To know You, O Father, is life; true life; eternal life…
Indeed, it is this that we always seek… We are constantly on the lookout for something that will fulfil us, that will make us happy – according to our concept of happiness -; for something that will last… But can there be true happiness without You? Read More
To You, Heavenly Father,
we entrust ourselves wholly and unreservedly,
for You are our loving and most beloved Father.
I place these words as the beginning of the novena to God the Father which we begin today, for this is how we men should live. Read More
Today we close the series of meditations on the Holy Spirit that have accompanied us throughout the last few weeks. Starting tomorrow, we will return to our habitual biblical meditations, usually based on the reading or the gospel of the day. As a transition, I would like to speak to you about something that is close to my heart. Read More
What I have yet to tell you is that my Friend “sheds a ray of light divine” and tears the dark night. That is also what He did for me. His radiant light illuminated my life and led me to Jesus, our Saviour – I can never thank Him enough!
But He is not content with enlightening and leading me, a poor man, to salvation. He radiates His light into this world so that all people may recognise the Messiah whom the Heavenly Father has sent to us. Read More
My divine Friend does not come to dwell in me only when I have already put my inner house in impeccable order. On the contrary, if I ask Him to do so, He Himself helps me with that. He does not shrink from anything; He is ready to show me the dirty corners that I would not even be able to discover, and He Himself gets down to work, but always with charming kindness and great perseverance. He wants to remain forever in my soul and prepare it for eternity. There it will stand firm forever and can never be derailed again. Read More
I want to tell you about my divine Friend, because He is so good to me that I really have to share about Him with you. It is not that I think that you do not know Him and that He is exclusively my Friend – of course not! But if I tell you about Him, perhaps you will know Him a little better. Indeed, the more we hear about Him and the more time we spend with Him, the better we will know Him. Read More
If the gift of understanding enables us to penetrate the divine mysteries, the gift of wisdom grants us a “delightful” knowledge of God. “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” -exclaims the psalmist (Ps 34:8). First he invites us to taste, and only then to see. Read More
“The Spirit explores the depths of everything, even the depths of God” (1 Cor 2:10)
While the gift of knowledge helps us to withdraw from the attraction of creatures, recognising in an inner sight their nothingness (inasmuch as they were created out of nothing), and makes us realise that all life and beauty proceed from God; the gift of understanding helps us to penetrate the mystery of God with the light of the Holy Spirit Himself. Read More
“What, then, will anyone gain by winning the whole world and forfeiting his life?” (Mt 16:26)
Through the first four gifts (fear of the Lord, piety, fortitude and counsel), the Holy Spirit guides our moral life above all. Through the last three gifts (knowledge, understanding and wisdom) He directly guides our supernatural life, i.e. our God-centred life. Read More
“Speak, O Lord; your servant listens” (1 Sam 3:9).
The Holy Spirit reminds us of all that Jesus said and did (cf. Jn 14:26). He dwells in us and teaches us what to do in the concrete situations of our lives. Thanks to the gift of counsel, we become able to perceive within us the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit and to distinguish it from other voices. Read More
