FROM JESUS ​​CHRIST FOR YOUR SOUL

This spiritual dialogue is a literary and devotional gem that offers a path to serenity and confidence in the midst of life's tribulations. It is a constant invitation to open the heart to Christ, who promises to transform human miseries into temples of his glory.

In this context, the words are presented, which express the voice of Christ addressing the soul with personal and unconditional love:

“My beloved, your restless heart will not find peace until it rests in me. I am the rest of the weary, the comfort of the afflicted, the refuge of those who seek the truth. Open your soul to me, and I will fill it with my love.”

“Look, do not fear the darkness within you, for in the midst of your miseries my light shines. Know yourself, so that you may understand how much I have loved you: you are clay, but I am your potter; You are dust, but in you I have breathed my divine breath.”

“Do not look outside for what you can only find inside. I am in your heart, waiting for you to let me in. Tell me, what can the world offer you that equals my love? A treasure? I am the hidden pearl. A friend? I am the one who gave his life for you.”

“Do not be afraid. I carry your burdens with you. Every tear you shed I collect and turn into a jewel that adorns your soul. Learn to see me in your cross: I walked that path first, and I am with you always.”

“Give me all your heart, even the corners where you keep your fears and doubts. I do not seek your perfection, but your love. Trust in me, and I will make you a holy dwelling, a temple for my glory.”

“My peace I give you, not as the world gives it. It is a peace that springs from abandonment in my hands, from love that asks nothing in return. Live in me, and your soul will be like a river that flows serenely towards eternity.”

The text "Alloquia Jesu Christi ad animam fidelem" by John Justus of Landsberg (or Lanspergio) is a deeply spiritual work, framed in the devotional tradition of the Christian mystics of the 16th century. This writing, whose title is translated as "Dialogue of Jesus Christ with a faithful soul", reflects an intimate conversation between the Lord and the believing soul, with the purpose of consoling, guiding and strengthening the inner life of whoever meditates on it.

Landsberg, a Carthusian monk and pious writer, composes these words with a warm and spiritual style, aimed at awakening in the reader the desire for a deeper relationship with Christ. The text invites the soul to fully trust in God, to recognize its own limitations and weaknesses, and to rest in the infinite love of Christ.

Each paragraph is a reminder of Jesus Christ's personal love for the human soul, highlighting themes such as inner peace, acceptance of the cross, trusting abandonment, and seeking God within oneself. The language, imbued with divine tenderness, seeks to heal the reader's wounds and guide him toward a more intimate union with our God.

THEOLOGY OF SUFFERING: A PATH TO DIVINE LIGHT

INTRODUCTION: SUFFERING AS A DOOR TO MYSTERY

Suffering, in its apparent futility, is humanity’s great question. Yet, under the light of faith, it becomes a mystery full of meaning—a participation in God’s very life. The Christian tradition does not merely explain suffering: it elevates it, transfigures it, and fills it with grace. As Saint John Chrysostom said:

“There is no greater treasure than a soul that knows how to transform pain into glory.”

1. CHRIST, THE ALPHA AND OMEGA OF SUFFERING

All suffering finds its key in Christ. He assumed in His humanity the pain of all humankind, and through His cross, suffering became a bridge to redemption. As Saint Gregory the Great said:

“He who is impassible in His divinity chose to experience pain in His humanity to make our misery a path to His glory.”

The cross is not a symbol of defeat but of victory: the place where God’s apparent absence becomes His most radical presence. As Saint Bernard of Clairvaux declared:

“The cross is the throne from which Christ teaches the purest love.”

2. SUFFERING AS A LADDER TO HEAVEN ACCORDING TO SAINT AMBROSE

Saint Ambrose considered suffering a privileged means to attain holiness. For him, trials are not punishments but pedagogical gestures from God:

“The Lord does not permit suffering because He hates us, but because He loves us beyond our understanding. Pain is not a fall, but a step on the ladder to eternity.”

The saint saw patience in tribulations as an essential virtue, purifying the soul of all that is earthly and elevating it to the heavenly:

“Gold is purified in fire, and so too are souls perfected in the crucible of trials.”

