Renungan Harian Katolik

Monday 7th week of Easter "Jn 16:29-33"

Jesus said to his disciples, "The hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, every man to his home, and will leave me alone; yet I am not alone, for the Father is with me. I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Jesus knew that His disciples were going to be scattered. He knew that over the years many Christians would have to leave their homes and run away with their families as St Joseph had to do. Knowing this, He wanted to record in the memory of His disciples the fact that they would never be alone: God would be with them. Despite having been brought up a Christian, Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate (331 – 363) decided to persecute the Church with all his might. He was determined to wipe out the religion of ‘the Galilean’, Jesus Christ, and restore the pagan religion. Old temples were renovated and new ones built, and the pagan priesthood was reinstated. On June 26th 363, in the battle against the Sassanid army, he was wounded with a spear and died at the age of 32. As he lay dying, he realised that all his efforts to stamp out the message of Christ had failed. "You have won, O Galilean!" Now, 2,000 years on, there are over 1,000,000,000 Catholics in the world. The Church survived and even flourished despite times of terrible persecution by Romans, barbarians and Saracens; and more recently from communism, fascism and Nazism. Those ‘kingdoms’ have come and gone, while the spiritual kingdom of Christ continues in the hearts of those who love Him. We, therefore, can never be surprised or afraid of the difficulties that Christians may find in their lives, including our interior lives: temptations, dryness, misunderstandings, loneliness. We need to be aware that we usually go against the grain. We will always “have tribulation”, said Jesus. But let’s not stop there. Let’s read the rest of the sentence and keep it fresh in our hearts: be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." My Mother, Help of Christians, intercede for those who suffer persecution of any kind, for those who undergo any tribulation, and especially for those who need my prayer most today.

Saturday 6th week of Easter "Jn 16:23b-28"

Jesus said to his disciples: "I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father." Now I understand that You don't need to speak well of me to The Father, for He loves me madly already. It would be like trying to convince my mother to love me. She doesn't need to be persuaded. God also loves His children, and does so unconditionally. I can sometimes be a bad child, but He will never stop being the Best Father. I can be ungrateful, disobedient, naughty... but He will never stop loving me, taking care of me and helping me to become a better child of His. On December 7, 1988, an earthquake devastated a section of Armenia. Many buildings collapsed. One father ran to his son's school and found it as flat as a pancake. He recalled the promise he had made to his son many times, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!" He remembered where his son's classroom was and started digging through the rubble with his bare hands. Some people tried to stop him, saying, "It's too late!" "They're dead!" or "Go home!" but he proceeded to dig, stone by stone. Even the fire chief and, later, the police tried to dissuade that man, asking him to go home and leave the task to them. But the loving father answered them all in the same way, "You can help me or leave me alone. Giving up on my son is not an option." No one helped him. He dug for 8 hours, 12, 24, 36 hours ... then, after 38 hours, he pulled back a boulder and shouted his son's name. "Armand!" He heard his son's voice, "Dad! I told them! I told the other kids not to worry. I told them that if you were alive, you'd save me, and when you saved me, they'd be saved. You promised you would always be there for me and I knew you would!" Moments later, the fire brigade and soldiers helped this dad to bring his son and 13 other children out of the debris. God is a Father Who never gives up. He always fulfils every promise He makes. My Mother, Daughter of God the Father, help me to be always aware of being the beloved child of God.

Friday 6th week of Easter "Jn 16:20-23" "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is in travail she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she is delivered of the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a child is born into the world. So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." He never promised it was going to be 'easy'; He said it was going to be 'worthwhile'. Jesus makes several promises here. The first one is rather negative: "You will weep and lament". But then the positive ones come: "Your sorrow will turn into joy" and "no one will take your joy from you." No one; ever! Know it well: gloominess is the mark of the enemy; it is the ally of the devil. But the joy of the children of God is like rubbing salt in the enemy's wound. St Paul said it: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice." Billy Joel says in one of his songs, "I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints. The sinners are much more fun." We are really certain (and sad) that he never met a saint. Saints have never lost their joy and good humour in the middle of their distress. "Laugh and grow strong," St. Ignatius said; and to one of his novices, "I see you are always laughing, and I am glad of it." St Josemaría said that he founded Opus Dei just with "the grace of God, twenty six years of age and good humour." St Francis de Sales comforted a hunchback with these words: "The works of God are perfect." "What!" replied the man. "Perfect, and yet deformed?" "Well..." answered the saint, "a perfect hunchback!" St Philip Neri, St John Vianney, St Teresa, St Francis of Assisi... There are thousands of stories in any saint's life. In 1534 two martyrs were on trial for refusing to swear a solemn oath acknowledging Henry VIII as head of the church in England. The judge said plainly, "If you don't swear you'll be tied up and thrown into the Thames". They replied with a big smile, "We just want to go to Heaven. We don't really mind if it is by water or by land!" That is it: good-humoured and cheerful until the end. My Mother, Cause of our Joy, when things become difficult for me, please make me consider slowly: no one, ever 'will take my joy away from me.'

The Ascension of Our Lord "Mk 16:15-20"

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation...And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. He told them to "go" and they went: "they went forth and preached everywhere." They split and went to different cities, different countries, different continents... they learned different languages, travelled by land, on horseback, on foot or by sea to reach as many destinations as they could. In some places they were listened to; in others they were laughed at, taken for fools, insulted or stoned; when they were cast out of one city they went forth to the next. Jesus told them to "go" and so off they went. Jesus had sent His disciples in pairs to many places previously, to tell everyone that the Kingdom of God was near. But they couldn't say much more. When they were asked if Jesus was the Messiah, they probably said "We think so." The news was still incomplete. But now they could go and spread the Good News. Good News? What 'Good News'? That Jesus had died for them on the Cross, that He died but wasn't dead anymore, that He rose from the dead, that their sins had been washed away with His Precious Blood, that Heaven was open now, that God loved them so much that He gave up His Son for them; that He promised His grace to anyone who asked for it. That God was in Heaven but also here, in the shape of Bread to meet them; that He wanted to talk to them, to converse with them, to live with them... in them! That they were free now; that God wasn't just their Creator... He was their Father! And to tell them that He was waiting for their reply. They went forth and never stopped until they were killed. But many others followed them; and the more they killed, the more people 'went forth' to preach in other places that God is madly in love with them and He is still there... waiting for each of them to give an answer. Lord, I have given You my answer. Now I need Your grace and the intercession of my Mother, Queen of Apostles, to go to those I can reach out to and tell them the 'Good News'.

Wednesday 6th week of Easter "Jn 16:12-15"

"I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." "I have yet many things to say to you..." Jesus had revealed part of the truth to His disciples but not everything. Who would reveal the rest? The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the Counsellor. He would guide them "into all the truth". As Jesus promised, the Holy Spirit assists the Church now and gently guides her into all the truth". "Without the Holy Spirit everything is cold," said St John Vianney. "The Sacraments instituted by Our Lord wouldn't have saved us without the Holy Spirit. Even the very Death of Our Lord would have been useless without Him. It's like being given a treasure; it would be necessary for someone to distribute it: the Father gave His Son, the Son gave Himself and the Holy Spirit came to distribute all His graces." Our Lord said it: "It is to your advantage that I go away." We need the Holy Spirit to complete what Jesus had started. Otherwise His Work would be incomplete, wasted, like a race that is not finished. The Counsellor comes clarifying everything. He is the Teacher. You can have the manual, but you need someone to explain the difficult parts. That's one of the gifts of the Counsellor: the gift of counsel. One day a priest from the diocese of Autun had a very difficult moral case that he couldn't solve. After consulting many other priests and finding no solution, he decided to go to Ars and ask St John Vianney. The Curé had had a hard time in the seminary trying to study theology and pass his exams. Nevertheless, he gave a quick and simple answer: three words were enough. "How could you possibly know?! Where did you learn that?" asked the surprised priest. In answer, St John Vianney just smiled and pointed at the kneeler. It's to 'our advantage' that we ask the Counsellor for advice. Holy Mary, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, teach me to listen to the Paraclete.

Tuesday 6th week of Easter "Jn 16:5-11"

"But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convince the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment." It's to our advantage that You, Lord, have to go, because then we can receive the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless, sorrow fills the hearts of the Apostles when they realise that they won't be able to see You until the end of their lives, because they love You. I can well understand it. You are the Light. And our lives with You are like hiking in beautiful snow-capped mountains reflecting the brilliance of the sun. But when You aren't with us night falls: the same landscape is dark, solitary and devoid of all warmth. One day in Rome, during an audience with Pope St John Paul II, a lady was greeting the Pontiff with her husband. After a brief introduction she took the hand of her husband, put it in the hands of the Pope and said, "Holy Father, could you say something to my husband?" And, to the poor man's embarrassment, she added, "He hasn't gone to Confession for a very long time." St John Paul II smiled at him, pressed that man's hand and, gazing affectionately into his eyes answered, "Go to Confession. It's so sad to be away from God!" It is sad to live without God, especially when we have been created, not just to live with God but to be, in actual fact, his dwelling. That is the point: God isn't content by just being 'with us'; He wants to be 'in us'. When St Paul wanted to remind the Corinthians that they should strive to live according to moral law, he asked them, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God?" (6:19) As if saying, 'Are you unaware of the most important truth about yourselves? Then, why don't you behave accordingly?' Mary, my Mother, I am aware of it. The Holy Spirit wants to dwell in me and with your help, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, I will give Him a good 'accommodation'.

Monday 6th week of Easter "Jn 15:26-16:4a"

"But when the Counsellor comes, whom I shall send to you...he will bear witness to me; and you also are witnesses, because you have been with me from the beginning. I have said all this to you to keep you from falling away...the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you of them." The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete (which means the Advocate or Counsellor) makes us witnesses of Jesus. We become witnesses because we have been 'with Him'. And in our lives we have to bear witness to our Faith. That's what 'martyr' means: witness. But don't get it wrong - martyrs didn't become saints only because they 'died' for Jesus, but because first of all, they 'lived' for Jesus. Martyrs could give witness with their 'deaths' because they had already given witness with their 'lives'. They were ready 'to die' for Christ because first they were ready 'to live' for Christ. On 20th July 1936 in Barbastro (Spain), 49 Claretian Missionaries, most of them young seminarians, were arrested by the militia to be killed for their (our) Faith. They were kept in a hall with small windows through which people in the street could shout and ridicule them. But two of the seminarians were Argentinian and the authorities didn't want to kill foreigners since this course of action would have created diplomatic conflicts. They asked their superiors what to do. On the one hand, they would have liked to die as martyrs and give their lives for Christ. On the other hand, they didn't have to. The superiors agreed that they should ask to be released. 'Your martyrdom,' they were told, 'will be a long life of service to Our Lord.' And so it was. We too can be 'witnesses' (martyrs) of Jesus Christ with our lives: when we work as we should, pray on time, speak confidently about our faith, when we stop a bad conversation, some gossip, a blasphemy, or we stand up for the lives of the innocent... That's how we bear witness to Jesus. That's our martyrdom. And that's what we ask through the intercession of Our Lady: the Holy Spirit's gift of fortitude.

Saturday 5th week of Easter "Jn 15:18-21"

"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you...Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me." Ignorance is the great enemy of God. Those who hate Christians or Jesus Christ do so "because they do not know him who sent me"; they just don't know! Do you remember the words of Jesus on the Cross? "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they are doing." St Stephen, too, as he was stoned by a mob, said a similar prayer (Acts 7:60). Consider the humble reaction of the centurion when Jesus died. He said, "Truly this man was the Son of God!" And among the people stoning St Stephen to death was the young Saul of Tarsus, who eventually became St Paul. Some people who don't understand our faith may feel attracted by our 'deeds'. They may think 'Let me see what you believe' or 'Do you believe in God? Show me!' The 40 Martyrs of Sebaste were a group of Christian soldiers condemned in 320AD to freeze to death in an icy pond. The executioners set a warm bath in front of the pond to tempt them to give up. Anyone who wanted to renounce his faith would be invited into the warm bath. One of them yielded, leaving his companions; coming out of the waters, he accepted the offer to renounce his faith. But at that, one of the guards watching over the martyrs (who had seen their example and faithfulness) proclaimed himself a Christian, threw off his garments and joined the other martyrs to complete the number of 40. In the icy waters of the pond he was baptised and in those waters he died with the other martyrs. You see? The centurion, Saul or the guard in the story weren't evil people; they were just ignorant. To convert they didn't need any speech, just the example of Jesus (Master) and the saints (disciples). My Mother, may I learn to prove my faith with deeds: "There is a story of a soul who, on saying to our Lord in prayer, 'Jesus, I love you', heard this reply from heaven: 'Love means deeds, not sweet words'" (St Josemaría).

Sts Philip and James, Apostles "Jn 14:6-14"

Jesus said to Thomas, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me."...Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father; how can you say, 'Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me?...he who believes in me will also do the works that I do...Whatever you ask in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; if you ask anything in my name, I will do it." First Thomas asked a question and Jesus answered. Then Philip asked another question and Jesus replied. How vivid and pleasant must have been those dialogues with Jesus where they could talk about whatever they wanted! In those conversations the Apostles learned from Jesus, solved their dilemmas, grew in faith, had the best times of their lives and gave Jesus the comfort of their friendship. Surely there were nice comments, encouraging anecdotes from one, jokes from another, songs from their various hometowns... How much Jesus loved those get-togethers! That's what prayer is: a vivid and pleasant dialogue with God. Those dialogues transformed them into the Apostles that Jesus needed, able to do the works that Jesus did with the power to ask anything in the Name of Jesus and obtain it. Because for those who pray, who are friends with Jesus, He does anything. Philip took a long time to realise who Jesus was. When Jesus asked him to feed the multitude, Philip replied, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little". Actually five loaves and two fish did the job. James (The Lesser) was a relative of Jesus (probably son of Jesus' aunt Mary of Cleopas). He knew Jesus before He became a public figure. It took him a while to understand who He really was. But those long conversations with Our Lord opened his mind. He eventually became bishop of Jerusalem and was stoned to death for his faith in Jesus. Our daily dialogue with Jesus will also transform us into modern apostles; we will grow in faith and do the works that He does. Holy Mary, Queen of the Apostles, pray for us.

St Joseph the Worker "Mt 13:54-58"

Coming to his own country Jesus taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. A powerful person is the one who has been entrusted with great responsibilities. A king is powerful, not because he can rule over millions, but because millions of people depend on him. The same applies to a Prime Minister, a President or the CEO of a company. Think about the talents and skills that a person has to have in order to be entrusted with such responsibilities. In the history of mankind God has given great responsibilities to many people. But no one has ever been entrusted with more than St Joseph. God could commend His most precious treasures (His Only Begotten Son and His Mother) only to one man. What was it that Joseph could do better than any other man in history? For Joseph didn't appear to be a great speaker, a popular rabbi, a famous politician or a gifted writer or philosopher. God didn't want to entrust His Only Begotten Son to Alexander the Great, Socrates, Dante or Michelangelo but to an artisan in Nazareth. This is a mystery for many but not for a Christian. Because Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself was... an artisan in Nazareth! How much God loved Joseph! How much He loved everything that Joseph did! Because it was done with love, for love and to love. How much time Jesus spent looking in silence at His father Joseph, working, sweating, his muscles tense, the veins of his forehead pulsating. How much God loved those tables, those boards, those doors his father made under his watchful gaze. How proudly Jesus would walk through the streets, reminding His young friends, 'My dad made that door', 'my dad made that fence...' Now God is contemplating my work with the same look. Does it please Him? St Joseph, my father and lord, teach me to work like you so that God can be proud of my work. Mary, my Mother, help me to work like your husband.

St Joseph the Worker "Mt 13:54-58" Coming to his own country Jesus taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brethren James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. A powerful person is the one who has been entrusted with great responsibilities. A king is powerful, not because he can rule over millions, but because millions of people depend on him. The same applies to a Prime Minister, a President or the CEO of a company. Think about the talents and skills that a person has to have in order to be entrusted with such responsibilities. In the history of mankind God has given great responsibilities to many people. But no one has ever been entrusted with more than St Joseph. God could commend His most precious treasures (His Only Begotten Son and His Mother) only to one man. What was it that Joseph could do better than any other man in history? For Joseph didn't appear to be a great speaker, a popular rabbi, a famous politician or a gifted writer or philosopher. God didn't want to entrust His Only Begotten Son to Alexander the Great, Socrates, Dante or Michelangelo but to an artisan in Nazareth. This is a mystery for many but not for a Christian. Because Jesus Christ, the Son of God Himself was... an artisan in Nazareth! How much God loved Joseph! How much He loved everything that Joseph did! Because it was done with love, for love and to love. How much time Jesus spent looking in silence at His father Joseph, working, sweating, his muscles tense, the veins of his forehead pulsating. How much God loved those tables, those boards, those doors his father made under his watchful gaze. How proudly Jesus would walk through the streets, reminding His young friends, 'My dad made that door', 'my dad made that fence...' Now God is contemplating my work with the same look. Does it please Him? St Joseph, my father and lord, teach me to work like you so that God can be proud of my work. Mary, my Mother, help me to work like your husband.

Tuesday 5th week of Easter "Jn 14:27-31a"

Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father." Jesus prepared His disciples for His Ascension: He will go to Heaven, but they shouldn't be afraid. Christians have no reason whatsoever to be anxious, because He didn't leave us by ourselves. The Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, is in charge now. And when you work for God and with God, there is nothing that can shake your 'spirit'. One day a journalist asked Pope St John XXIII if he could sleep well at night with all the worries and anxieties of having to lead the Church. He explained that he had problems at the beginning, until one night he told himself, "John, why don't you sleep? Is it you or the Holy Spirit who governs the Church? The Holy Spirit, right? Well then, what are you worried about? Go to sleep, John!" Since then, he said, "I've been able to sleep like a log." When Bl Alvaro del Portillo was dying, the doctor who was assisting him was very upset. Bl Alvaro took his hand and calmed him down. Many remember how his face and his look always filled those around him with peace. On one occasion someone who worked with him was very anxious about the economic situation they were in. He thought that Bl Alvaro didn't understand it well and said to him, "Don Alvaro, if this continues you could end up in prison." Bl Alvaro replied with serenity, "If that ever happens, remember to bring me plenty of paper and the type-writer. I can work from there... no problem." Peace is a common feature of all saints; when you are with them you feel at peace. Their own peace 'infects' everyone around them. Our worries and anxieties have to be seen in perspective. When you have a speck of dust on your glasses you see it as a huge stain obstructing your vision. But in reality it is a tiny speck. Mother, Our Lady of Peace, bring peace to the world; bring this fruit of the Holy Spirit into my soul so that I can become, wherever I am, a source of peace for everyone.

