Harpa Dei

Today we take the final step on our Lenten journey before entering Holy Week. I warmly invite you to continue following us. We will be using the texts for Holy Week 2024. Individual passages will be explored in a more meditative way. You are also welcome to follow along via video on YouTube[1]. At the […]

Holy Week is just around the corner, and today’s Lenten reading presents us with the Gospel passage in which Jesus’ enemies decide to kill Him (Jn 11:47–54). It reads as follows: “So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, ‘What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we

Following the joy of the election of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we celebrated yesterday, our Lenten journey presents us today with the moving prayer of Azariah (Dan 3, 3–22), one of the three young men who, thanks to divine intervention, emerged unharmed from the fiery furnace. Azariah, who lives in exile in Babylon alongside

In the midst of our Lenten journey, the great solemnity of the Annunciation shines forth—the day when our redemption began as Mary said “yes.” Although we are undoubtedly familiar with the corresponding biblical passage, we never tire of hearing the first proclamation of the Good News, when God revealed His plan and invited Mary into

How does one survive for several days in a lions’ den after being thrown in to be devoured by seven hungry lions? In today’s reading (Dan 14:27–42), Daniel gives us an answer. Why did the Babylonians want to get rid of Daniel? The reading recounts that they went to King Cyrus of Persia and said:

Today’s reading (Jonah 3:1–10) is a source of great joy on our Lenten journey. An entire city, along with its king, takes the prophet Jonah’s warning seriously. So there are indeed situations in which people turn from their evil ways. The people of Nineveh did penance when the king issued the proclamation: “And he made

Our Lenten journey has brought us today to what is known as the “First Sunday of Passion” and draws us ever closer to Holy Week. The confrontations and disputes between the hostile Jews and Jesus continue and grow increasingly aggressive (Jn 8:46–59). We can see that the Lord is faced with stubborn hearts that are

In today’s Gospel (Jn 8:12–20), Jesus, speaking to the Jews, utters words that remain relevant for all time: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (v. 12) These are words that must be deeply internalized—words that illuminate and thus

After reflecting on the figure of St. Joseph as part of our Lenten journey, today we hear, both in the reading (1 Kings 17:17–24) and in the Gospel (John 11:1–45), the account of the resurrection of a dead person. In the first case, it concerns the prophet Elijah, who raises the son of the widow

On the occasion of the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we will reflect today, in context with our Lenten journey, a little on the one whom God chose to be the foster father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Mt 1:16,18-21,24ª Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary; of her was born Jesus who is called Christ.