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(Letter from the Prelate: November 2013)

My dear children: may Jesus watch over my daughters and sons for me!

Within a few weeks the Year of Faith will come to an end. The Holy Father will conclude it

on the ucoming "th# $olemnity of %hrist the &ing. 'n this regard ' invite you to reread somewords that our Father wrote in one of his homilies: (When we recite the creed# we state that we

)elieve in *od the Father +lmighty# in his $on Jesus %hrist# who died and rose again# and in the

Holy $irit# the ,ord and giver of life. We affirm that the %hurch# one# holy# catholic and aostolic#is the )ody of %hrist# enlivened )y the Holy $irit. We re-oice in the forgiveness of sins and in the

hoe of the resurrection. ut do those words enetrate to the deths of our own heart/ 0r do they

remain only on our lis/12

The $olemnity of +ll $aints that we are cele)rating today# and the commemoration of thefaithful dearted tomorrow# are an invitation to remem)er our eternal destiny. These liturgical

feasts reflect the final articles of faith. (The %hristian %reed3the rofession of our faith in *od#the Father# the $on# and the Holy $irit# and in *od4s creative# saving# and sanctifying action3 culminates in the roclamation of the resurrection of the dead on the last day and in life

everlasting.1

The %reed sums u the (last things1 — )oth on the individual and collective level3that are to

)efall each erson and the whole universe. Human reason can intuit# when it functions correctly#that after our earthly life a ()eyond1 e5ists where the -ustice that is so often violated here )elow

will )e fully re6esta)lished. ut only in the light of divine revelation# and esecially through the

clarity of %hrist4s incarnation# death and resurrection# do these truths ac7uire clear contours#although continuing to )e enveloed in a veil of mystery.

Thanks to our ,ord4s teaching# the final realities lose the gloomy and fatalistic sense theyhave had# and still have# for many men and women throughout history. odily death is a reality

o)vious to everyone# )ut in %hrist it ac7uires a new meaning. 't is not -ust a conse7uence of )eing material creatures# with a hysical )ody that naturally tends to disintegration. 8or is it

only# as the 0ld Testament revealed# a unishment for sin. $t. 9aul insists: to me to live is Christ,

and to die is gain. +nd elsewhere he adds: The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we shall

also live with him. (What is essentially new a)out %hristian death is this: through atism# the%hristian has already ;died with %hrist4 sacramentally# in order to live a new life< and if we die in

%hrist4s grace# hysical death comletes this ;with %hrist4 and so comletes our incororation

into him in his redeeming act.1"

The %hurch is our Mother at every moment. $he regenerated us in the waters of atism#

communicating to us %hrist4s life and# at the same time# the romise of future immortality. Thenthrough the other sacraments# esecially %onfession and the Holy =ucharist# she sees to it that

this ()eing1 and (walking1 in %hrist strengthens in our souls. ,ater# when grave illness comesand# a)ove all# at the moment of death# she once again )ends over her daughters and sons and

2 $t. Josemar>a# Christ Is Passing By# no. 2?.

Catechism of the Catholic Church# no. ?@@.

Phil 2:2 and 2 Tim :22.

" Catechism of the Catholic Church# no. 2A2A

2



strengthens us through the +nointing of the $ick and %ommunion in the form of viaticum. $he

rovides us with everything we need to confront with hoe and -oyful eace the final voyage that

ends# with *od4s grace# in the arms of our heavenly Father. $t. Josemar>a# like so many saints )efore and after him# when descri)ing %hristian death# wrote clear and otimistic words: (BonCt

)e afraid of death. +ccet it from now on# generously... when *od wills it# where *od wills it# as

*od wills it. BonCt dou)t what ' say: it will come in the moment# in the lace and in the way thatare )est: sent )y your Father6*od. Welcome )e our sister death!1D

There come to mind so many eole3men and women of 0us Bei# and their relatives#

friends# and cooerators3who at this moment are on the oint of surrendering their soul to *od.

For each and every one of them ' ask the grace of a holy dearture# filled with eace# closelyidentified with Jesus %hrist. (The Eisen ,ord is the hoe that never fails# that never disaoints

cf. Rom D:DG . . . How often in our life do hoes vanish# how often do the e5ectations we have

in our heart come to nothing! 0ur hoe as %hristians is strong# safe and sound on this earth#where *od has called us to walk# and it is oen to eternity )ecause it is founded on *od who is

always faithful.1

Buring this month dedicated to the faithful dearted# ' suggest that you reread and meditate

on the aragrahs the Catechism of the Catholic Church dedicates to the last things. You willfind there reasons for hoe and suernatural otimism# and a new imulse in the siritual

struggle each day. =ven the visits to cemeteries# which during these weeks are a ious custom in

many laces# can )e oortunities for those we deal with aostolically to consider the eternal

truths# and seek ever more diligently this *od of ours who follows us and calls us with a Father4stenderness.

