READING 1
Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the path with sinners, nor abides in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord, and who ponders his law day and night. He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves shall never fade; and all that he does shall prosper.

READING 2
From Pope Leo XIV’s address to seminarians from Spain on Feb 28,2026

There is a quote from the author Chesterton that can serve as a key to understanding everything I would like to share with you: “Take away the supernatural, and what remains is the unnatural.”¹

[…] Having a supernatural view does not mean fleeing from reality, but learning to recognize God’s action in the concrete reality of each day; a vision that cannot be improvised or delegated, but must be learned and exercised in the ordinary course of life…. This believing outlook on reality needs to be translated every day into concrete choices in life; otherwise, even intrinsically good practices—such as study, prayer, community life—can become empty and distorted, becoming mere fulfillment. A simple and proven way to safeguard this view is to practice the presence of God, which keeps the heart awake and life constantly focused on Him.

Sacred Scripture expresses this truth with a simple image in the first psalm, when it describes the righteous as “a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither” (Ps 1:3). It is not fruitful because of an absence of difficulties, but because of the place where it has taken root. Wind, winter, drought, and pruning are all part of its growth, but neither storm nor drought can destroy it when its roots are deep and close to the source. Scripture itself, however, recognizes the paradox of the fig tree that does not bear fruit despite the care it receives (cf. Lk 13:6-9).

It is said that trees “die standing”: they remain upright, they retain their appearance, but inside they are already dry. Something similar can happen in the life of a seminary or of a seminarian—and later in the life of a priest—when fruitfulness is mistaken for the intensity of activities or with merely external care for appearances. Spiritual life does not bear fruit because of what is visible, but because of what is deeply rooted in God. When that root is neglected, everything ends up drying up inside, until, silently, it ends up “dying standing upright.”

Deep down, the supernatural gaze springs from the simplest and most decisive aspect of vocation: being with the Master. Jesus called those he wanted “to be with him” (Mk 3:14). That is the foundation of all priestly formation: staying with Him and allowing oneself to be formed from within; seeing God at work and recognizing how He works in one’s own life and in that of His people. Therefore, although human means, psychology and formative tools are valuable and necessary, they cannot replace this relationship. The true agent of this journey is the Holy Spirit, who shapes the heart, teaches us to respond to grace and prepares us for a fruitful life in the service of the Church. Everything begins now, in the ordinary routine of each day, where each one decides whether to remain with the Lord or to try to sustain oneself by one’s own strength alone.

PRAYERS

Litany of Healing and Repentance in the Eucharist
Radiating Christ

1. Cf. Heretics, VI. ↩︎

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