The power of evil cunningly penetrates the folds of our history

 

The existential checkmate is not the end of the game, but the sacred moment in which human self-sufficiency shatters and makes room for the work of God. The power of evil cunningly penetrates the folds of our history, seeking to paralyze us through spiritual blindness and convincing us that pain and injustice are the only immutable truths of our destiny. Yet, in this very void where all seems lost, the Holy Spirit intervenes as the only force capable of disposing our hearts to a journey of authentic joy. He acts as a divine director who does not magically erase our trials, but teaches us to transform surrender into trustful delivery, healing our sight through what we might call the Gospel of the eyes. Whoever receives this gift begins to see the world no longer as a battlefield abandoned to darkness, but as the living stage of God's love, where every fragment of reality, even the most painful, is embraced by Mercy. This new redeemed vision allows us to discern the traces of good working in silence and to walk with a steady step toward fullness, witnessing that the checkmate of evil has been definitively overcome by the victory of the Resurrection that already dwells within us.

The Holy Spirit takes His part in this battle specifically to ensure that the existential checkmate never becomes final. He is the divine "Grandmaster" who moves within the hidden spaces of the soul, turning every cornered position into a new opening for grace. When the world attempts to close the game with the finality of despair, the Spirit breathes a "second wind" into our weary hearts, reminding us that the King is never truly trapped when He has already conquered the grave. This is not a battle fought with the aggressive strategies of the world, but with the quiet, persistent power of the Gospel of the eyes, which allows us to see through the illusions of the enemy. The Holy Spirit disposes us to this path of joy by remapping our internal landscape, replacing the maps of fear with the geography of God's love. In this sacred struggle, the Spirit’s presence means that we are never truly "checked," because the horizon of the Resurrection is always wider than any temporary defeat. By delivering our will into His hands, we find that the very trials meant to end our journey become the catalysts for a deeper, unshakeable peace, proving that the light of the Spirit can never be extinguished by the shadows of history.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, Divine Breath of Life, come and take Your place in the battle of my heart, for I find myself at the edge of an existential checkmate where the shadows of this world seek to corner my hope. When the power of evil penetrates the history of my days, trying to convince me that the game is over and the darkness has won, remind me that Your strategy is deeper than any human despair.

Open my soul to the Gospel of the eyes, that I may stop staring at the walls of my confinement and begin to see the vast horizon of Your mercy. Heal my sight, Lord, so that I may recognize the world once more as the garden of Your love, where every trial is but a passage and every wound a place for Your light to enter.

I deliver into Your hands my fear, my need for control, and the exhaustion of my struggle. Be the strength that sustains me when my own has run dry; be the joy that defies every logic of sadness. Dispose my heart to the path of the Resurrection, so that I may walk with the steady step of one who knows that the King can never be trapped.

Spirit of Truth, rewrite my story with the ink of Your grace, transforming every perceived defeat into a victory of faith, until I rest fully in the peace that the world cannot give and the enemy cannot take away.

Amen.

This light is not a simple external brightness but the explosion of an interior truth that completely overturns the logic of human destiny. For the healed blind man, the miracle was not only the recovery of physical sight but the radical transition from the darkness of isolation to the radiant awareness of being personally sought and loved by God. Evil had attempted the ultimate existential checkmate by having him cast out of the community and reducing him to silence, yet in that very moment of maximum abandonment, the divine reversal is fulfilled. 

Jesus, having heard that they had cast him out, found him, and in this movement of the Spirit’s search, every form of solitude is shattered forever. To the fundamental question of whether he believes in the Son of Man, the human heart does not respond with a cold theory but with a burning thirst to meet a face, asking who he might be so that he may finally believe in him. Jesus' response then becomes the beating heart of the Gospel of the eyes, as he reveals that the one the blind man now sees is the very same one speaking with him, making faith no longer a physical sense but an act of recognizing the Love that stands before us. 

Believing thus becomes the new sign and the only true watershed between a history endured as a condemnation and a history lived as redemption, causing the joy of Laetare Sunday to explode in the heart's cry of total adherence. The gesture of prostrating before Him is not an act of submission but the rest of one who has finally found the unshakable rock upon which to rest one's entire existence, finding the courage to look beyond every checkmate. 

If before evil seemed to have backed us into a corner, now faith shows us that the "outside" into which we were cast is actually the open space where God awaited us to speak to us heart to heart. Our joy becomes the most powerful attack strategy against the shadows of history because a heart that prostrates before the Risen One occupies a position that the enemy can no longer storm. 

