Harpa Dei

Liturgically speaking, this is still the time when the risen Lord Jesus is with His disciples to strengthen them in their faith in His resurrection and to prepare them for the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. We understand Pentecost as the founding day of the Church, which, according to our faith, is the […]

Yesterday’s reflection introduced us to the story of Saint George as told in the Legenda Aurea. He rescued the princess, who was to be sacrificed to a dragon, through the power of the Lord. As a result, the people—freed from the dragon—turned to the Christian faith. My reflection ended with the sentence: This story raises

There are probably few saints as well known as Saint George, whom we celebrate today, and around whom so many stories and legends have gathered. He is highly venerated throughout Christianity and is often depicted in paintings as the slayer of the dragon. Concerning the slaying of the dragon, the following story is told about

Yesterday we surely marveled at St. Konrad, whose life became so fruitful and who carried out his undoubtedly demanding service as porter for forty‑one years, until three days before the end of his life. Through him, pilgrims to Altötting were able to experience a profound closeness to God. Brother Konrad himself shared with us something

After my Easter reflections and a consideration of the last things, I am now, so to speak, turning my daily reflection toward the liturgical season of Easter. I would like to continue what I began in earlier posts—namely, to regularly take a look at the saints of the day. These need not always be those

The important but often misunderstood topic of Purgatory still falls within the scope of our reflections on the last things, and despite its seriousness, it is a very comforting teaching. We must assume that most people cannot immediately attain full union with God after death, for this is possible only when a person is completely

Any consideration of the all‑important “last things” remains incomplete if we do not also take into account the possibility of a life gone astray, for both Sacred Scripture and Church teaching bear clear witness to this. Certainly, it may be frightening to hear about this, but that is no reason to conceal this dimension of

As we considered yesterday, the highest good that awaits us in Heaven is the vision of God, which will make us infinitely happy. Some Church Fathers have attempted to make this incomprehensible reality somehow accessible to us. Therefore, I would like to add one of these voices for our edification. Saint Augustine, a master of

Yesterday we focused on the spiritual resurrection, or the first resurrection. This topic no longer needs to be explored in greater depth, for it is the daily path of faith, linked to the pursuit of holiness. It accompanies us throughout our entire lives, and I strive to offer help to the faithful and those seeking

Now that we have considered our future bodily resurrection in three reflections—a resurrection we can joyfully look forward to as the faithful—it is fitting to turn our attention to our spiritual resurrection, which is the prerequisite for facing death with confidence. This spiritual resurrection is also referred to as the “first resurrection,” meaning the awakening