I've said many times that in the spiritual life is to walk in good faith, without prejudice and without arrogance

January 31

 I've said many times that in the spiritual life is to walk in good faith, without prejudice and without arrogance. Do this: Apply, to the extent permitted by your ability and your weakness, want to always do good. If you succeed, praise and thank the Lord for this, if, despite all your attention and good will, do not get it in whole or in part, deeply humble yourself before God, but not discouraged, Resolve to be more careful in the future, asks God's help, and move on.
I know you do not want to do evil intentionally. And the other ills that the Lord allows and that you commit without you want to humbly serve you, to stay out of vainglory. So fear not and do not panic in front just in case your conscience because you know well that, after strive and do all in your hands, there is no reason to fear and anxiety.
(January 30, 1919, Marcelino Diconsole Fray - Ep. IV, p. 396)

Undo edits

I have no desire except to die or to love God

January 30

I have no desire except to die or  to love God; either death or love, since life without this love is worse than death and for me it would be more unbearable than it is at present (Letters I, p. 937).

Why are you troubled in your spirit?

January 30
My son, why are you troubled in your spirit? Why do you look full of miseries and weaknesses? Well, here is another reason to make a profit for your soul. Here is another source of credit for you. Humble yourself before the good God's grace continually ask out of this state of disease and weaknesses ardently wish him, and not stop doing what you know you can do to heal.
Meanwhile, if you would be perfect, be patient in enduring your imperfections. This is an important point for the soul who has professed to seek perfection. "In your patience - the divine Teacher says - possess your soul." Therefore, be patient to put up with yourself and your own illness, and, meanwhile, ingéniate to implement ways you know, and you've learned from me and others. Your miseries and weaknesses should not scare you, because Jesus has seen much worse on you, and why not rejected you. Much less now that you will reject by all means try to heal. The divine mercy has never rejected this kind of miserable, on the contrary, grants his grace, putting the throne of his glory for his ambition and villainy.
(January 30, 1919, Marcelino Diconsole Fray - Ep. IV, p. 396)

the king is God, your beauty

January 27

 If Providence has removed from us the reason for neglecting the soul to worry about improving our body, has infinite wisdom of God to be put into our hands all the means to beautify our souls, even after having deformed the guilt. Just that the soul wants to cooperate with divine grace to her beauty to achieve such glory, such beauty, such beauty that will attract to itself, for love or awe, not only the eyes of the angels but those of God himself, according to testimony by the same sacred scripture: "the king is God, your beauty."
(November 16, 1914, at Raffaelina Cerase - Letter´s. II, p. 226)

Lose yourself in the divine heart of Jesus, and all your worries leave it to him

January 26
Keep up the good cheer: Lose yourself in the divine heart of Jesus, and all your worries leave it to him. Stand ever in the last group who love the Lord, taking them all better than you. Be truly humble to others, because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. The bigger the graces and favors of Jesus in your soul, the more you humble yourself, always imitating the humility of our Mother in heaven, which, at the instant it becomes Mother of God, declaring himself the servant and slave God. In the prosperous and adverse things happen to you, humble yourself always under the mighty hand of God, accepting with humility and patience, not only those things that are to your liking, but also, and with humility and patience, all the tribulations he will send to make you more and more pleasing to him and more worthy of the heavenly homeland.
Being tempted is a clear sign that the soul is very pleasing to the Lord. Accept, then, all in an attitude of gratitude. Do not think this is just my opinion, no, the Lord himself gave his word of God: "And because you are pleasing to God - the angel said to Tobias (and Tobias in the person of all souls pleasing to God) - was necessary for you to try the temptation. "
Cheer up, then, beloved daughter of Jesus and be happy too, even amid the trials and tribulations, knowing that this is a very unique gift that the goodness of the Heavenly Father does to your soul and all I know forever grateful such a good Father, through His beloved Son Jesus Christ.
(January 29, 1915, to Anita Rodotà - Ep. III, p. 48)

Deshacer cambios

A call, a Vocation ¡A commitment!