The Holy Spirit definitively replaces the maps of fear with the geography of encounter, and we no longer grope in the dark but run toward the One who saw us first, transforming every darkness into the reflection of his glory. The darkness has been overcome not by an intellectual explanation but by a Face, and believing means throwing wide the windows of the soul to let the light of Christ transform our life from a cry for help into a perennial hymn of praise. 

We are children of light who, in the midst of the Lenten journey, already glimpse the dawn of Easter, where every gaze is an act of love and every "I believe" is a dance of gratitude upon the empty tomb.

ITALIANO

Lo scacco esistenziale non è la fine del gioco, ma il momento sacro in cui l'autosufficienza umana si infrange e lascia spazio all'opera di Dio. Il potere del male penetra con astuzia nelle pieghe della nostra storia, cercando di paralizzarci attraverso la cecità spirituale e convincendoci che il dolore e l'ingiustizia siano le uniche verità immutabili del nostro destino. Eppure, proprio in questo vuoto dove tutto sembra perduto, lo Spirito Santo interviene come l'unica forza capace di disporre i nostri cuori a un cammino di gioia autentica. Egli agisce come un regista divino che non cancella magicamente le nostre prove, ma ci insegna a trasformare la resa in una consegna fiduciosa, guarendo la nostra vista attraverso quello che potremmo chiamare il Vangelo degli occhi. Chi riceve questo dono ricomincia a vedere il mondo non più come un campo di battaglia abbandonato all'oscurità, ma come lo scenario vivo dell'amore di Dio, dove ogni frammento di realtà, anche il più sofferto, è abbracciato dalla Misericordia. Questa nuova visione redenta ci permette di scorgere le tracce del bene che opera in silenzio e di camminare con passo fermo verso la pienezza, testimoniando che lo scacco del male è stato definitivamente superato dalla vittoria della Risurrezione che già abita in noi.

Lo Spirito Santo prende parte a questa battaglia proprio per garantire che lo scacco esistenziale non diventi mai definitivo. Egli è il divino "Grande Maestro" che si muove negli spazi nascosti dell'anima, trasformando ogni posizione d'angolo in una nuova apertura per la grazia. Quando il mondo tenta di chiudere la partita con la definitività della disperazione, lo Spirito soffia un "secondo vento" nei nostri cuori stanchi, ricordandoci che il Re non è mai veramente in trappola quando ha già conquistato il sepolcro. Questa non è una battaglia combattuta con le strategie aggressive del mondo, ma con il potere silenzioso e persistente del Vangelo degli occhi, che ci permette di vedere attraverso le illusioni del nemico. Lo Spirito Santo ci dispone a questo sentiero di gioia rimappando il nostro paesaggio interiore, sostituendo le mappe della paura con la geografia dell'amore di Dio. In questa lotta sacra, la presenza dello Spirito significa che non siamo mai veramente "sotto scacco", perché l'orizzonte della Risurrezione è sempre più ampio di qualsiasi sconfitta temporanea. Consegnando la nostra volontà nelle Sue mani, scopriamo che proprio le prove destinate a porre fine al nostro viaggio diventano i catalizzatori di una pace profonda e incrollabile, dimostrando che la luce dello Spirito non può mai essere estinta dalle ombre della storia.

Preghiera

Spirito Santo, Divino Soffio di Vita, vieni e prendi il Tuo posto nella battaglia del mio cuore, poiché mi trovo sull'orlo di uno scacco esistenziale dove le ombre di questo mondo cercano di intrappolare la mia speranza. Quando il potere del male penetra nella storia dei miei giorni, cercando di convincermi che la partita è finita e che l'oscurità ha vinto, ricordami che la Tua strategia è più profonda di ogni umana disperazione.

Apri la mia anima al Vangelo degli occhi, affinché io smetta di fissare le mura della mia prigionia e inizi a vedere il vasto orizzonte della Tua misericordia. Guarisci la mia vista, Signore, così che io possa riconoscere di nuovo il mondo come il giardino del Tuo amore, dove ogni prova è solo un passaggio e ogni ferita un luogo in cui far entrare la Tua luce.

Consegno nelle Tue mani la mia paura, il mio bisogno di controllo e la stanchezza della mia lotta. Sii Tu la forza che mi sostiene quando la mia è esaurita; sii la gioia che sfida ogni logica di tristezza. Disponi il mio cuore al cammino della Risurrezione, affinché io possa camminare con il passo saldo di chi sa che il Re non può mai essere intrappolato.

