Preparing for eternity
It can be difficult to enter into Jesus’ Passion and death. It’s one thing to know He suffered so much for us. It is another thing to realize He suffered so much because of us. Then to take in that He didn’t need to; He wanted to. It’s simultaneously sobering and consoling. Consoling because, while we aren’t capable of understanding the magnanimity of His unconditional love, our eyes are opened just a little to it.
Praying the stations of the cross privately is one approach that will deepen our relationship with God by entering into His passion. By praying the Passion as St. Ignatius has taught us, we can make Stations of the Cross deeply personal.
A new look at St. Patrick’s Lorica
‘Lorica’ is personal body armor. God is the Catholic’s armor. St. Patrick wrote the Lorica for his protection against the Druids. For this reason, it is commonly prayed for spiritual warfare. The Lorica’s power is that it is a profession of Faith: the Trinitarian God, Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit through the Communion of Saints, God’s transcendence throughout creation, His omnipresence and omnipotence. If you are looking for ‘conversation starters’ in your mental prayer, consider making this a meditation.
Without Compromise
This month provides opportunity for a deepening understanding of our living heritage in the communion of saints. If time is spent in mental prayer building relationship with God, He will draw us to the saint He already has planned to mentor us. With it also being the month we honor our Veterans, God has given us a saintly husband-and-wife duo from which to learn: Blessed Karl of Austria/Hungary and his wife Blessed Zita of Bourbon-Parma. Karl was killed young; Zita raised their 8 children alone in exile.
What lesson do we learn from them? Compromise was not an option for them, and it should not be for us either.