The Gift of Wisdom

On the eighth day of the Novena of the Holy Spirit, we pray for the gift of Wisdom: the grace to know, understand, and live in Christ.

There is so much to say about the gift of Wisdom, but all I write this day are the words of St. Louis de Montford:

“To know Jesus Christ incarnate Wisdom, is to know all we need. To presume to know everything and not know him is to know nothing at all.”

Have a blessed day!!!

The Thirst for the Holy Spirit

Veni, Sancte Spiritus (Come, Holy Spirit)

I am always thirsting for the Holy Spirit. It is an indelible thirst born at Baptism. I feel this thirst becoming stronger as Pentecost approaches. The Holy Spirit is the truth that Christ gifted us: “I have much to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.” (John 16:12-13)

It is through the Holy Spirit that our hearts are purified and we remain in God: “A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit.” (Psalm 51:12-13) Moreover, it is by living through the Holy Spirit that we can say “Jesus is Lord.” (1 Corinthians 12:3);

If you thirst like I do, consider honoring the Holy Spirit in the next 9 days with the Novena of the Holy Spirit. This Novena is an opportunity to seek God’s gifts of grace:

“The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the LORD, and his delight shall be the fear of the LORD. (Isaiah 11:2-3).

Have a blessed day!!!

Simple Formula for Devotion

Last week, while reading Louis De Montfort’s True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, I came across a simple formula to properly practice devotions to the Blessed Virgin.  I’m now using before praying to remind myself that my prayers ought to be:

1. “with a good and pure intention to please God only, to unite ourselves to Jesus Christ as to our Last End, and to edify our neighbor;
2. with attention, and without voluntary distraction;
3. with devotion, equally avoiding precipitation or negligence;
4. with modesty, and a respectful and edifying care of posture of the body.”

This formula has helped me focus my prayers in general and in particular my devotion to the Blessed Virgin.

Have a blessed day!!!

P.S. Free versions of the True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin are available on the internet; here is one version.

The Kingdom of God

“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”- (Luke 17:21-22)

The Kingdom of God is indeed among us; Christ made that possible when he died on the cross. It is the Word; it’s in the Sacraments. It’s in our charity. It’s within anyone who accepts Christ as our savior. It’s in our children’s pure and innocent hearts.  It’s in the poor and the afflicted. It’s in the widow and the orphan. It’s in the Holy Spirit; our advocate. Unfortunately, our inclination to sin prevents us from fully seeing and experiencing the Kingdom of God. However, let’s not be discouraged. Let’s persevere in faith and hope so our hearts are always on the path to salvation.

May God bless you! Happy Thursday

© hectorortiz 2013. All rights reserved.