O Brother

Lenten Season

We have entered a liturgical season during which we are particularly called to have the courage to examine ourselves without losing our peace, without immediately succumbing to despair.

Why do we find it so difficult to ask ourselves: Who am I? What have I done? and at the same time, maintain peace and trust? Self-examination must be done with the certainty that if this act is truly an act of charity, it comes from God and is a grace.

But often, people argue with God, they stamp their feet, they say:

"I can't," they want to impose their way of being in order to be saved without first having peace. – You want to be saved to have peace, and you don't know that to be saved, you must first have peace! It is through peace that salvation is obtained, for peace of soul means trust in the Lord, the certainty that if we want to be with Him, we are, even in the midst of trials.

(Theodossios Maria of the Cross, The Depths of the Word of God)

O brother, all the visible things will pass,

and the man and his works

and his knowledge

and the earth and the firmament.

But above the movements, the distances,

the largest and the smallest numbers

and any radiation,

there is a life of peace without end

in the infinite love of God.

Mary, the Queen of Heaven and earth,

may lead you

to the kingdom of Christ.

Father Theodossios-Maria of the Cross (Theodossios Sgourdelis, 1909-1989), was born in Greece and lived in Paris where he carried out an intense activity in the field of the culture and the art. Later on he converted to Catholicism, he became priest and founded the Fraternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, first in Athens, then in Rome. At present the main seat of the Fraternity is in Bagnoregio (Italy), native land of Saint Bonaventure, Doctor of the Church, where the Founder died and is buried in the church of the SS. Annunziata.