231st Meditation
“Every day is important, every hour I offer my salvation to mankind. You must serve to bring it to people, for the joy of your Father who loves you” (“Inner Word”).
We are called to live in the “kairos”; that is to say, to be aware that TODAY is the “propitious time” and the day on which salvation is offered to mankind (cf. 2 Cor 6:2). The way to it is open: “TODAY, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Ps 95:7-8). Read More
230th Meditation
“Treasure up indestructible gold in the Treasury of God” (Inner Word).
On our way of following Christ, our Father allows us to share in the sufferings of Christ (cf. Col 1:24). Persecution and slander may come upon us for the sake of the Name of Jesus. If we hold fast to the truth out of love for God, it is not unusual for conflicts to arise with those who do not want to accept the truth, and this is a cause of suffering. Jesus Himself foretold this: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too” (Jn 15:20).
229th Meditation
“Fear not when the beast cries out and the lion roars. They will not be able to achieve anything, for they fight against me” (inner word).
The image of the lion represents the devil, as St. Peter the Apostle tells us in the short reading we hear every evening at Compline:
“Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). Read More
228th Meditation
“My love is infinitely greater than your faults” (Inner Word).
Our Father uses even the darkness of sin to make His light shine. Certainly darkness in the soul and in the world can have various causes; but not infrequently it is the result of sin and its consequences. However, God can manifest His mercy in this darkness, if it is opened to Him. Read More
227th Meditation
“Seek always the light, so as to unite with it and help drive away the darkness” (Inner Word).
Light drives away darkness. If we accept the invitation to always seek the light, the darkness will begin to give way within us, for the Holy Spirit Himself is the “light of the hearts” (Pentecost Sequence).
He, who is the love between the Father and the Son, will always try to penetrate to the very depths of our darkness, if we allow Him to do so. Read More
226th Meditation
“Ask of me and I will give you; seek me and you will always find me; knock and the door will be wide open for you” (Inner Word).
We can be sure that we will always find the door of God’s Heart open when we approach Him. Perhaps we are not so aware of it, because we do not yet know our Heavenly Father well enough. If we get to know Him better, this open door will become a deep certainty for us. It will become so natural to us that we will always take it for granted that the Father will receive us with an open heart and give us His loving attention. Read More
225th Meditation
“Abide always in me, wherever you are. In me is your home and in me you will always find nourishment” (Inner Word).
This is what the Heavenly Father offers us! In the Gospel, the Lord tells us something similar: “Remain in me, as I in you” (Jn 15:4).
We can also relate these words to what happens in Holy Communion. In receiving the sacred Body of the Lord, visible unification with Him takes place. Read More
224th Meditation
“Be calm and carefree, without ever losing vigilance and concentration of soul” (Inner Word).
Combining these two elements is a fine spiritual art. This carefree tranquillity arises from the certainty of knowing oneself to be sheltered in God and to live concretely in this certainty. Then, all situations that come our way will not be overcome primarily through the efforts of our will, that is, by our own strength, which easily leads to inner tension. Rather, they will be faced by listening attentively to the Lord’s directives. Our will then follows the thread of the Holy Spirit, and is docilely and tenderly coupled to Him. Read More
223rd Meditation
“If we would serenely abandon ourselves to God’s Will in all adversities, we would be on the way to holiness and would be the happiest people on earth” (St. Alphonsus Maria Liguori).
These words come to us from people who have had a profound experience of God. Their advice, drawn from the richness of their path of following Christ, helps us especially in difficult situations. Read More
222nd Meditation
“As for trust, it is enough to know our own weakness and to tell the Lord that we wish to place all our trust in Him” (St. Francis de Sales).
Again and again we are invited to lay our weaknesses before the Lord. There is no doubt that we must strive to overcome them, as far as possible. But we will repeatedly experience that we fall back into them. Read More