3. SAINT AUGUSTINE: THE ORDER OF LOVE AND SUFFERING

For Saint Augustine, suffering is intimately tied to the capacity to love. Only those who love can suffer, and the more one loves, the greater the suffering. However, this suffering, when directed toward God, becomes a source of glory and sanctification:

“Suffering has a hidden purpose: to reorder our loves toward eternal goods and away from fleeting ones.”

The bishop of Hippo understood that, amid pain, God not only tests the soul but strengthens it:

“In the furnace of suffering, the gold of faith shines with greater brilliance.”

4. SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS: THE REDEMPTIVE VALUE OF SUFFERING

The Angelic Doctor sees suffering as a means through which humanity participates in Christ’s redemptive work. In the Summa Theologiae, he writes:

“Suffering acquires infinite value when united to the merits of Christ’s Passion, for He is the head of the Church, and we are His members.”

For Saint Thomas, pain is not an end in itself but an opportunity to grow in virtue and draw closer to God:

“Patience in suffering perfects virtues and prepares the soul for eternal glory.”

5. SAINT JOHN OF THE CROSS: THE DARK NIGHT OF PURIFYING SUFFERING

The Carmelite mystic offers one of the most sublime reflections on suffering. For him, pain is a dark night through which the soul is purified of all created things to unite fully with God. In The Ascent of Mount Carmel, he writes:

“The soul that desires union with God must pass through the crucible of suffering, where all its imperfections are burned away by the fire of love.”

Far from being a punishment, suffering is a test of love:

“When God strips the soul of its consolations, He prepares it for the most intimate embrace with Him.”

6. PADRE PIO: THE JOY OF SUFFERING WITH CHRIST

Padre Pio experienced suffering as a divine gift, manifested in the stigmata and his constant offering of pain for the salvation of souls. He often said:

“Suffering is too great a gift for small souls, for only great souls can carry the cross with love.”

His spirituality was marked by union with Christ crucified:

“When we suffer with love, our souls become like chalices that collect Christ’s Blood and pour it upon souls in need.”

7. SAINT TERESA OF ÁVILA: SUFFERING IN THE INTERIOR LIFE

Saint Teresa taught that suffering, far from being an obstacle, is a tool God uses to shape the soul according to His will:

“We do not understand what we ask for when we ask for love of God without also asking for suffering, for true love is tested in pain.”

She described her own trials as “sweet torments,” for through them she attained greater intimacy with Christ.

8. SUFFERING AS A MYSTERY OF REDEMPTION AND SANCTIFICATION

The saints agree that suffering is not absurd but a mystery that, when embraced with faith, becomes a source of life and redemption. As Saint Catherine of Siena said:

“On the cross, the soul finds the key to every door: of love, of grace, and of glory.”

Suffering, when offered with love, holds infinite value. It not only transforms the soul but also makes it a co-redeemer with Christ.

9. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS OF TRANSFORMED SUFFERING

• Accept suffering with serenity: Recognize it as an opportunity to grow in virtue.

• Offer suffering with love: Unite it to Christ’s merits for the salvation of souls.

• Seek refuge in prayer: Especially in meditating on the Passion and in devotion to the Eucharist.

• Allow God to shape you: Abandon resistance and trust fully in His will.

EPILOGUE: THE SONG OF THE CROSS

“On the cross is life and comfort,

and only there is the way to heaven.

On the cross is the Lord of heaven and earth,

and the joy of much peace, though there be war.

Take, then, the cross willingly,

for in it is the path to rest.”

(Saint John of the Cross)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Saint Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Gospels.

• Saint Ambrose, De Officiis Ministrorum.

• Saint Augustine, The City of God.

• Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae.

• Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs.

• Saint John of the Cross, The Ascent of Mount Carmel.

• Saint Teresa of Ávila, The Interior Castle.

• Saint Catherine of Siena, The Dialogue of Divine Providence.

• Padre Pio, Letters and Spiritual Writings.

• Saint John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew.

TRUE WISDOM

 

HOLY VIRGIN OF GUADALUPE

 

FIVE GREAT ENEMIES OF THE FAITH

INTRODUCTION: TRUTH, HERESY, AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE

Truth, by its very divine nature, is eternal, indivisible, and absolute. It is the perfect reflection of God Himself, who revealed Himself as the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Jn 14:6). In the Catholic Church, Truth is not a human construct or subject to shifting opinions: it is safeguarded and proclaimed in its fullness, guaranteed by Christ’s promise:

“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).