Spirito di Verità, riscrivi la mia storia con l'inchiostro della Tua grazia, trasformando ogni percepita sconfitta in una vittoria di fede, finché io non possa riposare pienamente nella pace che il mondo non può dare e che il nemico non può portarmi via.

Amen.

Questa luce non è un semplice chiarore esterno ma l’esplosione di una verità interiore che ribalta completamente la logica del destino umano. Per il cieco guarito il miracolo non è stato soltanto il recupero della vista fisica ma il passaggio radicale dal buio dell'isolamento alla sfolgorante consapevolezza di essere cercato e amato personalmente da Dio. Il male aveva tentato l'ultimo scacco esistenziale facendolo cacciare fuori dalla comunità e riducendolo al silenzio eppure proprio in quel momento di massimo abbandono si compie il ribaltamento divino. 

Gesù saputo che l'avevano cacciato fuori lo trovò e in questo movimento di ricerca dello Spirito si infrange per sempre ogni forma di solitudine. Alla domanda fondamentale se egli creda nel Figlio dell'uomo il cuore dell'uomo non risponde con una fredda teoria ma con una sete ardente di incontrare un volto chiedendo chi egli sia perché possa finalmente credere in lui. La risposta di Gesù diventa allora il cuore pulsante del vangelo degli occhi poiché egli rivela che colui che il cieco ora vede è lo stesso che parla con lui rendendo la fede non più un senso fisico ma un atto di riconoscimento dell'Amore che ci sta di fronte. 

Credere diventa così il segno nuovo e l'unico vero spartiacque tra una storia subita come condanna e una storia vissuta come redenzione facendo esplodere la gioia della Domenica Laetare nel grido di adesione totale del cuore. Il gesto di prostrarsi dinanzi a Lui non è una sottomissione ma il riposo di chi ha finalmente trovato la roccia incrollabile su cui poggiare l'esistenza intera trovando il coraggio di guardare oltre ogni scacco. 

Se prima il male sembrava averci messo all'angolo ora la fede ci mostra che quel fuori in cui siamo stati cacciati è in realtà lo spazio aperto dove Dio ci attendeva per parlarci cuore a cuore. La nostra gioia diventa la strategia d'attacco più potente contro le ombre della storia perché un cuore che si prostra dinanzi al Risorto occupa una posizione che il nemico non può più espugnare. 

Lo Spirito Santo sostituisce definitivamente le mappe della paura con la geografia dell'incontro e non camminiamo più a tentoni ma corriamo verso Colui che ci ha visti per primo trasformando ogni oscurità nel riverbero della sua gloria. Il buio è stato vinto non da una spiegazione intellettuale ma da un Volto e credere significa spalancare le finestre dell'anima per lasciare che la luce di Cristo trasformi la nostra vita da un grido di aiuto in un perenne inno di lode. 

Siamo figli della luce che nel pieno del cammino quaresimale già intravedono l'alba della Pasqua dove ogni sguardo è un atto d'amore e ogni credo è una danza di gratitudine sulla tomba vuota.

Prayer is

 

𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒈𝒆—𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.
It is not a performance, nor a platform for self-affirmation. It is the quiet place where heaven bends toward earth, and the human heart stretches toward God. A bridge is built to connect, not to elevate. And so prayer, in its truest form, connects the brokenness of humanity with the mercy of the divine. It allows grace to pass through—not to be hoarded, but to be shared.

𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍—𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆.
It is the conduit through which the anointing of the Holy Spirit flows. Not a place for applause, but for surrender. When we pray, especially in intercession, we do not summon power to ourselves—we yield to the power that comes from above. The Spirit does not descend upon pride, but upon humility. The channel must be clean, open, and hidden. The moment it becomes a stage, the flow is obstructed.

𝑷𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏—𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈.
Seeing the pain of others, the need for healing, the hunger for peace. It is about perceiving the heart of God and allowing that vision to shape our words, our silence, our tears. The spotlight blinds; the bridge illuminates. The stage isolates; the channel unites.

𝑻𝒓𝒖𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒔—𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒕𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈.
It is the act of stepping aside so that God may step in. It is the refusal to make ourselves the center, and the decision to become vessels. In this way, prayer becomes not just a spiritual act, but a sacrificial offering. It becomes the place where the Spirit moves freely, not because we are worthy, but because we are willing.

So let us pray not to be admired, but to be aligned.
Not to be praised, but to be pierced.
Not to be elevated, but to be emptied—so that through us, the healing oil of the Holy Spirit may flow into the wounds of the world.

