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‘In a church inside the Monastery of Santa Ana and San Jose in Cordoba, Spain, there is an ancient cross. It is the image of the Cross of Forgiveness that shows Jesus crucified with His right arm stripped off the Cross and down. They tell that one day a sinner went to confess to the priest under this cross. As usual, when a sinner was guilty of a serious sin, this priest acted very strictly. Not long later, this person fell back and after confessing their sins, the priest threatened: “This is the last time I’ll forgive you.” Many months passed and that sinner went to kneel down at the priest’s feet under the cross and asked for forgiveness again. But on this occasion, the priest was clear and said, “Don’t play with God, please. I can’t allow you to keep sinning” But strangely, when the priest rejected the sinner, a noise from the cross was suddenly heard. The right hand of Jesus dropped; moved by that man’s repentance, the following words were heard: “I am the one who shed the blood on this person, not you.” Since then, the right hand of Jesus remains in that position, for it continually invites man to ask and receive forgiveness.’

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"The Cross is the school of love." - #SaintMaximilianKolbe

📷 Symbols of Crucifixion / © pamela_d_mcadams / #GettyImages. #Catholic_Priest #CatholicPriestMedia #SeasonofLent2022

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"The Cross will not crush you; if its weight makes you stagger, its power will also sustain you." - #SaintPadrePio

📷 Church Crucifix / © sumnersgraphicsinc / #GettyImages. #Catholic_Priest #CatholicPriestMedia

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"It is not enough to take the cross in our hands and kiss it. We must carry it." - #SaintJohnBosco #SaintoftheDay

📷 Praying with Crucifix / © StockLite / #CanvaPro. #Catholic_Priest #CatholicPriestMedia

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By the cross God perfects the loving soul that offers Him a fervent and generous heart.

Oh, what can I say of the precious and divine treasure that our great God has hidden in suffering?

But this is a great secret, known only to him who loves; and I, who have had no experience of it, must be content to admire it from afar.

Happy the heart that keeps itself on the cross, in the arms of the Well-Beloved, and that burns only with divine love!

Happier the one that suffers without joy, and is thus transformed into Christ!

Happy he who suffers without being attached to his suffering, desiring only to die to himself, in order to love yet more Him Who inflicts the wound of love!

St. Paul of the Cross

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Every lock has its key. Every door has its lock that opens only with the key that belongs to it. Death shut the door and sin bolt it. The cross is the key that frees the lock from sin and the bolt from death; the cross opens the gate of heaven, and there is no other.

The gate of heaven is found where heaven and earth meet, at the summit of Calvary. The gate is well-known, tangible, and visible; everyone has eyes to see it. Some think that it has no lock and that it opens if you push it; but when you draw close to it you understand that it has a lock that opens only with its key. We can know the right key only if it is inserted into the lock. There is only one true key: the cross of Christ.

Do not weary yourself looking for other keys with which to open the gate of heaven, or fabricating others. Many are those who spend their life trying to design their own keys, believing that they would be capable of opening the gate for them; and many too are those who ridicule the cross of Christ. In front of the gate the truth shines forth, and they notice then that all their keys are in vain.

Our whole life is a journey toward this age, and you will arrive there at the end of your pilgrimage; if you are holy the key in your hand, you will open it and enter. If not, you will stop in front of the gate without being able to go in, because the keys that you have are nothing but your own handiwork. They will disappoint you.

Therefore, carry the cross of Christ, and you will have the key of heaven. Carry the cross with joy ardor, and courage. Do not weep, do not lament every time you fail. Salvation history is not made up of tears and lamentations, even though the gate of heaven opens only to those who strike their breast and utters cries of lamentation. Just one tear is enough to open the gate of heaven, the tear of repentance that bathes the cheek of the courageous believer.

Carry the cross of Christ and follow in his footsteps; you will find the Virgin at your side, as she was for Christ. Every time that you feel hurt, say: "By the wounds of Christ." When you suffer, say: "By the sufferings of Christ." When they persecute you, when they mistreat you or insult you, say: "For the glory of the Lord."

