OGF 5/2021 (3) Cantalamessa – Third Meditation of Lent 2021
Just as a sample of hair or saliva is enough to reconstruct a person’s DNA, so too only one line of the Gospel, if it is read without biases, is enough to reconstruct the DNA of Jesus, to discover what he thought of himself. Every page of the Gospel literally exudes the divine transcendence of Christ.
OGF 5/2021 (2) Cantalamessa – Second Meditation of Lent 2021
The Church runs the lethal risk of living “etsi Christus non daretur”, as if Christ did not exist. It is the assumption on which the world and its media talk about the Church all the time. Jesus as a person is mentioned once in a while if at all.
OGF 5/2021 (1) Cantalamessa – First Meditation of Lent 2021
In the New Testament, conversion is mentioned in three different moments and contexts, each highlighting a new component of the process. They give us a complete idea of what the Gospel metanoia is about… A different kind of conversion is provided for in each season of life. It is important for each of us to identify the one that suits them right now.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (7)
Prayer 7
Woe to my sinful soul,
for I have angered my creator.
Woe to this son of perdition,
for I have forgotten the gift of life.
Woe to this debtor of untold thousands of talents,
for I haven’t the means to repay.
Woe to this porter heavy laden with vile sins,
for I cannot lay down my burden to rest.
Woe to this debtor of the Lord,
for I cannot face the Almighty.
Woe to this heap of dried up reeds,
for I am consumed in Gehenna.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (6)
Prayer 6
For although small things mount up
as sands on the shore,
nevertheless, they are unique and distinct in their
origin and increase,
and like my transgressions, so countless that
they are impossible to comprehend:
one with its kith,
the other with its kin,
LENT with Gregory of Narek (5)
Prayer (5 B-C)
B You made me in your glorious image,1
favoring a weak being like me
with your sublime likeness,
adorning me with speech,
and burnishing me with your breath,
enriching me with thought,
cultivating me with wisdom…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (4)
Prayer 3 (A)
Lord, my Lord, grantor of gifts, root of goodness,
ruler of all equally, creator of all from nothing,
glorified, awesome, awe inspiring,
beyond understanding,
dreadful, mighty, stern…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (3)
Prayer 2 – Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart.
Will you, I wonder:
Forget to be charitable, my expectation?
Neglect to be compassionate, caring Lord?
Regret your charity toward humankind, constant Lord?
OGF 2/2021 Lent, a time of healing
Lent opens with a piercing sound, that of a trumpet that does not please the ears, but instead proclaims a fast. It is a loud sound that seeks to slow down our life, which is so fast-paced, yet often directionless. It is a summons to stop – a “halt!” –, to focus on what is essential. It is a wake-up call for the soul.
OGF 1/2021 Anthony Bloom – An introduction to Lent
Contrary to what many think or feel, Lent is a time of joy. It is a time when we come back to life. It is a time when we shake off what is bad and dead in us in order to become able to live, to live with all the vastness, all the depth, and all the intensity to which we are called. Unless we understand this quality of joy in Lent, we will make of it a monstrous caricature, a time when in God’s own name we make our life a misery.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (2)
Prayer 2 – Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart.
Grant me life, compassionate Lord.
Hear me, merciful Lord.
Be charitable to me, forgiving Lord.
Save me, long-suffering Lord.
Protect me, defender Lord.
Be generous, all-giving Lord.
Free me, all-powerful Lord.
Revive me, restoring Lord.
Raise me again, awe-inspiring Lord.
Enlighten me, heavenly Lord.
Cure me, omnipotent Lord.
Grant pardon, inscrutable Lord.
Bestow gifts, bountiful Lord.
Adorn me with grace, generous Lord.
Let us be reconciled, healing Lord.
Be accepting, unvengeful Lord.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (1)
Prayer 1 – Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart.
The voice of a sighing heart, its sobs and mournful cries,
I offer up to you, O Seer of Secrets…
Lent with the Desert Fathers
A man asked abbot Antony, “What shall I keep, that I may please God?” Anthony said: “Wherever you go, have God ever before your eyes. In whatever you do, hold by the example of the holy Scriptures; and in whatever place you abide, don’t be swift to leave [out of restlessness]. These three things keep, and you will be saved.”
Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2020
Putting the paschal mystery at the centre of our lives means feeling compassion towards the wounds of the crucified Christ present in the many innocent victims of wars, in attacks on life, from that of the unborn to that of the elderly, and various forms of violence.
Lent with Jesus in the Desert
“Re-enter your heart! Where do you want to go, far from yourself? Re-enter from your wandering which has led you outside the way; return to the Lord. He is quick. First re-enter into your heart, you who have become a stranger to yourself, because of your wandering outside: you do not know yourself, and seek him who has created you! “
OGF 3/2019 Pope Francis’ Lenten Meditations
The season of Lent is a favourable time to remedy the dissonant chords of our Christian life and to receive the ever new, joyful and hope-filled proclamation of the Lord’s Passover. The Church in her maternal wisdom invites us to pay special attention to anything that could dampen or even corrode our believing heart.
Lent – “We Meet Along The Way”
Brother Michal Davide Semeraro, Benedictine monk, “rereads” the three Lenten practices – prayer, almsgiving and fasting. Prayer as openness to transcendence, fasting as “discipline” and almsgiving as an opportunity to understand that “in every woman and in every man is hidden a poor person who is waiting to be discovered”.
Message of Pope Francis for Lent 2019
The celebration of the Paschal Triduum of Christ’s passion, death and resurrection, the culmination of the liturgical year, calls us yearly to undertake a journey of preparation, in the knowledge that our being conformed to Christ (cf. Rom 8:29) is a priceless gift of God’s mercy.
Father Cantalamessa’s 5th Lent Meditation 2018
We need to begin with healing the root, which is the “heart,” because everything that defiles a person’s life comes from the heart (Mt 15:18). Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” (Mt 5:8). They will truly see, they will have new eyes to see the world and God
Father Cantalamessa’s 4th Lent Meditation 2018
In outlining the traits, or the virtues, that should shine in the life of those who are reborn in the Spirit, St. Paul, after speaking about charity and humility, now speaks of obedience in chapter 13 of the Letter to the Romans
Father Cantalamessa’s 3rd Lent Homily 2018
Humility can be discussed from different perspectives, which we will see the apostle do, but in its most profound meaning humility belongs only to Jesus. The truly humble person is the one who strives to have the heart of Jesus.
Father Cantalamessa’s 1st Lent Homily 2018
In a society in which everyone feels called to transform the world or the Church, this word of God breaks in inviting people to transform themselves: “Do not be conformed to this world.”
Lent with the Desert Fathers
40 days nourished by the Desert Fathers ABBA ANTHONY THE GREAT (251–356) Anthony the Great, called ‘The Father of Monks’ was born in central Egypt, son of peasant farmers who … Continua a leggere
OGF 2/2018 – The plague of “cold hearts” and the fire of Easter (1)
The present article of ongoing formation offers you the Pope’s message for Lent and an (old but interesting) Sermon of the famous Eglish Baptist preacher Charles Haddon SPURGEON (1834-1892) on the evangelical sentence chosen by the Pope as the topic of his message: “Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold” (Mt 24:12)
LENT with Gregory of Narek (40)
“Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart”, Written by St. Gregory of Narek, Armenian poet and monk, Doctor of the Universal Church. A thousand years ago St. Gregory of Narek (951-1005) set out, with much trepidation, on a sublime mission to translate the pure sighs of the “broken and contrite” heart into an […]
LENT with Gregory of Narek (39)
Prayer 91 C
Give me rest.
I am exhausted from the multitude of cares and toil.
Remove the turmoil of doubt from my broken spirit,
the bitterness along with the grief,
the sighing along with the misery,
the anxiety along with the wretchedness…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (38)
Prayer 89
God and Lord, life and creator,
merciful, compassionate, light,
long-suffering, God who bears no grudges,
all-merciful, generous God who loves mankind,
savior, blessed, praised, glorified,
LENT with Gregory of Narek (37)
“Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart”, Written by St. Gregory of Narek, Armenian poet and monk, Doctor of the Universal Church. A thousand years ago St. Gregory of Narek (951-1005) set out, with much trepidation, on a sublime mission to translate the pure sighs of the “broken and contrite” heart into an […]
LENT with Gregory of Narek (36)
Prayer 80 C
Magnify your honor through me,
and my salvation will be manifested through you
if you find me, Madonna,
if you pity me, blessed among women,
if you rescue me in my waywardness,
immaculate one…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (35)
Prayer 76 B
If you wish to pardon, you are able.
