3 February 2024

1 Kings 3,4-13; Ps 118; Mk 6,30-34

In today’s first reading, from the 1st Book of Kings, we read Solomon’s prayer in which he asks for the discernment of good and evil, on judging and on how to govern. The Lord responds happily to this question and gives him the gift of wisdom as well as all the other gifts, even those that he had not asked for.

I think that this reading helps us understand how to enter into what we call our identity, our mission and the will of God. For us on Earth, this means making the sacrifice of leaving behind things that are dear to us. That is certainly true, as we have to let go of many things, and we have to die to ourselves. However, what I would like to say and look at with you tonight is the aspect of embracing, together with the Lord, what has been planned for us, as then we have everything. I mean, let us look away from what we have to give up and remember the words the Lord said to Solomon: “I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honour …” (1 Kings3,4). He says this to each one of us.

The guidance God gives us is the one we already know: welcoming Christ and putting God first; then, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; Jesus entrusts us to Mary and Mary prepares and transforms us; together with the Holy Spirit, Mary brings us back to Jesus and Jesus, in the Holy Spirit, takes us to the Father. The life of every man, who believes and endeavours to live this out, will reach his path and his transformation; thus, he will not lack anything, just as Solomon did not lack anything. He will be able to discern between good and evil; he will have the wisdom he needs to carry out his mission. He will have everything he needs in abundance, everything that is good and necessary to reach fullness.

The initial passage is what we heard yesterday, the presentation of Jesus in the Temple: the parents who offer their firstborn to the Lord. Let us remember that Mary and Joseph joyfully offer each of us; however, we must joyfully allow them to offer us, being aware that from that moment life is guided by God, and that God is the centre of our life; life itself is God.

Last week I tried to talk about what the living Eucharist is.¹ Today, as I am pondering our path of self-offering to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I would like to say that we must experience the Eucharist every time as the unification between us and the Father, because without the Eucharist we would not be able to unite with Him. I think that on Earth, without the Eucharist, not even the gift of the Holy Spirit would be enough, as He comes through the Eucharist, which is the Sacrifice of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the first gift that Jesus gave us. Therefore, the Eucharist is indispensable. It is very serious that many Christians have renounced it; they have taken it with superficiality. Therefore, let us try to offer ourselves through the Eucharist and become a living Eucharist. Let us also be people who bring blessings to the world with their life, namely, the Redemption that the Son of God brought to us.

We know that this implies a great effort for everyone! Sometimes we think that the whole effort lies in the difficult spiritual process, in dying to ourselves, in our transformation, which is true. Offering one’s life involves effort. Let us not forget that more than one of God’s instruments, even Holy Mary and Jesus, said that we will always be pushed to the limit and that our lives will always be on the limit. Someone defined it as walking on the edge of a sword, with the risk of falling to the right or to the left. Why do they push us to the limit? Because only when we reach our limit, do we become living Eucharist. Only when we are at the limit, when our strengths, our abilities, our intelligence, have become useless, do we become living Eucharist. At that moment Christ intervenes, we become living Eucharist and God’s Life begins in us.

It is a path given for our good. It is not meant for heroes or some chosen people. It is the path given by immense love, just as that of Mary, of God, of Jesus, who want our good, and they want to guide us towards becoming children of God in fullness. This path means rising again; it means starting from the depths of the spirit; it means that even the body begins to function according to the laws of the spirit. Spirit, soul and body, everything, comes into balance. In this manner, we receive everything we need to reach the fullness, as happened to Solomon.

To be living Eucharist, there is no method. The basis is the desire for God, total love for Him, being fully available to Mary’s actions and willing to accompany Her work. You see that in the end, everything is God’s work, everything is grace, everything is a gift. For our part, we always maintain an attitude of faith while remaining immersed. Consequently, we come to the Gospel, to silence, to withdrawal and prayer. The Gospel further says: “They didn’t succeed.” However, even when we are unable to enter silence or do other things, the intention and the desire remain, which is what allows God to give us everything we need.

You certainly know about the parable in which Jesus asks: “When I return, will I still find faith?”² If we combine it with the one in which he says: “When I find my people, I will find them at work”. He does not say: “I will find you as perfect people,” but “at work”.³ He means that He will find us committed, alert, at work. He does not expect great things; He just wants to see that we are looking for Him, that we desire Him with all of ourselves, and that we let Him work.

The consecration of Europe to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which we solemnly repeat today as we did last Saturday, truly means having an impact on events. Many events are happening in Europe right now. Europe is at the centre of these events because, with its Christian roots, Europe was originally expected to govern these events alongside God. Therefore, it is important to consecrate Europe and reawaken the Christian roots. You know, that God asked us to open a sanctuary in the heart of Europe⁴ to hit Freemasonry like an arrow. This is because all of the greatest Saints are operating there. This is not a devotion; it means influencing the events.

Today I entrust again all the good that is done on Earth to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I entrust to Mary once again all the extraordinary instruments, the ordinary instruments of all kinds. In particular, I entrust to Mary the Foundation “Fortezza dell’Immacolata⁵” and the Church of Jesus Christ. I entrust to Mary all the little and the simple, who are hidden somewhere, as well as all the people of goodwill and all those who have incarnated in other religions. They pronounced a strong “yes” to God, and they are instruments in His hands. I entrust to Mary all of Purgatory: the prayers, the pain, the suffering of the souls in Purgatory. In particular, I want to elevate the cry of the aborted and frozen children so that Mary, in Her Immaculate Heart, may welcome and elevate all of this for the benefit of Europe. May Mary’s love embrace this continent; may She embrace all Christians and reawaken their roots, the meaning of life in them, the meaning of being Christians.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.