“Jesus Christ ( … ) to the gloomy inventions of the genius of error has opposed the sun of the Catholic faith, the Blessed Sacrament, which, par excellence, is called the mystery of faith, in which is really and truly Jesus Christ, the true light that enlightens all people of good will to raise them higher than the vain ideas of the world and to make progress in the knowledge and love of the Supreme Good.”

(Ascetic letter to the president of one of the choirs of the Academy of San Miguel. Barcelona 1862, p. 26).

TRUE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

Every morning we praise, bless and give thanks to God for the sun that illumines us till sunset. In the spiritual life – Claret tells us with words full of simplicity and transparency – the sun that more and better illuminates is the Eucharist, where Jesus is as “sun of the Catholic faith”, as “the true light that enlightens all people of good will”, and leads us to the true love, which never dies; this is the living bread that gives us life and is bringing us, slowly, to the fullness of life, to the intimate union with God and with everything that revolves around him: the Church, the family, brothers near and far and the most poor and needy.

Make an effort to fill yourself up with this bread, which is a source of temporal and eternal life. The Eucharist is joy and peace, happiness and hope, is communion with God and with our brothers. If this sun irradiates on your heart, everything in your daily life will be clean and pure. You will not fear the darkness of sin, injustice, and despair. Cling on to these words of Saint Paul: “If God is with us, who shall be against us” (Rm 8.31); “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Will it be trials, or anguish, persecution, or hunger, lack of clothing, or dangers, or sword?” (Rm 8.35 ); “I am certain, that neither death nor life, neither angels nor spiritual powers, neither the present nor the future, nor cosmic powers, were they from heaven, or from the deep world below, nor any creature whatsoever, will separate us from the love of God, which we have, in Jesus Christ, our Lord” (Rom 8.38 -39).

Claret, in his faith, his indomitable apostolic spirit and courage against evil emulated Paul of Tarsus. Do you have in your experience and expression of faith something similar to them?