Daily Thought

Pope Francis On Hope & The Holy Spirit Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! In the imminence of the Solemnity of Pentecost, we cannot but speak of the relation there is between Christian hope and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is the wind that drives us on, that keeps us on the way, makes us feel ourselves pilgrims and strangers, and does not permit us to ensconce ourselves and to become a “sedentary” people. The Letter to the Hebrews compares hope to an anchor (Cf. 6:18-19); and to this image we can add that of the sail. If the anchor is what gives the boat security and keeps it “anchored” between the waves of the sea, the sail, instead, is what makes it go and advance on the waters. Hope is truly like a sail; it receives the wind of the Spirit and transforms it into the driving force that pushes the boat, depending on the circumstances, to the open sea or to the shore. The Apostle Paul ends his Letter to the Romans with this wish: hear well, listen well to this beautif

Great Insights Into The Ascension by the Doctor of Grace Today our Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven; let our hearts ascend with him. Listen to the words of the Apostle: If you have risen with Christ, set your hearts on the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God; seek the things that are above, not the things that are on earth. For just as he remained with us even after his ascension, so we too are already in heaven with him, even though what is promised us has not yet been fulfilled in our bodies. Christ is now exalted above the heavens, but he still suffers on earth all the pain that we, the members of his body, have to bear. He showed this when he cried out from above: Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? and when he said: I was hungry and you gave me food. Why do we on earth not strive to find rest with him in heaven even now, through the faith, hope and love that unites us to him?  While in heaven he is also with us; and we while on eart

Without A Vision The People Perish       My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace, and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity. They cannot, however, be understood apart from a profound reflection upon the innate dignity of every human life from conception to natural death: a dignity conferred by God himself and thus inviolable. Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation and division, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses, and the pain of false promises. Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life where love endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, where freedom finds meaning in truth, and where identity is found in respectful communion. This is the work of the Holy Spirit! This is the hope held out by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is to bear witness to this reality that you were created anew at Baptism and strengthened through

Hope & The Road To Emmaus Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! Today I would like to reflect on the experience of the two disciples of Emmaus, of which Luke’s Gospel speaks (Cf. 24:13-35). Let us imagine the scene: two men are walking disappointed, sad, convinced of leaving behind them the bitterness of an event that ended badly. Before that Passover they were full of enthusiasm: convinced that those days would have been decisive for their expectations and for the hope of all the people. Jesus, to whom they had entrusted their life, seemed to have arrived finally to the decisive battle: now He would have manifested His power, after a long period of preparation and hiddenness. This is what they were expecting, and it was not so. The two pilgrims nourished only a human hope, which was now shattered. That cross, raised on Calvary, was the most eloquent sign of a defeat, which they had not foreseen. If that Jesus was truly according to God’s heart, they had to conclude that

On The Coming of The Holy Spirit Dear Brothers and Sisters, good morning! Today’s Gospel (Cf. John 14:15-21), continuation of last Sunday’s, takes us to that moving and dramatic moment, which is Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples. John the Evangelist gathers from the Lord’s mouth and heart His last teachings, before His Passion and Death. Jesus promises His friends, in that sad, dark moment, that, after Him, they will receive “another Paraclete” (v. 16). This word means another “Advocate,” another Defender, another Consoler: “the Spirit of truth” (v. 17); and He adds” “I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you” (v. 18). These words transmit the joy of a new coming of Christ: He, risen and glorified, abides in the Father and, at the same time, comes to us in the Holy Spirit. And in this, His new coming, our union with Him and with the Father is revealed: “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you” (v. 20). Meditating on these words

Living Out Our Baptism! The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:  — enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues; — giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit; — allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues. Thus the whole organism of the Christian’s supernatural life has its roots in Baptism. Catholic Church. (2000). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd Ed., p. 322). Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference. #1266

The Characteristics of A Loving Heart A truly loving heart loves God's good pleasure, not only in consolations but also in afflictions, trials and crosses. In fact, in such cases it even loves more. Love does just this; it makes the lover ready to suffer for the beloved. St. Francis de Sales

Pope Francis' Tweet For Today God makes His most beautiful flowers grow among the driest stones. 

Strength For Today          O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me, and I shall meet it with peace.   St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

A Dilemma For Every Generation         Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.    Leo Tolstoy

How Faith In Christ Radically Transforms Our Life     Faith’s new way of seeing things is centred on Christ. Faith in Christ brings salvation because in him our lives become radically open to a love that precedes us, a love that transforms us from within, acting in us and through us. This is clearly seen in Saint Paul’s exegesis of a text from Deuteronomy, an exegesis consonant with the heart of the Old Testament message. Moses tells the people that God’s command is neither too high nor too far away. There is no need to say: "Who will go up for us to heaven and bring it to us?" or "Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us?" (Dt 30:11-14). Paul interprets this nearness of God’s word in terms of Christ’s presence in the Christian. "Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead)" (Rom 10:6-7). Christ cam

The Grace of Perseverance The Voice of Christ: My child, only he who perseveres to the end will be saved. Good resolutions will not help you unless they are followed right to the end of life. With the help of My grace, be determined to follow My will in your daily life. Follow it regardless of feelings. Moods and feelings will change with the changing hour of the day, but your will must stand firm in loyalty to Me. Sometimes you will enjoy what I send you, and sometimes you will dislike it. At times you will be eager to obey me, and at other times you will be sluggish. Yet your will can rise, with the help of My grace, above these changing feelings. Your true worth is proved by a determined effort to follow your good resolutions. The Fathers of the desert learned this heavenly wisdom long ago. Never were they fooled by the devil’s temptations nor by the self-deception of their human nature. By prayer, fasting, penance, and work, they overcame the enemies within them and outs

How The Holy Spirit Moves The truths of the Church forge ahead: they are strengthened with years, develop with time, become profound with age, and because they grow stronger with time and years and broaden with time and become more prominent with the age of the Church. St. Vincent of Lerins

Hope Is Always For Others Our hope is always essentially also hope for others; only thus is it truly hope for me too . As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well. Benedict XVI. (2007). Spe Salvi. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. #48

Our Words Reflect Our Soul Our words are a faithful index of the state of our souls. St. Francis de Sales

We Have An Incredible Destiny! Life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this - in truth, in goodness, and in beauty - that we find happiness and joy. Pope Benedict XVI

The Cross - Sign Of God's Love        Dear young friends, may Christ’s love for us increase your joy and encourage you to go in search of those less fortunate. You are open to the idea of sharing your lives with others, so be sure not to pass by on the other side in the face of human suffering, for it is here that God expects you to give of your very best: your capacity for love and compassion. The different forms of suffering that have unfolded before our eyes in the course of this Way of the Cross are the Lord’s way of summoning us to spend our lives following in his footsteps and becoming signs of his consolation and salvation. “To suffer with the other and for others; to suffer for the sake of truth and justice; to suffer out of love and in order to become a person who truly loves — these are fundamental elements of humanity, and to abandon them would destroy man himself” (ibid.).      Let us eagerly welcome these teachings and put them into practice. Let us look upon Ch