21 November

Nov 21, 2018 | Claret With You

“I have always wanted to die a poor man in some hospital, or on the scaffold as a martyr, or to be put to death by the enemies of the holy religion we profess and preach, thus sealing the virtues and truths I have preached and taught with my blood”
Aut 467

BLOOD AS WITNESS

A person who hasn´t received any formation, perhaps would understand in these words a coarse and detestable sadism. But the one who may have some experience of falling in love will see much more: the person or the cause that captivates us deserves our surrender. There is a “mystical imitation” in the experience of falling in love; and in this present case, it is the imitation of Jesus. St. Paul, once he came to know Jesus, he nurtured this passion and expressed it, “May I be found in him……May I know him and experience the power of his resurrection and share in his sufferings” (Phil 3, 9-10); and with full of joy and certain pride he will tell another community, “I am crucified with Christ” (Gal 2: 19).
Claret was one of the mystics of “Christification”; he began to imitate Jesus in humility, obedience, gentleness and charity, in his dress and in his food, in the means of travelling, in lack of money, in the preaching activity, in loving children, the poor, sick and sinners (Auto. 428-437). Besides, he desired to die like Jesus, seeing in it a great reason of credibility for his preaching. As Paul of Tarsus (and as Jesus), he could tell his many listeners, “Nor did we try to earn money, as God knows….Great is our concern that we are ready to give you, as well as the Gospel, even our very lives, for you have become very dear to us” (1Thes 2:5.8).
The option for martyrdom has been always present in the Church; in ancient times as well in recent times, there have been innumerable believers who “gave up their lives giving to death” (Rev 12:11) and that “those who proclaimed the Word of God and were slain for its sake” (Rev 6:9). It is the great seal of faithfulness to the message.

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21 December

“I never tired of being in church before the image of Our Lady of the Rosary, and I talked and prayed so trustingly that I was quite sure the Blessed Virgin heard me. I used to imagine a sort of wire running from the image in front of me to its heavenly original....

20 December

“If something pains or disturbs you, suffer it patiently thinking that the Lord has placed it so. If you are able to give alms, do it for the love of God, thinking of the neighbours and particularly in the poor who are the image of Jesus. No day should pass without...

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