My dear brothers and sisters in Holiness!
"We must now pass through the first veil and approach the second, turning our eyes towards the Holy of Holies. I will say more: we must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do, accepting all that happens to us for the sake of the Word, imitating his passion by our sufferings, and honoring his blood by shedding our own. we must be ready to be crucified." (St. Gregory Nazianzen)
In the days to come, we shall commemorate once again that saving day, that saving night, in which the Lord Jesus gave his life for us, thus giving more life to our dying souls.
It has been nearly two thousand years already since Christ gave his life for our sake. Lots of generations had passed, martyrs had given their lives, the faithful continued striving hard for holiness...
... and still, it is just the beginning of the story.
As Christians, we continue to live by our beliefs and traditions brought about by the saving death and resurrection of Christ. Something that, for us, means unwavering hope for the despaired, forgiveness for the sinner, salvation for all.
But, let us heed the words of Saint Gregory Nazianzen: We must... be ready to be crucified. Now, more than ever. It is not only enough that we believe, we hear, and we see. As those who were saved, it is our duty to proclaim, and to live what we believe. We must be ready to offer our lives after the pattern of the One who offered his life for us all.
And so, my dear brother and sisters, whatever situation we are undergoing right now, let us always remember that Christ is always with us, guiding us to be ourselves the offering to God. Let us not be discouraged by the events that are degrading our human nature; instead, we must have that unwavering courage to face it, its fruits and consequences, its totality. we must be ready to die, if we know that it was from Holiness, and it would lead to Holiness.
Like the Saints who came before us, we must follow the Way of the Lord, without any ho-hums, and any hesitations. Let us open our eyes to the world, work within it, face everything it might bring, and have faith and hope that the Lord would guide each and everyone of us.
Let us pray for each other, in the spirit of perseverance. May we climb the holy mountain of Death and Crucifixion, hoping that we would reach the peak of the Resurrection, with joy in our hearts. May Mary, the Queen of Sorrows, teach us to bear all sufferings patiently so that one day, we may receive the crown of triumph before the Lord.
With our Director, I am always One with you!
Fra. John Ezekiel Maria,ccs
"We must now pass through the first veil and approach the second, turning our eyes towards the Holy of Holies. I will say more: we must sacrifice ourselves to God, each day and in everything we do, accepting all that happens to us for the sake of the Word, imitating his passion by our sufferings, and honoring his blood by shedding our own. we must be ready to be crucified." (St. Gregory Nazianzen)
In the days to come, we shall commemorate once again that saving day, that saving night, in which the Lord Jesus gave his life for us, thus giving more life to our dying souls.
It has been nearly two thousand years already since Christ gave his life for our sake. Lots of generations had passed, martyrs had given their lives, the faithful continued striving hard for holiness...
... and still, it is just the beginning of the story.
As Christians, we continue to live by our beliefs and traditions brought about by the saving death and resurrection of Christ. Something that, for us, means unwavering hope for the despaired, forgiveness for the sinner, salvation for all.
But, let us heed the words of Saint Gregory Nazianzen: We must... be ready to be crucified. Now, more than ever. It is not only enough that we believe, we hear, and we see. As those who were saved, it is our duty to proclaim, and to live what we believe. We must be ready to offer our lives after the pattern of the One who offered his life for us all.
And so, my dear brother and sisters, whatever situation we are undergoing right now, let us always remember that Christ is always with us, guiding us to be ourselves the offering to God. Let us not be discouraged by the events that are degrading our human nature; instead, we must have that unwavering courage to face it, its fruits and consequences, its totality. we must be ready to die, if we know that it was from Holiness, and it would lead to Holiness.
Like the Saints who came before us, we must follow the Way of the Lord, without any ho-hums, and any hesitations. Let us open our eyes to the world, work within it, face everything it might bring, and have faith and hope that the Lord would guide each and everyone of us.
Let us pray for each other, in the spirit of perseverance. May we climb the holy mountain of Death and Crucifixion, hoping that we would reach the peak of the Resurrection, with joy in our hearts. May Mary, the Queen of Sorrows, teach us to bear all sufferings patiently so that one day, we may receive the crown of triumph before the Lord.
With our Director, I am always One with you!
Fra. John Ezekiel Maria,ccs
