CALL TO BE JOYFUL

From the Province of Alessandria, Italy, 25 December 2012

The Christian vocation includes the call to be joyful. If we live properly in Christ Jesus, we will
increasingly share His resurrection joy despite the painful dimension of being human: “ I have told
you this that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.” ( Jn 15:11 ).

The Christian who is not fundamentally joyful presents a contradiction. He or she claims to be
follower of the Jesus who has promised abundant life, abundant joy. To remove the contradiction,
such a Christian must look to himself or herself. Such a person does not lack a basic joy because
there is anything wanting in Jesus’ message. The person lacks joy because there is something
wanting in the self. In some way or another, for some reason or another, the person has failed to
assimilate properly the Gospel message. The Gospel is the good news. Jesus invites us to listen to
His Gospel, to respond to it, to live it ever more fully and dynamically. Jesus tells us that if we do,
we will experience a peace and joy that the world does not know. We know that Jesus does not lie,
that Jesus does not deceive, that Jesus does not cruelly excite the expectations of His followers and
then fail to fulfil them.

Again, if a Christian is lacking in joy, he or she has to look at the self and ask why. But one should
not ask this question in isolation. One should ask it in the company of Jesus. Jesus will help the
person find the answer. Jesus will help the person remedy the situation. Western, industrialized
culture has tended to create the illusion that joy can be bought and that, the more money one has,
the greater the prospects of enjoying life. This tragic illusion has time and again prevented people
from living in a manner which alone can give true joy.

Real and lasting joy comes only when we are consistently willing to expend the effort required to
grow in union with Jesus. Since this effort is a grace effort – one can accompanied by God’s grace
– we should pray daily for the grace to use the means God has put before us to grow in union with
Jesus. <<God is with us the “Emmanuel”, he lived among us>> is the major reason why we should
be happy. One of the greatest sources of joy is learning to share in the joy of others.

There are many daily occasions for experiencing joy, but we often pass them by unaware of their
joy – producing possibilities because we have foolishly narrowed our expectations regarding what
is a source of joy, and what is not. St. Paul says to us: “ I want you to be happy, always happy
in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness…There is no need to worry; but if there
is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and peace
of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your
thoughts, in Christ Jesus.”
( Phil 4:4-7 )

25 Dicember 2012

THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH

From the Province of Alessandria, Italy, 24 December 2012

“The Word became flesh, he lived among us ”.
( John 1:14 ).

1. << The Word became flesh >>: Here is the surprising novelty, the great revelation, the
decisive reverse story of the world. Infinite become the End, Eternal take position of the
time, the Creator enter man’s evolution, the living God take the form of a mortal. God in
person visited his people: << and lived among us >>, showing to be the true Emmanuel, the
“God with us”. In the Old Testament, God manifested his presence in different mode: in the
clouds during the day and a pillar of fire during the night when his people walked along the
desert, in the arc of the covenant, in the tent of the assembly, in the temple in the Holy of
Holies. But now God come in person to live among men assuming the human nature.

Welcome Lord Jesus, Word of the Father. Most Loved Jesus, I believe that you are the
Beloved Son of the Father, his most splendid image and likeness. For all eternity you live in
the womb of the Father: God from God, Light from Light, eternal Word of the Father, you
are being donated to us. Father, you have sent your Son in this world and you have entrusted
to us. You have sent him because He will tell us about you. One time you talked by means
of the prophets: but now your the same Word has revealed to us. << No one has ever seen
God; it is the only son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.>> (Jn
1:18)

Lord Most Loved, take position of my spirit and my imagination, draw me into your heart
and all my affections. Grant me to receive you in silence adoration, that I may know to
respond your invitation, to work for you Lord Jesus. I love You with all my being.

Adoration – Admiration – Recognition

2. << The Word came and lived among us>>. God couldn’t disagreed to his creature such
great honor. He came as the fountain of hope, certainty and joy. Oh immensity love of God
for men! The Father send us his Only Son: << For God who loved the world: he gave us his
only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life>>.
( John 3:16)
O Jesus most Loved, with all my force I thank you for such great trial of love you give me.
Just as you choose to live among us, permit me to live with you. Permit me to lost in you that
I will live only with your love. O Word Incarnate, I adore you: I will prostrate in front of your
divine majesty and pay homage with all my being. To you all praise and glory in this life and
eternity.