Senza lo Spirito Santo

English translation down below

Senza lo Spirito Santo, la nostra comprensione dell'azione di Dio nella nostra vita rimane limitata, quasi come vedere attraverso un vetro appannato. Egli è la luce che illumina le tenebre della nostra mente, il soffio che ravviva la fiamma della fede, la forza che ci sostiene nei momenti di debolezza. È Lui che ci rende capaci di ascoltare la voce di Dio nel silenzio, di discernere la Sua volontà e di abbandonarci con fiducia al Suo amore.

Lo Spirito Santo è l’interprete perfetto del linguaggio divino: senza di Lui, la Parola rimane soltanto testo, i sacramenti diventano gesti senza vita e gli avvenimenti della nostra esistenza sembrano susseguirsi senza un senso preciso. Ma quando lo accogliamo, Egli trasforma il nostro cuore, ci apre a una visione nuova e ci fa vedere la realtà con gli occhi della fede. È lo Spirito che ci guida nella comprensione del mistero, che ci fa scoprire la bellezza della presenza di Dio in ogni cosa, anche nelle situazioni più difficili e incomprensibili.

In ogni prova, nelle gioie e nei dolori, è lo Spirito che svela il disegno divino e ci aiuta a comprendere che nulla è casuale, ma tutto è parte di un cammino di redenzione e amore. Nelle ferite della vita, nelle lacrime versate e nelle battaglie quotidiane, Egli opera con pazienza, sanando, ricostruendo, riempiendo di pace ciò che è stato spezzato. È nel Suo soffio che troviamo ristoro, nella Sua guida che troviamo sicurezza, nella Sua presenza che scopriamo la vera libertà.

Senza di Lui, la nostra esistenza rimarrebbe incerta, guidata dalle paure e dalle incertezze del mondo. Ma con Lui, possiamo affrontare ogni ostacolo con la certezza che Dio è con noi, che ci sostiene e ci accompagna lungo il cammino della vita. Solo attraverso di Lui possiamo rispondere pienamente alla chiamata del Signore, lasciandoci trasformare e guidare verso la verità più profonda.

Preghiera allo Spirito Santo:

Spirito Santo, dolce ospite dell’anima, vieni e riempi ogni angolo del mio cuore. Illumina la mia mente affinché possa comprendere l’opera di Dio nella mia vita. Dissipa le tenebre dei dubbi, rafforza la mia fede e insegnami a riconoscere la Tua presenza nei piccoli dettagli del quotidiano.

Rendimi docile alla Tua guida, capace di ascoltare la voce del Padre e di seguirlo con coraggio. Trasforma le mie paure in fiducia, la mia tristezza in speranza, la mia fatica in abbandono sereno nelle mani di Dio.

Spirito di amore, accendi in me il desiderio di santità. Fa’ che io viva ogni giorno alla luce della Parola, che io possa essere testimone della Tua verità e strumento della Tua pace.

Vieni, Spirito Santo, riempi la mia vita con la Tua luce e fa’ di me una creatura nuova, rinnovata dall’amore infinito di Dio.

Amen.

English version

Without the Holy Spirit, our understanding of God's action in our lives remains limited, almost like looking through a fogged-up glass. He is the light that illuminates the darkness of our minds, the breath that rekindles the flame of faith, the strength that sustains us in moments of weakness. It is He who enables us to hear God's voice in silence, to discern His will, and to surrender to His love with trust.

The Holy Spirit is the perfect interpreter of God's language: without Him, the Word remains just text, the sacraments become lifeless rituals, and the events of our existence seem to follow one another without a precise meaning. But when we welcome Him, He transforms our hearts, opens us to a new vision, and makes us see reality through the eyes of faith. It is the Spirit who guides us in understanding the mystery, who helps us discover the beauty of God's presence in everything, even in the most difficult and incomprehensible situations.

In every trial, in joys and sorrows, it is the Spirit who reveals the divine plan and helps us understand that nothing is random, but everything is part of a journey of redemption and love. In the wounds of life, in the tears shed, and in daily battles, He works patiently, healing, rebuilding, filling with peace what has been broken. It is in His breath that we find refreshment, in His guidance that we find security, in His presence that we discover true freedom.

Without Him, our existence would remain uncertain, guided by the fears and uncertainties of the world. But with Him, we can face every obstacle with the certainty that God is with us, sustaining and accompanying us along the path of life. Only through Him can we fully respond to the Lord's call, allowing ourselves to be transformed and guided toward the deepest truth.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Holy Spirit, gentle guest of the soul, come and fill every corner of my heart. Illuminate my mind so that I may understand God's work in my life. Dispel the darkness of doubts, strengthen my faith, and teach me to recognize Your presence in the small details of everyday life.