Monday 5th week of Easter "Jn 14:21-26"

"He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me; and he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him." Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?" This same question has been asked many times in history: Why does Jesus reveal Himself to only some people? Why am I a Christian and my neighbour is not? Why doesn't God manifest Himself to everyone? The Apostles had been chosen by Jesus to spend more time with Him. He taught them all they had to know and then, sent them to preach to the 'whole world'. And so, like the links of a chain, all the others depended on them. God has created every human being to love Him and be happy. Everyone in the depths of their heart longs for happiness, goodness and beauty. They long for God. And God plans to meet everyone. However, why don't they find Him? Maybe because they are not in the habit of listening to their hearts for that longing. That's where you and I have work to do. Have you ever swum in cold water and accidentally cut or bruised your skin without noticing it? Eventually, someone may have drawn your attention to it or you went out of the water and saw the blood but felt no pain. The reason is that cold numbs your skin's sensitivity. In the same way, the absence of God in the world, the coldness of the spiritual life, can have this effect in people's souls. They feel no longing for God because they feel nothing at all. The continuous rumble and racket, the ceaseless rush and activity, numbs their souls and makes them oblivious to the fact that their souls are bleeding for God, for true happiness. When those people get out of the water, out of themselves, they get a bit warmer and gradually begin to feel the wound. Then they will want to go to the Doctor. The mission of Christians is, in the words of St Josemaría, to strive to 'raise the spiritual temperature' so that people will feel the loss of God and will want to search Him out. Mary, my Mother, may I raise the spiritual temperature around me, with my Christian life, to help everyone feel their need of God.

Saturday 4th week of Easter "Jn 14:7-14"

"If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him. Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we shall be satisfied." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you do not know me, Philip?" It sounds like a reproach, doesn't it? I have been with you all this time, "and yet you do not know me". How often this happens with Our Lord! St John Mary Vianney told the story of St Alexis, the only son of a rich Roman senator, who left everything to follow God and, in disguise, he travelled to Syria in the East and lived in great poverty near a Church of Our Lady. After seventeen years, he became a famous holy man there, which was the last thing he wanted, so he ran away and ended up, one day, begging at his parents' home. His parents used to do great works of mercy for the poor. Whilst helping hundreds of other poor people, they assisted him as well; but they did not recognise him. They let him stay in a corner under the stairs, where Alexis lived for seventeen more years, until he died. On the day he died, his own mother was taking care of his dead body when she recognised that it was her son who had lived for years under the stairs in her own palace. Tradition says that she exclaimed in tears, "O my son! Too late have I known thee!" Commenting on the story, St John Mary Vianney said, "The soul leaving this life will at last see Him, whom she possessed in the Eucharist so many times, and at the sight of the consolations, beauties and riches that she had ignored, she will likewise cry out: "O Jesus! O my Life! O my Treasure! O my Love! Too late have I known Thee!" Saints could recognise Jesus in the Eucharist from the very beginning of the history of Christianity: "I hunger for the bread of God, the flesh of Jesus Christ...I long to drink of his blood, the gift of unending love," said St Ignatius of Antioch in the first century. Let's adore Him with the Angels who stand in His presence, constantly glorifying Him: before the Divine Host there is always an angelic host in adoration. Mary, my Mother, Jesus received His Body from you. Help me to recognise Him in every Tabernacle of the world.

Friday 4th week of Easter "Jn 14:1-6"

Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And when I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way where I am going. Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me." "Let not your hearts be troubled" doesn't mean that there won't be troubles. Our Lord also warned about them a couple of chapters later in the same Gospel: "In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33). Leave your troubles aside. Don't let them touch your heart. 'Sounds nice', someone might think, 'but how do I do that?' The answer is given by Jesus: "Believe in God." Faith! You see? Gaudium cum pace [joy and peace], are fruits of the Holy Spirit. You don't get fruits directly from nothing. They come from trees or plants. From the tree of the virtue of Faith we get the 'fruits' of peace and joy. If we believe in God, we trust Him. If we trust, then we have peace and joy. You find these virtues together in the lives of the saints. They were in love and, therefore, happy. "May God protect me from gloomy saints," prayed St Teresa of Avila. A four-year-old girl had a new baby brother. On the day he was born she was told that he was a "Gift from Heaven". But the sister found it a bit annoying that the baby was crying all the time. A few days later, seeing the baby crying again, she asked her mum, "Mum, is it true that the baby came from Heaven?" "Of course, sweetheart," replied her mother. "No wonder Jesus threw him out!" Even if it wasn't the true reason, it fits with the definition of Heaven that gloomy people aren't found there. Saints had many troubles and tribulations, but they never allowed these to affect them. It doesn't mean that they went around with a 'selfie grin' all the time. They just "believed in God", trusted Him. Holy Mary, Cause of our Joy, pray for me that I may never lose my peace and cheerfulness.

St Mark, Evangelist "Mk 16:15-20"

And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation"...And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it." How many people have left everything to devote their lives to preaching the Gospel! One of them was St Mark, whose feast we celebrate today. Tradition suggests that the Upper Room where the Last Supper was celebrated belonged to his parents. That room served as a meeting place for the early Christians. It's also possible that as a little boy, he met Our Lord and was probably one of those children Jesus kissed and laid His Hands on many times. We know that he went with his cousin St Barnabas and St Paul on their first apostolic journey, but on arriving in Cyprus he left them and went back home. Maybe he couldn't take so much suffering or he was just tired. We don't know why he left Paul and Barnabas but we do know that Paul was so upset that, later on, when Barnabas was planning their second journey with him, Paul would not hear of Barnabas bringing his cousin Mark with them again. They argued and eventually went their separate ways. About ten years later we find Mark in Rome, this time helping St Peter as interpreter and writing his Gospel. In Rome he met St Paul again and started serving him also. The man who Paul didn't want to travel with on his second missionary journey later became, as St Paul himself explained, a "faithful companion" and a "comfort" (Col 4:10-11) to him in Rome. Shortly before his death (around the year 66) the Apostle writes to Timothy, "Get Mark and bring him with you; for he is very useful in serving me." (2 Tim 4:11) All had been forgotten in the end. Mark had fled in the past; he was weak, but he came back. We can have flaws and mistakes as well, but it's never too late! St Mark is a great example of beginning again when we have made a mistake. God always counts on us, no matter what we've done. He always gives us the grace we need to start again. Holy Mary, help me to begin again every time I make a mistake.

Wednesday 4th week of Easter "Jn 12:44-50"

And Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness…For I have not spoken on my own authority; the Father who sent me has himself given me commandment what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has bidden me." Jesus fulfilled the Will of His Father and said what He had to say. That was the mission of the prophets: to speak up. When the prophet Jeremiah was given his mission, he said, "Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." But the reply of God was: "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Be not afraid of them, for I am with you" (Jer 1:6,7). Moses too excused himself, saying: "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent...I am slow of speech and of tongue." But God said to him: "Who has made man's mouth? ...Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak" (Ex 4:11,12). It's as if saying, 'I know you, because I made you. I know what I can ask from you. Now, go and talk to them! Don't be afraid: I am with you.' Christians are prophets in that sense. We are called to talk and not to be afraid of spreading the light of the truth. A university professor of Spanish literature was in the habit of telling dirty jokes while he lectured. Many students weren't comfortable with it but didn't say a word. Suddenly he asked if anyone knew a poem with verses in a particular metre called 'Decima espinela.' A good Catholic girl sprang up and started reciting in a clear loud voice a prayer to Our Lady asking for 'Holy Purity' that fitted in that pattern: "Bendita sea tu pureza, y eternamente lo sea..." (Blessed be your purity, may it be blessed for ever...) There was a moment of silence when she finished; and then sudden applause. The lecturer felt a bit embarrassed and apologised. That was the end of his inappropriate jokes. My Mother, Queen of Prophets, help me to have the courage to speak up and give light, whenever necessary, to all those around me.

St George, martyr "Jn 15:18-21"

If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all this they will do to you on my account, because they do not know him who sent me. One day Blessed Pius IX had a meeting with seminarians. They were all studying theology and the Pope wanted to check how much they knew. He approached one of the students and asked him, "What are the marks of the Church?" The young fellow remembered the answer very well and said quickly, "The Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic." Bl Pius IX smiled and said, "There is another one." The boy looked at him, puzzled, and the Pope went on, "'Persecuted': The Church of Christ will always be One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and 'Persecuted', or she will stop being the Church of Jesus Christ. Do you remember? 'If they persecuted me, they will persecute you'." Jesus was persecuted and killed; the Apostles followed in His footsteps and were persecuted as well. Since St Stephen was martyred, millions of Christians have given their lives in persecutions spanning twenty centuries. We shouldn't be surprised that even today Christians are persecuted, imprisoned and killed in many places [think about Syria, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, China, Nigeria, North Korea, Iraq...] To those we could add all Christians who are persecuted in many ways in our countries for defending the truth of the Gospel, marriage and the right to life. Jesus said that it was going to happen, and so it does; but He also said, "I will be with you every single day until the end"... and He certainly is. Today is a good day to pray for all persecuted Christians around the world, that they may feel our prayers for them, that they may feel the presence of Jesus Crucified next to them, that they may feel comforted by Our Lady, standing as she does beside their crosses. St George, martyr for the faith, pray for them!

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Saturday 3rd week of Easter "Jn 6:60-69" Many of his disciples, when they heard it, said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?"...After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life; and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God." The sixth chapter of St John's Gospel ends like this. It could have ended: "many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him." But that is not the end. No. It finishes on a high note: 'Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also wish to go away?"' And Peter gave the answer for all those Christians who, throughout history, have decided to stay with Jesus no matter what. We could translate his answer from ancient Aramaic into modern English: 'No, no way! Absolutely not!' Perseverance is the virtue that allows us to be steady, persistent and loyal in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. Where there are obstacles, perseverance is needed. And saints have had tons of both. Of course there have been people who haven't been faithful and have left Our Lord. But that has only been a stimulus for saints to be holier. When St Peter saw that multitude leaving Jesus, he decided to stay. And sure enough, he did. He made mistakes, like on Good Friday, but he died crucified upside down, faithful, loyal. St Maximillian Kolbe had decided to leave the seminary when his mum visited him to explain that his brother wanted to join the seminary too. As you may know, he persevered and became a martyr. A young priest was moved when chatting with a sixteen-year-old lad. He had decided at a very young age to follow God in a life of celibacy. Many of his best friends also joined him in his vocation. But over time all his friends left that vocation to live mundane lives. "They have gone! All of them!" said the boy, weeping, "they have left me alone." Then he took the crucifix that was in front of him in his hands, and looked the priest in the eyes. The priest was speechless when he saw tears streaming down the lad's cheeks and heard him say, "But I will NOT leave Him alone. I will NOT! I'd rather die." Mother most Faithful, pray for us!

Friday 3rd week of Easter "Jn 6:52-59" The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him." Jesus couldn't be clearer: "my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed" and "he who eats me will live because of me." He didn't say 'my flesh is like food' or 'kind of food' or 'reminds you of food' or 'if you sort of eat my kind of flesh...' The meaning was so obvious that the Jews were scandalised, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" But Jesus repeated the same message again with different words. In October 1995 St John Paul II was to greet the seminarians at St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore (USA). On arriving, he expressed his desire to first visit the Blessed Sacrament in the oratory. The security personnel quickly flew into action, doing a sweep of the building and especially the chapel. They brought highly trained dogs used to locate survivors trapped in collapsed buildings after earthquakes and other disasters. The dogs went through the halls, offices and classrooms quickly, and then ran through the chapel and into the side chapel where the Blessed Sacrament was reserved. Upon reaching the Tabernacle, the dogs sniffed and whined and pointed it out, refusing to leave (as if they had discovered 'Someone trapped' there) and firmly remained, their attention riveted on the Tabernacle. Their handlers asked in amazement what was in that box. And they were told that the right question wasn't 'what' but 'Who' was there. The bishop of that diocese commented, "It's funny that even dogs can recognise what some Catholics can't: that there is a real living Person in the Tabernacle and that He has been there for 20 centuries waiting for each one of us." Holy Mary, Mother, your Son has been 'trapped' in the Tabernacle for twenty centuries out of love for me; help me to be grateful with deeds of love.

Thursday 3rd week of Easter "Jn 6:44-51" Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." "I am the bread of life." We never have enough of the Eucharist for we can't ever have enough of God. He is that Bread that we ask for many times a day, "Give us this day our daily bread." This is the fuel of the saints. To go up to Heaven we need the Bread that came down from Heaven. Remember E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial pointing to the sky and saying "Home"? Well, he was right. Our home is up there, and to climb up there our 'rocket' runs on the Eucharist. In the same way that E.T. managed to get a device to "phone home", persecuted Christians have found the most amazing resources to be able to receive the Eucharist. In nearly two thousand years the Sacramental Jesus has been in all kinds of places: cathedrals and dungeons, basilicas and caves... The daily Bread can reach everywhere when needed. A Latvian Bishop, Boleslas Sloskans (1893-1981), was arrested soon after his episcopal ordination, jailed in seventeen Soviet prisons, deported to Siberia and exiled for over thirty years. With other priests, prisoners also in the Solovki Archipelago, they used a glass for a chalice and the lid of a tin can for a paten. The bread was provided by the jailers. The wine was made from raisins soaked in water. They celebrated Mass at night, in secret. In the morning, in the convoy going to work, Bishop Sloskans distributed the consecrated Hosts to the Catholics, under the utmost secrecy. He hid the remaining Hosts under the roots of a tree, wrapped in a piece of cloth so that those who had not received Communion could do so during the day. Living in such difficult conditions (hard labour, insufficient food and all sorts of inhuman deprivations and treatment) they survived - as the bishop pointed out - thanks to that "daily Bread." Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, may I never get used to receiving Jesus in this daily Bread.

Wednesday 3rd week of Easter "Jn 6:35-40"

Jesus said to them, "All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." The Father has entrusted Jesus with a mission: that He "should lose nothing of all that the Father has given Him". Not a single soul should be lost. All are destined to rise with Him at the end of time. Jesus Himself says, "him who comes to me I will not cast out"; no one who comes to Him... but they need to come. Yet, some don't come to Him; some even run away from Him when He wants to bring them close to Him. They want to be saved, but not badly. They want to go to Heaven, but 'kind of' or 'more-or-less'. They lack determination. They pray as St Augustine did when he was young. Although he had no desire to renounce his life of misery and sin, he knew that he had to change. He explains in his Confessions how he would pray: "Lord, give me chastity and continence, but not yet." Our Lord needed him for an important mission. Many souls depended on Augustine and his fulfilling the Will of the Father, so God granted him the grace of conversion when he was 31 years old. After his conversion he worked hard to serve God. He made up for his delay in bringing himself to do the Will of God. Nevertheless, when he looked back at his early life and thought about how much he made Jesus wait until he followed Him, he wrote this lovely prayer: "Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside. You were with me, but I was not with you. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace." Holy Mary, our Hope, may I never make God wait for me to fulfil His Will.

Tuesday 3rd week of Easter "Jn 6:30-35"

So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see, and believe you?...Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness..." Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always." Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." This whole Chapter 6 of St John focuses on the Eucharist. Saints have always been in love with the Eucharist. They could endure anything except to be deprived of the Mass. Bishop Van Thuan was imprisoned in Vietnam for more than 9 years in solitary confinement. Years later he wrote: "The day I was arrested I had to leave everything behind. The following day I was allowed to write and ask my friends to bring my clothes, toothpaste, etc. I also asked them to include some wine 'as medicine'. They sent me a little bottle of Mass-wine labelled 'Medicine for Stomach Aches'. Every night I kept a tiny piece of bread for the following day's Eucharist." He explained how every day he would ask the guards for a bit of 'medicine', and they would hand him the bottle of wine. "I never will be able to express my great joy," he said later. "Every day for many years I had the joy of celebrating Mass with three drops of wine and one of water in my palm. This was my altar, my cathedral. For me it was the true medicine of body and soul...Each day in reciting the words of Consecration, I confirmed with all my heart and soul a new pact, an eternal pact between Jesus and me through His Blood mixed with mine. Those were the most beautiful Masses of my life!" St Josemaría taught: "When you approach the Tabernacle remember that he has been awaiting you for twenty centuries." My Immaculate Mother, help me to convince Our Lord with deeds that His '20-century wait' for me has been worthwhile. Help me, Mother, to become a Eucharistic soul, because a Eucharistic soul is a powerful soul. Teach me to fall in love with Jesus in the Eucharist, and to receive Him with the purity, humility and devotion with which you, Mary, received Him.

Monday 3rd week of Easter "Jn 6:22-29" When the people saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Caperna-um, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life." This happened right after the multiplication of the loaves and fish. These people came after Jesus again but maybe not for the right reason. They ate delicious loaves and fish for free and, perhaps, just wanted some more! So Jesus invited them not to look for ordinary bread, but for the Bread of Heaven: the Eucharist. That is the content of the whole sixth chapter of St John. At the end of this chapter we read that "many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him." We can recognise people like that today: they follow Him when it is easy, when it isn't demanding, when they need something, but not when Jesus is crucified, not when He asks for help, for their time, for their presence in the Holy Mass or before the Tabernacle, for their time of prayer... Those are not 'real' friends of Jesus. They are like 'friends' who turn up to a birthday party without a present and disappear before it is time to clear up. It's like a one-way friendship: there is no 'give and take'. They take but don't give. In the summer of 1921 three boys discovered Red Army soldiers breaking into the church of Petrograd, near Finland. They resolved to "shield the dear, loving Jesus" and entered the church, greeting the soldiers. When the soldiers threatened to shoot they replied that they "would not suffer their dear Jesus to be insulted." Two boys were killed. The third boy blocked the altar steps with his body and was brutally beaten. Before he died, though, he managed to tell the people of the village what had happened: Jesus had appeared on the altar steps and blessed the two dead boys. The soldiers screamed that the church was haunted and fled. The third boy died radiant, saying, "We have shielded Jesus." My Mother, may I learn from you to shield Jesus in the Eucharist with my prayer and love.

