Brothers and sisters, Fiat!

Today, the readings open (Acts 6: 1-7) with an episode of early Christians: their number grew so much that the apostles were no longer able to deal with everything, so they chose seven collaborators (future deacons) to whom they entrusted the practice of charity, but reserved for themselves preaching and prayer. After two thousand years, the first few faithful have become millions, and therefore  the division of labour in the Church has developed very much; But that first act indicates the way: the Church doesn’t belong to bishops and priests, but to all baptized, and everyone has the right-duty to feel it as his own spiritual family, in which to work in different forms, according to his own ability, but in agreement, for the common good.

In the Gospel (John 14: 1-12) we are struck by two expressions of Jesus. The first one, which already introduces us to the upcoming feast of the Ascension of Jesus into Heaven,  is a promising consolation: ” I’m going away to prepare a place for you.”

Here is a fascinating prospect, a clear indication of a goal for all those who are uncertain about the meaning of their own days, for men who are disappointed with mortifying experiences, for men to whom the boundaries of this life are narrow. As a traveler who gets lost along that road and no longer knows how to orient himself. So he is tempted to sit at the first bar, but if someone tells him the way he recovers his enthusiasm; like those who “loiter” in their slippers  and don’t not decide to move because they don’t know a place that deserves the effort of the journey, but immediately they prepare for if someone propose to them an adequate one: The same is for all those who have lost  their way and  are lazy, it’s  a great stimulus Knowing to have a destination. And all those who have embarked on adventures to breaking point, when they realize they have been rash but they believe that they have no alternative, are relieved that they can always change. For me, like for everyone, there is a place already prepared, with my name written above, so we must not be afraid that someone who is quicker or more clever gets to steal it: either I occupy it,  otherwise it will be empty.

But, what is this place? Is it an inviting, pleasing place? Is it too tiring to reach it? Everyone’s questions are express or implied, and the second reading (1 Peter 2: 4-9) responds by recalling first of all our dignity: ” You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ” Jesus responds more simply but with words that are even more enthralling: ” I will take you to be with me, so that where I am you may be too.”  To be always with Him: Is there a better prospect? And even if it also requires commitment, this is worth.

What commitment? In what direction? How can we reach that place prepared for us? Thomas asks the same questions to which Jesus responds with the second basic expression of today’s Gospel: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” To reach that place, to attain the only goal that can give meaning to our path year after year, day by day, Christ is the way: that is, we must adhere to Him, follow His footsteps, we must trust His travel information. Because He is The Only One who always gives the right directions; In the midst of the din of noises resound in and around us, among the many so-called masters who bombards us with teachings on television screens or printed paper, we must distinguish “His” voice, for Christ is not a truth, He is “the” truth. Faced with the immense efforts of science that can only give a few more days to this life, we must always remember that He is the only one capable of breaking down the barrier of the earthly conclusion; Christ is the true, total, and lasting life. And in His immeasurable goodness He wishes to share this life that He is with those who decide to welcome it,  by following His footsteps. ” I am going away to make ready a place for you,  so that where I am you may be too.”

On September 21, 1927 Jesus told Luisa that there is no proof which is more certain and sure, and which can do greater good both to her and to others, than having manifested to her so many truths. Truth is more than miracle; it brings permanent divine life within itself, and wherever it reaches and in whomever listens to it, it bilocates the truth together with its life, to give itself to whomever wants it. Therefore, God’s truths are perennial light, not subject to being extinguished, as well as life that never dies.

What good can a divine truth produce? It can form saints, it can convert souls, it can dispel darkness, and has the virtue of renewing the whole world. Therefore, God performs a greater miracle when He manifests one of His truths than when He gives further proofs that it is He who goes to the soul, or did other miraculous things, because these are the shadow of His power – passing light; and because it is passing, it does not bring the miraculous virtue to all, but is limited to the individual who has received the miracle, and many times not even the one who has received the miracle makes himself a saint.