Make me docile to Your guidance, able to listen to the Father's voice and follow Him courageously. Transform my fears into trust, my sadness into hope, my struggles into peaceful surrender into God's hands.

Spirit of love, ignite in me the desire for holiness. May I live each day in the light of the Word, be a witness to Your truth, and an instrument of Your peace.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my life with Your light and make me a new creation, renewed by God's infinite love.

Amen.

Gioia nelle umiliazioni

 "Beati voi, quando gli uomini vi odieranno e quando vi metteranno al bando e vi insulteranno e disprezzeranno il vostro nome come infame, a causa del Figlio dell'uomo. Rallegratevi in quel giorno ed esultate perché, ecco, la vostra ricompensa è grande nel cielo. Allo stesso modo infatti agivano i loro padri con i profeti." (Lc 6,22-23)

La gioia nell'umiliazione è un paradosso che può sembrare assurdo per chi non conosce il Vangelo. Tuttavia, per chi ha familiarità con la parola di Gesù e il Regno di Dio, tutto assume un significato diverso. Essere beati o sentirsi benedetti negli insulti e nei disprezzi, a causa del "Figlio dell'uomo", e persino essere trattati come infami, è davvero paradossale. Questo è il segreto dei santi martiri.

Consideriamo ora il comportamento di coloro che si vantano di essere superiori e che hanno le possibilità di prevaricare i deboli e coloro che non possono difendersi. Questo atteggiamento spesso rivela una profonda insicurezza da parte del bullo che intimidisce chi è debole. Le persone che tendono a mostrare una facciata di superiorità e indifferenza, mascherano spesso una carenza psicologica e affettiva. Al contrario, una persona forte e sana esprime civiltà ed educazione, non arroganza e vanagloria.

Chi adotta comportamenti di distacco e snobismo lo fa spesso a causa di un deficit interiore. Queste persone hanno bisogno di aiuto, ma il loro comportamento insopportabile le rende spesso incomprese o addirittura compatite, il che non favorisce una crescita personale matura.

Secondo il Manuale DSM, chi ha questo atteggiamento è descritto come affetto da Disturbo narcisistico di personalità. Questo disturbo mentale è caratterizzato da un persistente senso di superiorità (megalomania), un bisogno incessante di ammirazione e una mancanza di empatia. Chi ne soffre ha una percezione esagerata di sé, definita "Sé grandioso". Manifestano idee di grandiosità, un costante bisogno di essere ammirati e una difficoltà a provare empatia per gli altri.

In altre parole, queste persone si sentono superiori agli altri e cercano costantemente conferme e ammirazione. Hanno difficoltà a comprendere e a connettersi emotivamente con gli altri, il che spesso li porta a comportamenti arroganti e indifferenti.

Essere umili e aperti agli insegnamenti del Vangelo ci permette di superare questi atteggiamenti e di vivere in armonia con noi stessi e con gli altri. Troviamo forza nella fede e nella consapevolezza che il nostro vero valore non risiede nella superiorità apparente, ma nella capacità di amare e di essere amati.

Questa sintesi unisce le riflessioni psicologiche e comportamentali con l'insegnamento evangelico, offrendo una comprensione più profonda e integrata del comportamento umano e del valore della fede.

Hope, the prayer of the Messiah

The attitude of faith comes from the knowledge that behind the actual reality there’s a spiritual dimension. That everything is not just what it seems, because Jesus says: « 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. » Jn 17:7-9

The real hope that we have is that Jesus prays for us because we are of the Father, given to Jesus.

Jesus was sent for us, so to save us. To break the bondage of sin in us that brings doubt and death. Many times we want to grasp things but as we push harder, the more it turns to be so difficult, as if drifting to a quicksand. The more we want to escape the worst it turn to be because it turn to be our trap.

Our savior prayers and asks the Holy Spirit to move in us and guide us. The Holy Spirit who speaks what He heard from the Son and the Father. The Holy Spirit will bring us to a new consciousness, the knowledge of God, the words of God, there salvation, the protection that the Father will offer through the Consoler, the Third Person of the Holy Trinity:

« 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by  that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.» Jn 17:10-12

The flesh is weak

What is born of flesh is flesh
and what is born of spirit is spirit. Jn 3:6

Man has the capacity to transcend and it’s very important that he won’t be a slave of the flesh. The flesh composed of appetite and instincts succumbs easily to the worldly allurement. His primary objective is material and physical.