Friday 2nd week of Easter "Jn 6:1-15"

Seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" "There is a lad here..." We don't know the name of the lad. We only know that he had five loaves and two fish and that he gave them all. This anonymous lad gave them (and us) a lesson in how to be generous. What we can give to God is always little, but He multiplies the effect of it. Jesus doesn't 'need' our help, but He wants to need our generosity. It is like a mother who lets a 3-year-old child help her bake a cake: beating the eggs, for instance. She could do it herself, of course (probably quicker and better) but she is teaching and having a great time with her child. And she loves it when Dad comes and the little one says, "We made your favourite cake!" Dad surely knows the child did very little, but he likes the cake all the more for it. When St Josemaría was a young priest and still no one had joined his Work (Opus Dei), he used to meet a beggar-woman next to the church. In those days he was extremely poor. One day he approached her and said, "My daughter, I have no money to give you. All I have, I give it to you," and making the sign of the Cross, he gave her a blessing. Finally he added, "I beg you to offer up what you can for an intention of mine." The intention was his 'Work'. A couple of months later St Josemaría found the woman dying from tuberculosis in a hospital he used to visit. "But how come... what happened to you?" he asked on seeing her. She replied, "Don't you understand, father? You told me: "Offer up what you can". I didn't have anything to offer up... So I offered up my life!" St Josemaría was deeply moved and never forgot the generosity of that woman whom he called 'the first vocation of his future daughters.' Mother, what I can give to Our Lord is very little, but help me to give it all.

Friday 2nd week of Easter "Jn 6:1-15"

Seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" "There is a lad here..." We don't know the name of the lad. We only know that he had five loaves and two fish and that he gave them all. This anonymous lad gave them (and us) a lesson in how to be generous. What we can give to God is always little, but He multiplies the effect of it. Jesus doesn't 'need' our help, but He wants to need our generosity. It is like a mother who lets a 3-year-old child help her bake a cake: beating the eggs, for instance. She could do it herself, of course (probably quicker and better) but she is teaching and having a great time with her child. And she loves it when Dad comes and the little one says, "We made your favourite cake!" Dad surely knows the child did very little, but he likes the cake all the more for it. When St Josemaría was a young priest and still no one had joined his Work (Opus Dei), he used to meet a beggar-woman next to the church. In those days he was extremely poor. One day he approached her and said, "My daughter, I have no money to give you. All I have, I give it to you," and making the sign of the Cross, he gave her a blessing. Finally he added, "I beg you to offer up what you can for an intention of mine." The intention was his 'Work'. A couple of months later St Josemaría found the woman dying from tuberculosis in a hospital he used to visit. "But how come... what happened to you?" he asked on seeing her. She replied, "Don't you understand, father? You told me: "Offer up what you can". I didn't have anything to offer up... So I offered up my life!" St Josemaría was deeply moved and never forgot the generosity of that woman whom he called 'the first vocation of his future daughters.' Mother, what I can give to Our Lord is very little, but help me to give it all.

Thursday 2nd week of Easter "Jn 3:31-36"

John the Baptist said to his disciples: "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony; he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true." Some people only seem able to view things negatively. One such cynic was walking by the pier watching a man trying to start a boat's engine. Feeling 'obliged' to give his opinion on everything, he commented, "That engine will never start." Immediately the engine made a big noise and started. Not wishing to be proven wrong, he held his ground, "Anyway... it'll probably never stop." All those who belong to the earth are like this fellow. They only see shadows, never lights. He who is "of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks," says St John the Baptist. That person only knows how to utter calamities, complaints, criticism and sarcasm. They see everything dimly, as through very dark shades. But we belong to Heaven, don't we? We were made for happiness, for love, for paradise. And we must bear witness to it. That's what a Christian should be. Wherever a Christian walks by, Jesus is passing by with him and, therefore, there is light. Our conversation and our attitude in life should reflect our supernatural faith. That behaviour will bring others to the realisation that there is more to life than meets the eye; there is a God who loves us so much that He made the world as the anteroom of Heaven. Real Christians overflow with joy. People want to be with them, to stay with them, to converse with them. St Josemaría taught that "happiness in Heaven is for those who know how to be happy on earth." Like Jesus Himself: do you remember how people were looking for Him? Even children loved to be with Him. And children aren't fools: they don't like to be with gloomy people. Let's show the world, with our lives, that we have many reasons to be happy. "How I wish your bearing and conversation [your smile!] were such that, on seeing or hearing you, people would say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ" (St Josemaría). Holy Mary, Cause of our Joy, pray for us.

Wednesday 2nd week of Easter "Jn 3:16-21"

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him...This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For God so loved the world... did you get that?! God loves the world. He always has and always will, for He is its 'Craftsman' (or Crafts-God). As a good artist loves his paintings, God loves His creation. Some people think that the world is bad and takes us away from God. How come, if it's God's gift to us? Genesis states clearly that "God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good." If He Himself said that it's good, who am I to disagree? Men have sometimes masked the beauty of creation with their sins, but that doesn't diminish its value. You can crumple a £20 note and step on it with your dirty shoes; it doesn't lose a penny of its worth. Every artist leaves some trace of himself in his work. Experts can recognise an artist's work without looking at the signature. Have you ever found yourself astounded looking at a beautiful sunrise, a sunset of fire, a magnificent rainbow, gentle waves lapping the seashore, a thin crescent moon hung in a crystal-clear sky, a spectacular waterfall...? God made it for you and He loves it because of you. As a Good Father, He loves to see that you delight in His gifts to you, not for the gift itself, but because He gave it to you; just like a child keeps a pen or a watch for years and cherishes it, because 'my dad gave it to me.' God loves His creation so much that he gave his only Son, to be part of it. Think about it: this world has been walked upon by God. He has worked in it. He has rested His Head on its grass, had His Face stroked by the wind, heard its birds singing... He has looked up to the sky and loved it. He has drunk from its brooks and swum in its lakes. And now He has entrusted this world to me as a stage for my happiness, and I love our world passionately, as a gift from my loving Father. My Mother, Queen of the Universe, help me to give thanks to God for His wonderful creation.

Tuesday 2nd week of Easter "Jn 3:7b-15"

Jesus said to Nicodemus: 'You must be born anew'...Nicodemus said to him, "How can this be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen...No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life." Nicodemus - a doctor of the Law and learned in the Scriptures - was confused. Therefore, he did what we should do in our mental prayer: ask You, Jesus, because You are the only One Who has all the answers. You, Lord, are the only One Who can reveal the Truth that we need to believe because You are the Truth. But You can't get all these things across in just one conversation! You need us to foster a habit of chatting with You. Nicodemus probably met and talked with You on many more occasions because eventually, as we read in the Gospel, when all the others left You during Your Agony and Death on that Good Friday, he was there to stand up for You, to take Your Body and bury It. That is the effect of regular and frequent prayer. And that is also why I need to foster that daily conversation with Jesus. It's like eating healthily: you don't notice striking changes after one meal or one week; but after a time you can tell something has changed, even though you don't remember your meals. Only over time do we come to see its good effect. Likewise, to pray every day can be demanding and many times you will not remember what you chatted with God about the day before... but only by that daily contact with Jesus can He get across what you need to believe and transform you into another Nicodemus: a faithful friend who stands with Him when others have deserted! Let's give Our Lord the great comfort of our daily conversation with Him. "Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us" (St Teresa of Avila). My Mother Immaculate, teach me to talk to Him as you did then, as you do now.

The Annunciation of Our Lord "Lk 1:26-38"

The angel said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus". Today we celebrate the Annunciation, which is also the Incarnation: God becoming a human being, like you and me. He was already in the world nine months before Christmas but only Mary and St Joseph knew it. Jesus was not in a hurry, you see? He didn't have to spend all those months in Mary's womb but He wanted to. Jesus didn't want to be an exception. Today is a good day to pray for all those children who are still in their mothers' wombs, called to be the saints of the 21st century with you and me. St Gabriel announced to Mary the Name of her Son, Jesus; that Name which was going to be pronounced billions of times and which we try to keep on our lips frequently every day. A Name that is often associated with that other name, 'Mary', in the lovely prayer that the Angel taught us. Every time we say the Hail Mary we remind Our Lady of the happiest moments of her existence. She always listens to her children through this prayer. A priest was asked by a hospital sister to visit a patient in Ward 3. On entering he found the man dying, surprised to see the priest since he hadn't received the Sacraments for many years. "Nevertheless," he explained to the priest, "I have always kept up a promise I made to my mum on her deathbed: to pray three Hail Marys every night." After a long conversation, the man made his Confession and received the Eucharist with great devotion. Leaving the Ward, the priest met the sister and found that he had been in Ward 4, and patient number 7 in Ward 3 was still waiting for him! This was soon put right, but the priest felt thankful for the mistake. He felt still more thankful when the following day he found out that the man in Ward 4 had died suddenly that night. The man had kept his promise... and Our Lady kept hers! Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Easter Saturday "Mk 16:9-15"

Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene...they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country...but they did not believe them. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation". First there is a reproach; then there is a command. The reproach is that they didn't believe those whom Jesus sent to them. The command is to go and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. First, we need faith; then we can bring that faith to others; and this is what Jesus has commanded us to do. The French Cardinal Roger Etchegaray once told a story which he had heard from an Orthodox priest. After the Passover, as Jesus ascended into Heaven, He gazed down on earth and saw it in darkness, except for a few tiny lights in Jerusalem. On His way to Heaven He met the Angel Gabriel, who was accustomed to undertaking earthly missions. The Angel asked Him, "What are those little lights?" "They are the Apostles that surround my Mother," Jesus answered him. "This is my plan: once I return to Heaven, I will send them the Holy Spirit so that these small lights can turn into a great bonfire that will ignite the world with charity." The Angel dared to ask, "And if this plan does not work?" After a moment's silence, Jesus answered, "I do not have any other plan!" God has no other plans! If the Apostles had failed, many souls would have remained oblivious of the Gospel message. We are the Apostles now. What a great responsibility! How many souls may depend on whether you and I become real apostles! What we don't do... remains undone, because God has no other plans. "Many great things depend - don't forget it - on whether you and I live our lives as God wants" (St Josemaría). My Mother, Queen of the Apostles, pray for me that I may never forget it: many souls depend on me.

Easter Friday "Jn 21:1-14"

Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat; but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any fish?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, for the quantity of fish. That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" There were at least seven of Jesus' disciples in the boat. But only one recognises Him from a distance: the Beloved one. Imagine St John squinting, shielding his eyes from the sun and looking at the Man on the shore when he heard those words, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat." Maybe he thought, 'I have heard that phrase before. That voice reminds me of...' He was still hesitant, but when he saw the amount of fish they caught, the penny dropped. He smiled first, then laughed to himself, like someone who has been tricked for a while, and, full of joy, like a madman - madly in love - he shouted, "It is the Lord!" "He was more beloved than all the other Apostles," writes St. Thomas Aquinas, "on account of his purity." And St. Anselm wrote, "God revealed more mysteries to him than to the other Apostles, because he surpassed all in virginal purity." Let's keep our eyes today on that teenager, his look clean, his heart in love: his purity allowed him to recognise Jesus from a distance. Our Lord Himself taught, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." Many people are unable to see Jesus, not because He is hidden but because their glasses are dirty; sins blind men, purity gives light. St John was also pure because he was close to Our Lady. Mary, Mother most pure, Mother most chaste, intercede for me to resemble the young St John, to be pure like him and always close to you. "How I would like - you told me - the young apostle, John, to take me into his confidence and give me advice: and encourage me to acquire purity of heart. If you really would like it, tell him so: and you will feel encouraged, and you will receive advice" (St Josemaría).

Easter Thursday "Lk 24:35-48"

As they were saying this, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, "Peace to you"...And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet...Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things." First He showed His Wounds; through those Wounds our sins can be forgiven. But those Wounds can't heal the wounds of your sins if there is no repentance; that is why "repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations." You and I have that mission now: to remind everyone, no matter what sins they have committed, that through His Sacrifice, through those Wounds, Jesus can forgive any sin in Confession; to remind people that there is no sin, no misery that can't be wiped away by His infinite Mercy. In Confession the Wounds of Jesus erase forever the sins that we confess with contrition. But there has to be real contrition, real sorrow for our sins. A boy went to confess: "Father, forgive me for I have stolen £7 to buy chocolates... but for the penance let's say £10." "So, which one is it?" asked the priest, puzzled, "did you take £7 or £10?" "It was £7, father," answered the boy, "but it wasn't enough; I need £3 more!" Obviously he wasn't very sorry for his sin. Remember: if there is no contrition, there is no forgiveness. St John Vianney would hear up to 300 Confessions per day! One day, he started weeping on hearing the Confession of a man who spoke without any sign of sorrow; hearing his sobbing, the penitent asked why he was weeping. The holy Curé of Ars replied, "My friend, I weep because you do not weep." "Turn to Our Lady and ask her - as a token of her love for you - for the gift of contrition. Ask that you may be sorry, with the sorrow of Love, for all your sins and for the sins of all men and women throughout the ages... 'Acts of contrition, the more the better!'" (St Josemaría).

Easter Wednesday "Lk 24:13-35"

That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, "What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" Jesus said to them, "O foolish men, and slow of heart to believe..." And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He appeared to be going further, but they constrained him, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognised him; and he vanished out of their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the scriptures?" How naïve you are, Cleopas, you and your friend, trying to explain to Jesus His own story! Walking side-by-side with Jesus... and you couldn't recognise Him. He explained to you the Scriptures that you knew so well but had never fully understood. After that, you had the "breaking of the bread", as they called the Eucharist at the beginning. And then your "eyes were opened." I see the picture now: first, Scripture and homily; secondly, Eucharist and Holy Communion: that was the first Holy Mass after His Death and Resurrection. Today, Lord, you walk at my side, ready to talk to me even if I don't see or recognise You. Today my heart burns when You explain the Scripture to me in my prayer. I listen to You and I receive You in Mass as well. May I always recognise You at my side; may I always see You, in Mass, as we break the Bread; may You explain to me what I can't understand and may my heart burn also when I talk to You and beg You, Stay with me, Lord! My Mother, Mary, help me to always stay with Him!

Easter Tuesday "Jn 20:11-18"

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb...she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-boni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father." Mary loved Jesus but something prevented her from recognising Him. When she heard her name, spoken by that Voice, with that 'tone', we can imagine how she shuddered with delight. That name she had heard so many times coming from Jesus' Lips, "Mary!" There are many ways to pronounce a name. Think about the many people who have said your name, always differently: your parents, grandparents, siblings, friends... you could recognise each one of them on the phone just by hearing them say your name. But even the same person (your mother, for instance) could say your name in different tones and modes. You could tell what was coming just by listening to her say your name in the distance. Jesus didn't need to say anything else to Mary; just her name. Jesus called everyone by their name. All of them remembered well how Jesus pronounced their names: Peter, John, Andrew, James, Nicodemus, Martha... and Our Lady, "Mother", and St Joseph, "father". And you... Can you imagine the sound of Jesus' voice speaking your name? Because He uses it every day to talk to you in your prayer. "Just like our mother, he calls us by our name, by the name we're fondly called at home, by our nickname. There, in the depths of our soul, he calls us and we just have to answer: Ecce ego quia vocasti me - here I am, for you have called me" (St Josemaría). My Mother, Handmaid of the Lord, you also use my name when you talk to your Son about me. Help me to always have that answer on my lips: "Here I am, Lord, for you have called me by my name."

Easter Monday "Mt 28:8-15"

So the women departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, "Hail!" And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid; go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me." They say that the sentence: "Do not be afraid!" can be found in the Bible more than 300 times. Good teachers always repeat the message that they want to get across. And You, Lord, said it many times to Your disciples. So many times that they never forgot the tone of Your voice saying, "Do not be afraid!" But what could Mary Magdalene be afraid of now?! Probably she had one single fear: the fear of losing Jesus again. Have you ever found a little child in a crowd, crying because he or she couldn't find Mum? You saw the mother looking for the child nearby and said to the child, "Look, there she is!" and the tearful child rushed off towards her. Children of God should never be afraid of anything. The disciples were afraid because they had lost Jesus on Good Friday. Their hopes were over, their discouragement stopped them moving forward; fear paralyses. It happens to Christians when, like the little child, they don't feel Jesus' close presence, when they move away from Him by sinning. My God, may I never be afraid of anything except losing You through sin. And if that happens again - for I know very well how weak I am - I beg You to come and search me out as You did these holy women and Your frightened Apostles. O my Jesus, if ever You see me in distress or on the verge of temptation, come and let me hear Your voice again: "Do not be afraid." "I plead with you - never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Do not be afraid... Do not be afraid to become the saints of the new millennium!" (St John Paul II). "Today I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ! He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything" (Pope Benedict XVI). My Mother, stay close to this little child of yours that I am. Then I will fear nothing.

Maundy Thursday "Jn 13:1-15"

Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end... He rose from supper, laid aside his garments, and girded himself with a towel. Then he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. My Dear Jesus, when I see You washing the feet of the Apostles I understand what Love is. When I see You – Son of God – on Your Knees, washing with Your Divine Hands some of the dirtiest feet in Judea at the time, including the two feet of the disciple who had already betrayed You... I see how much You love! The Master at the feet of His servants, God kneeling before His creatures, the Superior serving the inferior... But don't mums do the same when they tie their children's laces or feed them or help them get dressed? Love engenders humility. We could say that humility is the daughter of charity and always goes with her mother. The more we live charity, the more humble we become. I know how much You love me, Lord, when I see You as a poor Child in Bethlehem for me; or when I contemplate You Crucified for my sins... But I understand it plainly when I see You in a Piece of Bread. When St John Paul II was elected Pope, he began his papal ministry at an intense pace. A young priest who started working with him for the first time complained to the Pope's secretary, "I am exhausted! I can't follow him! What does he have for breakfast? Where does he get the energy?!" The secretary smiled and said nothing at the time, but after lunch he asked the young priest to follow him. He led him to the Pope's chapel and explained, "What he eats in the mornings is the Body of Christ... and where he gets the energy is from here!" On entering the Oratory they found St John Paul II prostrated on the floor in front of the Tabernacle, absorbed in prayer. Ask Our Lady to teach you to love Our Lord. You can pray often the spiritual communion St Josemaría learnt as a child: "I wish, Lord, to receive You with the purity, humility and devotion with which Your most holy Mother received You, with the spirit and fervour of the saints."

