fatherfladerblog

  As we go through life, we face many challenges and uncertainties, some of which can leave us doubting whether there can possibly be a solution. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture, the Catechism, Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi and the writings of saints to consider how: We should always have hope, […]

    The Mass is the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross made present on the altar. Christ instituted it during the Last Supper, giving the daily Old Testament sacrifices in the Temple their fulfilment and definitive meaning in the Mass. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture and of St Josemaria Escriva to […]

    Christ is the sower of divine seeds in souls, and he sows on everyone, because he wants all to be saved. He sows even on the rocky ground of the hard hearted, the atheist, the big sinner, so that they too might one day be converted, as so many have throughout history. Today […]

In the Litany of Loreto we call Our Lady “Ark of the Covenant”. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture to see how Mary truly deserves this title and how we can learn much from it for our own spiritual life. We consider how: In the book of Revelation Mary, after a long and […]

We are all familiar with the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, in which the foolish ones did not take extra oil and were refused entry into the wedding feast. In this meditation we use this parable and texts of Scripture and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how: God has given us our whole […]

St Paul tells the Philippians to “Rejoice in the Lord always”. To be sure, we find our greatest joy, our happiness, when we are closest to God. But we should also communicate our joy to others through our good humour and cheerfulness. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St Josemaria, Pope Francis and […]

One of the most endearing truths of our faith is that God is not only almighty, creator of heaven and earth, but our Father. In this meditation, we use texts from Scripture, the Catechism and saints, especially St Josemaria Escriva, to consider how: Jesus’ revelation that God is truly our Father is a great blessing […]

In the afternoon of the Resurrection, two discouraged disciples of Jesus left Jerusalem for the nearby town of Emmaus. Christ met them on the way without revealing who he was. He showed them from the Scriptures how he was meant to suffer and die. When they reached Emmaus the disciples begged Jesus to stay with […]

  The word “Lent” comes from the Anglo-Saxon word “Lencten”, meaning springtime. If we live Lent well, we have a true springtime in our spiritual life. In this meditation, we situate our Lenten discipline in the context of three events in Our Lord’s life, each of which teaches us something about Lent: His 40 days of […]

There are many aspects of life in which we know we are not “in control”: our health, job, financial security, relationships, etc. In these and other areas, often things do not work out as we had planned, and we can become worried and sad. In this meditation we consider ways in which we can deal […]