So Jesus reminded His disciples during the battle of spirit in the garden of Gethsemani: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Mt 26:41

Prayer is the power of the spirit. Prayer teaches man not to submit to his fears and worries. Prayer is opening up to the realm of Spirit, the dimension of God, which is literally the dimension of love & hope. 

Jesus I entrust to you all my battles,

my weaknesses and all my temptations;

I come to you and I ask your Holy Spirit.

Help me not to submit to the works of the enemy: deception & lies;

increase my faith, increase my love and adoration to your Holy Name so I will always give praise and glory to the Father.

This I pray in your name, in communion to the Holy Spirit.

The reckoning of Judas Iscariot

^{THE COST - Mt 26:14-16}

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

Judas wasn’t the naive disciple of Jesus. Actually he was very advance in foreseeing things. When that lady who poured out the perfume on Jesus’ feet he immediately reproved: “Why was this annointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?”. He said it, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the money bag he used to get himself to what was put into it.

Judas was brilliant and pretentious, he seemed to be generous and really interested of the welfare of others. But his interest was only to get more money for himself; more money means more power. Power, means "possibility". His avidity of money hides his desire of power. Jesus knew everything about him, his vice and his weaknesses of being attached to money. But He never fired him, or removed him from his being apostle. Instead, Jesus loved him more.

Despite of everything, Jesus tried to demonstrate to Judas that there's a stronger "power" (possibility), that is Love. The love of money destroys, while the love that is selfless saves: «Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.»

There were two reasons why Judas sold Jesus, first because he was obsessed with money, and second he expected that putting the "Rabbi" on challenge by handing him to the enemies, will unveil the "messianic" triumphant power of the master. Thus, it's an additional profit for him because there will be an increase of GDP Gross Domestic Product. More "power" more money, more "money", more possibilities (power).

The realization was: Judas, the betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? Look to it yourself.” Flinging the money into the temple, he departed and went off and hanged himself.

Money can buy a lot of things... many things but not all things. Many are led astray, even great people in the world because of money; thus, what the money can’t buy are the things most valuable that is beyond every monetary measure. 

The Palm Sunday

Why Palm Sunday is important for Christians?

It’s the milestone of the resurrection of the Lord. A week before Easter. 

It’s importance is on the declaration of Jesus as Kyrios in Greek which means Lord. The Lordship of Jesus and His triumphant entrance to the city of Jerusalem.

It marks the beginning of the Holy Week.The symbolism of the palm which indicates the traditional symbol of victory and it was spread out on the streets because the people has considered Him as the Messiah who will drive out the Roman Empire’s domination in the Holy Land. This great event is truely huge, but the clumsy thing was the King of kings on a donkey, not on a stallion or on a warrior horse. 

What makes Palm Sunday of Year 2020 special?

The victory of Jesus’ Lordship in the hearts of all the believers, not so much on the palms and branches on the streets, but rejoicing in His reign of Peace amidst fear and desperation of the Corona Virus in every place of the world.  

The victory that comes from His mercy despite of all the limitations to exercise rituals and processions. This demonstrates that faith can’t be under arrest, it won’t be seized by any viruses. The powerful sign that can tackle fear and solitude is the strength that radiates from the heart of Jesus, His heart near to our pains and miseries.

Nothing can stop the hope that the Church celebrates on this Passover, as we proclaim the glorious hope of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

Mysterium fidei...The mystery of faith

• Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
• Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life. Lord Jesus, come in glory.
• When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come in glory.
• Lord, by your cross and resurrection, you have set us free. You are the Saviour of the world.

The turning point!

April 1, 2020

Jesus was talking to those Jews who believed in him or agreed with him.  But in a certain point they were scandalized, because they felt insulted. As if that Jesus was talking to them and indirectly insinuating that they never have known the truth.  Being Jewish observants and religious practioners, we should never forget that they certainly have known the "truth", because they were convinced that their religion, is the right religion that have taught to what is orthodox (meaning, "right doctrine"). So they are offended to be considered ignorant of the truth.

“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

It's hard to follow Jesus when our mindset still belongs to that scheme or blueprint of a certain religiosity which is totally different to what Jesus is teaching to discover. So what happened they started to get into discussion, they started to give their biodata as "descendants of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone" (n.b. we should not forget that the socio-political context at that time was that the Romans envaded Jerusalem, thus they were paying taxes to the Empire).

