Tuesday, July 31, 2018

St. Ignatius : To Find God in everything and Love God in everything!!!!!!!!!!

The personality of St. Ignatius is very rich and complex and no one can pretend to present it in a way he lived and loved Christ Jesus. We can just consider two aspects which are outstanding in his life: the grace that he had to find God in everything and the persevering search for the will of God in the light of Christ.

Ignatius had the grace to see God in all like St. Francis of Assisi; to contemplate it in creation, in history, to find it not only in religious ceremonies but in everyday actions and in every circumstance: they say that he was moved to tears in front of a little flower, because in it he saw the beauty of God. his companions to see in all the glory of God, to find God in everything, to love God in everything. Finding God in all is a very important secret to spiritual life. God is not a solitary being, who is in heaven: he is a God present in everything, and not only present, but acting in everything, and always with his love.

The search for God for St. Ignatius was a reality and not an indistinct dream; he did not seek it with imagination and sensitivity; he really wanted to find it and that's why he was looking for God's will in everything. He was a thoughtful man, who studied, examined and patiently sought the right solution.
Ignatius trusted to be able to find the will of God through prayer, in the consolations and desolations of the spirit. When it came to important things, he reflected for weeks on end, prayed, offered Mass, to find what God wanted. Thus the search for God was very concrete, and just as concrete was his living with God.

He had a burning desire to know Christ intimately, to love him, to serve him forever with all of himself. And he received the response of the Father to La Storta, in a vision that filled him with joy: "I want you to serve me". To serve the Father and the Son, the Father through the Son was the happiness of St. Ignatius, in a total love: to find God and to find him in being a companion of Christ.









Monday, July 30, 2018

Jesus allows the tree of our Baptismal grace to grow!!!!!!!!!!

 The two parables that Jesus makes us hear today have a common feature: both highlight the power of divine life in us.
The kingdom of God is comparable to a seed. We have received in baptism this life which makes us the children of God. What has been given to us in the germ already contains all the virtualities that will appear little by little in the course of our lives.
In the two parables we have a hidden reality: the seed has sunk into the earth, the yeast into the flour. This symbolizes the secret nature of the life that has been given to us. To have God created us, in the depths of our being, in his likeness causes us to be sunk and hidden in him, with Christ. Mysterious reality whose fruitfulness depends on our response.


 As the earth has a part in the growth of the seed, as the pasta is formed thanks to the action of the yeast, so we must offer the secret presence of the kingdom in us the cooperation of our faith, our hope and our charity. Then the life of grace develops with an extraordinary power, as the tree in the first parable means and the three measures of flour that make the whole dough rise in the second. The power deployed in this growth testifies to the action of God in his gifts. It is he who works, and his action is all the more evident the more our generosity allows it. Then come the fruits of this growth: here is the tall tree on which all the birds are going to nest, a tree which is a symbol of the Christian apostolate, but also, in a more hidden way, in the communion of saints, of the inextinguishable and mysterious fruitfulness that God grants to his children. These fruits are not necessarily known to men, not even to whom they were granted. In fact they are of the same nature as the seed and often they are also hidden. The birds themselves do not know to which seed they owe their shelter, but they are there and this is enough for them. The Lord, on the other hand, knows us, sees our faith, our desire to become saints, our incapacity to succeed if not by giving ourselves to the inebriating fire of his love. May this Eucharist nurture in us the divine life, thus allowing the tree of our baptismal grace to grow, for the glory of God and the joy of our brothers.




Sunday, July 29, 2018

Sharing creates a Bond of Union!!!!!!!!

This Sunday's readings focus on sharing and practicing virtues so that the bond of unity can be preserved within the human community and among all its members. The readings remind us that we have all been given of the one Spirit who lives and breathes within us and among us all



In the Letter to the Ephesians, Paul urges the believing community members at Ephesus to live a life worthy of the call they have received. They are to follow the way of Christ who embodied a virtuous life of love. Paul's words of encouragement highlight specific virtues that the community members are to practice so that they can preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. Diverse as they may be, the people are essentially one body and one Spirit through Christ.  


 The Gospel from John develops the theme of sharing heard earlier in the reading from 2 Kings. Captivated by Jesus' healings, a large crowd follows Jesus, and he wants to feed them, but buying food for such a multitude is impossible. Andrew, one of Jesus' disciples, draws attention to a young boy with five barley loaves and two fish. Andrew notes that such a small amount of provisions is inadequate for the large crowd. Jesus, however, like Elisha, is able to feed everyone through the miracle of sharing. All partake of the loaves and fish, and leftovers remain.
this Sunday's readings describe how life flourishes when virtues are practiced. In a world of both over-consumption on the part of some people and far too many broken relationships, these readings invite us to live simply and virtuously. The readings call us to be forever mindful of others' needs while striving to grow ever more deeply into the divine vision of one body, one family, so deeply loved by one God

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Cathedral de Mallorca!!!!!!!!!



 We flew to Mallorca from Barcelona.....it takes 30 minutes.....its a wonderful flight....one of the Indian friars is transferred to Mallorca....He had to take his luggage...and the provincial organized this trip....
 The Guardian of Mallorca came to receive us at the airport....it is one of the busiest airports in Spain as a lot of tourists come here.....crowded always...

 We were taken to the friary for a cup of tea and then immediately taken to the Famous Cathedral of Mallorca.....wow....it is really a masterpiece.....during the civil war and religious suppression the Cathedral and other churches were not touched here....other places they were destroyed....
 The Cathedral is adorned with many wonderful statutes and paintings.....


 It was very nice to see the portrait of St. Francis with Jesus Christ our Lord...
 There are many people who visit this cathedral....


 Sleeping Mother Mary.....I had never seen the statue before....




 The beaches of Mallorca are awesome...

Monday, July 23, 2018

Sagarada Familia And Montserrat!!!!!!!

 On the seashore....for a walk....to be with friars.....it was good to meet our young friars in Catalonia
 A masterpiece of architecture .....devoted people worked and working even today....donations flow from tourist and generous people

 Sagarada Familia....which is under constructions since 150 years...not yet completed....it would be completed in 2022


 Provincial Eduard took us around in the city of Barcelona


 Montserrat is visited by millions of people throughout the year....it attracts people for beauty and silence.....a lot of opportunities for meditation and reflection in its quite mountains....and valleys

 In front of the Church of Benedictine...

 The formation fraternity !!!

 The Benedictine Monastery ...we were privileged to con-celebrate Mass with the Monks....our Indian friars in Catalonia

 The friars were accompanied by some parishioners......we had our lunch with them
 Our Lady's statute at Montserrat....long lines to pray and pay homage to Mother Mary....Young and old wait in line....