Throughout history, this Truth has faced persistent attacks in the form of organized errors, known as heresies. Saint Augustine defines heresy as:

“A perversion of Christian doctrine by someone who claims to be Christian, rejecting revealed truths and teaching opposing ideas” (De Haeresibus, 88).

The word heresy derives from the Greek hairesis, meaning “choice.” It is an act of the will that selects parts of Christian doctrine, magnifies some, and rejects others, creating a fatal imbalance that harms the unity of faith. These deviations not only damage individual souls but also profoundly impact culture and civilization.

This article examines five great enemies of the faith: Arianism, Islam, Albigensianism, the Protestant Reformation, and modern secularism. Each will be analyzed based on its core error, opposition to Catholic truth, and historical consequences, drawing from the teachings of the Saints and Doctors of the Church.

I. ARIANISM: THE DENIAL OF CHRIST’S DIVINITY

Arianism, promoted by Arius in the fourth century, denied that Christ was consubstantial with the Father, claiming instead that He was a created being subordinate to Him. This error struck at the heart of the Christian Creed: the Trinity.

“If the Son is not truly God, then He cannot deify man; if He is not consubstantial with the Father, there is no true salvation” (Saint Athanasius, De Incarnatione Verbi Dei, 54).

The Council of Nicaea (325) declared the Son’s consubstantiality with the Father (homoousios), affirming that Christ is “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God.” Saint Thomas Aquinas further explains:

“The redemption of humanity depends on the divinity of Christ, for only God could offer an infinite sacrifice for our sins” (Summa Theologiae, III, q.1, a.2).

Arianism persisted for centuries, dividing nations and weakening Christian unity. Although doctrinally defeated, its influence resurged in modern sects that deny the Trinity, such as Jehovah’s Witnesses.

II. ISLAM: A MONOTHEISTIC HERESY

Islam, which arose in the seventh century, adopted elements of Christianity and Judaism but rejected the Trinity, the Incarnation, and Redemption. Hilaire Belloc described Islam as a Christian heresy because it distorts certain Christian truths while rejecting their fullness.

“They call Christ a prophet but deny His divinity. This is worse than the Arians, for at least they acknowledged His exceptional nature” (Saint John Damascene, De Haeresibus, 101).

By denying the Trinity, Islam rejects the communion of love that exists within God Himself. Saint Augustine teaches:

“Whoever denies the Trinity denies love, for the Trinity is the perfect communion of love between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” (De Trinitate, VIII, 10, 14).

Islam conquered vast Christian territories, and its rejection of divine grace makes it an ongoing spiritual and cultural challenge to the Catholic faith.

III. ALBIGENSIANISM: THE REJECTION OF THE MATERIAL WORLD

Albigensianism, or Catharism, spread in the twelfth century and promoted a dualistic worldview that saw the material world as inherently evil. This heresy rejected the goodness of creation, the sacraments, and especially the Eucharist and marriage.

Saint Bernard of Clairvaux condemned this heresy:

“If all material things are evil, then the very Incarnation of the Son of God would be an abomination. But God does not despise His creation; He elevates it through grace” (Sermon 65 on the Song of Songs).

Saint Thomas Aquinas also defended the goodness of creation:

“Matter is good because it is created by God, and through the sacraments, it becomes a vehicle of grace” (Summa Theologiae, III, q.62, a.1).

The Church responded to Albigensianism through the Albigensian Crusade and the Inquisition, reaffirming the goodness of creation and the importance of the sacraments.

IV. THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION: REBELLION AGAINST THE CHURCH

The Protestant Reformation, initiated by Martin Luther in 1517, rejected the authority of the Pope, Tradition, and the sacraments, promoting the doctrines of sola Scriptura and justification by faith alone.

Saint Francis de Sales offered a clear rebuttal:

“Faith without works is dead, for love is the soul of faith. To separate faith from love is to strip it of its essence” (The Catholic Controversy, Part III).

The Council of Trent reaffirmed that salvation involves the cooperation of God’s grace and human freedom. The Reformation fragmented Christendom and paved the way for modern secularism and individualism.