Wesnesday of Holy Week "Mt 26:14-25"

Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said, "What will you give me if I deliver him to you?" And they paid him thirty pieces of silver...When it was evening, he sat at table with the twelve disciples; and as they were eating, he said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me...The Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." Judas, who betrayed him, said, "Is it I, Master?" He said to him, "You have said so." Oh dear! Judas! Judas!! What had happened to him? Where is the Judas who was a chosen Apostle? Where is the man whom Jesus met and told, "Come, follow me"? Judas did follow Our Lord, he heard Him, he saw His miracles, and surely, he loved Jesus for a while. Had he forgotten the days on which he saw wonders and went to sleep smiling, regardless of being exhausted and having to sleep in the open? Judas, someone so privileged! "Many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you saw, and did not see it, and to hear what you heard, and did not hear it". When did Judas start feeling disappointed? When did he start taking for granted those times he spent with Jesus? When did he become inattentive or insensitive to His Words? When did he start thinking about himself and his future, his plans, instead of thinking about what Jesus was telling him? When did he stop praying? When did he stop telling Jesus what was going on in his soul? It was then that Judas started rating Jesus in coins; it was then that his betrayal began. Because that betrayal didn't happen overnight. It was a slow distancing, a slippery slope from which Jesus could have saved him if he had only asked for help... But why didn't he come back to Jesus afterwards? It didn't matter what he had done; Jesus would have forgiven him everything. Why? Why didn't he go to Him - repentant - and kiss Him again but this time out of love and not fear? Judas did know how much Jesus loved him. He could have imagined how much Jesus cried for him! Judas! Why didn't he come back, like Peter and Mary Magdalene and Dimas (the Good Thief) and Paul... and me? If it was too difficult, he could always have asked for Our Lady's help!

Monday of Holy Week "Jn 12:1-11"

Mary took a pound of costly ointment of pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was to betray him), said, "Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?" This he said, not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box he used to take what was put into it. Jesus said, "Let her alone, let her keep it for the day of my burial. The poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me." Thank you, Mary of Bethany, for your generosity! Thank you for your example, for loving Jesus so much. Thank you for giving Him joy before His Passion, for pouring on Him all of the perfume and not just a few drops. Thank you for filling the atmosphere with the fragrance of your generosity, the scent of your love. How happy Jesus was in your home, Mary, where He knew you would do anything and give anything to keep Him happy! Thank you for your generosity - for the more you gave, the more you were given. That jar was like your heart: you poured out not just a bit of love but your whole heart. That fragrance was the perfume of your love. Thank you, Mary of Bethany, for teaching me to love Jesus Christ! Thank you, Mary, for not being intimidated by Judas, by anyone, nor even by what others might think of you. Thank you for comforting Jesus, Who would carry the fragrance of that love in His Heart during His last sorrowful week. Thank you for your courage. For there will always be people who think, like Judas, that there is too much wealth in our churches. They forget that these riches are for God. And certainly, they forget the words of Jesus praising Mary. There is not enough gold and silver in the world to hold the Body of Christ as He deserves. And whilst some spend their money on expensive holidays or possessions, we try to dignify the places where Jesus lays. Forget Judas' comment, Mary, for he has vanished; but the aroma of your love will never vanish. Oh, Mary of Bethany, I am a sinner, as you were... will you teach me to be a generous lover of Jesus, as you are? Mary, Mother of Christ, help me to grow in love for your Son.

Friday 5th week of Lent "Jn 10:31-42"

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, "It is not for a good work that we stone you but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God." Jesus answered them... "do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." No matter what miracle or even how many miracles they saw, they would not believe. They were blind because they didn't want to see. They wanted to stone Jesus because being a man, He made himself God, when it was exactly the opposite: being God, He made Himself a man! The truth is that these Pharisees didn't want to believe in Him. Believing in Jesus would entail changing their way of life. This happens sometimes with those who don't want to accept the moral law because it is not 'convenient' for them. They don't want to know the truth – so they can carry on doing what they want. If a driver is stopped by the police for speeding, it is no use him saying, 'sorry officer, I didn't know there was a speed limit'. Like it or not, and whether you know it or not... there is a speed limit. It isn't there to take the fun out of driving; it's there so that everyone can get to their destination safely. An old man thought that his wife was losing her hearing. To check it out he approached her from behind while she was sitting in her lounge chair, and whispered, "Honey, can you hear me?" He got no response. He moved a little closer and repeated softly, "Honey, do you hear me?" No response. Finally he moved right next to her and said, "Honey, can you hear me now?" This time she looked up with surprise in her eyes and replied, "For the third time, Henry, yes, I can hear you!" It was Henry, then, who really had the hearing problem. It was the Pharisees who were deaf, not Jesus who wasn't 'sound'. My Mother, intercede for me so that I may never become blind or deaf to the Will of God.

Thursday 5th week of Lent "Jn 8:51-59"

Jesus said to the Jews: Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death." The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, as did the prophets; and you say, 'If any one keeps my word, he will never taste death.' Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you claim to be?"...Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple. Jesus didn't say, 'before Abraham was, I was', but "I AM". Moses had heard God refer to Himself as 'I AM' – and Jews, out of reverence, would thereafter never pronounce that Name. But Jesus not only said it, He said it of Himself! They had heard Him say, "I am the Bread of Life, the Light of the world, the Door, the Good Shepherd, the Resurrection and the Life, the Way, the Truth and the Life, the true Vine..." but never before had they heard anyone say 'I AM' except God Himself. No wonder they took up stones! Some people think that Jesus was a good man, a teacher, a prophet, but that He never said He was God. However, it is clear that the Jews understood He did claim to be God. Next Sunday we will revisit His trial before the Sanhedrin. When the High Priest asked Jesus if He was indeed the Son of the Living God, Jesus answered again, "I AM". That was the end of the dialogue. Jesus was sentenced to death for blasphemy, for claiming to be God. The first Christians understood well that Jesus was God and faced martyrdom for it. St Justin (A.D. 100-165) was a pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity. After his conversion he wrote several books arguing for the divinity of Christ. He was arrested along with four others during the persecution under Marcus Aurelius. When Rusticus - prefect of Rome - asked them to sacrifice to idols, they refused. "If you do not obey," the Prefect said, "you will be tortured without mercy." Justin replied, "That is our desire, to be tortured for Our Lord, Jesus Christ." When asked about his beliefs, Justin proclaimed that Jesus was God and the Son of God. They were all beheaded for their fidelity to these beliefs. Mary, Queen of Martyrs, may I be a true witness to the divinity of your Son.

Wednesday 5th week of Lent "Jn 8:31-42"

Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." They answered him, "We are descendants of Abraham, and have never been in bondage to any one. How is it that you say, 'You will be made free'?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, every one who commits sin is a slave to sin". There is the story of a farmer who found an egg in an eagle's nest. He took it and put it with his chickens. In time an eagle-chick hatched together with the other younglings. This eagle learned the chicken customs: walking through the yard, eating worms... Sometimes he would climb up on to a fence and crash to the ground, crying out, just as chickens do. That yard was his world and he was happy in there. Sinners are like that eagle. They are locked in their vices but they don't know they are imprisoned. They don't know there is a whole world behind the fence and they can pass over that fence because they are meant to fly. But one day, the story goes, the eagle-chick saw a bird soaring through the skies. "Who is that?" he asked. And one of the chickens beside him answered, "It is an eagle that flies majestically, without any effort. But don't look at it any more! Do not look at it, because our life is not like hers; our life is here, in the barnyard." The story can finish in two ways: 1) the eagle spent the rest of his life in the barn learning to cluck and flutter; or else 2) after trying many, many times, one day - a day he would never forget - he managed to fly, soaring up to the skies. Every sinner has those two options: to remain in their sins and defects without trying to overcome them, as if that were their only reality - or to try to fly. There is a truth that they need to know, a truth that will set them free: They are created to soar to the heights! Mary, my Mother, help me to encourage people never to settle for living a mediocre life, to remind them that (with the grace of the Sacraments) they will never "flutter about like a hen, when they can soar to the heights of an eagle" (St Josemaría).

St Joseph, Spouse of Mary "Lk 2:41-51"

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions...and his mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." And he said to them, "How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" And they did not understand the saying which he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. The most wonderful Treasures of God (Jesus and Mary) could not be entrusted to anyone other than St Joseph. No one, ever, has been trusted more and so, no one ever has been given more. St Joseph is compared to the other Patriarch, Joseph, the son of Jacob. Sold by his brothers, he ended up a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and eventually he was entrusted with all of Pharaoh's fortune. So when the famine came and people started asking Pharaoh for help, he just told them: Ite ad Joseph! (Go to Joseph!) If you want to find Jesus, go to Joseph – he found Him after three sorrowful days; if you want to love Jesus, go to Joseph – he loves Him madly; if you want to love Mary, go to Joseph – no man has ever loved his wife like him; if you want to be always close to Jesus and Mary, go to Joseph – no one has ever been closer to them; if you want to pray, go to Joseph – he spent his life in dialogue with God; if you go through difficulties, go to Joseph – he knows all about suffering. If you want to be strong, he is the saint to go to; if you want to be obedient, chaste, generous, humble, joyful, sincere... if you want to be holy: Ite ad Joseph! Go to Joseph. If you want to be in love with God, to work with God, to live with God, to stay always with God, to dream God's dreams, to serve God and spend your eternity with Him... Ite ad Joseph!... Go to Joseph. God entrusted him with His Family, he is in charge of the house of God; he will open for us the door of Bethlehem, of Nazareth and of Heaven if we go to him. He protected God and His Immaculate Mother... he can protect you as well if you want. Holy Mary, Spouse of Joseph, remind me to go to him, for it would be foolish of me not to count on him in my struggle!

Monday 5th week of Lent "Jn 8:1-11"

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst they said to him, "Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such. What do you say about her?"...And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her." And once more he bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the eldest, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus looked up and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you; go, and do not sin again." We are sinful. God is Merciful. Everyone has sins. Everyone needs Mercy. The issue wasn't that the woman was a sinner but that the scribes and Pharisees thought they were sinless. It took a moment for Jesus to remind them that they were not. The real problem is not sin, but the lack of repentance. How could they repent if they didn't admit their sins? Jesus said it many times: He came looking for sinners. He didn't have any problem giving the keys of His Kingdom to Peter, who denied Him; or choosing the greedy Matthew, or appointing Paul as Apostle after having persecuted Christians, or making Augustine Bishop of Hippo. History is full of examples of sinners who became saints. When we accept our sins and ask for forgiveness, we use them to grow in holiness. One day, Simon Wright found out about a load of apples that were going to be thrown out. Then he came up with the idea of using those apples to make cider. Hawkes Cider is sold now all over the UK. This is one example of a business based on the principle 'From Trash to Cash', or how to make a profit from waste. That is what we do, supernaturally speaking, when we go to Confession. God takes those sins that we confess, He puts them on the Cross during the Holy Mass and transforms them into grace. Mary, Mother of Mercy, may I always go to Confession with contrition, allowing Jesus to turn the enemy's weapons against him and transform my sins into grace to overcome sin.

Friday 4th week of Lent "Jn 7:1-2, 10, 25-30"

Some of the people of Jerusalem said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." "We know where this man comes from..." They are perplexed: they are waiting for the Messiah; they think that Jesus might even be He, in view of the miracles He works and the doctrine He teaches; but they are not sure... because it doesn't match with what they 'know'. Oh, no! You can't fool them... because 'they know everything'! The truth is that they didn't know Him. They thought they did. This kind of prejudice has always been an obstacle to knowing the truth. Many people are not interested in looking for the truth because they 'think' they know it. Lent is a good time to pray for those who suffer from prejudices. Throughout history thousands of converts have had to undergo that process to get rid of their prejudices and open the door to the truth. We would need a Wiki-converts to write all their names and stories. The story of Saul of Tarsus is one of them. Do you remember? He was convinced that he had to crush Christianity and put all his effort, time and money into fighting against it. But when Jesus left him blind for three days, the 'scales fell from his eyes'. If Jesus could change that heart... why should He not change those you have in mind right now? "Many people do not know or do not want to know who Jesus Christ is, and they remain perplexed and disconcerted... The great tragedy of history is that Jesus is not known, and therefore is not loved, not followed. You know Christ! You know who He is! Yours is a great privilege! Always be worthy and aware of it!" (St John Paul II) Mary, my Mother, help me to keep this reality always fresh in my mind.

Thursday 4th week of Lent "Jn 5:31-47"

Jesus said to the Jews: "You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me." St John the Baptist had told his disciples who Jesus was, calling Him 'the Lamb of God'. Many followed Jesus because of John the Baptist, but when they got to know Him, they didn't need testimony from anyone else: they saw with their own eyes what Jesus did. And it was His works which explained Who He was. Do you remember the encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman? She discovered who Jesus was, went back to her village and brought everyone to see Him. When they had met Our Lord they said to her, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." When they saw Him they understood. We Christians have been given the same task – to give witness to Him with our works. Jesus urged us: "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Mt 5:16). People follow 'examples' more than 'words'. With our Christian works we give witness to Him. People know that you are Christian not because of what you say or because you wear an 'I-love-Jesus' T-shirt, but because of how you behave. One day an artist was trying to enter an art gallery. All the artists from his academy had been given a free ticket but he had forgotten his. The booking clerk thought he was lying and asked him to pay for a ticket. Instead, the painter took a piece of paper and started drawing a marvellous portrait of him – to the admiration of the people in the queue and the embarrassment of the clerk. The conclusion was evident: he was an artist. By his works they knew him. In the same way, by our Christian works we will help others to know Jesus. Holy Mary, help me to be recognised as a Christian by my good works!

Friday 3rd week of Lent "Mk 12:28-34"

One of the scribes asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." The man asked for "the first" commandment, but Jesus answered quoting 'the first and the second'. There is a poem written by Leigh Hunt about a man called Abou Ben Adhem who woke from his sleep one night and saw an Angel writing the names of those who love God in a book. "And is mine there?" inquired Abou. "Nay, not so," replied the Angel. "I pray thee, then," said Abou, "write me as one who loves his fellow men." The following night the Angel came again and displayed the names of those who love God and Abou's name topped the list, making the point that true love of God and true love of our neighbour are like two sides of the same coin. But this charity has to be lived in practical ways. We need to take to our prayer the people who are around us and think of particular acts of charity that they would appreciate. Some are things that you 'can do'. Some are things that you 'shouldn't do'. It can help to write down a list of things that we can do for others and check it in our examination of conscience to see if we have loved our 'neighbour' with deeds. In 1940 a train was taking some Jews to a concentration camp. A 15-year-old girl was travelling with her little brother who was 8. Separated from their parents, they were scared. Suddenly the girl realised that her brother had lost his shoes and burst out in anger, "For goodness' sake! Couldn't you be responsible for once in your life and take care of your shoes?!" Almost 80 years later she was telling the story in tears. She never saw her little brother again. Those were the last words she said to him. She made the resolution to never say anything that she would regret if they were to be the last words that someone would ever hear from her. Mary, my Mother, help me to always be charitable in my words, to take care of what I say and how I say it...

Thursday 3rd week of Lent "Lk 11:14-23"

Some people said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons"... But Jesus said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?...When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armour in which he trusted, and divides his spoil." Evil is not an impersonal force that just happens. It has a name (actually it has many: 'Satan', 'Beelzebul, the prince of demons', 'the deceiver', 'the father of lies', 'Lucifer', 'the fallen angel') and it seeks to master every heart and soul through sin. He who habitually gives in to temptation leaves the door of his soul unlocked and allows the devil to come in and 'make himself at home'. It is easy then for the enemy to defend himself from the inside; especially if he is fully armed as the devil always is. But we live with the conviction that Jesus is stronger: stronger than doors, locks, walls and windows, and stronger than the devil and his weapons. Let's repeat it often: the devil has no chance against me if Jesus is with me! We need to go to Him in time of temptation and ask for help; otherwise we will have no chance. A Christian facing temptation who doesn't ask Jesus for help is like a gladiator in the arena, surrounded by ten hungry and angry lions, and armed... with a tea spoon! He has no chance. However, with the help of Jesus we are like the same gladiator but armed with a tank: the lions have no chance. Jesus, do not leave me alone when the enemy comes; and if I ever forget to ask you to help me, help me anyway! Once St Faustina was suffering some dreadful temptations. She went to the Tabernacle and said: "Do what You will with me, O Jesus." Suddenly she saw Our Lord saying to her: "Fear nothing: I am always in your heart." If Jesus is there... the devil can't get in! Furthermore, beside Jesus we always find Our Mother, and she is the spouse of St Joseph, who will certainly be with her; she is also the Queen of Angels, so Angels are also there; and Queen of Martyrs, Patriarchs, Saints... the whole of Heaven is in your heart in Grace!

Wednesday 3rd week of Lent "Mt 5:17-19"

"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." How easy it is to water down the Gospel and make it a bit less demanding! How easy it would be to get disciples if you only taught the nice bits of the Gospel and took out any reference to the Cross or the demands of becoming a real disciple of Jesus! But the Gospel is the Word of God: the whole Gospel, and no one has the right to change so much as one letter of it. An African bishop returned to his home town – which was mostly non-Christian – soon after ordination. In the welcome speech, the people expressed how happy they were that one of them now had 'direct access' to God. Then they promised him they would all embrace Christianity if he would use his episcopal power to suppress one of the Ten Commandments for them. Before they could say which of the Commandments they had in mind, the young bishop shocked them by explaining that the Commandments are from God and, therefore, unchangeable. The celebratory mood turned into disappointment and the bishop had to make a hasty departure from his own people. People may ask for a reduction of their moral responsibilities as they ask for a reduction of taxes. It would be like someone who wants to change doctor because the physician has put him on a diet. He could think that tablets would certainly be easier to take... Taking medicine can be less demanding than following a diet, but tablets aren't what that patient needs. Imagine that a government wanted to change the law of gravity for its country because the one 'still in use' is old fashioned or doesn't take into account our 'national identity'. Well, he can try, but he definitely cannot change the Law of God. Mary, Mother of Justice, help me to love God's Law and fulfil His Commandments to the full.

