March 28, 1925, marked the day Saint Josemaría became a priest. Fifty years later, on June 26, 1975, he completed his earthly journey. To celebrate this period, we invite you to take part in the Saint Josemaría Challenge.
What does the challenge consist of? There are 3 parts to it every week:
📖 A short reading from Saint Josemaría.
🎯 A concrete challenge to apply in daily life.
❓Three reflection questions to ask yourself every morning, during your personal prayer, and in your evening examination of conscience.
📖 Reading
It is the moment to turn to your Blessed Mother in Heaven, so that she may take you into her arms and win for you a glance of mercy from her Son. And try at once to make some practical resolutions: put a stop once and for all, even though it hurts, to that little defect that holds you back, as God and you yourself know so well. Pride, sensuality and a lack of supernatural spirit will combine forces to suggest to you: 'That? But what a small and insignificant little thing it is!' Don't play with the temptation. Instead, answer: 'Yes, in this too I will surrender myself to the divine call.' And you will be right, for love is shown especially in little things. Normally the sacrifices that Our Lord asks of us, even the most difficult ones, refer to tiny details, but they are as continuous and invaluable as the beating of our heart.
How many mothers have you known who have been the heroines of some epic or extraordinary event? Few, very few. Yet you and I know many mothers who are indeed heroic, truly heroic, who have never figured in anything spectacular, who will never hit the headlines, as they say. They lead lives of constant self-denial, happy to curtail their own likes and preferences, their time, their opportunities for self-expression or success, so that they can carpet their children's lives with happiness.
🎯 Challenge
Choose a small sacrifice to offer for a specific intention.
❓Questions
The three questions you can ask yourself this week to reflect on in your personal prayer and evening examination of conscience are:
- What small sacrifice could I put more love into?
- How do I react to everyday difficulties?
- Is there an area in which I could grow in patience?