V. MODERN SECULARISM: THE REJECTION OF GOD HIMSELF

Modern secularism is not merely a heresy but a complete rejection of God. Materialism, relativism, and atheism seek to erase all traces of the divine from society.

Pope Leo XIII warned:

“When society ignores God, it crumbles, for it loses the foundation of justice and morality” (Encyclical Immortale Dei).

Saint Pius X described modernism as “the synthesis of all heresies” because it undermines the very possibility of revealed truth:

“Modernism does not merely deny particular truths but the very possibility of divine revelation” (Encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis).

Secularism has led to a profound moral and spiritual crisis, yet the Church remains faithful to her mission of proclaiming eternal Truth.

CONCLUSION

The five great enemies of the faith, while distinct in their forms, share a common rejection of the fullness of truth found in Christ and His Church. Against these challenges, Catholics must recall the assurance of Our Lord:

“The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18).

Apologetics grounded in the teachings of the Saints and Doctors of the Church remains a powerful light for defending the faith and restoring the Christian order.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Saint Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae.

• Saint Augustine, De Haeresibus and De Trinitate.

• Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Sermons on the Song of Songs.

• Saint Athanasius, De Incarnatione Verbi Dei.

• Saint Francis de Sales, The Catholic Controversy.

• Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Immortale Dei.

• Pope Saint Pius X, Encyclical Pascendi Dominici Gregis.

• Hilaire Belloc, The Great Heresies.

DON'T MIND THE CRITICISM

 They hate, mock, criticize and deride you because you are a Catholic, because you do publicly the sign of the cross, because you pray your rosary; never be downcast and ashamed, our Lord was also hated and treated with all manner of cruelty but he never gave up. Don't be like them and start arguing and insulting each other, just rejoice because you share in the real suffering of Christ.

FORMING MAN TO BE

THE ESSENCE OF BEING AND ITS TRANSCENDENT VOCATION

The drama of the human being lies not in its deficiencies but in its vocation: to transcend. In its most intimate essence, being is not a mere accident in the course of history or a cog in the social machinery. As perennial tradition teaches, being is, above all, a reflection of the absolute, an image projected toward its ultimate end. In the words of Rafael Gambra, “man does not fulfill himself within himself but in the encounter with the truth that transcends and contains him.”

Chesterton clearly understood that the root of modern errors lies in ignoring this essential truth. “The modern man doubts everything except himself,” he wrote. But being is not an individualistic construction nor an act of self-definition. It is participation in the order of the universe, a reflection of a higher reality that calls man not just to exist, but to exist in fullness.

It is this fullness of being, not mere utility, that defines true education. Forming man to be means guiding his existence toward what is true, good, and beautiful. As Danilo Castellano taught, “education is not a mechanical process or a technique but a deeply ontological act: the being who educates guides the being being educated toward his perfection.”

THE FAMILY: CRADLE OF BEING IN FULLNESS

The family, in its essence, is not just a natural institution; it is the first space where the human being finds his place in the world. It is here that the being receives his first lessons in transcendence, not through abstract theories but through the daily example of love, sacrifice, and obedience.

Louis de Bonald affirmed, “the family is the most complete form of community, for it unites the temporal with the eternal.” Within the family, the human being learns that his existence is not an end in itself but is destined for something greater, something that surpasses him. Here, being discovers that he does not entirely belong to himself, that he is made to give, to love, to surrender.

For this reason, any attack on the family is an attack on the essence of being. Modernity, obsessed with individualism, has sought to strip the family of its formative role, replacing it with impersonal structures and state-controlled education systems. But, as Álvaro d’Ors warned, “being cannot be formed by a state machine because only in the warmth of the home are the virtues cultivated that make communal life possible.”

BEING AND THE COMMON GOOD

Being is not an isolated individual but a relational being, called to live in community. Yet, this community is not built upon arbitrary agreements or mutual interests but upon a deeper root: the common good. This good is not the simple sum of individual goods but the order in which each being finds his place and perfection.

The family is the first expression of this common good. Within it, being learns that fullness is not achieved in isolation but in giving oneself to others. Chesterton masterfully expressed it: “The home is the only institution that makes men face their limitations and at the same time teaches them to overcome them.” It is there that being learns to sacrifice for others, to recognize authority, and to live justice as a practical virtue.