Tuesday 3rd week of Lent "Mt 18:21-35"

Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. Jesus tells the parable of the man who was forgiven his debt by his master, but he didn't forgive a fellow debtor, and in the end his own debt is claimed back again because he didn't have mercy on his fellow servant. "So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." How many times we ask God, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us." We do not ask Him to forgive 'all my trespasses', or 'my trespasses according to Your Mercy', or 'because You are Good'. We persistently say in other words, 'Forgive me if I forgive, but if I do not forgive... please, do not forgive me!' John Gualberto was a member of the Visdomini family of Florentine nobility. On Good Friday, 1003, he was entering Florence accompanied by armed followers, when in a narrow lane he came upon a man who had killed his brother. The criminal had no escape. In a sudden outburst, the poor man knelt down and said to John Gualberto, "Today is Good Friday. For Christ Who died for us on the Cross: spare my life!" Ignoring his plea, John was about to strike the fatal blow when the man muttered, "Jesus, Son of God, at least you forgive me." Upon hearing this, John threw the sword away, raised the murderer and embraced him saying, "For Christ's sake, for His blood poured out on the Cross for us, I forgive you." Moved by what had happened, John Gualberto dismissed his followers and went to the Benedictine Church at San Miniato to pray. As he was praying in front of a wooden Crucifix, the figure on the Crucifix bowed its head to him in recognition of his generosity. John Gualberto entered that same Benedictine monastery and eventually became St John Gualberto. Forgiveness opened for him the way to conversion and holiness. Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, intercede for us so that we learn to forgive.

Monday 3rd week of Lent "Lk 4:24-30"

Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country...there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away. Many fellow Nazarenes didn't believe Jesus to be a prophet. 'Because if You were a prophet', they might say, 'we would know'. In other words these people were saying something like: 'We decide who is and who isn't a prophet here'. Imagine the 'Poets' Society of Stratford-upon-Avon' suing Shakespeare for publishing his work without their approval: it would have been ridiculous! The people of Nazareth were about to throw Jesus off the cliff just because He was chosen by God without their permission. Perhaps they told Jesus: 'Listen, it is fine if You perform miracles here... we love that stuff... but do not try to lecture us, because we know You are the Son of Joseph, the artisan'. But Jesus' attitude here is remarkable. He didn't waste a second trying to argue or convince them. Their problem wasn't a lack of faith but an excess of pride. There is a classic Greek saying that reads: "The worst deaf person is the one who doesn't want to hear." Until they get rid of their pride they will never receive the supernatural virtue of Faith. Charles de Foucauld was a young rich playboy who had done whatever he wanted throughout his whole life. He even had a lover he didn't intend to marry. One day he met a priest, Fr. Huvelin, and asked him to explain the Catholic Faith to him. The priest, instead of explaining anything, "made me kneel down," wrote Foucauld, "made me go to Confession, and sent me to Communion right away." St Charles de Foucauld, as he is known now, could then understand the Faith. Without grace, how difficult it is to be humble; without humility, how difficult it is to know the truth! Let's ask Our Lady for the grace that many may come to the Truth in this Season of Lent.

Friday 2nd week of Lent "Mt 21:33-43, 45-46"

"There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him." This is called 'breach of contract'. When God gave them the vineyard, He gave them a mission: to produce grapes. Vineyard and mission came together. The tenants liked the vineyard; it was kitted out with everything they needed to produce fruit. But they rejected their mission. So they decided to keep the vineyard and its fruit for themselves. They didn't want to obey. They preferred to be their own masters, 'appropriating' something that wasn't theirs. The same can happen in our lives. God has given us everything we need to bear fruit. He has given us our lives, our family, our talents, our formation... and our mission. But some love all that so much that instead of being grateful for it, they decide to keep it for themselves: 'It's my life!', they say, 'I do with it what I like.' And they guard it jealously, taking hold of it as a child grasps his ice cream and licks it slowly with a look that says, 'It's mine; only mine!' But we know that it is not. Life, and all it brings with it, is given by God. We are tenants and have to render fruit. We have been given life, family, friends, talents, formation... but also a mission! That was the problem of the rich young man (Mk 10:17-31), do you remember him? "He went away sorrowful" (v. 22) says the Gospel. He kept his possessions - but lost his joy, his enthusiasm, his mission, his Lord... "Cast yourself with confidence into the arms of God," recommends St Phillip Neri, "and be very sure of this, that if he wants anything of you he will fit you for your work and give you strength to do it."

Thursday 2nd week of Lent "Lk 16:19-31"

"There was a rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, full of sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table; moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried; and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes, and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus in his bosom. And he called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in anguish in this flame.' But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish...And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.' But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead'." This well-known parable of Our Lord brings to our prayer today the importance of omissions. This rich man didn't fall into Hades (Hell) because he used to scorn Lazarus or because he became rich taking advantage of the poor or because he kicked the poor out of his property. We can imagine the rich man at the Last Judgment, being told that he can't enter Heaven. He would protest, saying 'But why? What did I do? I didn't do anything!' And we imagine God's devastating answer: 'Precisely!' St Josemaría used to say that Hell is paved with sins of omission. Often we don't commit these sins because we decide not to help. Usually it is because we didn't notice that they needed our help, material or otherwise: time, encouragement, comfort, appreciation, understanding, a smile... Every day people need our help. How many times we can miss opportunities to help others if we are not attentive! We then become like the rich man in the parable: he never saw the needs of Lazarus at his door – he was too busy thinking about himself. Holy Mary, our Hope, Handmaid of the Lord, pray for us that we may learn to see the needs of others and help them.

Wednesday 2nd week of Lent "Mt 20:17-28"

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father...whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Jesus teaches His disciples that the only ambition they should have is the ambition to serve. In fact, He taught this not just with words, but with deeds: they could never forget the God–made–man washing their feet. We too should always keep that picture in mind when we don't feel like serving the people around us. Lent is a time of service which is charity, and the disciples of Jesus follow His footsteps and example. We need to make a resolution to serve always and to serve everyone. And the first way to serve souls is by fulfilling our duties. Work is service. And to work diligently and with generosity is the best way to serve others. The journalist André Frossard said that the only 'known' means to prevent St John Paul II from working was 'general anaesthesia'. Nothing else could stop the Pope fulfilling his duties. And when someone recommended that he take care of himself and rest a while, he answered, "My health is not important. My holiness is. After one Pope there comes another Pope. Let me fulfil my duty." "How I like that word: service! To serve my king and, through him, all those who have been redeemed by his blood. I really wish we Christians knew how to serve, for only by serving can we know and love Christ and make him known and loved" (St Josemaría). Mother of Christ, Handmaid of the Lord, teach me to serve as you served your cousin St Elizabeth, with haste, as you did at the wedding at Cana and as you serve your children now.

Tuesday 2nd week of Lent "Mt 23:1-12"

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; so practice and observe whatever they tell you, but not what they do; for they preach, but do not practice...They do all their deeds to be seen by men...He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Humility is indispensable for following Christ. The best example of humility is Jesus Himself: being God, He became Man for us; and later, He became a Host of Bread. Who could ever humble himself so much? The second best example of humility is His Mother: being the most perfect creature, she recognised that all the good in her was a gift from God. The third example of humility is St Joseph: being a man gifted beyond comparison, he never let himself become the centre of attention. Saints are humble souls who know how to remain in the background and let people see God instead. The problem with the scribes and Pharisees was that they loved to be seen, recognised and praised for all their deeds and talents. They wanted to be the centre of attention. A Spanish saying describes this kind of person well: 'They want to be the bride at all the weddings, the baby at all the baptisms and the dead at all the funerals.' Holiness is just the opposite: you see? Holiness and humility are proportionate. In the words of St Josemaría, the passion of the saints is "to hide and disappear. That only Jesus could be seen." In the lifetime of the Holy Curé of Ars, St John Mary Vianney, people came from distant places to listen to his homilies. He did everything in his parish (Ars had about 350 inhabitants), which he very seldom left.. He could be found in the confessional most of the time (16 hours a day!) Elsewhere in France at the same time there was another famous preacher who attracted many people with his brilliant sermons. One day someone asked this preacher which of them was the better preacher. "Most certainly he is," answered the man, "for when people listen to my homilies they say: 'How good this preacher is!', but when they listen to Vianney they say: 'How good God is!'." Mary, my Mother, help me to learn from you the virtue of humility, "to hide and disappear, so that only Jesus might shine" (St Josemaría).

Monday 2nd week of Lent "Lk 6:36-38"

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back." Have you heard the story of the teacher in the college for 'Older Students'? This man loved asking questions about the things he had explained before in order to keep his students attentive in his lessons. "Let's see, you…the fellow in the corner," the teacher said. "When was Rome destroyed by fire?" "To be honest…" the unfortunate 'student' replied, taken by surprise, "I…don't remember." "Very well, then," the teacher insisted, "do you remember when Vesuvius wiped Pompeii off the map?" The man, visibly embarrassed, answered, "No idea, really." "This is quite disappointing," the annoyed teacher complained. "What about the destruction of Jerusalem?" "My mind is a blank right now," the poor man said. "May I know," the teacher asked in anger, "why did you come to my class?" The man produced a bulb from his pocket and replied shyly, "To change this bulb...I'm the caretaker." "Judge not, and you will not be judged"; since we never know everything about others, we are not in situation to judge anyone. You know the saying, 'Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.' The truth is that walking a mile in someone else's shoes can give you an idea of what they feel. But even after a mile, you don't know anyone well enough to judge them. You should walk more than a mile, in his shoes, along the paths he walks, in the same weather, at the same time, in same company, stepping on the same footprints... yet still that wouldn't be enough; you should walk not just in his shoes but in his feet. Of course, that is impossible. That is why it is unwise to judge anyone, since our judgements are always flawed, unless you are either him - or God. God has given us a conscience to judge ourselves. No one can know better than myself when I haven't been generous with God (except God). Mary, my Mother, if you teach me to love everyone, I will always understand and help them to be holy, instead of wasting time and humility trying to judge them.

Saturday 1st week of Lent "Mt 5:43-48"

"I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?...You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect" To hold a grudge is like building a prison and locking oneself inside. We have to ask Jesus for the gift of being able to love everyone, no matter what they do or think or say. That is to be like our heavenly Father: Perfect in Love. St John of the Cross has given us a great piece of advice: "Where there is no love, put love - and you will draw out love." "If you love those who love you, what reward have you?" That is very easy! But to love those who despise you, who scorn you, who insult you... That is very 'virtuous'! In 1993 Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was falsely accused by a young fellow of improper conduct. The story was spun by the media and a big campaign flared up against him. He confessed later that his internal suffering during that time would hardly be endurable were it not for his faith and knowledge of his innocence. After three months of ordeal and media persecution, his accuser admitted that the accusation was false. Soon after, Stephen (the accuser) was dying from AIDS in a hospital bed. Cardinal Bernardin went to visit him. The poor man apologised for the wrongs he had committed against the Cardinal. Bernardin forgave him immediately and with affection, becoming concerned only with Stephen's spiritual health and making sure that he could prepare himself properly for his death. This has been the example of the saints. As soon as he managed, St John Paul II went to visit Ali Agca, the man who shot him. There, in his prison, Ali Agca was forgiven and ended up kissing the hand of the Pope he had tried to kill just a few weeks before. Mary, Mother of Mercy, help me to forgive everyone… everything... always... and to bring to your Son in my prayer those who offend me in any way.

The Chair of St Peter "Mt 16:13-19"

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Today we celebrate the feast of the Chair of St Peter which is not merely about a piece of furniture. The seat of the bishop is the Chair or 'cathedra' (origin of the word cathedral, a church that has the cathedra of the bishop). It signifies the authority of Peter. In the apse of the Basilica of St Peter you can see the chair, a bronze sculpture of Bernini (17th century). On top of it you see the Dove symbolizing the Holy Spirit who inspires the Pope. Why did Jesus choose Peter? Only He knows. God didn't choose a wise man who knew the Scriptures and who could write, for Peter probably couldn’t. He didn’t choose a man of easy speech who could be persuasive when preaching the Gospel. He didn't choose a man with influence, a rich man, a politician... Jesus needed a strong man, a rock on which to build His Church. A rock that serves as a foundation doesn't need to be beautiful; just strong. Peter wasn’t perfect when Jesus chose him, but his faith and love would become strong enough to make the Church stand firm. Over the centuries many strong empires have fought against this Rock. They disappeared but the Church stands erect. Whoever fights against this Rock "shall not prevail." Stronger than Superman, Iron Man, Spiderman or Batman… is our Fisherman! Holy Mary, our Hope, Queen of the Apostles and Mother of the Church, pray for the Pope and for us!

Wednesday 1st week of Lent "Lk 11:29-32"

When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation; it seeks a sign, but no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the men of Nineveh, so will the Son of man be to this generation...The men of Nineveh will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here." God needed someone to preach in Nineveh, and decided that Jonah was 'the man for the job'. But you know the story, don't you? The instructions were simple: set out for the great city of Nineveh and preach against it. As a matter of fact, the Ninevites were an idolatrous, proud, and ruthless people who had long been a threat to Israel. So Jonah, being an Israelite, decided to put as much distance as he could between himself and them. Whatever happened to Nineveh, Jonah would not be there to see it. So he fled in the opposite direction; he got on a boat to go to Tarshish. 'God has His plans,' Jonah may have thought: 'but I have mine!' God loves us; He created us and knows what we can do. We can be certain that He will never ask you for 'more' than you can give... But He will never ask you for 'less'. Because it is not just about you. It's about the many souls who depend on you. Nineveh could have been condemned if God had not gone after Jonah to 'convince' him (in a very persuasive way) that the people of Nineveh needed him. When Jonah eventually complied and did what God had asked for, the result was impressive: the people of Nineveh converted and turned to God. What would have become of those thousands of people if Jonah had not gone back? What will become of your relatives and friends who may be far from God if you do not do anything to help them? There are many souls who depend on my generosity in following my vocation; souls who will not hear about God's Love for them if I don't tell them; souls whose salvation depends greatly on me. Mary, Refuge of sinners, I beg your assistance to help those souls and, if ever I run away from those who need me, please come and fetch me!

Tuesday 1st week of Lent "Mt 6:7-15"

"And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Today's Gospel reminds us that prayer is one of the legs of Lent, along with sacrifice and charity. During Lent we are offering sacrifices for the conversion of sinners. We are charitable towards others as we considered yesterday, because everything that we do for them we do for Our Lord. Now we do the same when we pray. Jesus told us to say, Our Father, and not simply Father; and in the four last petitions we say, "give us" ... "forgive us" ... "lead us not" ... "deliver us". For God loves it when we are united in prayer, when we pray together and we pray for each other as a family. During Lent you can go slowly over the Lord's Prayer, the Our Father. In her autobiography, St Thérèse of Lisieux says "Sometimes when I am in such a state of spiritual dryness that not a single good thought occurs to me, I say very slowly the 'Our Father,' or the 'Hail Mary,' and these prayers suffice to take me out of myself, and wonderfully refresh me." Let's ask ourselves: how many times do I pray these prayers every day, and how many times do I not pay attention to what I am saying? Pray the Lord's Prayer today with St Thérèse, slowly, to get the most out of it, rather than rattling it off on auto-pilot, as we all do sometimes! "Slowly," St Josemaría wrote, "Consider what you are saying, who is saying it and to whom. For that hurried talk, without time for reflection, is just noise, the clatter of tin cans. And with Saint Teresa, I will tell you that, however much you work your lips, I do not call it prayer." Mary, my Mother, help me to be focused in my prayers so that I can follow St Josemaría's advice.

Monday 1st week of Lent "Mt 25:31-46"

"Before the Son of man will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me...Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.'" Lent is a time for charity. And charity is something we should pray about. When you talk to Jesus about your family members, your friends... you discover things that you can do for them. If we don't pray for them, we spend our lives missing opportunities to practise charity with people that need us. I can imagine You, Lord, smiling when You told your followers about the Last Day, thinking of the millions of billions of acts of charity that people would do for Your sake until the end of time. One day St Teresa of Calcutta was interviewed for a TV programme. Before the interview, as an introduction, they recorded her performing various tasks; among others, caring for some lepers. The wounds left by leprosy can be very repulsive in the final stages. But St Teresa was washing each leper with the same affection that a mother uses with her baby. The reporter, unable to restrain her repugnance, said aloud, "I wouldn't do that for a million dollars!" St Teresa looked at her peacefully and answered, "Neither would I!" Because she didn't do that for any other reason than for Christ. She knew that every time she did something for a sick person, she was doing it to Christ because she was doing it for Christ. Jesus: I imagine Your look and the expression on Your face when I meet You at the end of my life and You see all that I did for others. Then You will smile at me and Your lovely Voice will say, in front of all the Angels and my Mother, "Come, O blessed of my Father…" Holy Mary, our Hope, Help of Christians, pray for us that we may grow in charity during this Lent.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday "Lk 9:22-25"

"The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised…If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?" There is just one way to follow Jesus: with the Cross. Trying to follow You, Lord, while avoiding sacrifice would be like a bird trying to fly without wings. It's not that Christians like pain or suffering in itself; but that they recognise it as a means to improve. Bosco Gutierrez was an architect who was kidnapped for 257 days. He underwent all kinds of suffering locked in a tiny room without windows and with no verbal contact with anyone for months. One day his captors saw that he had given up on himself and offered him a whiskey. He loved whiskey! Slowly, in order to enjoy it to the full, he smelt it and ran the glass along his unshaven dirty face. Then he heard an internal prompt: "Give up the whiskey! Give me something that is under your control." He hesitated for a moment. That was his only pleasure for months. He told himself: "I have offered enough already…" But then he understood the difference. All the hardships and sufferings he had offered before had been 'inflicted' on him. This was the first time 'he' could choose to offer up something. And so, he poured it on the floor. That day everything changed for him: "That day I won my first battle." We have many battles to win this Lent. Let's be practical and choose useful mortifications: let's wake up straightaway, eat more of what we do not like, and less of what we like; do the dishes, smile at someone we may find annoying, avoid complaining (about anything, to anyone); tidy our room, do the jobs we don't like before the ones we find easier, rather than putting them off; accept what we have been told without answering back, and many others... Mary, Mother of God and my Mother, help me to take up my cross to the bitter end, no matter how bitter it is. I will try to make a list of sacrifices that I intend to fulfil so as to be close to your Son throughout Lent.

