THE CAPTAIN

A little boy was standing on the shore of a large lake, waving his arms to a ship that was already in full sail. A man came up to him and said, “Don’t be silly! Do you think the ship will change course just because you call it?” But sure enough, the ship turned toward the shore, docked, and took the boy aboard. As the boy climbed aboard, he said to the man, “No, sir, I’m not silly! The captain is my father.”

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THE PALACE OF THE GREAT KING

“If I had understood then, as I do now, how this great King really dwells within this little palace of my soul, I should not have left Him alone so often” (St. Teresa of Avila).

St. Teresa arrives at an essential conclusion, which we should also immediately adhere to. In fact, this reality applies to every soul in a state of grace. The Blessed Trinity dwells in it and makes it His temple. If we accept the constant invitation of the Great King, His indwelling will become a constant source of life in us. In the depths of our soul we will listen attentively to our Father, we will dialog with Him, we will cultivate love…. Read More

GIVE ME YOUR HEART

“God does not say, ‘Give me a heart like that of the angels’; rather, ‘Give me your heart.’ What He wants is your own heart; give it to Him as it is. He asks nothing more than what we are and what we have” (St. Francis de Sales).

Our current journey companion addresses us today with a comforting phrase, inviting us to approach our Father as we are. We do not need to artificially humble ourselves or present ourselves as great religious champions. We can and should come to Him as we really are and give Him our hearts. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and with our cooperation, the Father will make it into a heart like His own. Read More

THE TRANSFORMATION OF SUFFERING

“Suffering, considered in itself, is a terrible thing. But when we look at it in the Will of God, it becomes love and sweetness” (St. Francis de Sales).

Accepting suffering as coming from the hands of our Father is one of the most difficult lessons we have to learn on our journey of following Christ. This is not surprising, since suffering and death are the consequences of original sin and the loss of paradise. It is still alien to us and, considered in itself, suffering is a terrible thing, as our present companion on the way, St. Francis de Sales, tells us. Read More