Peace and GoodA call ...A Vocation ...A commitment ...Today we are celebrating with joy the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles by the grace of God. It's a celebration to be getting ready. Words, it should lead us to discover the wonderful work God is doing in a heart to love and serve Him without limits. Therefore, we are not satisfied with knowing, talking, telling the glory of the saints, how to imitate so as to leave them free rein to the Spirit of God to go to make each one of us instruments of peace and love.Saul and Saul (10-67), later known as Paul, was born in Tarsus (Asia Minor) Hebrew family. Roman citizen by birth in a free city. He was educated in his youth by the sage Rabbi Gamaliel in the Pharisaic doctrines. Bitter enemy of the nascent Church and involved in the death of Stephen, the first Christian martyr, his life abruptly changed by his encounter on the road to Damascus with the Risen Lord. Jesus said the truth of the Christian faith and told him about his special mission as an apostle of the Gentiles (cf. Acts 9).We are around the year 36 and is from this moment, when Paul dedicated his life to serving Christ. He spent three years in the Arabian desert, then back to Damascus, goes up to Jerusalem about the year 39, to retire later to Syria-Cilicia. Begins his preaching at Antioch, to immediately undertake his first apostolic journey, we are more or less between 45-49, announced the good news of Cyprus, Pamphylia, Pisidia and Lycaonia.In 49 participates and the apostolic council of Jerusalem, which is recognized his great mission as an apostle of the Gentiles. Around 50-52 years continues his second missionary journey and between the third 53-54.The year 58 is arrested in Jerusalem and kept in prison in Caesarea of ​​Palestine until the year 60. In the autumn of this year, the governor Festus sent under escort to Rome, where Paul remained two years (61-63). Conducted the process is free. It is likely that this situation has led to Spain, as argued (Rom 15:24), and other regions of the East.Finally, about AD 67 is taken prisoner again in Rome where it meets the palm of martyrdom.The importance of the "Apostle of the Gentiles", Paul of Tarsus, the Christian conscience was to focus on the three accounts of his conversion that appear in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 9.1 to 30, 22.3 to 21; 26.9 to 30).So, today celebrated the Liturgy persecutor who became the "chosen instrument" and "propagator of your glory." "The former persecutor is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy" (Gal 1.14). The conversion experience of Paul explains his life and activity. "For me life is Christ and to die is gain" (Phil 1.21). "I live by faith in the Son of God" (Gal 2.20). "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1.2). It also explains why he made of his life "every church service" and why "preach the gospel for Paul was not pride but a duty" (1 Cor 9.16).Celebrate the Feast of the Apostle of the Gentiles is to recognize the immense work of God "desires all men to be saved and come to know the truth. Because God is unique, as is also the only mediator between God and men: a man, Jesus Christ, who gave himself to redeem all "(1 Tim 2:4-6). This desire becomes concrete in the context of prayer for Christian unity, we conclude today.Then seeing ourselves and thanking the Father of mercies and God of all comfort we rejoice in the example so big and deep that gives us through St. Paul, and also ask us to be able to let us meet him and make the project of the Kingdom of God, a project committed to our lives.Peace and GoodPaul Fray Capuchin missionary.

Christ is my life: Conversion of St. Paul

January 25
In St. Paul came from these two feelings of perfect charity. Of being dissolved to join Jesus Christ in glory perfect union, which would have been better for him, or whether it was more desirable than continue living on this earth, and this desire was driven only by perfect charity which was their God. In contrast, the other feeling or desire came to him also a perfect charity, but had as its immediate object the salvation of others. In other words, this desire was driven by the main object, God, but was embodied by reflection in the salvation of souls.
The first wish, ie be dissolved this body, he sees it and finds it more useful to himself, and what you want with all the ardor with which a righteous soul may want to join your God. In contrast, the second wish, that is, to leave or, rather, to continue living in the middle of the work and toil, for the salvation of souls, he was filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ, sees more necessary for others or, better, having been revealed (as it appears from what he says immediately after, and the very fact seems to confirm my interpretation, because he was martyred at the time, but was released) of that would not die then, and I have resigned for the sake of the salvation of souls, the way a child loves his father dearly, is submitted, by the affection he has for the humiliations and compliance very low exact certain services that impose pleasing her father.
This tender son does it all, not only not violate in any way the wish of his father, but to please him in everything.
(23 February 1915, at Raffaelina Cerase - Letter´s. II, p. 340)

