed in us. If there is even mistrust in our heart, it is a sign that our heart is closed and our relationship with our Heavenly Father has darkened.
“Raise yourselves to the dignity of children of God” (Message of God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).
The dignity that the Father gives us does not come from our own efforts. It is simply a gift of His goodness. In another passage of the Message to Sister Eugenia, the Father tells us: “It was He [Jesus] who showed you the ways to perfection. Through Him I adopted you in My infinite love, as real children. Since then I have never called you simply “creatures”, but “children”.
