Father Marino's Meditations

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin THE CRUCIFIX: THE BOOK OF LIFE   If you want to love God, look at the Crucifix!   If you hope for eternal happiness, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how much God loves you, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how much God wants you in heaven, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how God tries to save you from damnation, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how much God wants to save your immortal soul, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how much you should forgive others, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how much your faith demands of you, look at the Crucifix! If you want to know what unselfishness and generosity are, look at the Crucifix! If you wonder how you can bring others to Christ, look at the Crucifix! If you want to understand the need for self-denial and mortification, look at the Crucifix! If you wish to live well, look at the Crucifix! If  I   If you wis

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A. Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala,  OFM Capuchin PRAYER OF ST. AUGUSTINE  OF HIPPO Late Have I Loved You, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new. Late have I loved You!   You were within me, but I was outside myself,  and there I sought You! In my weakness, I ran after the beauty of the things You made. You were with, me, but I was not with You. The things You made kept me from You – Those things which would have no being unless they existed in You! You called. You shouted, and You pierced my deafness. You radiated forth. You flared, blazed, and banished my blindness. You sent forth Your fragrance. I breathed it in, and I long for You. I have tasted You, and now I hunger and thirst for You. You touched me, and I burn for Your peace.    ~ Confessions of St. Augustine, X, 27, 38, St. Augustine of Hippo (354 – 430) On this Spiritual Workout Wednesday , let’s enjoy the things we own without allowing the things we own

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin CHRIST HAS NO BODY BUT YOURS Christ has no body but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which He looks Compassionately upon this world. Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are His body. Christ has no body now but yours, No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes with which he looks compassionately upon this world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. On this Spiritual Workout Wednesday , let us continue our Lenten journey together inspired and motivated by these words attributed to St. Teresa Avila.

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin BE A PELICAN Consider the pelican, a noble bird who returns exhausted to its nest from a long and fruitless search for food and sees its chicks crowding around to swallow the fish it will disgorge. The pelican sees their gaping mouths and hears their frantic gabbling. For a moment the pelican stands as though listening to some secret inner command. Then, suddenly it raises its beak above the young and arches its neck backward prepared for the strike. It is not the babies that it would harm, but itself.  The pelican punctures its own breast, ripping open its flesh until at last, it stands astride the nest offering its own flesh as food before it dies.   The pelican symbolizes Christ, our Redeemer, who was called the Pious Pelican in the hymn of St. Thomas Aquinas, "Adoro Te Devote." Christ suffered and died for our sins. And today He continues to feed us with His own Body and Blood in the

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A  Midweek Spiritual Workout with  Fr. Marino H. Msigala,  OFM Capuchin   YET HE WENT ON…   When I get depressed, when I have a hard time continuing to do good, when I feel alone, and nobody else seems to be on my side, I reflect on this… Jesus, from his childhood, had the deadliest of enemies. Yet, He went on. Jesus was ignored and passed over for thirty years. Yet, He went on. Jesus had the very worst interpretations put on His kindliest actions. Yet, He went on. Jesus had all His words warped, twisted, falsely reported, magnified, minimized, and made to mean the very opposite by men set expressly to catch Him. Yet, He went on. Jesus had no support from those in authority, only suspicion, heckling, and condemnation. Yet, He went on. Jesus received very little gratitude. Yet, He went on. Jesus had none to share His burden, none with whom he could talk. Yet, He went on. Jesus was slighted, even laughed to scorn when He gave His very best. Yet, He went on. Jesus had

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout  with  Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin LENT: A TIME TO MAKE TIME TO PRAY, FAST & GIVE ALMS On this  Spiritual Workout Wednesday,  let's remember Ash Wednesday is the start of the Lenten Season and the beginning of a firm resolution to  PRAY  a little more than usual,  FAST  and/or abstain without complaint and  GIVE ALMS   in terms of time, talent, and treasure to others with a joyful heart.  Then, when Easter comes, we can look back and see if our prayer brought us closer to God, whether our fasting helped us to grow spiritually, and if our almsgiving made a difference in the lives of others.

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout  with  Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin I PRAYED; GOD ANSWERED    I  asked God for strength, that I might achieve.  I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.  I asked God for health, that I might do greater things.  I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.  I asked God for riches, that I might be happy.  I was given poverty, that I might be wise.   I asked God for power, that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness, that I might feel the need for God.   I asked God for all things, that I might enjoy life. I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.   I received nothing that I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.   Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.   I am, among all others,  most richly blessed. On this Spiritual Workout Wednesday , let's rethink what we ask of God by asking Him what he asks of us. Let's listen to the message He wa

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with  Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin EVERYTHING IS GRACE;  GRACE IS EVERYTHING According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, grace is participation in the life of God.” (CCC #1996-1997) Grace is a gift from God free and undeserved. We currently live in a culture where people tell themselves they deserve to have anything they want, whenever they want, simply because they want it or think they have earned it in some way. So, to hear that God is giving us a free and undeserved gift might sound rather shocking to the modern ear. The truth is, that due to our sinful nature we don’t deserve this gift of grace that God freely offers us. The sins that we commit every single day are the same sins that nailed Jesus to His cross for our sake (another freely given and undeserved gift) which, by our human standards, is an unforgivable thing to do. By offering us this undeserved gift of grace, God is demonstrating His unconditional lo

  WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin TIME: VALUE IT AND USE IT WELL To realize the value of ONE YEAR , ask a student who failed a grade. To realize the value of ONE MONTH , ask a mother who gave birth to a premature  baby. To realize the value of ONE WEEK , ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the value of ONE HOUR , ask lovers waiting to meet. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE , ask a person who missed a plane. To realize the value of ONE SECOND , ask someone who just avoided an accident. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND , as the person who won the silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have. Remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present. On this Spiritual Workout Wednesday, take some time before you retire for the night and consider how you spent the day. How did you use the gift of time today? How might y

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin I AM: LIVING IN THE PRESENT I was regre t ti n g t h e p ast a n d fearing t h e fu t u re. S udd e n ly m y Lord was sp e aki n g: “My n a m e is I a m .” H e p a u se d . I wa i t ed . He c onti n u e d . “W h en you live in t h e p ast w i th all i t s m istak e s a n d regre t s, it i s h ard. I am n ot t h ere. My n a m e is n ot I was. W h en you live in t h e fut u re w i th its p r o b le m s a n d fear s , i t is h ard. I am n ot th ere. My n a m e is n ot I will b e. W h en you live in t h is m om en t, it is n ot h a r d . I am h ere. “My n a m e is I a m .” And I am with you.   On this Spiritual Workout Wednesday , when regrets haunt you, worries trouble you, and future fears numb you, remember that God says His name is I am and “I am with you.” Make His name your mantra and whisper it throughout the day,