Deshacer cambios

For me life is Christ

January 23

 Why, then, we live? After having consecrated to him in baptism, we are all in Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Christian should be to endorse the saying of the holy Apostle: "For me life is Christ," I live for Jesus Christ, living for his glory, I live to serve, I live to love. And when God wants us to take life, the feeling, affection, we should have should be just that of one who, after fatigue, will receive the reward of one who, after the fight, you will receive the crown .
Like if, like us, oh, my dear Raffaelina, savor the sublime disposition of the soul of this great apostle! It's true that all souls who love God are willing to do anything for love the same God, having the full conviction that everything is in their own benefit. We are always prepared to recognize in every event of life-wise order of divine providence, worship and have to conform our will always and everywhere to God, and who thus glorify the heavenly Father and we all will benefit for eternal life.
(23 February 1915, at Raffaelina Cerase - Letter´s. II, p. 340)

I found my soul loveth ... I hugged him and release him

January 21
My soul melts with sorrow and love, bitterness and sweetness at the same time. What shall I do to support such an immense act of the Almighty? What I have in me, and is of such joy that brings me, without being able to avoid, to say to Our Lady: "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
What I have in me, and I feel the urge to say with the bride in the Song of Songs: "I found my soul loveth ... I hugged him and release him. "But when I am unable to support the weight of this infinite love, to keep entirely on the smallness of my existence, and terror invades me, because you may have to leave by the inability to contain it within the narrow confines of my heart .
This thought, which, on the other hand, is not unfounded (I measure my strength, which are very limited, unable and powerless to have always strongly embraced this divine love), torture me, grieves me, and I feel the heart leaps in my chest.
(January 12, 1919, Fr Benedict of San Marco in Lamis - Letter's. I, p. 1111)

Be careful not to lose sight of the divine presence

January 13

 Be careful not to lose sight of the divine presence because of the activities you do. No task ever undertaken any action somehow or other, without having raised before the mind to God, addressing him with holy intent, the actions you perform. Will do the same with thanksgiving at the end of all your activities, if all you examinándote made ​​following the line desired at first intended, and if you are stained humbly asks forgiveness from the Lord, with the firm resolution to correct the errors.
You must not grieve nor be discouraged if your actions do not go looking for perfection that your intention, what you want! We are fragile, we land, and not road produces the same fruits as the intention of the sower. But, to our miseries, always humble ourselves, recognizing that we are nothing without God's help.
(December 17, 1914, at Raffaelina Cerase - Ep. II, p. 273)

To walk with caution in the pursuit of eternal salvation.

January 11

Knowledge of the potential indignity, which consists in knowing what would be or what we could do without the assistance of grace, and we have discussed so far, not to be confused with the actual unworthiness. The first makes the creature acceptable and pleasing to the eyes of the Almighty, the second makes it detestable, because it is a reflection of the evil present in the soul, in consciousness.

You, in the darkness in which you find most of the time, confound one another, and knowledge of what you may be, and are afraid that what is only possible for you.

Ignoring whether to God are worthy of love or hate, is suffering and not a punishment, because no one is afraid of being unworthy when you really want it to be or is. Such uncertainty is allowed by God to all human beings, so they do not puffed up and to walk with caution in the pursuit of eternal salvation.
(December 7, 1916, the sisters Ventrella - Letter. III, p. 541)