If to heal, you have the power.
To give life, you have the means.
To bestow, you are generous.
To make whole, you are able.
To grant, you are most bountiful.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (34)
Prayer 74 A
Heavenly king, Lord of all,
patient toward all in all things,
Son of the living God, beyond our understanding,
your true mercy is manifest when
the expectation of reward is cut off.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (33)
Prayer 73 D
Look with mercy upon me in my doubts and perils,
glorified Son of God, who alone are compassionate
and will pardon, heal, save, protect, renew, restore,
lift up, support,
and create me again in blissful purity.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (32)
“Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart”, Written by St. Gregory of Narek, Armenian poet and monk, Doctor of the Universal Church. A thousand years ago St. Gregory of Narek (951-1005) set out, with much trepidation, on a sublime mission to translate the pure sighs of the “broken and contrite” heart into an […]
LENT with Gregory of Narek (31)
Prayer 65
When I depart this life, may holiness not abandon me.
When I am wrapped in shrouds may your honor not leave me.
May my soul not reject your unwavering salvation.
May your image engraved upon my soul, Giver of life, not be effaced.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (30)
Prayer 63
You who took our transgressions upon yourself,
you who graced us with your righteousness,
you who offered yourself as the ransom of our reconciliation,
you who never abandoned mercy,
turn the impious toward good, God-fearing works…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (29)
Prayer 60
Protect us, Lord Christ, exalted son of great God.
Fortify and surround us with your heavenly host,
defend us from the gusting winds of the Deceiver
with your cross of light.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (28)
Prayer 57
Accept this meager confession of my innumerable sins,
you who see everything in its totality.
And as you overlooked the fall of the Rock,
may you ignore my vacillation, a small grain of sand.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (27)
Prayer 54
And now, in all and for all, your mercy is hope,
Lord Jesus, the first light of our eyes and our hearts,
all good deeds, life and immortality are from you.
Turn with compassion toward me
and make my soul return to you rejoicing.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (26)
Prayer 52
A Blessed in holy essence,
boundless and unchangeable, truly good,
worthy of adoration, happiness professed
by all the earth,
most complete revelation of persistent hope,
compassionate and merciful,
without grudges even for the blinking of an eye
despite the sin of many years.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (25)
Prayer 51
Now, should I, a mortal who has strayed in every way, plead with another earthly being, to whom it is vain to cry out?
To a mere rational mortal,
on whom it would be false to place hope of salvation? To a frail human, whose strength is as feeble and faltering as his word?
LENT with Gregory of Narek (24)
Prayer 50
Shed light upon me with the rays of your mercy,
you who are benevolent in all ways,
that I might receive your blessing, Lord,
that I might be justified, live and be cleansed
of my inner turmoil,
not of the life with which you endowed me.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (23)
Prayer 49
Now, as you created me, before I existed,
and you revealed yourself as my sustenance,
and I pray that you might reinstate my soul
together with the tabernacle of my body
in the spotlessness of the clean holiness
of their former being…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (22)
Prayer 48
Lean then, Lord, incline yourself in sweetness
with compassion and freely give
the gift of love to comfort us (…)
Lay your hand of salvation on us.
Renew us, forgive and defend us
from the destruction of sin.
And to you alone, who are
the beginning without beginning,
the source of all beginnings,
the holy Trinity and One Divinity,
to you alone are due
glory and dominion forever.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (21)
Prayer 42
A Lord God of compassion, salvation and mercy,
redemption and restoration, healing and health,
enlightenment and life, resurrection and immortality,
remember me, when you go to your kingdom,
LENT with Gregory of Narek (20)
Prayer 41
Son of the living God, blessed in all things,
whose awesome birth by your Father passes
all understanding,
for whom nothing is impossible,
before the dawning of the uneclipsed rays of the mercy of your glory
sins melt away, demons flee, transgressions are erased,
bindings are cut and chains undone.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (19)
Prayer 34
Truly, you hear, kind God,
You listen, king.
You lent an ear, life and light.
You paid attention, heavenly one.
You respected us, almighty.
You noted, knower of secrets.
You saw, keeper.
You empathized, Lord beyond telling.
