Tenth video- meditation: “The Intact Glass. To place on God the burden of proof ... of one’s own existence.”

Let us listen

“While they all affirmed that Anthony was truly a Saint of God, Aleardino emptied the glass he was holding and, as a challenge, said: “If the one that you say is a saint will keep this glass from breaking, I will believe” . And he threw the glass down on the pavement . The glass hit the stone pavement and remained intact . Aleardino converted to Christ .”

(From the Book on Saint Anthony’s Miracles)

 

Let us meditate

We human beings like to test God and the Saints on our terms so as to believe in them or not. It is natural to doubt the existence of God in moments of anger or, simply, to question him with queries that we claim are correct, deluded into thinking we are the center of everything. 

In reality, we need to undergo a Copernican revolution in order to understand anything about him: we must reposition ourselves as satellites and cease to believe we are the “Sun”. We are just planets: big, beautiful, but still planets, creatures. If we accepted this we would not doubt the existence of the “Sun”!

Let us pray

Lord, please teach me not to speak like a resounding bronze or a ringing harpsichord, but with love.

Enable me to understand and give me the faith that moves mountains, but with love.

May I have been the faint but constant reflection of your perfect love . 

(Saint Theresa of Calcutta)

Lord,

Let us reflect

• In what things do I feel the center of the universe?
• What would happen if I recognized myself as a creature?
• What pain or fear is holding me back from trusting God?

Prayer to St. Anthony