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

BAPTISM OF THE LORDTo end the cycle of the Nativity of the Lord, today the Church celebrates, commemorates the baptism of Jesus in the JordanAt that time John preached, saying, 'After me comes he who is mightier than I, and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize with the Holy Spirit. "And it came to pass in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in Jordan. In out of the water he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit like a dove, descending upon him. And a voice came from heaven: "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1.7 to 11)
Many times in our logic and our experience of faith seem to have great contradictions because sometimes we do not understand what God means when he speaks or acts. And not because God does not really have an incomprehensible language or alien, but simply because we are often not in tune with him. We do not connect. Our "web" of relationships with God suffers interference because we often want to be connected with Him and with other relationships or conversations in which we can not focus and concentrate all our attention and wonder of our meeting and dialogue with God.Today they happily celebrate the "Baptism of the Lord" While we can ask: Jesus, He also had perhaps need to be baptized like me? This is one of the apparent contradictions to which I referred in the first lines of this reflection. The blunt answer is: Of course not! Jesus had no need to be baptized. Wanted to be baptized to show love that had become "one" like us in all. But mostly I wanted to end the baptism "of water." John the Baptist says this: "I baptize you with water, but He will baptize with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1.8) ἐγὼ ἐβάπτισα ὑμᾶς ὕδατι, αὐτὸς δὲ βαπτίσει ὑμᾶς πνεύματι ἁγίῳ. Jesus wanted from this moment to inaugurate the baptism "of the Spirit." In the Jordan River was not the purified water that Jesus, but it was Jesus who purified the water. It was the water that Jesus sanctified, but the water was sanctified by Jesus, not only the water of Jordan, but the water of all the baptistery of the world and all time. Jesus through baptism and wanted to devote himself to do so throughout the "Will of God." It is a sign of faithfulness to God and the full commitment and belonging to HimAnd we how we live our own baptism? Where is our own baptism? My own baptism What does it mean for me? Celebrating the day I was born to God? Do I know the exact date? How do I live my own baptism? Celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord is an excellent opportunity to reflect on our own baptism.Like all the sacraments, baptism consists of two parts, or is composed of two things: gestures and words. Worth visiting very briefly the components of the rite of baptism. 1 °. The imposition of the name: after the minister asked what name you want to give the child / a, pronounced for the first time in public, which is the name for eternity. This is important: is the name for eternity: But now thus saith the Lord your Creator, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you I have called you by name, my you. (Is 43.1). The name is intended to accompany the child throughout life, so it is important to know how to choose properly the name of the child.2 °. Renounce Satan and profession of faith. This means being very aware of how alive and how I'm willing to live since I've been a child or sponsor a child to be baptized. Banish evil from our lives, selfishness, everything that separates us, not divide and makes us unworthy of the name of Christian. While it is true that we speak on behalf of the child, also renew our baptismal commitment each time we partake of the liturgy of baptism. The profession of faith must believe, accept and embrace God as the only important, indispensable and essential in my life.Let us now turn to the true and proper time of baptism. At the center of the other signs and elements, the water becomes fully apparent. Is the element that Jesus wanted to use the water of Jordan, the water that flowed from Christ's side. Because water baptism a child becomes dear to the early Christians who called her "our water". St. Francis of Assisi called: "Sister humble water is precious and chaste." Water is therefore a sign of life, regeneration, cleaning and destruction. Also this last feature is important. Water destroys death and leads to true life.The celebrant asks the parents and godparents who comes to the baptismal font, and pouring it would be better by dipping three times a child in the water, solemnly pronounces the words taught by the Master, Jesus Christ our Lord. "John, I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." Spilled or immersed in water three times a child, means that for three days Jesus was buried under the earth and the third day rose again.The words "in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." They submit to the Holy Trinity. This means that in baptism we profess the two greatest mysteries of our faith, with the gestures we remember the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ. With the words, we recognize and remember the unity and Trinity of God.God is wonderfully unique, the acting is always vastly superior to the means employed and the results obtained. The medium is extremely simple: a little water and the word. The results, great: once baptized person becomes a child of God and the temple of the Trinity. The baptized person is a new creature has been reborn of water and the Spirit, has become a child of God, a member of the body of Christ, which is the Church and living temple of the Holy Spirit. Heavenly Father decides on each child or adult, emerging from the baptismal font, the words that first told about Jesus after he was baptized by John in and out of Jordan, "Thou art my beloved Son, my beloved: in you I am well pleased. This is only God's work.The white garment: A sign of innocence, purity, beauty that parents and godparents should help to keep for a lifetime.The rite of light: the priest lights the paschal candle and gives it to Dad, is a symbol of faith, that parents and godparents are to convey to the child.He is obviously pre-baptismal anointing and post-baptismal anointing sign of belonging to God in the full sense of the word.I wish that all who read these simple words help us to appreciate and understand more of our own baptism.January 9, 2012Baptism of the Lord.Capuchin Missionary Paul Fray.