You must conquer your weakness and not make it an excuse to let yourself go. If you carry the cross of Christ, no suffering can bend you, no weariness can demoralize you; you will walk steadfastly, patiently, silently. Once you have arrived at the gate, you will feel that the joy of your passage far surpasses your suffering and fatigue during the walk. The happiness at your arrival at the destination will infinitely surpass the sorrow of your travels.

The road to Calvary in this corner of the world is long, and here you carry the cross of Christ on your shoulders. Your enemies are numerous because they are enemies of the cross; do not take them as enemies; always speak to them with the language of the cross, even if they are hostile toward you because of it.

The months and years to come will be very difficult, bitter and as heavy as the cross. Endure them by praying. May your prayer proceed from your faith, may hope spring from your patience, and may the cross make your love grow.

Violence will reign over all the earth. The planet will be stabbed by the knives of ignorance and hatred. All the nations that surround you will totter user the weight of suffering; fear will beat down on the whole earth like a storm; sadness will overflow from the heart of everyone. Ignorant and hostile men will preside over the destiny of all their peoples, dragging them along the paths of mystery and death, because of the blind revenge that they will nickname "justice" and because of the lugubrious ignorance that they will call "faith."

Rancor and ignorance will prevail in all four corners of the world. Resist and stand firm in faith and charity. The face of the earth will change, but you will preserve the face of Christ. Boundaries, communities and regimes will be erased and redrawn, nations will totter beneath the weight of fire and sword; but you will preserve your love without boundaries.

Safeguard your ecclesial community, and may your rule be the Gospel. Be the anchor that holds fast the boats that wander on the turbulent seas; may your hearts be the port of refuge for every human being who is lost, astray, and in need of protection. By your prayers you can bring down the rain of mercy and water the earth with your charity. Pray to soften hardened hearts, to open darkened minds, to comfort those who have experienced catastrophes and horrors.

Finally, have no fear, because the light of Christ will rise and shine, the cross and the Church will illumine each other. Stand fast in your faith in Christ, have no fear, have confidence in the God of the Resurrection and of Life. To him be glory eternally.

Love is a Radiant Light

Homilies of St. Charbel

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Thought for the Day – 21 July – The Royal Road of the Cross

Thought for the Day – 21 July – The Royal Road of the Cross

Thought for the Day – 21 July – “Month of the Most Precious Blood” – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

The Royal Road of the Cross

“The way of the Cross is the only road that leads to Heaven. Consequently, a man who refuses to take this road cannot reach Heaven. If there were another way, Jesus would have told us about it. Instead, He insisted that if anyone wished to go after…

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“All the science of the Saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly.” -Saint Francis de Sales #CatholicConnect

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Dominus illuminatio mea. Ps 27

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There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us. – Pope St John Paul II

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Be brave, don’t be afraid of your weakness, because in Christ crucified, you can do everything.

St. Catherine of Siena (via hope-and-fire)

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“Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent.”

~St. John of the Cross

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“One only becomes a Christian as one approaches the Cross. Each step, one is tempted with the choice to turn away and ‘live’. Each step we take forward, each step that takes us closer to the Cross is a step further from this life, but a step closer to Christ. Once we are finally on the Cross, we have lost our lives, but we have finally become Christians. A Christian knows only how to die, because to die for the life and salvation of the world is the Life of Christ, offered to us all in eternity.”

~Via Mull Monastery

(Image via facebook)

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The Crucifix from which Padre Pio received the Stigmata

Padre Pio reported under obedience:

“Suddenly I was wrapped in a sea of  blazing light. In that light I saw Jesus. He was very beautiful. From his wounds came rays of very bright white light that penetrated my hands, my feet, my side. They were like blades of fire that penetrated my skin piercing, cutting, breaking. I felt that I would die. The pain was immense.”