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.
Some of you who have been listening to my meditations for a long time know that in our spiritual family we have a great devotion to God the Father, which has been fostered by the “Message of the Father to Mother Eugenia Ravasio”. This devotion is reflected, among other things, in the “3 minutes for Abba”, which is a short daily impulse to get to know the Heavenly Father better and which I have been publishing for exactly one year.
(To receive them daily, you can join:
-Telegram: https://t.me/threeminutesforAbba
-Webpage: http://en.elijamission.net/category/3-minutes-for-god-father/).
In addition, for almost two years now, a spiritual family has been forming (we call it “Abba Family”), whose members wish to know, honour and love God the Father in a special way (If anyone wishes to be part of the “Abba Family”, please write to this e-mail, indicating your name and the country you come from: contact@jemael.org). This devotion, in turn, leads to a deeper understanding of Jesus’ love for the Father and the Father’s love for the Son, which is a great gift for our spiritual life.
As we read the Gospel, we see that Jesus did everything out of love for the Father and for us people, always keeping His eyes fixed on His Father. The event I will relate below is for me a palpable expression of this reality.
On Good Friday, 7 April 2023, Sister Maria of the Agnus Dei Community was in the chapel of our Samaria House in Germany. It is the custom in the community to accompany the Lord in His suffering in very intimate and intense prayer from the night of Holy Thursday until the Passion Celebration on Good Friday. Sister Maria wanted to remain in prayer until at least 9 o’clock in the morning, because, according to the Gospel of Mark (15:25), Jesus was crucified at this time (“It was the third hour when they crucified him”).
As is customary in the Catholic Church, the large cross on the altar was covered with a purple veil from Passion Sunday. When Sr. Maria renewed the oil lamp on the altar, she suddenly saw the face of Our Lord forming more and more clearly on the veil. It was obvious that this was not simply the delineation of the face of the covered crucifix, for the latter is tilted downwards. On the other hand, the new face that had miraculously formed, without any human intervention, was looking upwards, as can be seen in the pictures.
Shortly afterwards, another sister came to the chapel to pray, and she was able to recognise the face, which by then was clearly delineated. In those first moments the first photos and a short video were taken.
Filled with wonder and gratitude we welcomed this event, believing that perhaps it would disappear on the great Feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. But it did not. That is why we decided to keep the cross covered. To this day, 7 June 2023, exactly two months later, the face is still clearly visible, so we assume that the Lord wants to remain in our chapel in this way.
On the channel “Ecclesia in deserto” of the Spiritus-TV platform I have already published two videos giving a first impression of this event (https://spiritustv.com/watch/the-gaze-at-the-father-la-mirada-al-padre_OhKz4kFxNKPng7f.html). I have called this image “the gaze of Jesus to the Father”, because it was formed at the hour when the Lord was crucified and shows His suffering face whose gaze is raised to the Father.
When this event took place, I was not in Germany; but now I have had the opportunity to see it for the first time with my own eyes, and I was deeply moved by the peace that emanates from this miraculous face. I was struck by how alive the face looks, unlike other artistic representations. It is as if the Lord is inviting us to look together with Him at the Father and at the same time penetrates us with His own love for the Father. Even without having lost the expression of suffering, it seems to be an increasingly transfigured suffering. Thus, if we unite our suffering to that of the Lord and our gaze to His gaze which is raised to the Father, our cross too will undergo a transfiguration. This will be an event of great depth and also of great joy in our life.
I would like to emphasise once again that this face of the Lord was manifested without any human intervention, so it takes on a special significance. We see it as an event of grace in these times of confusion, and we cordially invite you to follow on our new channel what we will publish in the future about this loving intervention of the Lord (https://spiritustv.com/@Churchinthedesert).
May it bring great blessing to many people, may it strengthen and comfort the faithful, may it be an answer to those who are seeking and a help to those who are still hesitating, to decide to follow Christ; may it serve to open the eyes and, even more, the heart of unbelievers!