Run, therefore, and not get tired

January 9
The knowledge of the divine on you must serve the one hand, to exercise your soul in gratitude to such a good father, lavishing your soul in thanksgiving to continuous heavenly benefactor, uniting for this purpose your blessings to the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculate, the angels and all the blessed inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem. On the other hand, it should serve as a push, not to scare you and not stop half-way, for the sorrows and pains that need support to reach the goal of this long road.
The Lord has allowed me to show yourself all these things, especially you are not insecure in your career. Run, therefore, and not get tired, the Lord will guide and direct your steps to not fall in this way. Run, I say, because the road is long and time is quite short. Run, run all, so that at the end of our trip, we can say with the holy apostle: "For I am about to be slain, and the time of my departure is imminent. I have fought my fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. "
(January 9, 1915, at Raffaelina Cerase - Ep. II, p. 291)

We have seen his star go out and have come to worship him

We have seen his star go out and have come to worship him

Peace and Good

Dear reader, today I get to you, being now in the final stretch of the Nativity of God, the feast of tenderness and humility in the extreme, but also the feast of light. In many places today and next Sunday we will celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, the manifestation of God to all mankind, to celebrate it with dignity and thank God for the gift received both
Christmas glows with the light emanating from the newly born child. He is the Light! The sun is born from above! So on this glorious night turns dark as a full day and the entire world is manifested through the brilliance of the "Star of Bethlehem" seen from all corners of the universe and that as we read in the Gospel of Matthew 2 1-9, led the Wise Men (Magi) to seek Jesus who was just born and worship him. These wise men repeatedly asked: "Where is the King of the Jews that is born? We saw his star in the east and are come to worship him. "
We have seen and come: here is the free and great teaching these "missionary disciples" biblical. If we refer to the Wise Men tell us that the tradition is called Melchor, Gaspar and Balthazar. They have acted accordingly, have not brought any delay. They have not put any pretext and nothing above the call that God gives them to know you. If they had put to calculate miles away, problems, challenges, danger, uncertainty, insecurity, if they wanted to have control of everything, certainly not been put into road. Everything had come down and have attempted in vain and sterile intentions. They have acted immediately, so they become a perfect disciple, attend the call that God is doing to go to worship and acknowledge the fact Man in a portal. Act immediately and that is the secret when it receives a signal or inspiration of God. The true disciples discover the will of God and carried out. They had no certainty of what they were doing, but had faith. They thus become the first "children of Abraham according to faith" Abraham also, in effect, set off, "not knowing whither he went" (Hebrews 11.8), trusting only in the Word of God that invited to leave their land.
"The star they had seen in East preceded them until it stopped
the place where the child was. "

