The Gift of Piety

On this the third day of the Novena of the Holy Spirit, we ask for the gift of Piety: total devotion and obedience to God.

As the adopted children of God, we ought to hope to imitate Jesus Christ’s example of obedience to the Father: “I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38)

Of course, to imitate Jesus’s piety is to be willing to go beyond prayer. It means to give alms and to fast; to care for those in need and to seek detachment from the earthly desires that enslave us:

If we imitate our Lord Jesus, he will lift us up just like his Father lifted him up: “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him up at the last day” (John 6:40)

Have a blessed day!!!

Beatitude #2 – Blessed are those who mourn

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

If we suffer because of our faith, God will comfort us when we unite with him. This news should bring joy to our hearts. The grace of suffering is a gift from God. This is hard for us to understand but it is a truth that Saints have understood well; it has guided their actions despite the suffering brought about by those actions. It is the cross Christ carried for us.

Today, we will have opportunities to suffer. We will have the opportunity to soothe despite our own sorrows; to forgive despite our hurt; to give alms despite scarcity; to give of our time despite all our desire for solitude; to be compassionate despite our impatience; to love despite our disappointments. These are all occasions for suffering; opportunities to be saint-like; not for the rewards offered by this world, but for the comfort we will receive from God.

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