They couldn't accept such truth of their socio-political situation. They continually deny such element of the truth. They want to continue to believe the dogma of their religion, claiming to be descendants of Abraham, meaning children of the "covenant", but in-fact they are living the contradiction of their faith.  This fact is the same with our own way of thinking, we cling to our religion as if the ultimate faith, thus we convince ourselves that we can be saved to our practices and our devotional observances. But then we realize that something is no longer in accord to what is really the wisdom of Love in our life. The paradox that we can't accept deep within, where certain practices is keeping us only for lip-service and it's no longer giving sense to our spiritual need. Instead of turning to the Word of God that can help us to renew our lives in the Spirit, there are those who insist to pursue practices that many unskilled pastors are doing: disseminate dreadful prophesies so to hit people on their weaknesses and fears; seeing visions of the Mother Mary in the clouds and listening to the voices of the visionaries and impostors instead of listening to the Word of God, or to the Bible itself.

Becoming disciples of Jesus is not only by approving to what He says and to what He teaches, but most of all to let ourselves be a DWELLING PLACE of the Word of God, the GOSPEL (GOOD NEWS OF OUR SALVATION - from greek "Euaggelion" : NOT DREADFUL NOR APOCALYPTIC MESSAGES that confuse people and cause disorientations). BEWARE TO THOSE CHRISTIANS who say that they preach the Gospel, but they offer FEAR!!!!

1 John 4:17In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him. 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.  The one who fears has not been perfected in love. 

Let us pray:

Jesus, I honor you with all of my heart
I humbly ask you in your name to let your Holy Spirit
be upon me right now so I may understand your Wisdom.
Enlighten my mind and heart so I won't be fixated to any religious fanaticism.
Teach me to do the "work of the Father", meaning to manifest "Mercy & Love",
instead of keeping my mind and my heart troubled to any religious 
manipulations that these people announcing 
"END TIMES"& "APOCALYPTIC PROPHESIES",
that are causing terrible fear and mental assault in every part.
Jesus, I submit to your Kingship, because you are my Lord and my Savior,
nothing is stronger that your Love, you won't allow us to get astray.
I believe that this problem that we are facing right now is a point of awakening
and never be our judgment and dread, 
I believe that you are always with us, so protect us Lord with your Holy stripes,
Jesus be with us, keep us always united to the Heavenly Father
with the Holy Spirit that consoles us continually from our distress.
Be with me Jesus, in you I entrust all my love ones, my home and everything that I possess. Amen.

From the Gospel according to John
JN 8:31-42

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

From mourning to faith!

Today's gospel narrates the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, the best friend of Jesus who was been terribly sick and died before he arrived.  We can consider him as a very good friend of our Lord, because Jesus was used to visit him in Bethany (cfr. John 12, Lk 10:38-42).   But despite of it, His first reply to the message of the sisters was: "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  As I write this reflection the actual statistics of the Coronavirus Cases (only in Italy right now) is 97,689; Deaths 10,779; Recovered 13,030.

There are a lot of worries and anxieties at this time in every part of the world, not only in italy, but throughout the planet because its continually arising.  The actual statistics  of CoVid-19 Cases throughout the world is 710,523; deaths 33,552 and recovered: 150,734. The countries are lockeddown for quarantine. Deaths and sufferings are the object of the daily news in tv, in social media and in radios.  "Stay at home" is the slogan everywhere.  People are distressed. People are in hunger especially the poor ones, those who can't work and has no stable salary. A lot are getting contaminated because there are no enough gadgets for preventions and precautions.

Now we need to ask, is this illness the ultimate cause of death? Every day without Covid-19, roughly 150,000 people die across the globe; for cigarette smoking 480,000 deaths a year; Nearly 1.25 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,287 deaths a day. An additional 20-50 million are injured or disabled. More than half of all road traffic deaths occur among young adults ages 15-44. The World Health Organization estimates that worldwide, annual influenza epidemics result in about 3-5 million cases of severe illness and about 250,000 to 500,000 deaths. That means 684 to 1369 death per day. Malnutrition:(World Hunger Day 2019) ... Some 821 million people suffer chronically from hunger. And although this is significantly fewer people than the numbers we saw a decade ago, hunger still kills more people than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined. For homecides: about 500,000 are murdered. About 1,000,000 die by suicide. 18 million die from poverty.

Now we need to understand the word of Jesus: "This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Having said it, we should not think that Covid-19 won't kill us because we have faith in Jesus. Thus, we should be more careful not allow ourselves be victims of fear and distress, because these are fatal to our health, spiritual and physical.