The light guide star is announcing the biggest revelation of the mystery of God who makes his dwelling among us. Without faith and without the guiding star, hardly the Wise Men who came from the East had reached the destination, without that guidance could hardly have found the right direction, without that star their lives would have been different. In the Magi are represented all mankind of all times and all places, races, languages, social, cultural, all peoples of the earth are represented in the Wise Men who were eager to set off not knowing or when or where your trip would be over.
Each and every one of us is called to a journey: the path leading from a dark and meaningless life to a life filled with the love and hope brought by Jesus who has saved us from our sins. To reach him you do not need a large luggage is more, the baggage in the way. You need to leave everything, dispossessed of everything, including ourselves to go to meet him. The important thing is trust, trust the heavenly sign that precedes us and know that the arrival will be rich in mercy. The significance of our road is the road itself. It's the way we can learn to trust the Lord. It is on the way we prove that our faith is stronger than our weariness and the temptation to surrender and stand before you arrive.
It is therefore a point of arrival, a fixed point: the star, after having led, from which it arises, the Magi from the east, from the far reaches of the earth, "stood." And the moment you stop giving an indication of the direction of the pedestrian path in search of God ends. It has been the goal.
However, the implementation of the journey not the end of human action pilgrim on earth, but his journey is a new direction. When it comes to discovering the truth, when the light is noticed, a new task has to be done: You need to become witnesses to the light! It is essential to be spokesmen for the truth to those who still do not know! "Abandon own works at night and put on the armor of light" (Rom 13:12).
"Going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped."
The Wise Men knew very well what "worship" proskynesis do, because the practice was born precisely with them in the courts of the East. It meant taxing the maximum possible honor, recognize an absolute sovereignty. The gesture was reserved for it only and exclusively to the sovereign. It is the first time that this verb is used in relation to Christ in the New Testament is the first implicit recognition of his divinity.
Wizards do not seek God out of curiosity, or to understand, or find an answer to your questions, or to relieve them in their sorrows and labors, much less to increase their knowledge. They set off in order to express their devotion and submission to God. Today, today, is also unique worship to God, worship, praise and bless the Virgin, but not worship. This is an honor that only you can render to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Worship is the most genuine and reverent gesture of the creature to his Creator.
We run the danger of using the word "worship" or "worship" with a lot of lightness, ie, the prostitute, for example: "I love to dance," "I love my dog", "I love my car, my house .... " Human creature say, "My adorable well." Of course, this is not a sin, but it does indicate much what place God in our lives and at the same time, the quality of our religious sensibilities.
The Wise Men worshiped the Child "at home" on the knees of the Mother and the care and contemplation of the father. Today we can worship him,-and never better, today we can also worship Him in the Eucharist, worship "in spirit and in truth," deep in the heart ... We are missing opportunities to do so, but brings us opportunities to live consistently under the gaze of God, worshiping Him in His presence forever.
Once you have found, that we have loved can not be the same again. We can not backtrack. We can not walk or walking the path taken. When he finds Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and you can not go back down the same road. When we met with God, life changing, and changing the way life changes, management. The encounter with Christ is crucial and requires a change of life leave the old man and put the new man. It requires a change of habit. If this Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany we have found Emmanuel-God-among-us, we can not return to the way we were before we met with him
May God grant us this grace and be brave enough and our faith and hope are so great that we can change the route every day to return to our world and daily lives.
"We saw his star and are come to worship the Lord."
Peace and Good
Happy and Holy Feast of the Manifestation of God to all mankind!
FW. TX, January 6, 2012.
With my prayers:
Capuchin Missionary Paul Fray.

I have eyes always fixed on the east

January 6
I have eyes always fixed on the east, in the middle of the night around him, to distinguish miraculous star that he led them to the cave of Bethlehem. But in vain do I fix my eyes to see this star appear brighter. The more I look, the less fail to see, the more effort and more earnestly I seek you, the more I am involved in more darkness. Day I am alone, I'm alone at night, and no ray of light comes to light, never a drop of refreshing comes to fan a flame that consumes me continually, never consume me.
Only once have felt, in the most intimate and secret of my mind, something very delicate that I can not explain. The soul began to feel his presence, unable to see her, and then, I'll say so, he approached so closely to my soul that it clearly warned his touch, exactly - to give a pale face - as often happens when our body touches closely another body.
I can not say anything about it, only I confess that at first, I fell into a great panic, but that this panic, gradually was transformed into a heavenly euphoria. I found that I no longer was in a state of passer, and I could not tell if, when this happened, I realized it or not that was still in my own body. Only God knows, and I would not know anything else to give a better understanding of this event.
(March 8, 1916, Fr Benedict of San Marco in Lamis - Letter's. I, p. 756)