This learning cannot be imposed from the outside. As Danilo Castellano taught, “the common good cannot be designed or manufactured because it is the natural fruit of a community that lives according to the order of being.” The modern attempt to impose the common good from the state, ignoring the reality of the family, has resulted in nothing but chaos and uprooting. For the common good cannot be decreed; it must be lived.

AGAINST RELATIVISM: EDUCATING FOR THE ETERNAL

The great crisis of modernity is not economic, political, or cultural; it is an ontological crisis. It is the rejection of being and the truth that sustains it. As Félix Sardá y Salvany noted, “the gravest error of our time is to pretend that education can be neutral, that it can dispense with the truth.”

Modern relativism is not a tolerant stance but a form of nihilism that reduces being to a mere social construct. Nicolás Gómez Dávila put it clearly: “Modern education does not teach how to live but how to survive. It has replaced the search for the good with the worship of utility.”

Against this nihilism, education must be an act of contemplation, a search for being in all its fullness. This cannot take place in the impersonal classrooms of a state system but in the home, where truth is lived and passed down from generation to generation. “The home is the place where the eternal meets the everyday,” Chesterton wrote. There, in the simplest acts of daily life, human beings learn the deepest lessons about their transcendent vocation.

RESTORING BEING THROUGH THE FAMILY

The solution to our time’s crisis does not lie in new theories or political reforms but in restoring the family as the place where being finds its fullness. This means restoring its central role in education, protecting it from state interference, and recognizing its sacred character.

Hilaire Belloc stated, “the family is the heart of society, and no reform will last until we put the heart back in its place.” This does not mean rejecting public education but subordinating it to the eternal principles the family represents. As Juan Vallet de Goytisolo wrote, “authentic education is not a technical process but a profoundly human act that can only begin within the family.”

Restoring the family is not just an act of justice toward natural order; it is an act of resistance against nihilism that threatens to destroy human beings in their essence. The family is where the most important commandment is lived and passed on: to love God above all things and one’s neighbor as oneself (Mt 22:37-39). It is, therefore, the path through which human beings are taught to recognize their divine origin and ultimate vocation: to be children of God and attain eternal salvation.

CONCLUSION: BEING TO TRANSCEND

Forming man to be is not just an educational challenge; it is the fundamental challenge of civilization. It is to recognize that human beings do not fulfill themselves in dominating the world but in contemplating the truth that transcends them. This truth is not an abstraction; it is a living reality, embodied in the family and transmitted through tradition.

As the Psalmist wrote: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain” (Ps 127:1). The family’s core is not merely of social importance but the place where human beings learn to recognize God’s presence in the everyday. It is there, in the home, where they learn to pray, to love, and to live for eternity.

The future of humanity, and of all society, depends on its ability to rediscover this eternal truth: that we are creatures of God, made for Him, called to communion with Him. Only in this recognition, lived within the family, can we find the path to salvation and a truly human civilization.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Chesterton, G.K. What’s Wrong with the World. Madrid: Ediciones Encuentro.

2. Castellano, Danilo. Articles and essays collected in Il principio dimenticato. Milan: Edizioni Ares.

3. Bonald, Louis de. Théorie du pouvoir politique et religieux. Paris: Librairie de Charles Douniol.

4. Donoso Cortés, Juan. Essay on Catholicism, Liberalism, and Socialism. Madrid: Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos.

5. Gambra, Rafael. The Silence of God. Madrid: Ediciones Rialp.

6. Sardá y Salvany, Félix. Liberalism is a Sin. Barcelona: Librería Católica Internacional.

7. D’Ors, Álvaro. Violence and Order. Madrid: Fundación Francisco Elías de Tejada.

8. Vallet de Goytisolo, Juan. Family and Education in Natural Law. Madrid: Ediciones Cristiandad.

9. Belloc, Hilaire. The Servile State. London: Constable & Co.

10. Gómez Dávila, Nicolás. Scholia to an Implicit Text. Bogotá: Villegas Editores.

11. Elías de Tejada, Francisco. Tradition as a Political Principle. Seville: Fundación Elías de Tejada.