Harpa Dei

Download PDF In the classical mystical tradition, the path of following the Lord is usually described in three “ways”: the purgative way (purification), the illuminative way (illumination) and the unitive way (unification). By having lived a serious conversion, by striving to acquire the virtues and by consciously taking up the fight against our three enemies […]

Download PDF “Keep sober and alert, because your enemy the devil is on the prowl like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him, strong in faith” (1Pe 5:8-9). The comparison with a roaring lion makes it clear that, in spiritual combat, we face a terrible enemy. He is ready for

Download PDF In the meditations of the last few days, we had first spoken about that enemy who dwells within us – that is, our flesh – which, because of our fallen nature with its evil inclinations, wants to turn us away from the way of the Lord, or at least make things difficult for

Download PDF Another enemy that can greatly lead us away from the way of the Lord is the world. If the world is not permeated by the Christian spirit; that is, if it has not been transformed and leavened by the “yeast of the Gospel” (Mt 13:33), then its direction is hostile to God and,

Download PDF In the framework of this series on the spiritual life, it is also necessary to speak about the “3 enemies of the soul”, which stand in the way of our following Christ and against which we must consciously fight. At the beginning of this series we spoke about the virtues, emphasizing the importance

Download PDF As the faithful, we are called to build our life on God, and not on the fragile foundation of our human nature. Our security, that which will withstand all the storms of life, is founded on His love, on His Word, on His desire to save us. Through trust and faith, we place

Download PDF It is difficult to find something as important for the spiritual life as trust in God. In all situations of our life we have to activate this trust, so that it becomes that inner certainty that permeates everything. In this way, our spiritual path becomes lighter and more attractive to others. We will

Download PDF Whoever has been engaged in the prayer of the heart for a long time and practices it regularly, will experience the joy that this prayer really brings to the soul. It becomes easy for us to withdraw into that “inner cell” which has been formed through prayer, precisely at those times when noise

Download PDF The prayer of the heart-or Jesus prayer-requires a certain preparation. In this regard, let us listen again to Metropolitan Serafim Joanta: “The dispositions for the Jesus prayer are, as for any other prayer, the following: To be at peace with one’s neighbor, to be free from excessive worries, a certain disposition of the

Download PDF Those who wish to enrich and intensify their prayer life will find a very valuable practice in the tradition of the Eastern Church: the so-called “prayer of the heart” or “Jesus prayer”. In order to avoid misunderstandings, it is worth clarifying that this form of prayer is part of the rich treasure of