In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. My Lord and my God, I firmly believe

that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with profound reverence. I beg

your pardon for my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful.

My immaculate mother, St. Joseph, my father and Lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

We begin our prayer with these words that St. José Maria used to begin his prayer every day.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, he would repeat,

putting himself in the presence of God.

They can help us to focus and to get rid of all the worries that we may have right now

because it is time to recollect ourselves

and place ourselves before our Father God so that we can have and carry out a loving conversation with him.

Today is the feast of the exaltation of the cross.

It is a feast that goes far back in history when in the year

628 the Emperor Heraclius had recovered the Holy Cross of Jesus. He had found it again.

And he tried to carry it into Jerusalem when all of a sudden as he entered the gate, rocks fell from the wall

and blocked the passage.

And it was revealed to him by an angel that it is not proper for him to enter into Jerusalem

that he cannot carry the cross of Jesus with all his regalia, with all his jewels

and crowns and robes, that he had to carry it with a humble attitude.

And he had to take all those fancy clothes off and wear sackcloth and ashes.

And only then can he carry the cross of Jesus and all the obstacles

in carrying the cross would disappear, would be overcome. Well, that's what happened. He got rid of all

his fancy accoutrements and he carried the cross like a humble servant of the Lord, like our

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