Adoration – Oblation

24 Dicember 2012

IN HIM WAS LIFE

From the Province of Alessandria, Italy, 23 December 2012

IN HIM WAS LIFE ( John 1:4 )

1. You have created me Lord, I belong to you. I am your slave, your only thing. I abandoned to
you, because you can continue to accomplish your work in me.
I wait for you, o Lord Jesus, like a clay for the pot The white page, the writer. The
virgin cloth, the painter. The block of marble, the sculpture. I wait till you modeled and
compound, chiseled in me your image. Submissive to your influence, malleable between
your hands, intend to become your pot, your book, your frame, your statue, to glorify
only You, o my Master. Like a harp, a flute, a guitar waiting for the musician, so as I am,
attending for you Divine Artist so that you may express on my soul the melody that you
compose for me. I agreed on you, for I can express your thoughts, your sentiments and able
to work for your glory.
In the darkness of the night, with my small lamp and little oil that gather my effort, hoping
that it will last longer, I attend my Spouse. With bended knees and join hands, eyes close
and head decline, I wait my Lord. Will He arrive late? Will He come today? Is He faithful?
Is He still far from me? My heart sighs for him and beat anxiously. Come my Lord: I’m
waiting for you.

2. I need of you, Jesus, author of my life, because Only You can guide my prayer and put me
in contact with your Divine Majesty. Show me the way that leads you. I need you, your
help; I need to be constant in your presence, to listen with attention profound on the center
of my heart. My soul is serene, docile and conscious, must learn to abandon to your will,
to receive your impressions, to be passive between your hands. Grant me to attend with
devotion, humility and love.

3. The entire world needs you and pray with the Scripture: “ Rain down, you heavens, from
above, and let the clouds pour down saving justice “ (Is 45: 8). In union with my brothers,
I repeat this same prayer. The land of my soul, arid and barren for years fritter away, attend
the Just, the Lord of the world that will come like a lively rain from above. Lord, come and
transform this desert that I am, in a green fertile oasis.
The world needs you Jesus and invoke of your coming. I also need you as much as I use
to say. Come and dwell among us. Take position of the whole mankind which already
belongs to you. You have created us and saved us. Offer us to the Father like the elect people
of God. Lord, you have promised: << Here I am, I will come >>. We beseech: << Come, Lord
Jesus >> ( App 22:20 ).

23 Dicember 2012

THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS CAME INTO BEING

From the Province of Alessandria, Italy, 22 December 2012

THROUGH HIM ALL THINGS CAME INTO BEING
“through him all things came into being, not one thing came into being except
through him” ( John 1:3 )

The old Testament talked about the Wisdom of God and the power of his word: << God of our
ancestors, Lord of mercy, who by your word have made the universe, and in your wisdom have
fitted human beings to rule the creatures that you have made…>> ( Ws 9:1-2 ).
In the New Testament the Word of God revealed us as self expression of the Father, is a Divine
Person, the Son of God, who lives from all eternity in the womb of the Father, participate with him
in the Divinity. The veil had taken away: God in his love, revealed to his creature the secret of his
life.

Blessed to you, my Lord, for the admirable world you have created. Your name will be sung,
honoured and glorified. We praise you, we bless you, we give you thanks for the filial love that you
lavish for us and for all that you will do. Lord three times Holy, your name be forever.
1. adoration, honour, glory and eternal hymn: immensity of the universe express your infinite
power. The million of years talk about your eternity; which the evolutions contrast with
you since you are Immutable. Our tempests, our hurricanes, our earthquakes, remind us that
your peace is perfect. The sun speaks to me your living power and recall to my mind your
splendour. Its morning rays dissipate the darkness of the night, these are the images and the
actions of the Divine Word in the world, to dissipate its sin and ignorance.

2. I thank you Divine Word for what I am, since I can able to know you, love you, serve you,
desire your presence and rejoice to see you one day. Because I am loved by you, because
I am loved by the Father with you, because I am the temple of the Spirit of love. I thank
you my Lord, for having created me in your image and likeness, for giving me a spirit able
to know you and a heart dispose to love you. Lord you are my end as my beginning. You
are the center of my being. Being of my being, Life of my life, I will cling to you: hold me
stretch into your arms so that I will never separate from you again.

3. Divine Word, Beloved Son of the Father, << all things came into being through you>>: the
splendid universe and the millions of human being that you have created.
You are the living Wisdom of the Father, the Thought of his Spirit, his perfect expression,
his glory, his delight, his joy.
Glory to you, Lord, Divine Word, Creator of all that existed.
<< I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to
come, the Almighty >>. (Rev. 1:8 ).
Word of God, Son of the Father, I want to sing to you today and every day of my life with
all my strength. Amen.

