Cover Claret Ayer Hoy

“Love is the queen of virtues; it is like the sun among the stars, like gold among all metals. It is what gives life to all the virtues. But if love is lacking, everything will be lacking, nothing serves, as the Apostle says.” (Carta ascética… al presidente de uno de los coros de la Academia de San Miguel. Barcelona 1862, p. 13).

CENTRALITY OF LOVE

Who has not felt the difference between the cold attention of a functionary who works out of duty and the personalised attention of someone who sees their work as a service to others? In our society, are we not ‘patients’, ‘clients’. ‘passengers’ and don’t we feel that we are treated anonymously or even as ‘numbers’? (more…)

“Since my voyage to Rome was not intended as a pleasure trip but one in which to work and suffer for Jesus Christ, I felt that I ought to look for the humblest and poorest place aboard so as to have a better chance of suffering.” (Aut 130).

FOLLOWING CHRIST, POOR AND HUMBLE

Claret went to Rome in order to offer to be sent to the missions in any country in the world. In the boat he sought out the poorest, humblest place, which effectively gave him the opportunity to suffer. He bought a ‘ticket for standing-room on the deck near the bow, which was the poorest and cheapest passage’. And he got ready to spend the night sat on (more…)

“In the midst of this whirling of ideas, while I was at Mass one day, I remembered reading as a small boy those words of the Gospel: For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul? This phrase impressed me deeply and went like an arrow that pierced my heart.” (Aut 68).

THE FORCE OF THE WORD

Claret was 20 years old when, while the looms distracted him at Mass, he remembered these words of Jesus. At that time, in Barcelona, he specialised in making cloth, which fascinated him.

According to the synoptic gospels (Mk 8:37, Mt 16:26, Lk 9:25), (more…)

“I am even scrupulous about spending anything at all on myself when I think of the needs I can remedy.” (Aut 10).

THINKING OF THE POOREST

On Earth there is enough for every human being to live with dignity. However, the greed of individuals and organisations maintains a large population with subhuman conditions of health, housing, education, etc.

While some of us are born into abundance, many others are without the bare essentials for life. Apparently, less than 15% of humanity possess more than 85% of the resources. This is an intolerable inequality which cries out to heaven. (more…)

“Many of the first Christians renounced the things of this world in order to better follow Jesus Christ. One cannot enter heaven without being and having been poor, at least in spirit.”(Religiosas en sus casas o las Hijas del Santísimo é Inmaculado Corazón de María. Barcelona 1850, p. 122. Edición crítica, Madrid 1990, p. 173s).

DISINTERESTEDNESS

Renunciation means opting for something or someone more important that what is left behind. If we resign from a job it is because we have found a better paid post or better working conditions. In a family, some parents renounce their rest and much of their own comfort in order to look after their children, (more…)

“Christian perfection consists, in addition to loving God and neighbour through his love, in doing and practicing all that Christ prescribed, detaching oneself from all earthly things and attachments. God is love, and he who abides in love, abides in God and God in him. Love is the bond of perfection.”(L’egoismo vinto. Roma 1869, p. 57. Retrotraducido en EE p. 415).

TO HOLINESS THROUGH LOVE

‘Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.’ (Lk 6:36). Luke the Evangelist transmits these words of Jesus to us, which were directed to his disciples and to all who heard him. Later, at the Last Supper, taking his leave of his own, (more…)

“The most pious reading that we can have is the holy Gospel… We must meditate upon it and conform our conduct with the moral rule which is given to us in it by Jesus Christ: there is found truth free from all error.” (Carta Ascética… al presidente de uno de los coros de la Academia de San Miguel. Barcelona 1862, p. 45s).

WORD OF TRUTH AND LIFE

Compared with the image, which has become almost omnipresent in modern life, even to the point of producing audiovisual culture, the word has lost a lot of ground: from ‘blowing into the wind’ to being ‘boring’ and ‘heavy’. However, the word is essential to man. It is the point of contact – dialogue – between people. (more…)

“O my God and my Father, may I know you and make you known; love you and make you loved; serve you and make you served; praise you and make all creatures praise you.”

(Aut 233).

APOSTOLIC PRAYER

This prayer is universally known as Fr Claret’s ‘apostolic prayer’. It is possibly one of the most well-known and popular sentences which he wrote. In it there is a double movement: towards God and towards others.

• ’God’ and ‘Father’ appear united in the Claretian prayer. This union is extremely fertile. It unites two experiences: Divine transcendence (more…)

“My address, during the few days I stayed there, was at Vic. From this city I would set out with a list of the towns I had to preach in.” (Aut 193).

ROVING, LIKE THE APOSTLES

Vic is a blessed city. Except for distances, shades and circumstances Vic was for Fr Claret and his first companions what ‘Capernaum’ was for Jesus and his first community of disciples. In Vic Claret lived, suffered, dreamed…there he received his formation; there he was called to ministry by the Church; in the city’s seminary he founded his Congregation of missionaries.

From there too, although it didn’t last long, he established (more…)

KNOWING MYSELF IN GOD

Knowledge of who we are gives us a clearer awareness of who God is for us; thus we will be able to see ourselves as a heap of gifts freely received from Him. We will see that what typifies God is ‘giving’.

This knowledge made (more…)