Angel Inocencio Tomas
– Spain –
Perhaps you know the adventures of Asterix the Gaul, that small, mustachioed man who, together with his friend Obelix, faced the Roman cohorts with only his fists to defend his small village, the only point in Gaul that had not yet been conquered by the Cease…. Only with his fists?? Of course not. Asterix had a secret weapon, a magic potion that the druid Asuranceturix carefully prepared…. This potion made him invincible…
For me, the message is clear, that is why I always try to carry this canteen full of potion with me. Sometimes I have had to cross deserts whose extent I did not know, cross rivers whose depth I did not know, enter forests without knowing what beasts I would have to face… That’s why I always try to carry a full canteen…
Of course, my canteen is full of Living Water, formed mainly by Divine Grace, the only magical potion that allows me to face, with only my fists, the most terrible enemies. When I quench my thirst for Living Water, I am invincible.
If it were not so, how could I resist my own selfishness as a petty tyrant? My own presumptuous vanity as a narcissistic patient? My ambition as an unscrupulous hunter? How could I face my fears and other monsters? How could I forgive my enemies and love them? How could I forget the affronts and regain peace? Where would I get the strength to give to others?…
But… where can I refill my canteen with Living Water? I know that the sacraments for Catholics are sources of Living Water, just as the works of mercy are also sources of Living Water, or Fasting from my desires, that enslave me… and many others, in the same way I think that there are sources of Living Water in other religions, for people with other confessions, such as the five pillars of Islam for Muslims, Jewish rites or Hindu prayers among others…. and I firmly believe that Prayer, my Prayer, the Prayer of each of every one of us, is RAIN of Living Water!!!
I think that our words, good or bad, are like footprints in the sand, that many can observe, and some will follow…if many follow them, paths will form, which can go to a better place, or a worse place…until they are erased by wind or water, if no one walks through them…
However, our examples, good or bad, are like seeds planted in the ground, from which many will see trees grow, and some will taste their fruits, and perhaps a few will replant the same seeds so that more trees will grow that could become forests…
For me, Prayer is the rain of Living Water that waters the good seeds, those that bear tasty fruits. This rain burns the Devil and forces him to take refuge, to hide, to disappear.
Everyone’s prayer causes calm and persistent rains throughout the earth, watering these seeds with Living Water, which is of course Love of God, so that their delicious fruits sprout that others will taste and plant again, making the forests of the Kingdom grow, with its fountains and rivers, a true Paradise on Earth.
Great droughts and the death of entire forests threaten us if believers stop praying, if we stop praying… today, unfortunately, the industrialized and consumerist society is creating the deserts, both physical and spiritual, that our children will have to cross, those who will have to survive….
The prayer of so many people constantly waters and soaks the earth, the prayer of religious men and women, cloistered monks and nuns from their monasteries create powerful clouds that reach far. Our personal prayer can sometimes even be directed, like a little cloud, so that it rains exactly where each one wants. The wind of the Holy Spirit is responsible for directing them…
When I pray, I pay close attention, because I like to listen to the sound of the fine rain falling, I can feel the smell of wet earth, the Love of God soaking everything, passing through my clothes and my skin, and in this way receiving the Strength that I need to live fully, the Wisdom that I only receive through silent listening to the water passing through me, and the Peace that floods me, fills me and I feel overflowing in my heart…
Although I may not be able to taste those fruits, I know that, somewhere, a beautiful tree grows today vigorous to feed with tasty fruits to the next generations… but in the meantime, I can continue refilling my canteen…