With death the time for carrying out good works and meriting )efore *od ends# and the

ersonal -udgment of each soul takes lace immediately. For it is art of the %hurch4s faith that

(each man receives his eternal retri)ution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death#in a articular -udgment that refers his life to %hrist: either entrance into the )lessedness of

heaven3through a urification or immediately3or immediate and everlasting damnation.1I

The main focus of this -udgment will )e our love for *od and neigh)or# shown in the

faithful fulfillment of the commandments and our duties of state. Today many eole turn a )lindeye to this reality# as though they could thus avoid the -ust -udgment of *od# who is always filled

with mercy. We children of *od (should fear neither life nor death#1 as $t. Josemar>a used to

say. 'f we are firmly anchored in our faith< if we go to our ,ord contritely# in the sacrament of9enance# after having offended him or to urify our imerfections< if we fre7uently receive the

ody of %hrist in the =ucharist# we will have no reason to fear that moment. %onsider what our

Father wrote many years ago: (;' was amused to hear you seak of the (account1 that our ,ordwill demand of you. 8o# for none of you will he )e a -udge3in the harsh sense of the word< he

will simly )e Jesus.4 These lines# written )y a good )isho# have consoled more than one

trou)led heart# and could well console yours.1@

esides and this should fill us with great -oyG even after death the %hurch does not a)andonher children. 'n every Mass she intercedes# like a good Mother# for the souls of the faithful

D $t. Josemar>a# The Way# no. I?.

9oe Francis# +ddress in a general audience# +ril "# A2.

I Catechism of the Catholic Church# no. 2A.

@ $t. Josemar>a# The Way# no. 2@.



dearted# asking that they )e admitted into glory. =secially in 8ovem)er# her solicitude leads

her to intensify these suffrages. 'n the Work# a (small art1 of the %hurch# we strongly echo that

desire# fulfilling with affection and gratitude $t. Josemar>a4s recommendations for these weeks# )y offering generously the Holy $acrifice and Holy %ommunion for the faithful of 0us Bei# for

our deceased relatives and cooerators# and for all the souls in 9urgatory. Bon4t you see how

considering the last things is in no way a cause of sadness# )ut rather a source of suernatural -oy/ With full confidence we await the definitive call of *od and the consummation of the world

on the last day# when %hrist will come accomanied )y all the angels to take ossession of his

&ingdom. Then there will take lace the resurrection of all men and women who have lived onearth# from the first to the last.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church oints out that this (has )een an essential element of

the %hristian faith from its )eginnings.1? Therefore# right from the )eginning# it encountered

incomrehension and oosition. ('t is very commonly acceted that the life of the human erson continues in a siritual fashion after death. ut how can we )elieve that this )ody# so

clearly mortal# could rise to everlasting life/12A +nd this is what will really haen at the end of

time# through *od4s omniotence# as the +thanasian %reed e5licitly states: (all men shall rise

again with their )odies# and shall give account for their own works. +nd they that have donegood shall go into life everlasting# and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.122

The loving condescension of our Father *od is cause for wonder. He created us as )eings

comosed of soul and )ody# sirit and matter# and his lan is that we return to him as such# to

en-oy eternally in the future life his goodness# )eauty and wisdom. y *od4s singular lan# acreature has gone )efore us in this glorious resurrection: the Most Holy irgin# Mother of Jesus

and our Mother# who was assumed in )ody and soul to the glory of heaven. +nother reason for

hoe and trusting otimism!

,et us kee very resent these divine romises# which can never fail# esecially in momentsof sorrow# tiredness# or suffering. ,ook at how $t. Josemar>a e5ressed it# when reaching a)out

the last things on one occasion: (,ord# ' )elieve that ' will rise again< ' )elieve that my )ody willunite once again with my soul# to reign eternally with you: through your infinite merits# throughthe intercession of your Mother# through the redilection you have shown me.12 ' don4t want

you to think that this letter is# in the least degree# essimistic< on the contrary# it reminds us that

*od4s em)race awaits us# if we are faithful.

