Harpa Dei

Why would someone become a hermit? Why would he leave everything behind for Christ, giving up the opportunity to live in community with other brothers and sisters, in order to be alone with God? This choice can only be understood through the eyes of faith. From the world’s perspective—so far removed from God—it might seem […]

Pedro Garavito was born in Alcántara, Spain, in 1499 and, at the age of sixteen, entered the Franciscan Order. There he led a life of strict penance, particularly with regard to food and sleep, to a degree that is difficult for us to imagine today. This is why we tend to admire the saints for

NOTE: As today is the Feast of Saint Luke the Evangelist, we will interrupt our series on the lives of the saints and meditate on the passage foreseen for this occasion, taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke. Lk 10:1-9 After this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them on ahead of him, two

Those who receive a special commission from the Lord do not always have an easy time of it. They encounter resistance of all kinds, often from the people closest to them. However, it is precisely in such circumstances, when the chosen ones cling to their mission despite all the difficulties, that God’s work bears fruit,

With joy, I ventured to undertake this series on the lives of the saints in order to meditate on them and benefit from their example. But I did not know what awaited me, nor the wonderful people I would encounter. Through them, the life of Christ becomes so palpable that our own efforts seem insignificant

Anyone interested in the inner path of following Christ will quickly come across Saint Teresa of Ávila, who was named a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. Teresa was born on March 28, 1515, the third child of Don Alonso Sánchez de Cepeda’s second marriage. Considered a very pious child, she

Today, we celebrate the memory of an early-century pope whose story is very moving: Pope Callixtus I (*160 †222/223). Much of his life remains unknown, and his implacable enemies are the main source of information about him, so some details may be biased by their hostility. It is believed that Callistus was the son of

In a way, the saints embody the Gospel in action and thus bear witness to the authenticity of our faith. They are a great treasure for our Church. We could say that they are like stars in the firmament of the Church. Starting today, I want to begin a short series talking about the saint

Lk 17:11-19 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.  And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”  When he saw them he said to them, “Go and

Lk 11:27-28 While Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!”  But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” According to the traditional calendar, today we