By Martin Mazloom The theme of thanksgiving is inextricably woven into St. Josemaría’s life and books. In his collection of spiritual meditations The Way, he emphasizes the Christian’s duty to constantly thank Our Father: “Make it a habit to raise your heart to God, in acts of thanksgiving, many times a day. Because He gives […]
The liturgical year is coming to a close and in the holy sacrifice of the altar we renew the offering of the victim to the Father — the offering of Christ, the king of justice, love and peace, as we shall read shortly in the preface. You all experience a great joy in your souls as […]
We are here, consummati in unum! united in prayer and intention, and ready to begin this period of conversation with Our Lord, having renewed our desires to be effective instruments in his hands. Before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament — how I love to make an act of explicit faith in the real presence of […]
“He who lives by faith may meet with difficulty and struggle, suffering and even bitterness, but never depression or anguish, because he knows that his life is worthwhile, he knows why he has been born.” St. Josemaria Escriva Christ is Passing By, no. 45 Carmelites all over the world begin celebrating the fifth centenary […]
You hear people saying sometimes that there are fewer miracles nowadays. Might it not rather be that there are fewer people living a life of faith? God cannot go back on his promise, ‘Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.’ […]
All the feasts of Our Lady are great events, because they are opportunities that the Church gives us to show with deeds that we love Mary. But if I had to choose one among all her feasts, I would choose today’s, the feast of the divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin.
In the seventh chapter of his gospel, St Luke writes: ‘One of the Pharisees invited him to a meal; so he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.’ At this point a woman, who is known publicly in the city as a sinner, arrives and comes up to wash the […]
“In order to bring peace, genuine peace, to souls; in order to transform the earth and to seek God Our Lord in the world and through the things of the world, personal sanctity is indispensable. (…) “There is only one way to become more familiar with God, to increase our trust in him. We must […]
Allow me to remind you that among other evident signs of a lack of humility are: Thinking that what you do or say is better than what others do or say; Always wanting to get your own way; Arguing when you are not right or — when you are — insisting stubbornly or with bad […]
“Not to hate one’s enemies, not to return evil for evil, to refrain from vengeance and to forgive ungrudgingly were all considered at that time unusual behaviour, too heroic for normal men…. But Christ wanted to teach his disciples — you and me — to have a great and sincere charity, one which is more […]
Christian apostolate is not a political program or a cultural alternative. It implies the spreading of good, “infecting” others with a desire to love, sowing peace and joy. There is no doubt that this apostolate will produce spiritual benefits for all: more justice, more understanding and a greater mutual respect among men. There are many […]
Among all the temporal activities that can be sanctified, daily work holds a primordial place in St. Josemaria’s teaching. He constantly stressed that the sanctification of work “is, as it were, the hinge of true spirituality for people who, like us, have decided to come close to God while being at the same time fully […]
In Part II of our interview with Fr. Evans, he answers questions about St Josemaria Escriva and education and about the spiritual lives of students today.
Based in London, Father Joe Evans has been working with young people and university students for over 20 years. Father Evans is Catholic chaplain to King’s College London and the Institute of Education, both part of the University of London. He helped found “Reach Out!” a mentoring project for children in disadvantaged urban areas. From […]
“A mature and profound Christian life cannot be improvised, because it is the result of the growth of God’s grace in us. In the Acts of the Apostles we find the early Christian community described in a single sentence, brief but full of meaning: ‘and they continued steadfastly in the teaching of the apostles and […]
“‘The doors were locked,’ but ‘They rejoiced when they saw the Lord.’ The disciples were afraid—afraid of being harmed, insecure about the future. Better not let anybody in. This is how we are at times: Jesus stands knocking at our door and we are barricaded on the inside, afraid of something new, different, or unexpected. […]
“A truly prudent person is ever attentive to God’s promptings and, through this vigilant listening, he receives in his soul the promise and reality of salvation: ‘I glorify thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for having hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to little ones’” (Friends of God, 87). […]
Like every Christian celebration, today’s is one of peace. The palm branches, with their ancient symbolism, recall a scene of the book of Genesis: “After waiting seven more days, Noah again sent out the dove from the ark. In the evening, the dove came back to him and there was a new olive branch in […]
In his powerful reflection on the Way of the Cross, St Josemaria Escriva asks a poignant question which can be of great assistance to anyone who desires to enter more fully into the Gospel stories we hear and read on a daily basis at Holy Mass.
Let us not be afraid. The Church, which is the Body of Christ must indefectibly be the path and the sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, the strong foundation and the way open to all men.