On the other hand, the truth contains life and, as life, brings its virtue to whomever wants it. if in coming upon earth Jesus had not spoken so many truths in the Gospel, even if He had done miracles, the Redemption would have been hampered, without development, because they would have found nothing, neither teachings nor light of truth, in order to learn the remedies, to find the way that leads to Heaven. So it would be with us:  if Jesus had not spoken to us so many truths, especially on the Divine Will, which has been the greatest miracle God has done in these times. To make known the Divine Will in the world means to restore the order, the peace, the light, the lost happiness. All these truths will bring man onto the lap of his Creator, that they may exchange the first kiss of Creation, and man may be given back the image of the One who created him

If we knew the great good that all these truths Jesus has spoken to us will bring to creatures, our heart would split with joy. Nor can we fear that the infernal enemy might dare to manifest to us a single truth about the Divine Will. In fact, before Its light, he trembles and flees, and each truth on the Divine Will is one more hell for him; and because he wanted neither to love It nor to do It, It changed for him into torments that will have no end. Before the mere word ‘Will of God’, he feels himself burnt so much, that he flies into a rage, and he hates that Holy Will that torments him more than hell.

Therefore, we can be sure that Will of God and infernal enemy never get along, nor can they be together or close; Its light eclipses him and hurls him into the chasms of hell. Therefore, what Jesus recommend to us is that we let not even one truth or a simple word on the Divine Will be lost, because everything must serve to perform the chain of perennial miracles, so as to make known Its Kingdom and give back the lost happiness to creatures.

don Marco

Dear brothers and sisters, Fiat!

The Gospel presents to us one of the most beautiful images that has portrayed the Lord Jesus since the earliest centuries of the Church: the Good Shepherd. The text  describes the special features of the relationship between Christ the Good Shepherd and His flock, a relationship so close that no one will ever be able to snatch sheep from His hand. Indeed, the sheep are united to Him by a bond of love and of reciprocal knowledge, which guarantees to them the immeasurable gift of eternal life.

At the same time, the flock’s attitude to the Good Shepherd, Christ, is presented by the Evangelist with two specific verbs: “to listen” and “to follow”. These terms suggest the fundamental characteristics of those who live out the following of the Lord.

First of all by listening to His word, from which faith is born and by which it is nurtured. Only those who are attentive to the Lord’s voice can assess in their own conscience the right decisions for acting in accordance with God. Thus the following of Jesus derives from listening: we act as disciples only after hearing and inwardly accepting the Master’s teachings in order to put them into practice every day.

On June 12, 1927, Jesus told Luisa that one who wants to know all the relations existing between Creator and creature, and to keep their bonds in force, must let the Divine Will reign within herself with absolute dominion. In fact, since the life of the Divine Will is present in all Creation, she will form one single life for all created things, and since the life is one, she will understand their language and the relations existing with her Creator. Each created thing speaks of its Creator, and possesses the legible characters of the Divine Fiat.

But do you know who it is that is capable of hearing their voice, of understanding their celestial speaking, and of reading the divine characters which each created thing has imprinted within itself? One who possesses the Divine Will. She has the hearing to be able to listen to their voice, the intelligence to comprehend them, the eyes to read the divine characters which, with so much love, her Creator impressed within each created thing. On the other hand, one who does not let the Divine Will reign, finds herself in the condition of one who is deaf and cannot listen, of one who is a cretin and cannot comprehend, of one who has not studied the variety of languages, and as much as one may speak, he understands nothing.

In the same way, in order to maintain the relations existing between Redeemer and redeemed ones, and to know them, one must study Jesus’ life. Each of His words, works, steps, heartbeats and pains were all bonds with which Jesus came to bind all the redeemed ones. But who is bound? One who studies His life and tries to imitate Him. As she imitates Jesus, she remains bound to His words, works, steps, etc., receives their life, and will have the hearing to be able to listen to all His teachings, the mind to comprehend them, and the eyes to read all the characters impressed within Him in coming to redeem mankind. And if the creature does not do this, the characters of Redemption will be illegible for her; it will be a foreign language for her, and the relations and bonds of Redemption will not be in force. The Holy Spirit puts His flames on the way toward one who truly loves, and binds her with the relations of His sanctity. Without love there is no sanctity, because the bonds of true sanctity are already broken.

On this Sunday, therefore, it comes naturally to remember to God the pastors of the Church and those who are training to become pastors. I therefore invite you to say a special prayer for the bishops, for the parish priests, for all those who have responsibilities in the guidance of Christ’s flock, so that they may be faithful and wise in carrying out their ministry. In particular, let us pray for vocations to the priesthood on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, so that effective workers in the Lord’s harvest may never be lacking.

In these times too, in which the Lord’s voice risks being drowned by so many other voices, every ecclesial community is called to promote and to care for vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. Men and women in fact always need God, also in our technological world, and there will always be a need for Pastors who proclaim His Word and bring them to encounter the Lord in the sacraments.

don Marco