Ash Wednesday "Mt 6:1-6, 16-18"

Jesus said to his disciples: "Beware of practising your piety before men in order to be seen by them; for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus...when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you". Today we start Lent, a time of preparation for Easter. The word "Lent" comes from an old English word which means "springtime". It reminds us of 'spring cleaning' and the new life evident in nature at this time of year. Lent is a time of special grace for us when we can do some spring cleaning in our lives and enjoy new life as a result. Sometimes people ask, 'What are you doing for Lent?' And they expect an answer like: 'I'm giving up chocolate!' Jokingly, someone would say that he is giving up 'homework' or a particular chore... But there is only one thing that we should all strive to give up during Lent – sin! To encourage people to try to do their best, you often hear motivational slogans like 'You can do anything if you really believe', or 'You are powerful' or 'You have no limits'… Instead, if you attend Mass today you will receive the ashes on your forehead. Then you will be reminded that you are 'dust and unto dust you shall return'. That's the way the Church explains to us the purpose of Lent: an exercise in holy desire. Lent is like a stool which has three legs: prayer, sacrifice and charity. Lent cannot stand if a leg is missing. So our Lenten resolutions should be in these three areas. Maybe we do not need to pray more but to pray better, to offer our usual mortifications but with a firmer intention; to be more generous when we give, and always give with a smile... Think carefully: What can I do during Lent that will make a big difference to my prayer life? Mary, my Mother, help me to be generous this Lent, to make a real change in my life of prayer, in my sacrifice and in charity with those around me.

Tuesday 6th week in ordinary time "Mk 8:14-21"

Jesus said to them, "Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" They said to him, "Twelve." "And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?" And they said to him, "Seven." And he said to them, "Do you not yet understand?" It looks like Jesus was losing His patience with His disciples. After all the time they had spent with Jesus, they were unable to understand Him. They were not in tune. They were focused on their own ideas and couldn't understand what Jesus was saying. Jesus often had to explain His parables to them. Many people have this same problem. From the same Bible, people can extract the most diverse and random conclusions. That is why God has given us the Holy Spirit and the Magisterium of the Church – to help us understand the Sacred Scriptures according to the mind of the Author Himself. Imagine that, in an art gallery, you come across one of those modern paintings composed of a few warm colours mixed randomly and sold for £10,000. Perplexed, you ask some art enthusiasts what it represents and they all give you different opinions: that it represents internal suffering, a tornado, the Holocaust, violence, a tablecloth... one of them says that paint was probably spilt onto the canvas by a cat or the artist's baby... How can you tell who is right? Easy: you ask the artist! In the same way, throughout history millions have read Sacred Scripture and concluded different things – even opposing things. That's why Our Lord sent the Holy Spirit. The Paraclete would explain everything to us (Jn 14:26) not just to everyone individually, but to the whole Christian Family through the Magisterium of the Church. Any individual interpretation of the Bible has to be compared and contrasted with two thousand years of meditation on Scripture by saints, condensed in that Magisterium. Mary, Mother of the Church, thank God with us for those guidelines that the Church offers us to understand the 'exact meaning of your Son's Words.'

Monday 6th week in ordinary time "Mk 8:11-13"

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, "Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation." And he left them, and getting into the boat again he departed to the other side. The Gospel today comes after the multiplication of the loaves and fish for four thousand people. That miracle wasn't impressive enough for these Pharisees who came asking for another sign. There is no worse blind man than the one who doesn't want to see. There is no worse deaf man than the one who doesn't want to hear. For someone who doesn't want to believe no miracle is enough. Those who don't believe in God do not look for proofs of His existence. They reject every argument before it is explained. They are like the lad who was taking driving lessons. His instructor was worried because every time a lorry was coming in the opposite direction the lad panicked and the instructor had to hold the steering wheel. But one day the instructor saw that the youngster had improved. "You seem more confident now", he said. But then it was the teacher who panicked when he heard the reply: "Yes. That's because now, every time I see a lorry coming, I just close my eyes." That's what the Pharisees were doing with the Messiah. But God still has a plan to meet those who don't want to believe. Giovanni Papini (1881-1956) was an Italian writer and famous atheist. No reason or argument was convincing enough for him. Until one day when he went for a walk with a friend – an atheist like him. They found a beggar, blue with cold, stretching out his hand for a coin. Papini produced a coin from his pocket and said with a big grin, "This coin is yours if you utter two or three good blasphemies." The beggar, astonished, hid his hand and walked away, saying "Poor man! God have mercy on you." To be called 'Poor man' by a beggar made Papini think and it changed his life. Keeping his eyes closed didn't take the truth away, like the lorries in the road. That day he 'crashed into' God and became a devout Catholic soon afterwards. Mary, Virgin Most Faithful, I pray through your intercession today for those who don’t want to believe.

Friday 5th week in ordinary time "Mk 7:31-37"

They brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Incommunicado, he could not hear or speak properly. He was unable to explain his problems. But when he put himself in Jesus' hands (Ephphatha!) "his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly." Many people have a 'speech impediment'; they find it difficult to talk about their miseries. To recognise our sins and to talk about our mistakes can be embarrassing, but just like with a doctor, until we explain our problem and show our wound, Jesus can't help and heal us. That's the essence of Confession. "I was a good child," writes a young boy. "I prayed, received the sacraments and went to Confession every other week. At the age of 14 I understood that God wanted something from me and started praying more intensely. But one day I made a mistake. I committed a sin against Holy Purity. I felt so embarrassed that I didn't dare go to Confession. After a while I stopped praying. I was grumpy, defiant and exploding for silly reasons. I was stuck. It wasn't my mind that was blocked, it was my soul. My mum suspected that something had happened; my sisters, my friends, my teachers too... But more than anyone else, I knew that something HAD happened. My silence was consuming me within. One day I couldn't take it anymore. I went to the priest and told him. I expected an angry reprimand. Instead, very kindly, he explained to me how silly it would be to keep a splinter in my finger hurting for weeks because I was afraid of the pain when it would be pulled out. In two minutes the priest solved all my problems. I went out in peace. I was again the same boy my mum, my sisters, my friends and teachers knew… but with more experience. How silly to keep silent, to feel embarrassed to go to Confession; what folly to carry my sins as splinters in my skin when the solution is so simple and easy to get." Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, may I never be embarrassed of being sincere, confessing my sins and starting again.

Wednesday 5th week in ordinary time "Mk 7:14-23"

Jesus said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, theft, murder, covetousness…" But also from within, out of the heart come acts of love, of thankfulness and adoration. The world doesn't help much to be pure of heart. For that reason, St Josemaría wrote: "There is need of a crusade of manliness and purity to counteract and undo the savage work of those who think that man is a beast. And that crusade is a matter for you." "I was born into a Christian family", wrote a young girl. "My parents went to daily Mass and in school they taught me what was right and wrong in relation to the 6th and 9th commandments. As a child, I always wanted to be pure, but as an adolescent, my world changed. I fell in love with a boy. My friends encouraged me not to miss the opportunity: if I really loved him, they said, I should invite him to go a bit further and lose my purity with him. I allowed myself to be convinced that 'everyone did it', that it was 'normal'. So, one day when we were alone I suggested that we go a bit further… I thought he was going to accept. But to my dismay, he sprang up from the sofa, looked at me with the saddest face I had ever seen in my life and left without a word. I cried, I called him, texted him… But all to no avail. One day I went to see him. He opened the door – but he was still sad. Taking my hands in his, almost with tears in his eyes, he said, "You are worth much more than that." That day the penny dropped. I learned a lesson I never forgot. Still today I remember those sad eyes, like Christ's staring at me and reminding me: I'm worth more...much more than that!" The world needs Christians like that boy. My Immaculate Mother, I ask you for Christians committed to this crusade of purity, able to remind everyone with their deeds and their words, boldly, that those who sell themselves to impurity are worth much more than that: they are worth all the Blood of your Son.

Tuesday 5th week in ordinary time "Mk 7:1-13"

The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men'." Poor Pharisees, they had lost the plot! You see? It's not that they didn't do anything; they usually did everything that God had asked them to do. Well… not everything. They omitted the first commandment: Love. They fulfilled their duties as good servants. But they forgot that God doesn't need servants. He wants children. A priest explained his conversion like this: "I wasn't a bad priest. I just wasn't a good one. I did all that I was supposed to do. I 'said' Mass every day; I 'said' the Breviary, the Rosary and my prayers every day. I did my prayer, half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening. I 'read' the Gospel and a spiritual book for 15 minutes every day. I did all that and thought that was fine. I wasn't unhappy but I wasn't happy either." "On the second day of my retreat I was reading the parable of the Prodigal Son. Suddenly the words of the older brother hit my soul: 'he answered his father, "Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command"'. Here I had a son who was more like a butler. And I felt like that too: I was giving to God what 'I had to', but reluctantly. I was like the Pharisees. Then I looked at the Crucifix. I felt tears coming to my eyes. There, bleeding, was Him suffering for me to become a child… not a servant. I felt I was cheating Our Lord. From the Cross He seemed to be saying: 'This is not it! I didn't shed my Blood just to make you a butler! I died to make you a child! I don't want your 'things'. I want your love. I want your heart. I want you!" "That day I asked Mary to help me to stop being a 'butler of God' and to become a child… to stop saying Mass and to start celebrating It; to stop doing my prayer and to PRAY instead. Since then, I don't feel like a servant who fears: I'm now a child who LOVES!" Mary, my Mother, I ask the same for myself.

Monday 5th week in ordinary time "Mk 6:53-56"

When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, and ran about the whole neighbourhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. Wherever Jesus went, there was a procession of suffering people: lepers, blind and deaf people, paralytics, victims of evil spirits... Their only hope was to be able to touch the fringe of His garment, for they knew that Jesus is the only answer to suffering and the only effective relief. Just as they brought sick people to Him, so we have to do likewise: bring Him souls who suffer so they can touch Him, especially in the Eucharist. In 1920 in Zaragoza St Josemaría saw a famous bullfighter in the street. Some children approached the celebrity and one of them exclaimed happily, "I touched him! I touched him!" The saint was moved and would often recall this memory to encourage us to stop and reflect on the real and extraordinary event of intimately approaching Jesus every day in the Eucharist. On the 8th of October we celebrated the life of St Josephine Bakhita (1869 - 1947). Born in Sudan, when she was still a girl she was kidnapped and sold as a slave. She experienced the physical and moral sufferings of slavery. But one day she was 'bought' by an Italian consul and for the first time they didn't use the lash with her. From that family she was 'transferred' to a good Christian family where she was loved for the first time in her life. The 'touch' of Love healed her wounded heart. She was baptised and touched the Eucharist for the first time. She understood that it was Jesus who had released her, not from the slavery of men, but the slavery of sin. Then she fell in love with Him and became a Canosian Sister, spending 50 years in His service until she died. St Josephine reminds us how God is always close to those who suffer. Mary, Mother of God, help me to remind people that only Jesus can settle wounded hearts with His healing 'touch'.

The Presentation of the Lord "Lk 2:22-40"

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ...he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace". He followed the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and the promise was fulfilled. A long life was crowned with that encounter. You can imagine the old Simeon, so many years dreaming about it, wondering what the Child and His parents would look like… When he saw the Child coming into the temple in Mary's arms he asked if he could hold Him too. Joseph was a bit wary at the sight of that old weak man. But the man, full of faith and love, insisted. "Now I can die," he said (and at this point Joseph’s wariness turned to real concern!) "Now I can die," he said, for he had finally seen and held Jesus! He spent his whole life getting ready for that moment… Blessed Imelda Lambertini (1322 - 1333) is the patroness of First Holy Communicants. She had a special devotion to the Eucharist. From the age of five she insistently requested to receive Holy Communion but the custom of the time had fixed twelve as the earliest age for First Holy Communion. She would sometimes exclaim: "Tell me, can anyone receive Jesus into his heart and not die?" On May 12, 1333, when she was eleven years old she was attending Mass, as she did each day, watching in tears as others received Communion. But when the Mass finished and everyone was ready to leave, suddenly some of them were startled to see a Sacred Host hovering in the air above Imelda as she knelt before the closed tabernacle, absorbed in prayer. The priest understood that Our Lord wanted to be received by her and gave Imelda her first Holy Communion then and there. Immediately she was enraptured: she sank unconscious to the ground, and when they picked her up, they found that she was dead. "Now I can die!" Mary, Mother of the Eucharist: teach me to attend Mass as if it were my first Mass, my last Mass, my only Mass.

Thursday 4th week in ordinary time "Mk 6:7-13"

And he called to him the twelve, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts…And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them." So they went out and preached... Jesus sent them to all those places instead of going Himself. Certainly He could have gone in Person and could have preached far more effectively than St Peter and the others. It seems better to receive Jesus in your village than to receive Philip or Andrew… But Jesus wanted to send His disciples instead. They didn't need anything else: "no bread, no bag, no money..." Because it wasn't about human means but supernatural ones. Just go! Just obey! But 'who am I', they could wonder, 'to preach in Jesus' Name?' You are an apostle, that's what you are! Apostle in Greek means envoy, ambassador or messenger. That's what every baptised person is. The temptation comes when we compare ourselves with them and realise that we can't do what the Apostles did. We can't preach to multitudes, we can't go through the whole world and persuade crowds of unbelievers. You are right! But we don't have to. Our apostolate is personal. It's one-to-one; what Italians call 'a quattròcchi' (with four eyes), just you and your friend. We can't help a hundred, but we can help one at a time. A man was walking on the beach. The tide was out and had left thousands of starfish on the sand. There he came across a man bending down, picking up the starfish and throwing them back into the water. The first man smiled and said, "Why do you bother? Don't you see that there are thousands of them and it won't make any difference?" The other man reached down and picked up another starfish, threw it into the sea and replied, "It has made a difference for this one. This one will live." God wants "all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4). All men; everyone! You can continue your prayer now thinking about those you can return to the sea of the Mercy of God.

Tuesday 4th week in ordinary time "Mk 5:21-43"

A great crowd gathered about Jesus...Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live." And he went with him...While he was still speaking, there came from the ruler's house some who said, "Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?" But ignoring what they said, Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not fear, only believe." We remember the story well. Jairus was a man of faith. He came to ask Jesus for a miracle. On the way there Jesus got delayed by a woman with a blood flow that Jesus healed as well. The miracle had happened in front of their faces when some servants of Jairus said to him, 'Too late. Your daughter is dead.' You may imagine the disappointment of the man who came to ask Jesus for help but a woman detained Jesus and got the miracle first. His daughter was now dead. Jesus couldn't heal her anymore. But we know that Jesus is NEVER late. He had a plan and He didn't have to inform anyone about it. Jesus didn't want to heal Jairus' daughter... He had a better plan. And so when the 'wet blanket' servants came to discourage Jairus, the Gospel says that Jesus ignored what they said, He didn't listen to them. Instead He said to the grieving father, "Do not fear, only believe." Only believe. You don't have to do anything else, Jairus - only believe! The world is populated with 'wet blanket' people whose main argument is always: 'It's too late.' You and I have to 'ignore' them and "only believe." It's never too late for an 'eternal' God. When we pray we have to be convinced that it is never too late, that we don't need to know God's plans and timescales, that our only job is to believe. God does the rest in His own good time. It wasn't too late for Jairus' daughter, for the son of the widow of Naim, nor for Lazarus (four days dead), it wasn't too late for the woman with the haemorrhage, for the blind men, for the leper, for the paralytic... it wasn't too late for the prodigal son, for the Good Thief, for Saul of Tarsus or St Augustine... It's NEVER too late for God! Mary, Virgin Most Faithful, help me to 'only believe.'

Monday 4th week in ordinary time "Mk 5:1-20"

They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when he had come out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who lived among the tombs...And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped him; and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me." For he had said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!" And Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion; for we are many." A bit cowardly these unclean spirits, aren't they? Like bullies, they come in groups. Shame on them! A legion of bad angels against one single man. In this battle you can't expect nobleness and fair play. Fair play would be if the devil were to struggle against St Michael, but he doesn't dare. St Peter explains how "the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Imagine yourself attacked not just by one lion but surrounded by a whole legion of them. Yet God knows this. And He has kitted us out with appropriate means. Firstly, we have the Sacraments, especially the Holy Mass. Holy Communion is the most powerful weapon against the enemy. Then the Sacrament of Confession. The devil hates it! But apart from the Sacraments, the Church also counts on other effective weapons of 'devils destruction': the Sacramentals. They are consecrated objects like medals, scapulars, Holy Water, crucifixes... that indeed help when we use them with faith and when we are trying to live a virtuous life. But remember: they are not 'amulets'. They are spiritual weapons. Have you ever used an insect repellent? We sometimes don't even smell it but insects can't stand being near it. Holy Water, a crucifix or your scapular have the same effect on the enemy. They don't work as if by magic. Their effect depends very much on your faith. Like any weapon, their effectiveness depends on the skills of the user. Little help is a machine gun against a legion of roaring lions if you don't know how to use it! Mary, most fearful antagonist of the devil, teach me to use these 'spiritual weapons'.

Tuesday 3rd week in ordinary time "Mk 3:31-35"

A crowd was sitting about him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brethren are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brethren?" And looking around on those who sat about him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brethren! Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." Doing the Will of God. That's how Mary became the Mother of God: by accepting and doing God's Will - "Be it done unto me according to thy Word." If we want to be part of God's 'family' (brother, sister, mother...) that's all we have to do to take after Mary, our Mother and Jesus Himself in Gethsemane - "not my will, but thine, be done." Holiness comes down to one thing: Doing God's Will. "Do you really want to be a saint?" wrote St Josemaría, "Carry out the little duty of each moment: do what you ought and concentrate on what you are doing." Some people think that holiness is about doing good things: praying, offering sacrifices, giving alms to the poor and saying the Rosary... But actually holiness is about doing the right thing at the right time. A saint is not the one who is praying all the time but the one who prays when it's time to pray, reads when it's time to read and eats when it's time to eat. A saint goes to bed when it's bedtime and gets up when it's time to wake up. A saint is, in this sense, 100% predictable. Saints are always doing what God wants them to do, whatever they should do at any time. Any specific moment offers one right thing to do and an infinite number of wrong things to avoid. When it is time to study, studying is the right thing to do and all the rest is wrong. You might think that reading instead of studying is not 100% right but can be 50% right; at least, you can argue, 'it's better than being in my sister's room annoying her.' The truth is that studying is 100% right. Reading is 100% wrong. Annoying your sister would be 500% wrong. Do you understand? Those who do God's Will are doing the right thing at the right time. That is holiness. And that is why it is so difficult to do. Mary, my Mother, since holiness is for everyone, I believe that with your intercession and the help of God's grace, I can really achieve it!