+fter the resurrection of the dead# the final -udgment will take lace. 8othing will changewith resect to what was already decided in the articular -udgment# )ut then (we shall know the

ultimate meaning of the whole work of creation and of the entire economy of salvation and

understand the marvelous ways )y which his 9rovidence led everything towards its final end.The ,ast Judgment#1 the Catechism of the Catholic Church concludes# (will reveal that *od4s

-ustice triumhs over all the in-ustices committed )y his creatures and that *od4s love is stronger

than death.12

8aturally# no one knows when or how this final event in history will come a)out# nor

? Catechism of the Catholic Church# no. ??2.

2A Iid .# no. ??.

22 +thanasian %reed or !uicum"ue# @6?.

2 $t. Josemar>a# 8otes taken from a meditation# Becem)er 2# 2?"@.

2 Catechism of the Catholic Church# no. 2A"A.



anything a)out the renewal of the material world that will accomany it< it is something that *od

has reserved to his rovidence. 0ur task is to watch since# as our ,ord announced many times#

you #now neither the day nor the hour .2"

'n one of his catecheses on the %reed# 9oe Francis urged: (may looking at the ,ast

Judgment never frighten us: rather# may it imel us to live the resent )etter. *od offers us this

time with mercy and atience so that we may learn every day to recogniKe him in the oor and inthe lowly. ,et us strive for goodness and )e watchful in rayer and in love.1 2D Meditation on theeternal truths )ecomes more suernatural in us through the holy fear of $od, a gift of the Holy

$irit who urges us# as $t. Josemar>a said# to hate sin in all its forms# for it is the only thing that

can distance us from the merciful lans of our Father *od.

My daughters and sons# let us consider in deth these final truths. y doing so our hoe willincrease< we will )e filled with otimism facing difficulties# and we will get u again and again

from our small# or not so small# falls *od never denies us his graceG# calling to mind the eternal

hainess that %hrist has romised us# if we are faithful. (This erfect life with the Most HolyTrinity3this communion of life and love with the Trinity# with the irgin Mary# the angels and

all the )lessed# is called ;heaven.4 Heaven is the ultimate end and fulfillment of the deeest

human longings# the state of sureme# definitive hainess.12

(Heaven: ;the eye has not seen# nor the ear heard# neither has it entered into the heart of manto conceive the things that *od has reared for those who love him.4 Bon4t these revelations of

the +ostle sur you on to fight/12I ' dare to add: Bo you think of heaven fre7uently/ +re you a

erson filled with hoe# since *od loves you with his infinite strength/ ,et us raise our heart tothe Most lessed Trinity# who never ceases nor ever will cease accomanying us.

You know that the 9oe received me in an audience on 0cto)er 2@. How good it is to )e

with the 9oe! He e5ressed his affection and gratitude to the 9relature for the aostolic work it

is carrying out throughout the world. Yet one more reason# my sons and daughters# why we mustnot let u in our rayer for him# for his intentions and those who assist him. + few days ago we

read at Mass how +aron and Hur held u the arms of Moses from morning till night# so that theguide of 'srael could intercede untiringly for his eole.2@ 't is our task and that of all %atholics to

sustain the Eoman 9ontiff# with our rayer and mortification# in the fulfillment of the mission%hrist has entrusted to him in the %hurch.

The ucoming nd is another anniversary of the day when $t. Josemar>a# during his

crossing of the 9yrenees in 2?I# found the rose of Eial. 't haened on the day after the feast

of the 9resentation of 0ur ,ady# and our Father interreted this as a sign that Heaven wanted himto continue his -ourney# in order to kee carrying out his riestly ministry freely in laces where

religious freedom was resected: another invitation from our ,ady to go to her more fre7uently.

%ontinue to ray for my intentions. Buring these days ray esecially for your )rothers who

will receive the diaconate on the ?th. ,et us reare for the $olemnity of %hrist the &ing with thehoe and otimism that meditating on the eternal truths )rings to our hearts. +nd let us give

2" %t D:2.

2D 9oe Francis# +ddress in a general audience# +ril "# A2.

2 Catechism of the Catholic Church# no. 2A".

2I $t. Josemar>a# The Way# no. ID2.

2@ $ee &'od 2I:2A62.

"



thanks to our ,ord for the new anniversary of the erecting of the 9relature of 0us Bei )y the

9oe# on the @th.

With all my affection# ' )less you#

Your Father#

L Javier

Eome# 8ovem)er 2# A2

D

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