Harpa Dei

Download PDF Today’s reading, taken from the Book of Jeremiah, reminds us to listen to the prophets. God speaks to us through them, to guide us back to the straight path. We know that, since He sent His own Son into the world, God speaks to us through Himself (Heb 1:1-2) and with the voice […]

Download PDF Let us begin today’s meditation by listening to the Lord’s words to His disciples in today’s Gospel: “Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them. In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one

Download PDF The Holy Eucharist In our spiritual journey, the holy sacraments of the Church deserve special attention, in particular the Holy Eucharist. It should be the high point of the Church’s life and belong naturally to our beloved Catholic identity. In the meditation the day before yesterday, I mentioned the term “Holy Mass worthily

Download PDF As we progress on our path of discipleship and the Lord sees that we take it seriously and strive for holiness, He responds to our efforts by sending us so-called “passive purifications”. There are those who are frightened just by hearing this word. They are not aware that it is a sign of

Download PDF Yesterday we had talked about the importance of a regular rhythm of prayer. If this becomes a norm for us, we will also have built a refuge to protect us from the temptations of the world, which want to draw us away from what is essential and drag us towards what is superficial.

Download PDF “My Lord and my God, grant me everything that draws me closer to you.” – exclaims St. Nicholas of Flüe in the second part of his famous prayer. In mystical theology this part of the spiritual path would be called the “illuminative way”. This means that after the intense processes of purification –

Download PDF In dealing with the so-called “cardinal virtues”, one would normally begin with the virtue of prudence. However, since in the previous days we had discussed the ascetic struggle against the passions, it is appropriate that we first deal with the virtue of fortitude. The virtue of fortitude Indeed, we need this virtue in

Download PDF During the last days of our holy journey towards the Feast of the Resurrection, we have taken a look at the vices that besiege our soul and want to subjugate it. By resisting and fighting them, as the masters of the spiritual life vividly teach us, we are actively cooperating in the process

Download PDF The most difficult spiritual vice to overcome is undoubtedly pride. It takes a constant struggle and a strong grace from God to flee from pride and to live in that humility which counteracts and decisively weakens it. John Cassian describes pride in these terms: “It is a cruel beast, which fiercely attacks even

Download PDF On our journey towards the great Feast of the Resurrection, we have to go through each day consciously and with God’s grace, as a stage on the way. For this we need perseverance, for on our journey we may encounter a demon which the desert fathers called “acedia” or the “demon of the