When we contemplate the beatitudes (blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those persecuted for doing what is right), we discover that we have been called to reflect God's goodness in our own lives. These attitudes aren't mere tasks on a checklist; they express a living faith that shows itself in real actions. Through them, we reveal God's image to the world around us.

Jesus' miracles show us the power of real, active faith. They are vivid examples of how our faith can actually transform our reality. Like the centurion, the Canaanite woman, the woman with the hemorrhage, the paralytic, and Bartimaeus, we're called to trust in God's fatherly care, even when we don't understand what he's doing.

Saint Josemaría captured this with the phrase omnia in bonum ("all things work together for the good"), expressing the conviction that faith is an endless source of peace, joy, and optimism.

Faith, nurtured and sustained by God's grace, transforms our ordinary lives. Each day brings different situations: surprises, misunderstandings, challenges at home or at work. Faith is God's gift to us, and it helps us look for his loving presence and recognize his guidance in every moment.

This way of seeing things, rooted in humility and awareness of our need for God, helps us see difficulties not as mere obstacles, but as opportunities for growth. It lets us ask God to help us stay faithful, so that others can see his love more clearly in our lives.

A recollection is a period of time dedicated exclusively to God, with periods of mental and vocal prayer (the meditations and recitation of the Rosary), spiritual reading, and silence with God. As the name implies, it's an opportunity to recollect who we are in front of our loving Father, God, and to bring our whole selves and full attention to Him.

You may wish to pause between the different parts of the recollection to allow each one to make an impression. The Holy Spirit speaks quietly.

Paying full attention can be a challenge. It may be helpful to find a quiet place to sit, stand, or kneel before starting; somewhere you're not likely to be interrupted. Take some time to turn off any background noises, pause your notifications, and calm the chatter in your own mind. It can be helpful to make paper or digital notes to focus in the moment and to be able to come back to any ideas the Holy Spirit inspires later on.

In a pastoral letter dated 10 March 2025, the Prelate of Opus Dei invited us to reflect on some key aspects on joy, one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. After reading part of the letter, you may wish to spend a few minutes with the New Testament. Click for today's Gospel and a short commentary.

Spiritual reading means thoughtfully reading spiritual texts like Sacred Scripture and the lives and writings of the saints in order to "build up a store of fuel" that later feeds our prayer (cf. The Way, no. 117).

A meditation is short period of guided mental prayer with the preacher, a priest, talking to God out loud on a set topic, usually a theme from the Gospels. What matters most is your personal conversation with God. The preacher's goal is to inspire your prayer by giving you light and moving your heart. You may find it helpful to spend more time on certain ideas, follow your own train of thought when the priest's words inspire something particular in you, or choose an image to keep pondering after the recollection or in your next time of prayer.

• Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy (Mt 5:7). Does my experience of God's infinite mercy toward me move me to have a heart of flesh rather than a heart of stone (Ez 36:26) with those around me?
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Mt 5:8). Do I guard my heart so I can see each person as God sees them, in all their integrity, dignity, etc.? Do I foster love and affection with the people I live with or who are closest to me?
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Mt 5:9). What small acts do I do to create a serene, welcoming, and joyful atmosphere around me, so that everyone in my home feels at ease?
• "Perhaps we were blind, or deaf, or paralysed; perhaps we had the stench of death, and the word of our Lord has lifted us from our abject state" (Friends of God, no. 262). Do I give thanks to God for all He has done for me, and am I convinced that He can do the same in other souls?
• We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28). Do I try to discover the provident hand of my Father God behind everything that happens, even in unexpected events? Do I ask the Lord to help me grow interiorly (in charity, hope, and faith) in adverse situations
• Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice (Phil 4:4). Do I foster in my soul the joy of being a child of God, and do I seek to share it with others?
• Jesus said to him, 'I will come and cure him.' But the centurion answered, 'Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof' (Mt 8:7-8). When I meditate on the Lord's miracles, am I bold like the centurion of Capernaum, who asks with a living faith? Do I ask for this same faith for my spouse, my children, my friends?

Pope Francis described examining our conscience as "the good habit of calmly rereading what happens in our day, learning to note in our evaluations and choices what we give most importance to, what we are looking for and why, and what we eventually find" (Audience, 5-X-2022). The questions in this examination of conscience are related to the themes of this month's recollection and are meant to help us look past the surface and ask God how we have responded to his love for us. It can help to start by calling on the Holy Spirit, asking for light, and to end with an act of contrition, expressing sorrow for our sins and asking for help to stay close to God.

The Rosary is a traditional Catholic prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, asking her to pray for all her children in their time of need. Through the different prayers that make up the Rosary, we tell our Lady that we love her and we contemplate Jesus' life. Click to go to a guide for praying the Rosary.

The touchstone of true prayer is that it changes us and makes us better, but not being able to carry your resolutions out immediately or even discovering new weaknesses is not a reason for discouragement: we grow over time, and falls can help us be humble and grateful to God. With perseverance in prayer, you will notice more peace and joy throughout the day, because you are sure God is with you even when the struggle is difficult.