“In his Explanation of the ‘The Living Flame of Love’, St. John of the Cross draws the Holy Mother of God as clearly as possible into the circle of his metaphor clarifying the mystical life. Speaking of the shining of the Lamps of God in us and our intake of the divine Light, which means […]
The people were filled with expectation,and all were asking in their heartswhether John might be the Christ.John answered them all, saying,“I am baptizing you with water,but one mightier than I is coming.I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals.He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” After all the people
Gospel Reflection for 9 January 2022 Read More »
“A favourite image, under which St. John of the Cross with so many other mystical writers illuminates the necessity of our receptivity and purity in order to receive God within us, is the image of the window that must let through the light of the sun. On the paintings of our Flemish masters, in the
Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea,where he spent some time with them baptizing.John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,because there was an abundance of water there,and people came to be baptized,for John had not yet been imprisoned.Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jewabout ceremonial washings.So
Gospel Reflection for 8 January 2022 Read More »
“(Mary’s) being full of the Holy Spirit was still only the first phase in her election that would be crowned by her Divine Motherhood, by the incarnation of God himself in her womb. Mary is more than full of grace, filled by the Holy Spirit, she is the Bride of the Holy Spirit and through
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;and when he saw Jesus,he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,“I do will it. Be made clean.”And the leprosy left him
Gospel Reflection for 7 January 2022 Read More »
“In the first place he glorifies in Mary, that she, whom the Angel called full of grace, was wholly filled of the Holy Spirit, always let herself be led by the Holy Spirit, an ideal that we must strive at in our ascent to God. St. John (of the Cross) admits that it is not
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit,and news of him spread throughout the whole region.He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,and went according to his custominto the synagogue on the sabbath day.He stood up to read and was handed a
Gospel Reflection for 6 January 2022 Read More »
“In Mary we see the most beautiful image of our union with God. She, the bride of the Holy Spirit, teaches us how also we, although not in that fullness of grace, but in a removed sense, must be brides of God the Holy Spirit, how his overshadowing power must also make us conceive God,
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,Jesus made his disciples get into the boatand precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,while he dismissed the crowd.And when he had taken leave of them,he went off to the mountain to pray.When it was evening,the boat was far out on the sea and he was
Gospel Reflection for 5 January 2022 Read More »