Jesus didn't rush to make miracles
We are on this pandemic crisis caused by Coronavirus, but we should not forget that we will not die necessarily for this virus.  There are a lot of religious fanatics, catholics and non-catholics, preaching apocalyptic conversion, as if that God is punishing the world. As if that God is so offended that he is enraged of humanity.  So these fanatics are praying desperately, with lots of words and rituals; lots of them see visions and give ear to the false prophets, proclaiming before hand this epidemic, etc.  Rushing in desperate quest for God's reply like the 450 priests of Baal against Elijah (1 Kings 18:28-29).
Salvation comes from faith and not from the punishment or fear; but by "grace". I love to meditate the words of Ps. 62:1-2 : "My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."


Jesus waited for another two days. When He arrived, His friend Lazarus was buried already for 4 days. Martha went to Him and told Him, if He was only there, his brother wouldn't have died. Then she affirmed, saying: "But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” - Martha manifested her faith despite of her disappointment that the Lord could be there to save her brother.

Then Jesus made a declaration: "Your brother will rise". But Martha replied as if that word was very far and remote. Yes Lord I know he will rise in the future... (in the resurrection day) - so Jesus made it more clearer: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Faith is not a feeling
It's an inner consciousness of the resurrection of Jesus, that in Him is the fullness of Life. Even if we should die, we will live, and whoever lives and believes in Him, nothing could shake and frightens him. A deeper understanding of ones belief, a full-trust in the Love offered and given by Jesus, not according to ones merit but through faith (Ephesians 2:8 "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.")


Jesus wept
In order to get through to our fears, we should never forget that we are humans. We can't just be indifferent and be cold blooded to all these deaths that we hear about this virus, but at the same time we should never let ourselves be conditioned and be imprisoned in fear and anguish. Jesus was 100% God, but He was also 100% human; meaning He has emotion and compassion. And I'm very convinced that right now He is weeping looking to all these people who died without their love ones beside them, but He is weeping more to those who died without having accepted His love and His mercy. I say it in an actual sense, because Jesus was, is and is to come (“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” - Revelation 1:8) He is in every heart of every physician, nurse, volontary worker and all those who are working to fight this pandemic.

 Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?
Martha was worried when Jesus said to remove the stone that was covering the tomb, because it was already the 4th day.  So Jesus reproved her, Martha did I not tell you if you believe... YOU WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD?

Faith is necessary. Without Faith there's nothing will happen in our relationship with God. Without Faith, the world stops because it lack something, like a dead body.  That's why Faith and Action goes together, because action without faith has no life.

James 2:22-26   ²² Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? ²³ And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. ²⁴ You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.  ²⁵ Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?
²⁶ For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Ephesians 6:16-18  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.18Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.…

Untie yourself and come out from the tomb!
By faith we need to resist the temptation to submit to our fears and fixations. Let's untie ourselves from the bondages of lies that continually tells our mind that we can't make it. The lies that block us to see the brighter side. Let's go out from the tomb! From the tomb of our fear and insecurities.

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45

The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one you love is ill.”
When Jesus heard this he said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill,
he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, +Let us go back to Judea.”

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her,
Your brother will rise.” Martha said, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

He became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?”
They said to him, “Sir, come and see.” And Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him.” But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?”

So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”  Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.”

Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
And when he had said this,
He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth.

So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.”


Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him.

The other side story

 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)

 The moment of annunciation of Mary as we used to imagine was a joyful moment, because Jesus is coming. Many christians are myeloids, meaning  they love to imagine romantic sceneries of faith, neglecting to see the historical side that gives the truth of the reality. 

The annunciation happened when everything was truely a disaster in Jerusalem. The Roman Empire colony as considered pagan abomination to the Holy City, and the taxes the people pay; the poor were becoming poorer, the sick were abandoned, the widows were abused, etc. It wasn’t really the best moment, because Herod the Great ruling tyranny over the land. 

 She was just a young girl when she received such invitation of the Angel. It’s absurd to imagine that it was all easy and exciting, instead it was absolutely terrible, in fact her first reaction was “How is it possible? I don’t have any man”. 

Then the Angel told her of God’s design: “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." 

1. The Holy Spirit will come on you

2. The power of the Most High will overshadow you

The mystery of the Annunciation is not something easy to deal, considering all the factors that are surrounding, the socio-political situation and the religious decline. Mary was assured to the promise of the Angel. If God asks us something let’s never forget that He provides us the Holy Spirit and His presence will over shadow us.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.   Lk 1:38

In this moment like this, we will keep the word of God in our hearts, and remember that it’s not easy to deal with but with God we can deal and be witnesses to His power and might.