There are days, Lord, when your Word confronts and shakes me, disarms me and questions. And today is one of these days, because you speak to me about the importance of the truth, of transparency, honesty, and many times, they are rare goods, or are disfigured in the name of what is convenient.

So many people in humanity bring in their depth the painful experience of Jeremiah, of calumny, defamation, persecution, envy, jealousy, even brought up to death! So many, Lord, suffer in loneliness the consequences of not having felt loved, esteemed, valued! So many wander causing pain to others because they haven’t discovered the emptiness that they have inside! So many live ashamed of their sin! So many, Lord, carry it all without realizing it! So many, Lord, journey on the same journey of mine! So many I have wounded and so many have wounded me! We are your children, brothers and sisters among us, fragile, vulnerable, but your Word confronts us and brings back hope: “Look at him, you humble, and rejoice; search the Lord and he will make your heart live. Because the Lord listens to the poor, he doesn’t let the captives down”.

Once more, I feel trespassed by your mercy, because you are the God of infinite opportunities, and you only expect from us determination and perseverance. The gift and the grace were given to us abundantly, you only ask of us to believe in you, to love the truth and to live in transparency. At the end, what endures and counts is Love. “Nevertheless, there is no proportion between sin and gift: if through transgression of one, all have died, more through the grace given by God, the gift of grace that belonged to only one man, Jesus Christ, was enough for the multitude” (Rm 5:12-15).

For this, Lord, help us to incarnate your Gospel, to transparent your beauty, give us strength to proclaim your message, your Love, your Mercy; impulse us to bring your message to all the corners and to all people, with certainty that “There is nothing hidden that wouldn’t be discovered; nothing secret that wouldn’t be proclaimed” (Mt 12:26-33).

Make of us messengers of light, missionaries of truth and transparency, and free us of all fear of being ourselves, of welcoming our fragility and poverty. Remind us of your promise and let it be our strength, motor and goal: “All hair on your head are counted. Are you not more important than these sparrows? For this, have no fear” (Mt 10:26-33).

It’s the hour of truth, it’s the hour of transparency. The world is crying out. Let es echo the words of Edith Stein, let us pray with them and make them live:

“The world is burning. The fire can arrive also to our house. Because of this, for above the flames, the Cross stands tall. The flames cannot burn it. The cross is the way on the earth towards heaven. Those embraces the cross with faith, with love and hope, are brought to the bosom of Trinity.

The world is burning. Do you desire to stop the fire? Look at the Cross. From the open heart the blood of our Redeemer flows. His blood stops the flames of hell. Make your heart free with faithful fulfillment of your profession, so that the river of divine Love will flow from your heart and it will make fertile all the ends of the earth. Can you hear the cry of the wounded in the battle fields of East and West? You are no doctor, nor nurse, and you cannot heal their wounds. You are closed in your cell and you cannot reach to them. Can you hear the agony of the dying? You would like to be a priest and be at their side. Does the cry of widows and orphan affect you? You would like to be an angel to console and help them. Look at Crucified. If you are united to him as his spouse in authentic fulfillment of your holy vows, his precious blood is your blood. United with him, you are omnipresent like he is. You cannot help as doctor, nurse or priest here or there. In the power of the cross you can be in all fields, in all places of affliction, to all places your merciful love will lead you, the love of divine heart that in all places gives its precious blood that brings life, holiness and salvation.

The eyes of Crucified are watching you, questioning you and testing you. Do you want to seal anew and seriously the covenant with Crucified? What your answer will be? “Lord, where shall we go? Only you have the Words of eternal life!”

(Feast of Exaltation of Cross, 9/14/1939)