22 Dicember 2012

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD

From the Province of Alessandria, Italy, 21 December 2012

IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD
“ In the beginning was the Word: the Word was with God and the Word was God “ (John
1:1).

1. “ In the beginning was the Word “. The first phrase of St. John, like lightning, open the
curtain that protect the mystery of God. The veil of the temple, that hide the presence of
Yahweh, is divided in two. Admirable and impressive, but still imperfect the revelation of
God in the Old Testament thus the perfection has only reached in the New.
The Gospel revealed to men the mystery of the intimate life of God. God confide his secret
to his children, to his friends, to his favorites; he confide to me.

The book of Genesis show us God in relation with the created. “In the beginning God
created heaven and earth”(Gen 1:1).Later on the Scripture, God manifest as the Holy, the One Who
is, the Immutable, the Faithful, the One Who loves his people.

But now the Gospel tells us God himself: <In the beginning…the Word was with
God>.Impenetrable, eternal and foremost secret on the mystery of God is revealed to a simple
creature. With an act of love that manifest his entire trust to men, God speak and revealed to be the
Father that generate the Son from all eternity. His Word, his Begotten Son lives in him.
( In silence I adore the Word that “was” before the world existed).

Admiration – Possession – Happiness – Serenity

2. “ And the Word Was with God ”. From the start, the gospel of John revealed us the mystery
of Christ and his identity. The Christ is only one with Yahweh- <<I am>>: the Lord our
God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of true believers, the God that create
and save. Christ is the eternal Word, the living Wisdom of God that the Father lives in him
participate in his life and his perfection and finds pleasure to remain in his love.
My God and Father! Can I participate the happiness to be with the Word, nearest
to you and love by you? Can I find my pleasure together with your Son with the
embrace of a Father?

A Joyful Union

3. “ And the Word was God “. This affirmation make us start like a flash of a lightning. The
Christ whom the gospel tells us the actions and transmitted us the message, is the Word, the
Eternal Son of the Father: God like the Father.
Let us prostrate and adore, all of us who heard these words: the Word is God, Jesus Christ
is God.
Divine Word, Beloved Son of the Father, I believe that you are really God.

Worship – Admiration – Happiness – Joy

Full/Lifetime Commitment To Christ

Living our life with Jesus is not meant to be part-time occupation: “ Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:3 ). To follow Jesus is not to lessen our being authentically human. Rather to follow Jesus allows us to be human. In Christ we have a deepened grace capacity to be human. Jesus has died and risen. Whether we work or play, experience success or failure, are admired or ridiculed, taste ecstatic happiness or feel especially afflicted by the sorrowful aspect of human existence, we are dying and rising with Jesus.

Why should the world’s harsh dimension blind the Christian concerning its basic truth, goodness, and beauty? For to travel life’s journey with this friend Jesus is to share His vision, a vision which permits us to see the world’s Christlike image, which nothing – absolutely nothing – can destroy. Jesus loves each of us as precious, unique individuals. Allowing the realization of this simple but awesome truth to guide us is to walk the path which leads to the highest holiness. The committed Christian must consistently ask, “ Is Jesus really the focal point of my existence?” “How many Christians really listen to Jesus message and live it?” is a question I can ask but cannot answer.

“ How do I listen to Jesus’ message and live it?” is a question I should ask and can answer.

Jesus gathers up what are otherwise the all-too- fragmented pieces of my existence-the joy and the pain, the laughter and the tears, the success and the failure and molds these into Christlike unity. We are enigma to ourselves when we seek happiness apart from the way of Jesus, knowing within the depths of our being that following such path, leads to hideous frustration. This or that person may not realize our present suffering. But Jesus knows and He cares. His tender and reassuring touch, we can vividly experience in all sorts of situation, and sometimes when we least expect it. Jesus looked at me, His gaze was so attractive, He has reached out and touch me, and brought me to His heart. This has been by happiness. He has left His indelible imprint upon the human condition by the way He loved – in laughter and in tears, in work and in relaxation, in suffering and in rejoicing.

Jesus knows our weakness far better than we ourselves. Still He expects great things of us. Indeed: our weakness plus His strength can accomplish the marvelous, whether the marvelous be hidden or well-known, whether it appear to others as extremely important or seemingly insignificant. As St. Paul tells us “ My one hope and trust is that I shall never have to admit defeat, but that now as always I shall have the courage for Christ to be glorified in my body, whether or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more….”( Ph 1:20:21 ).

Province of Alessandria