Monday 3rd week in ordinary time "Mk 3:22-30"

Jesus said to the scribes, "Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin"- for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." How is it that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit can't be forgiven?' Christians have been told innumerable times that all sins can be forgiven. And now we read that, actually, there is one that can't be forgiven! In the past, some have even tried to use this passage to deny the existence of the Christian God: 'If God is Almighty He certainly can forgive all sins. If God can't forgive a sin... He is not Almighty.' It is another formula of the classic argument: 'If God is Almighty... can He create a rock so heavy that He can't lift it?' Leaving aside the fact that the sentence is a silly paradox, we could say that, in fact, God 'has actually created that rock'. It is called "freedom". God has made us free. He has paid for our freedom with all the Blood of Jesus. So, if a man decides to reject forgiveness, the Almighty God can't change the man's mind. That's the catch. An aspirin can relieve a headache, but only if you take it! Contemplating the box of aspirins, holding one in your hand or sticking one with adhesive tape to your forehead will not relieve the pain. That is not because the aspirin is faulty, but because your wit is faulty. It would be stupid to complain that a doctor is unable to cure your illness if you have never actually allowed him to touch you, talk to you or even if he has never seen you! In the same way, God can forgive any sin... as long as we repent and ask for forgiveness. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit has been called, ever since St Augustine's times, the final impenitence, the lack of repentance. They are like someone with a strong migraine who stubbornly refuses to take their medicine and prefers to live (and even die) in pain. That's the situation of a sinner who stubbornly rejects God's forgiveness and prefers to live (and even die) in the misery of their sins. Let's pray, through the intercession of Our Lady, Mother of Mercy, for the conversion of those sinners who stubbornly reject God's Mercy.

Friday 2nd week in ordinary time "Mk 3:13-19"

And he went up on the mountain, and called to him those whom he desired; and they came to him. And he appointed twelve, to be with him, and to be sent out to preach and have authority to cast out demons: Simon whom he surnamed Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, whom he surnamed Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. "He called to Him those He desired" for no other reason than that: He just wanted those and no others. This wasn't like 'The Voice' or 'X-Factor' where the winner is the most talented. Jesus didn't choose the best or the most charming, those who had more friends, more knowledge or a better position... He just chose those He wanted; because He felt like it. St Paul explained it to the Corinthians, "consider your call, brethren; not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth; but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong." God has a certain inclination to choose very 'low profile' instruments. Did you know, for instance, that Moses stuttered? And yet, among the thousands of Israelites that God could choose to negotiate with the Pharaoh, He wanted the stammerer! The biographies of many saints paint a similar picture. St Bernadette and St John Vianney are known for their learning difficulties. An online biography of St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1668) reads: "he was an Italian mystic whose life is a wonderful combination of a complete lack of natural capacity and an extraordinary supernatural efficiency. He lacked every natural gift. He was incapable of passing a test, maintaining a conversation, taking care of a house, or even touching a dish without breaking it. He was called Brother Ass by his companions in the monastery." Wow! What a description! Yet by the end of his life his reputation for holiness was widespread and crowds would come to attend his Mass. The lesson is clear: God doesn't choose the best. He chooses those He wants. Mary, my Mother, may I learn to be a faithful instrument of God for whatever He has chosen me to do.

Thursday 2nd week in ordinary time "Mk 3:7-12"

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great multitude from Galilee followed; also from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from about Tyre and Sidon a great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him. And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they should crush him; for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him. "A great multitude, hearing all that he did, came to him." In their desire to touch Him they were about to crush Him "for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed upon him to touch him." For a time, Jesus was very popular. But where were they all on Good Friday? one wonders. It seems that some of the crowd came to Him interested in what they could get from Him, but very few followed Him for what they could give to Him. We see this all the time: people who pray because they need something, but when they receive it and are fine, they no longer pray, nor do they even thank God for it. Our Lord Himself complained once, " you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves" (Jn 6:26). But when He needed them on Calvary, just a few women with Our Lady and the adolescent John were there for Him. It's very important to remember that we don't pray just because we need it, but also because Jesus loves it. Sometimes our prayer is easy, when, for example, we need to pray for an important intention... At other times, however, we don't feel urged to pray because everything is fine. It is important that we pray on those days as well, not out of duty, but out of love. A school's chaplain entered the oratory and found four little girls praying there. He asked them, "What are you praying for?" "For my aunty who is sick", answered one; "For dad's job", said another; "For my brother's exams" replied the third. The priest smiled and asked the last one, "What about you? What are you asking for?" "I'm not asking for anything," replied the girl, "I just came because Jesus is my friend." Friendship: That's it! Mary, my Mother, Master of Prayer, may I learn to pray, not just to get but also to give. To pray not for my sake but for God's sake.

Wednesday 2nd week in ordinary time "Mk 3:1-6"

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. And they watched him, to see whether he would heal him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come here." And he said to them, "Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out, and immediately held counsel with the Herodi-ans against him, how to destroy him. What a contrast between Jesus and the Pharisees. "Again" starts the Gospel today: 'again' those grouches show their absolute lack of concern towards people in need. You can hear them shouting, 'I don't care, the Sabbath is the Sabbath!' But in the middle of the silence Jesus, saddened at their reaction, "looked around at them with anger"; how could they be so mean? He looked at them but didn't say a word. He paused long enough to take a glance at each one of them. And He "grieved", says today's Gospel, at their egoistic lives, like a loving father disappointed with his children because they despise each other. But still in Jesus there was - and is - more compassion than passion. The man with the withered hand needed Him. His concern for souls who needed Him was greater than His grief over those who thought they didn’t. Saints have always had that zeal for souls. Unlike the Pharisees, they were ready to do 'anything' for them. Fr. Toccanier was the assistant priest of St John Vianney in his parish. One day, aware that the life of the holy priest was coming to a close, Toccanier asked him, "If Our Lord gave you the possibility to choose between going straight to Heaven on the spot or staying a bit longer to keep working for the salvation of souls, what would you choose?" St John Vianney answered without hesitation, " I would stay. Saints are extremely happy, but... They can't gain souls for God like us, with their work and sufferings." St Josemaría explained that apostolic zeal always comes with a "constant concern for souls." Mary, Queen of Apostles, help me to obtain that apostolic zeal, that real concern for my friends and for the salvation of their souls.

Tuesday 2nd week in ordinary time "Mk 2:23-28"

Jesus was going through the grainfields; and as they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the sabbath?" And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him?...The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath; so the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath." That was the Pharisees' motto: 'this can't be done', 'this is forbidden', 'this is prohibited', 'this is against the law'... always ready to point out what was banned. It's a very dark view of religion, isn't it? Yet, when Jesus had to summarise the whole law, He didn't say, "Thou shall not..."; He said instead, "Thou shall love..." The Pharisees weren't wrong regarding the Sabbath. Their mistake was that they said what SHOULDN'T be done but didn't help to do what SHOULD be done. Instead of letting the disciples starve, they could have proposed other options or provided something else to eat. The problem was the stiffness of the Pharisees. We could make the same mistake sometimes when we try to bring our friends closer to God. Consider the commandment of attending Mass on Sunday, for instance. Some people find it difficult to go to Mass for very different reasons. It doesn't seem very helpful to say, 'If you don't go to Mass you will go to hell!' It isn't very persuasive, is it? We can call that 'The Pharisees' Approach'. The Christian 'way' doesn't consist then in saying, 'You should go to Mass,' but in saying, 'Why don't you come to Mass with me?' Do you see the difference? Saints didn't just point out what was forbidden or wrong. They helped people to do the right thing. And those souls followed them to Heaven. It's like the child who was asked by his mother why he always did his English homework and never finished his Maths. "My English teacher helps us with instructions to do the homework;" said the boy, "the Maths teacher only gives us problems." And he added with indignation, "Besides, he never gives any solution!" The Pharisees were like the Maths teacher. We should be like the English one. Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, teach me not to lecture others but to help them do the right thing.

Monday 2nd week in ordinary time "Mk 2:18-22" Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting; and people came and said to him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day." Fasting is good. But it's not the most important thing. The Pharisees were convinced that those sacrifices were 'justifying' or 'sanctifying' them. But they forgot more important things, like charity, for instance. They offered all kinds of sacrifices but didn't love God or others. We could say that fasting is a complement. But love is the essence. Fasting is like a hat. Charity is the clothes. You can run around without your hat; but never without clothes! There was a friar whose daily job was to collect wood. On his way back, after spending hours out in the scorching sun, he would get very thirsty. One day, he approached a well with fresh water to quench his thirst, but then he thought, 'What a great sacrifice it could be not to drink from this well.' So he decided to deny himself the drink and offer it up. At night, before going to bed he looked at the sky and discovered a new star shining as an appreciative smile from God. Every day he offered that sacrifice and every night he was delighted to see the star ('his star'!) in the sky. A young novice was once asked to accompany him. They walked together and suffered in the heat. When in the afternoon they passed by the well, the monk found himself in a dilemma. If he didn't drink, the poor young novice wouldn't quench his thirst either; but if he drank he wouldn't have his star in the sky. After a moment's hesitation, for the sake of the novice he decided to drink and so, his companion drank also. On his way back he remained silent, sad at the thought of not seeing the star that night. Just before going to bed with an attitude of resignation, he looked up to the sky and saw that in the clear night there was not one... but two stars. Charity was an even greater sacrifice! Mary, Mother of Fair Love, may I learn to put charity first; may I grow in love for God and for others every day.

Friday 1st week in ordinary time "Mk 2:1-12"

Four men brought to him a paralytic. And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and when they had made an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic lay. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "My son, your sins are forgiven." Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, "Why does this man speak thus? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" The faith of the paralytic's friends helped them to overcome every difficulty in order to bring the man to Jesus. The great miracle was the forgiveness of his sins. His paralysis would last until his death if it wasn't healed. But if his sins weren't forgiven they would last for all eternity. In August of 1917 Our Lady of Fatima told the children, "pray much and make sacrifices for sinners." We are the apostles of the 21st Century. We have the mission of bringing souls to Jesus, with prayer, sacrifice and sometimes with our conversation. If we have faith, like these men, we will make the miracle of conversion possible. At the end of the day, all we have to do is to put them in front of Jesus and let them discover how much Christ paid for their sins. A well-known artist in Paris was painting the Crucifixion of Jesus. The last character to be portrayed was Mary Magdalene. He looked for a woman of bad reputation to use as a model. As the woman was posing she saw the canvas and asked what it was all about. Over several portrait sittings the artist had time to explain to her the life and death of Jesus. "Do you mean that He died for my sins and yours?" asked the incredulous woman at the end. "Then I should love Him... And you, how long have you known that?! How much you must love Him!" The artist continued in silence, embarrassed, with those words echoing in his heart: how much you must love Him! And he changed his life that very day, going to Confession after many years of absence. When Bl Alvaro was asked at the end of his fruitful life which were his happiest moments, he said, "Those moments in which God forgave my sins in the sacrament of Confession." Mary, Mother of Mercy, may I help many to go to Confession.

Thursday 1st week in ordinary time "Mk 1:40-45"

And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, "If you will, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I will; be clean." And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. The 'Touch' of Jesus is like the spark of static electricity that we feel sometimes when we touch someone. But God's spark is almighty. It heals everything! The impossible happens when He touches us. In an instant, the Grace of God can do anything. Paul Claudel (1868 – 1955) was a famous French poet, dramatist and diplomat, nominated six times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. He wrote: "Catholic faith was for me a treasure of absurd anecdotes. I felt the same disgust and hatred for her priests and faithful." On December 25th 1886 a taxi dropped him off at the gate of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. From there he heard the hymns of the Christmas Vespers. Attracted also by the stained glass windows, he decided to go in. They were singing the 'Magnificat'. "I was standing amid the crowd," he explained later, "next to the sacristy. In an instant, something touched my heart and I believed. I believed, with such force, with so much agitation in my being, with a conviction so strong, with so much certainty that there was no place for doubt. After this, all the books, all the reasoning, all the events of my complicated existence have been unable to shake my faith or, to be honest, touch it! Suddenly, I thought: 'How happy are the people who believe! And what if it is true? But it is true! God exists, He is there! He is Someone! And He loves me! He calls to me.' Tears and sobs came to me and the singing of the Adeste Fideles only increased my emotion." The Touch of God could change that man in an instant. Such is the Almighty 'spark' of the Touch of Grace. If Jesus stretches out His Hand and touches me, my misery is over: the stains of my past sins, all the dirt of my bad habits, my lack of charity, my lack of obedience, my laziness, my stubbornness, my vanity, my pride, my critical thoughts, my selfishness, my cowardice to stand up for my faith... will all disappear, Lord, if You touch me! Mary, my Mother, keep me close to your Son, to touch Him and be healed.

Wednesday 1st week in ordinary time "Mk 1:29-39"

And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, and they found him and said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." "Everyone is searching for you!" Everyone is searching for happiness, searching for Truth, searching for Beauty... But if that is the case... why don't many souls find Him? Because some are searching for Him in the wrong places. C. S. Lewis says that "nearly all that we call human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy." But the truth is that there is nothing other than Him that can fill human hearts with happiness. As soon as we make the effort to start looking for Him, He comes to meet us like the father of the prodigal son. A. J. Cronin, a famous writer and doctor, explained his conversion. He was spending a few days partying with some friends in Rome. One day he went for a walk and got lost. He entered a chapel to ask for directions. The chapel commemorated the tradition of Jesus' encounter with St Peter. When Nero was killing Christians, Peter's disciples urged him to run away. Jesus appeared to him and when Peter asked Him, "Quo vadis, Domine?" [Where are you going, Lord?] Jesus answered, "I'm going to Rome to be crucified again." Peter understood that he had to go back to Rome... and there he died, crucified upside down. Cronin explains, "I thought I heard a gentle whisper from over the centuries asking me: Quo vadis? (Where are you going?)" He experienced an emptiness and unhappiness and wondered, like St Augustine, why he wasn't happy. Why he was so empty... And he found the answer there, in front of him, in the Tabernacle. Mary, Mother of the Hidden Lord, everyone is searching for your Son. Help me, Mother, to encourage others with my prayer and apostolate not to give up in their search, because "everyone who seeks, finds."

The Baptism of Our Lord "Mk 1:7-11" John said, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased." "The Lord was Baptised", explains St. Ambrose of Milan, "not to be cleansed Himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters might have the power of Baptism". During His Ascension, He told His disciples to go and baptise all people and they did exactly that. Saints have greatly valued this Sacrament. St Vincent Ferrer always celebrated the anniversary of his baptism and often went to kiss the baptismal font in the church of St Stephen in Valencia. After many years of absence, St Francis Solano went back to his hometown. Before doing anything else he knelt and rested his forehead on the font of the church where he was baptised and sang the Creed. When St Josemaria found out that they were discarding the font where he was baptised, he arranged for it to be brought to his chapel and kissed it every time he passed by it. Do you know the date of your baptism? A young woman came to see the parish priest to discuss what was needed for her conversion to the Catholic Church. She explained that she had been reading the Gospel, fell in love with Jesus, and wanted to be a Catholic. The priest was surprised that no one had instructed her or talked to her about our faith. "No one has taught you anything about the faith?" asked the astonished priest. "That's strange! You must have had a bit of guidance from someone." The girl explained: "No one, father. Nobody, since I was baptised as a baby..." "But you were baptised?!..." the priest interrupted her, and with a smile he added: "I rest my case!" Of course Someone had been helping her. Baptism made her a temple of the Holy Spirit. He had been helping her for many years...from inside! Mary, my Mother, may I never forget to give thanks to God for my Baptism and to truly value it as the saints did.

5th January "Jn 1:43-51" Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" What a good friend Nathanael had! As soon as Philip was called by Jesus he went to tell his friend Nathanael. But this friend wasn't very impressed with the news. To his mind, Nazareth was not a city fit for prophets, let alone for the Messiah. However, Philip didn't try to convince Nathanael with arguments. He just said, "Come and see." Maybe Nathanael had no interest, but out of mere friendship, he went to see Jesus. In an instant, he fell on his knees and recognised Jesus as the "Son of God! ... the King of Israel!" We don't know if Philip was good at speeches. What we do know is that he was good at friendship. You can't help those you don't love. A clandestine group of Catholic Chinese families used to take turns to look after some Consecrated Hosts kept in a box in the absence of the priest. One day, a woman who was watching over the Eucharist at her home received a phone call and had to leave suddenly. She went to her next-door neighbour, a good friend but not Christian, and asked her to stay in her home and to keep an eye on the 'Box'. Out of friendship the neighbour agreed to look after the 'Box' in her absence, but first she wanted to know what was kept in it. The lady explained the Eucharist to her as best she could and left. When, an hour later, the lady came back, she found that her friend didn't want to leave. "Can I stay a bit more?" she asked, "I have never felt like this before!" A few months later, after her instruction, she was baptised and joined the 'Confraternity of Clandestine Worshipers of the Box'. All her friend did was to allow her neighbour to stay with Our Lord for an hour. Jesus did the rest. Mary, Queen of the Apostles, may I learn to bring my friends to your Son with the warmth of my affection.

4th January "Jn 1:35-42" John was standing with two of his disciples; and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" And they said to him, "Rabbi...where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. What was He like? That day John the Baptist was with John "the Beloved" and Andrew. They saw Jesus. There was something magnetic in that Person. The Baptist smiled, looked at the two disciples and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God! That's the One you should follow.' They rose immediately and followed Jesus. Jesus turned, and laid His eyes on them. It was the first time He looked the Beloved in the eyes. God had loved him, created him, chosen him - and that day, He met him. How did John and Andrew feel when Jesus looked at them with His captivating Eyes, an irresistible smile on His Face? A memorable moment that none of them forgot! Then Jesus opened His mouth and they heard His charming Voice for the first time: "What do you seek?" Perplexed for an instant, they were momentarily dumbstruck with the echo of those words resounding in their ears: "What do you seek?" O, Jesus! What do we seek?! We seek Someone who can fill our hearts with Love to the brim; we seek eternal happiness! We seek freedom from sin, we seek forgiveness; justice, redemption, hope; we seek Someone who is worth living with, Someone worth dying for. Jesus, we seek to quench the thirst for eternity that You put in our hearts. "Where are You, Lord? Where are You staying?!" "Come and see," Jesus said. And they went; they followed Him; and they stayed with Him that day, and the following day and the next...and for ever. And many years later, when John was a blind old man, he could still remember precisely: "it was about the tenth hour... how could I forget?!" That was the memorable day when they met Jesus, when they decided to follow Him, with determination: for ever! Mary, Mother of Jesus, help me get to know your Son, follow Him... and stay with Him for ever. Today can be 'My Memorable Day'!

