Among the various adversities and attacks that we face on our journey, it is fitting that, on this holy itinerary, we should specifically take into consideration the lurking of the devil. Today’s Gospel describes them in the temptations of Jesus in the desert (Mt 4:1-11).
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LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 4: “Serenity in adversity”
Marked with the cross of ashes, we advance on this holy Lenten journey towards deeper conversion. With fasting we provide good wood for the fire of love and in everything we keep our gaze fixed on God, without seeking the praise of men.
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 3: “Do everything with your eyes fixed on the Lord”
The Gospel presented to us today in the lectionary of the Traditional Mass offers us important warnings for our holy journey towards the Feast of the Resurrection.
Having set out, marked with the cross of ashes, determined to deepen our conversion and to integrate fasting as an important aid on the spiritual journey, the Lord warns us today in the Gospel of an inclination that we must overcome with His help:
LENTEN ITINERARY | Day 2: Wood for the fire of love
The holy journey of Lent also includes – whenever possible – bodily fasting and the renunciation of certain things.
In doing so, we exercise ourselves in an asceticism that is beneficial for the spiritual life. If practised properly, the words of one of the Lenten Prefaces become a reality:
LENTEN ITINERARY – Day 1: “The Call to Conversion”
During Lent we will once again follow the “itinerary” that led us through these forty days last year. We especially recommend ourselves to your prayers as we will be on mission in Brazil and Argentina for most of Lent. A major concern in our hearts and prayers is world peace, which is particularly threatened in Ukraine and Israel. As we have close ties with the Holy Land, where we spend much of our time, I have written a prayer that I ask you to pray with us throughout Lent. The written version can be found at the end of the meditation text, and the audio version can be found at the following link:
The Struggle for Purity
During the last three meditations, we developed an indirect advice given to us by St. Anthony Abbot, a wise desert father. In this context, we reflected on the combat in what we hear, speak and look at, and saw how necessary it is to place these important areas of human life under God’s dominion and to defend them against multiple attacks.
The combat in what we look at
Let us meditate once more on these words of St. Anthony Abbot:
“He who sits in the desert and seeks to have a calm heart, has been spared from three combats: that of listening, that of speech and that of sight. He has only one battle left to fight: the battle against impurity”.
The last two days, we had reflected on the fight against what we hear and what we speak. Today, we will devote ourselves to the struggle in relation to what we look at.
The combat in what we speak
In today’s meditation, we continue the theme we had begun yesterday, in memory of Saint Anthony Abbot. Let us listen again to the words of this father of the desert, to continue to describe the combat that we Christians are called to wage:
“He who sits in the desert and seeks to be calm of heart, has been spared from three combats: the combat of listening, the combat of speech and the combat of sight. He has only one battle left to fight: the battle against impurity”.
The combat in what we hear
Eph 6:10-13,18
Reading corresponding to the memorial of St. Anthony Abbot
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints. Read More
MEDITATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS (8/8): “The Mother of God”
If, at the beginning of the year, we set our gaze on the Mother of the Lord, as the Church urges us to do, then everything becomes enlightened, despite the dark clouds that currently hang over the world.
Everything becomes enlightened, because you, O Mary, were chosen as the daughter of the human race. You not only gave birth to the Son of God, but you also followed Him as a disciple. Thus the Lord included you in a special way in the plan of salvation. This gives us hope, because our Father, who entrusted you with his only begotten Son, also made you the Mother of redeemed humanity.