You humbled yourself, exalted one.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (18)
“Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart”, Written by St. Gregory of Narek, Armenian poet and monk, Doctor of the Universal Church. A thousand years ago St. Gregory … Continua a leggere
LENT with Gregory of Narek (17)
Prayer 29 a-b
You alone are the origin of all goodness,
mercy beyond telling, Son of the one God on high,
who made the whole day a purgatory for our sins,1
and not a house of condemnation.
You are for me the expectation of good news,
instead of a day of dread.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (16)
Prayer 27
If you would look upon me with that goodwill
toward mankind as you do,
then as I contemplate you, I will cry out in anguish.
If you would listen, I will sigh.
If you would incline your ear, I will whisper a prayer.
If you would take note, I will beseech you.
If you would forgive, I will ask forgiveness.
If you would turn toward me, I will call.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (15)
Prayer 25
The ways of my life are like the waves of the sea,
my soul tossing in this world upon countless,
endless swells,
riding in the shell of my body
like the ship lost at sea…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (14)
Prayer 19
Hear, all-seeing vision of hope and goodness of life,
the profuse sighs of my hurting soul,
unreachable greatness, fearful name, living word,
longed for message, delectable taste,
worshipful calling, confessed beneficence,
sweet perception, professed reality,
glorious essence, blessed existence…
LENT with Gregory of Narek (13)
Prayer 18
Before I was, you created me.
Before I could wish, you shaped me.
Before I glimpsed the world’s light, you saw me.
Before I emerged, you took pity on me.
Before I called, you heard me.
Before I raised a hand, you looked over me.
Before I asked, you dispensed mercy on me.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (12)
Prayer 17
Now, tormented by bitter grief I pray
to you, keeper of imperiled souls.
Do not add to the pain of my sighs.
Do not wound me. I am already injured.
Do not condemn me. I am already punished.
Do not torture me. I am already tormented.
Do not cudgel me. I am already beaten.
Do not push me. I have already fallen.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (11)
Prayer 16
Yours alone, God, in heaven, exalted and generous,
yours is the power, and yours, forgiveness.
Yours is healing and yours, abundance.
Yours are the gifts and yours alone grace.
Yours atonement and yours protection.
Yours is creation beyond knowing.
Yours are arts beyond discovery.
Yours are bounds beyond measure.
You are the beginning and you are the end.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (10)
Prayer 13
Beneficent, almighty, awe-inspiring God,
good Father, charitable donor of mercy,
whose very name heralds the good news of
your grandeur, compassion and fatherly affection,
you are gentle even toward the bitter and discontented.
LENT with Gregory of Narek (9)
Prayer 12
And taking refuge in this unclouded assurance,
I who was broken, am restored,
who was wretched, am triumphant,
who was dissipated, am healed,
who was desperately outlawed, find hope,
who was condemned to death, find life….
LENT with Gregory of Narek (8)
Prayer 9d
For yours is salvation,
and from you is redemption,
and by your right hand is restoration,
and your finger is fortification.
Your command is justification.
Your mercy is liberation.
5th Lenten Homily 2015
“East and West Before the Mystery of Salvation” Fr. Cantalamessa’s 5th Lenten Homily 2015 With this meditation we conclude our overview of the common faith of East and West, and … Continua a leggere
Father Cantalamessa’s 2nd Lent Homily 2015.
“East and West on the Mystery of the Trinity”. Father Cantalamessa’s 2nd Lent Homily 2015. ROME, March 06, 2015 (Zenit.org) – Here is the second Lenten homily given this year … Continua a leggere
OGF 3/2015 – Love Provides a Last Chance.
Lent: Love Provides a Last Chance. By Hans Urs Von Balthasar. File Word OGF 2015-3 Von Balthasar – Lent, Love Provides a Last Chance File PDF OGF 2015-3 Von Balthasar … Continua a leggere
Fr. Cantalamessa’s 1st Lent Homily 2015
Father Cantalamessa’s 1st Lent Homily 2015: “The Joy of the Gospel Fills the Heart and Life”. ROME, February 27, 2015 – Here is the first Lenten homily given this year … Continua a leggere
Fr. Cantalamessa, Lent Homilies 2014
Father Cantalamessa’s 5th Lent Homily 2014 St. Gregory the Great: The Spiritual Understanding of the Scriptures In our attempt to place ourselves under the teaching of the Fathers to give a … Continua a leggere