The Most Holy Name of Jesus "Jn 1:29-34" The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God , who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.' I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptising with water, that he might be revealed to Israel...I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him...And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God." Until then Jesus had been hidden in Nazareth, known only by His parents, some relatives and a few friends. But now the time had come to reveal to all nations that God had sent His Only-Begotten Son to save them. In our Baptism we were made Christians and were given our names, but there was another 'Name' that was given to us in Baptism: the Name of Jesus, so that in that Name we could ask for everything and receive everything through It. In Harry Potter there are many powerful words (spells) - too many to memorise them all. Some are more useful than others: Expelliarmus is useful to disarm your opponent; Accio can summon objects at will to the caster; Lumos turns on your wand like a torch... and of course, Avada Kedavra supposedly destroys people. Well. Don't waste any time or memory space - they don't work in real life. Instead, the word that can be used for all purposes, especially in this battle against the enemy, is easy to memorise: the Name of Jesus. Jesus is the Word. Those five letters are the shortest and mightiest prayer ever given to mankind, the most beautiful aspiration to praise God, the loveliest Word to give thanks, the most comforting in time of distress, the most effective in time of temptation; the most powerful to banish the darkness of the enemy, the mist of doubt, the lack of trust; the most invincible prayer against any challenge to our faith, the fire that can burn up the remains of our sins... Jesus is the most compelling Name to be heard from Heaven: "If you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it you," Jesus said. The Holy Name of Jesus has worked wonders in the past. Mary, Mother of Jesus, how lovely is the Name of your Son. What could be impossible for me if I have that Name on my lips, in my mind, in my heart?

Mary, the Holy Mother of God "Lk 2:16-21"

And they went with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they saw it they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child; and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel. Mary, the Holy Mother of God, is the beginning. It just makes sense. She initiated our Redemption. She opens the New Year also. Is there any better way to kick off? You have heard that a good start is half of the battle. Let’s make that good start today, with Our Lady. We are still in the Christmas Season and we are reminded of Our Mother keeping all the memories of Jesus and "pondering" them in her Immaculate Heart. Christmas is a season to focus our sights on Jesus. There is no better way than to learn from Mary. To look at Him with the loving eyes of Our Lady. St John Paul II invites us to contemplate the Virgin’s gaze on her Child: “The contemplation of Christ has a remarkable model in Mary. In a unique way the face of the Son belongs to Mary. It was in her womb that Christ was formed, receiving from her a human resemblance which points to an even greater spiritual closeness. No one has ever devoted himself to the contemplation of the face of Christ as faithfully as Mary.” We hurry like curious little children to the crib - and there we find Jesus, in the arms of His enraptured Mother. As you are little you can get really close; in the arms of Mary there is room for two, Jesus and you. There, in silence, you look at Him and smile at her; you contemplate them both and you learn to love. And in the arms of Mary, beside that beautiful Baby, we promise for the New Year to struggle to be good children of Mary, to remain in her arms during the whole year, to try to grow in love with Jesus. Throughout this year that we begin today, with the Grace of God, may I keep my eyes on Jesus and, from your lap, Mary, my Mother, may I be like you, keeping a permanent dialogue with Jesus every single one of the 365 days of this year.

Sixth day within the Nativity Octave "Lk 2:36–40" And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favour of God was upon him. Anna was a holy woman. She was a soul of prayer and of penance. That made it possible for her to discover Jesus among all the people who visited the temple. She saw the Baby in the arms of Mary and she recognised Him. How many people were oblivious to the presence of God in their midst! How many passed by Mary, Joseph and Jesus and didn't recognise them. But Anna did. To be able to recognise someone you need to know that person first. And we get to know Jesus in the Eucharist and in our daily conversation with Him. But after meeting Jesus and giving thanks to God, Anna didn't keep her joy to herself. The Gospel says that she "spoke of him to all." She went around sharing her joy of having found Jesus and of knowing that our redemption had begun. She became the first 'apostle' to teach others about Jesus. Anna didn't think it was enough to give thanks to God for having found the Messiah. She didn't think it was enough to tell a few people about it. The Gospel says she spoke about Him to everyone. In an interview with St Teresa of Calcutta someone asked her if she and her sisters talked about God with the sick and poor. "Naturally!" she replied; "we teach them to pray, try to bring them to God through the sacrament of confession." The journalist made the point that we don't always have to talk about Jesus. The holy nun answered, "What else do we have to talk about, then? We would not be missionaries if we didn't talk about Jesus. We would be acting for something… but we act for Someone!" Mary, Queen of the Apostles, intercede for me that I can be daring enough to talk about your Son to everyone, with words and deeds.

Fifth day within the Nativity Octave "Lk 2:22-35"

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord...Simeon took Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation..." And his father and his mother marvelled at what was said about him. The presentation of a firstborn Jewish child in the temple served two purposes; the first was the redemption of the first-born and the second was the purification of the mother. In this case, Jesus didn't need to be redeemed because He was God of the Temple; similarly, Mary didn't need purification because she was Immaculate from her Conception. Nevertheless, they went to fulfil the law. That's today's first lesson. There Mary and Joseph were amazed at the things that were spoken about the Baby. At the end of this chapter, St Luke writes that Mary "kept all these things in her heart." Some of us are amazed at the number of things that our mothers can remember about us. How much mothers can store in their memory - in their heart - about each of their children! Things that they did, things that they said, things that they love, things that they fear and also things that they heard about them. Love increases our capacity to remember. Our Lady was filled with these memories. Many years later St Luke came to ask Mary about Jesus in order to write his Gospels. He couldn't have found a better source! The heart of Mary was an archive of memories about Jesus. She stored them; she meditated on them; she spoke with Jesus about them; in time, she could understand them more and more. That is mental prayer: To take all these things written in the Gospels and meditate on them in your heart. Can you imagine the prayer of Mary when she remembered all these things? So should be your prayer and mine. Mary, my Mother, during this season of Christmas you can give a boost to my mental prayer. With you, I'll take the Gospel as cherished memories about Jesus, I'll find Jesus there and get to know Him better and love Him more. "May you seek Christ; may you find Christ; may you love Christ!" (St Josemaría)

The Holy Innocents, martyrs "Mt 2:13-18"

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt...Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, was in a furious rage, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men. We call martyrs those saints who chose to give their lives for Jesus Christ. These innocent children also gave their lives but they didn't choose to. They were chosen for martyrdom. For centuries innocent lives have been taken and people can't help asking 'why?' The suffering of innocent children is still a scandal for our human hearts. That happened during WWII in a concentration camp. The Nazi guards decided one day to hang a child in front of thousands of prisoners in formation. Elie Wiesel, who writes the story, explains that the child was so light that he hanged, struggling to gasp, for more than half an hour. "Where is God now?" asked one of those prisoners forced to contemplate the suffering of the child. 'Behind me,' writes Wiesel, 'I heard the same man asking: "For goodness' sake, where is God?" And from within me, I heard a voice answer; "Where is He? This is where – hanging here from this gallows..."' God's agony didn't finish on Calvary. When innocent children cry, God mixes His Tears with theirs; when they bleed, God's Heart bleeds with them. If they ask you 'where is God?', tell them that God is on Calvary still, dying every day in the womb of some mothers; He is the Victim of famines, of epidemics, of wars, of abuses, of bullying, of mafias, of trafficking, of abandonment, of persecution, of terrorism, of injustice of any kind. God is still in agony in the suffering of innocents. But we are with you, Mary, Mother of all Innocents, helping Jesus to bear His Cross, comforting Him with our prayer and reminding Him with our love that all that He suffers for us is worthwhile; and asking God for the end of all this injustice.

December 22 "Lk 1:46–56"

Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden. For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is on those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm, he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts, he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree." Of course all generations would call you blessed, would they not? You are the Mother of God! Chosen from among millions to be the Mother of Jesus. And what did you say? "He who is mighty has done great things for me." It has all been God's doing. The only creature in the world who could boast about her gifts and talents, considers herself the handmaid of God. Blessed are you, Mother! When our friends praise us for our deeds, we thank them for their kindness. When Elizabeth extols Mary, Mary glorifies God. Mary receives praise as a mirror receives light; she doesn't store it but makes it pass from her to God, to whom is due all praise, all honour and thanksgiving. It is above all a wonderful praise of Almighty God, an act of thanksgiving for the goodness of the Creator. The shortened form of Mary's song – the 'Magnificat' – is: "Thank God." Mary's song has two notes: humility and joy. Her spirit rejoices because God has looked favourably on her humility. A box that is filled with sand cannot be filled with gold; a soul bursting with its own ego can never be filled with God. The emptier the soul is of self, the greater room in it for God. And Mary was all room, free space into which God could pour His Grace. God did great things in Mary because of her humility. He will hardly do great things in us if He doesn't also see our humility. Humility attracts the attention of God. "It was the virtue which attracted the gaze of the Most Holy Trinity to his Mother and our Mother: the humility of knowing and being aware of our nothingness... 'Because he has looked graciously upon the lowliness of his handmaid' ...I am more convinced every day that authentic humility is the supernatural basis for all virtues! Talk to Our Lady, so that she may train us to walk along that path". (St Josemaría)

December 21 "Lk 1:39-45"

Elizabeth exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." "Blessed is she who believed." Mary had prophesied that many would call her blessed, and so it is. For centuries, millions of times a day, from all over the world, in all languages, people have called her blessed. How did she attract those blessings? The last blessing of Elizabeth in today's Gospel explains it: "Blessed is she who believed". Yes, Our Lady believed. She believed the Prophets, she believed her ancestors, she believed the Angel, but most of all, she believed God. The Incarnation happened because she believed. As a good daughter, she is blessed because she trusted her Father. In the 1800s, an acrobat named Blondin became famous for crossing Niagara Falls on a tightrope. One day a crowd gathered at the falls to see his most dangerous attempt yet. He planned to push an empty wheelbarrow across the tightrope. The slightest miscalculation could send him plunging to his death in the raging waters 160 feet below. Thousands watched breathlessly as he made his way to the other side, oblivious to the roar of the waters. The throng broke into cheers when his feet were firmly planted back on solid ground. He then challenged a reporter: "Do you believe I can do anything on a tightrope?" "Oh yes, Mr Blondin," replied the reporter enthusiastically. "Do you believe," continued the acrobat, "that I can do it with a full wheelbarrow?" "Sure you can!" answered the man with conviction, wanting to see it. "In that case," Blondin added, "get into the wheelbarrow!" Those who have faith, who trust God, have to prove it with deeds - just as Mary did. Blessed are you, Mother, for you believed; blessed because you trusted God and got into the wheelbarrow. And I feel blessed also for being your child; I ask you to intercede for me that I may grow in faith.

December 20 "Lk 1:26-38"

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus." O, Gabriel, what a decisive moment in history! Among the millions of Angels it fell to you to deliver the most important message ever announced. How many centuries practising your lines! In this divine play that started millions of centuries ago we were all given lines; but yours, Gabriel, were the most important ever to be spoken by a creature (after those of Mary, of course). You had three parts in the play: one with Zechariah, one with Joseph (although this was only in his dreams) and the one that was every Angel's dream to deliver, your message to Mary. How was it? Actually, how was she? Were you nervous? The salvation of the whole human race depended on the outcome of that conversation with Mary. What if your sudden appearance frightened her? What if your words wouldn't come out? What if you missed out a line? And what if...what if Mary said 'No'? But, of course, that couldn't happen...could it? Well, you, Gabriel, had centuries to prepare your lines, but not Mary. You had read the script millions of years ago, but Mary hadn't. You, Gabriel, were given your lines, but Mary wasn't. There were no lines for her in the script. There was a gap that only she could fill. All the Angels in Heaven knew the question. All the Archangels, patriarchs - and God Himself - knew your lines, Gabriel. And all of them waited eagerly for the reply. And that is the case for every vocation, for every mission that God gives men. Angels, Archangels, Saints and Holy Souls - and God Himself - know my calling and mission. What they don't know, what they are still waiting for, what history hasn't heard yet, is my reply. Here it is: Holy Mary, through your intercession, be it done unto me according to God's Word!

December 19 "Lk 1:5–25"

The angel said to Zechariah, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John"...And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years." And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel...and behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things come to pass, because you did not believe my words." Zechariah was a godly man. However, when the Archangel Gabriel confirmed that Zechariah's prayer was heard, he wasn't ready to believe it: "How shall I know this?" How can I be sure? Was it not enough to receive the visit of an Archangel? As Jesus complained to St Faustina, "Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me." Many people find it difficult to make decisions out of fear: 'What if...?' More than daydreaming, it is day-nightmaring. They are petrified by the thought of some potential future calamities that could happen. Then the safest route is not to take any route. But not to make any decision is already a decision - the decision not to trust in God. One day Fr Lainez was quizzed by St Ignatius of Loyola. "If God gave you the choice between going straightaway to Heaven or staying here on earth working for His Glory - but risking your salvation - what would you choose?" Lainez answered quickly: "I'd certainly choose the first: my salvation." Then St Ignatius replied: "I'd rather choose the second. How could God allow my condemnation as a consequence of a previous act of generosity on my part?" Risk is part of human life. We can't do anything at all if we don't take some risks. To walk you have to take the risk of lifting one foot and balancing all your weight on the other. But if you don't... you can't walk! And what if I make a mistake? Don't worry! If you make it out of trust in God, He knows how to turn that mistake into something good. Mary, my Mother of God, help me to trust God more and to be daring in following His promptings.

Friday 2nd week of Advent "Mt 11:16-19"

"But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places and calling to their playmates, 'We piped to you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon'; the Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds." Jesus complained about those who are never satisfied with anything. St John the Baptist had been preaching for them and they wouldn't listen to him; maybe they thought he was too harsh or too radical or too rustic... Then came Jesus and they didn't like Him either. They were expecting someone different. This happened many times in the history of Israel: they were never happy with the prophets that God gave them or with the messages that Our Lord sent to them. Have you heard the legend of Procrustes? He had an iron bed which all his victims 'had to' fit into. If a guest was shorter than the bed he would stretch him. And if the victim was longer than the bed he would cut off his legs... Some people can be a bit like Procrustes. Nothing ever meets their expectations. Not even God. At the end of the day, it was just pride: 'St John didn't eat; Jesus ate too much...' When people don't want to change their way of life they always make excuses. Imagine that a doctor tells a man to follow an uncomfortable diet to stay healthy. What would you think if that man refused to follow the diet, claiming that the doctor smokes or drinks too much? Excuses! He just doesn't want to follow the diet. Or if a man doesn't want to take the medicine because the doctor who prescribed it is a gambler? Some people who are not interested in going to Mass or confessing their sins, praying a bit more, giving money to the poor or lending a hand to their neighbours... they may try to accuse someone else of other vices to justify themselves and not do anything. Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, do not allow me to make excuses when your Son makes demands on me and when His plan doesn't coincide with my 'project'. Mother, teach me with your life that God can never ask too much of me.

Thursday 2nd week of Advent "Mt 11:11-15"

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and men of violence take it by force." Our Lord warned us that Christian life is a 'struggle'. It is a struggle to do your prayer, to say the Rosary, to go to Mass, to make good use of your time, to work hard and with perfection, to offer up sacrifices... It is a struggle because we have to "take it by force." Our struggle for holiness is a real battle against the enemy; he never gives up, but nor do we. To win this war we need to know the enemy well. In a war, if you know your opponent's strategy, their best soldiers, weapons and moves, their weak and strong points... you can plan your strategy better. And our enemy in this war for holiness has very predictable moves and obvious weak points. Think about the times he has beaten you: it has always happened in the same 'ways'. For example, you start wasting time and temptation comes; you stop doing what you should be doing or you start thinking about yourself or criticising someone else interiorly and you find yourself in temptation. When you allow these things to happen, you've already opened the door to the enemy; you are fighting now behind the enemy lines. On the contrary, if you fight against those things, the enemy always finds the door well shut. You are fighting on your own ground and the enemy has to comply and fight where you want, not where he wants. If we struggle to make good use of our time, if we stop thoughts of vanity or criticism of others, if we are doing what we should be doing all the time, if we are looking for new sacrifices to offer, new people to help, new good things to do... the enemy has no chance. It is like playing a football match in the opponent's half - they will never score and will let in goals one after another. Whilst the enemy has to defend himself, he can't attack. And he has to defend when we spend the whole day struggling to do what we have to do, pray as we have to pray, help whoever we should help and try all the time to become a saint.

Wednesday 2nd week of Advent "Mt 11:28-30"

"Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." For some the demands of being a disciple of Jesus are too much. They feel overwhelmed with all their responsibilities: 'I have to pray, to offer sacrifices, to finish my work, do my jobs, to live charity with this person, to read, to...' They feel like they are doing more than everyone else. They are anxious, stressed, harassed, worried, frenetic... they spend the day complaining and don't find time for God. There is a rule we can follow to know whether a burden comes from God or not: its weight. If it is from God, He helps us to carry it. There is a joke about a tough man, very strong, who was helping his mother to move house, taking the furniture to a neighbouring one. A wardrobe didn't fit in the lorry. Being just one mile away, his mum told him to ask his brother for help and between them both to take it to the new house. After half an hour the lady saw her husky son approaching the house alone, staggering and sweating beneath the wardrobe. She opened the door and blurted out, "Didn't I tell you to ask your brother for help?" "But he is helping," replied the son, "he is inside holding the hangers!" Sometimes we are like that. The burden is heavy because we don't know how to accept it and we don't ask Our Lord for help; but Our Lord never sends us anything we can't cope with. His yoke is easy, He says. Have you seen those ladies carrying heavy burdens on their heads? The secret is in the 'balance'. In our lives, to cope with all our responsibilities, the secret is also 'balance': balance between prayer and action. Those burdens, taken for and with Jesus, become opportunities to sanctify ourselves. Complaining about your burdens would be like a bird complaining about the weight of its wings! Wings are a lovely burden for an eagle, for they allow it to soar! Mary, my Mother, may I never complain about the burden that God puts on my shoulders but rather, give thanks to Him and use that to soar to the heights of holiness.