His Word Today: Inquiry

Good morning everyone,

In these opening days of the Lenten season, the scriptures present us today with a situation that might not be so far from our own lived reality.  The disciples of John approached Jesus and asked: 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast much, but your disciples do not fast? (Mt 9:14).  This question is asked out of curiosity, for it was the custom of the time to fast as a sign of one's piety and desire to come close to God.

Fasting is still part of the Church's tradition today.  This ancient spiritual practice helps us to distance ourselves from the noise of everyday life: the clatter that is constantly ringing in our ears to the point that we no longer even recognize its presence.  Once we have distanced ourselves from the noise, we can begin to listen more attentively for the voice of God.  This was the point that Jesus wanted to make with those who asked the question: Can the wedding guests mourn while the bridegroom is with them? (Mt 9:15).  In other words, Jesus' disciples were spending time in the presence of God: something that we all long to do.  There was no need for them to fast in order to get close to him.

Unlike those privileged few, we must make it our diligent care in these first days of Lent to identify the noises that keep us from listening for the voice of God, and we must be courageous about taking steps to silence those noises as much as we can.  Only then will we be able to devote our attention to the still, small voice that is calling out to us.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Follow

Good morning everyone,

Jesus reminds us today that as we set out on the journey of Lent, we must strive above all to take up our crosses and follow him (Lk 9:23).  This is a great source of comfort for us, for we are not expected to make this journey on our own.  In fact, we have Jesus' assurance that he will be our guide.

With the words of the prophet Joel still ringing in our ears, we seek to come back to the Lord (Joel 2:12), but the journey back home can be treacherous (deceptive, untrustworthy or unreliable) especially if we think that we can rely on our own efforts to make our way.

Let us set out, confident in the fact that Jesus meets us right where we are, and that he will always be at our side, guiding our steps along the right path.  This path will not always be easy, but it will be worth the effort, for the reward is the promise of everlasting life.

Have a great day.

Be reconciled

The season of Lent has begun.  Over the next forty days, we will travel together along a journey that will take us to the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus at Easter.  As we travel this road, the Lord invites us to prepare ourselves.  The prophet Joel calls out to us today: even now ... return to the Lord with your whole heart (Joel 2:12).

Because we are human beings who need visible reminders to keep us focused, the Church invites us to fast, to pray and to give alms (cf Mt 6:1-18), but these tangible realities are but means to an end.  The point of our fasting is to help us identify the earthly preoccupations, the noises that sometimes make it difficult for us to listen for the Lord's voice.  The practice of listening for the voice of the Lord is what we refer to as prayer, and the fruit of our prayer is a sharpened awareness of our brothers and sisters who are in need.

As we set out on this journey, what direction should we turn to?  The prophet reminds us that we should rend our hearts, not our garments (Joel 2:13).  Those who first heard these words were well aware of the imperative of taking care of others.  It would have been unheard of for someone to ignore the needs of a stranger who knocked at his door.  If that stranger needed food, they would hurry to feed; if that stranger needed clothing, they would willingly supply whatever was needed; if that person needed lodgings, they would gladly make room.  Lent reminds us that we are all travelling on the journey of life.  As we do, we sometimes realize that we need to change our hearts and get re-focused.

Brothers and sisters, let us courageously set out on the journey that lies ahead.  It takes courage to admit that we need to change so that we can return to the Lord (Joel 2:13), but at the same time we can find encouragement in the promise that our God, who invites us to come back to him, is always gracious and merciful ... slow to anger and rich in mercy.  God is waiting for us to come back to him, and Lent is a perfect time to do just that.  Coming back to the Lord might seem like a daunting task, but it is meant to be a joyous encounter, like children who is coming home, returning to a father who truly loves each one of them.

Dear friends, we are ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20).  Not only is God inviting us to come back to him this Lent; he is also inviting us to share the example of our own lives with those we encounter.  Through the example of our own willingness to come back to the Lord, God will work in the hearts of others.  Even without uttering a word, let us dare to call out to the men and women of our time, echoing the words of Saint Paul: we implore you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God.  With this hope in our hearts, let us set out on the journey toward the celebration of Easter.

His Word Today: Rise

Good morning everyone,

One day before the beginning of Lent, the gospel passage today sets the tone for the journey that lies ahead: The Son of Man will be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise (Mk 9:31).

In these few words, we see the essence of our faith, and the heart of the journey we encounter as we travel to the heart of our faith.  What better time than Lent to focus our attention on the example that Jesus has set for us: an example of selflessness that allowed him to surrender himself into the hands of those who could never have realized that they were cooperating in the revelation of God's plan?

The full meaning of Lent leads us to the celebration of Easter: the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus.  These truths are being lived today by our brothers and sisters in faith.  We too are living these realities, always with an eye focused on the ultimate end of the journey.  Three days after his death, the Son of Man rose.  So too, the ultimate end of our journey will one day be the fullness of life in heaven.

Keeping this end in sight, it is time to set out on the journey.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Help

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel passage presents us with a situation that perhaps many of us know: a moment in the life of a parent who has brought his son to Jesus because his son has been suffering for many years (cf Mk 9:17).  Illness is never easy, but it is even more taxing on the souls and hearts of parents when they must watch powerlessly as their children suffer.

Although there might have been many other words exchanged, the heart of the parent's prayer is found in the simple phrase: I do believe; help my unbelief! (Mk 9:24).  In these words we see evidence of the parent's trust in Jesus ability to help his child, but we also see evidence of his awareness of his own human frailty.

How often have we come to the Lord in prayer, trusting that our prayers will be heard, welcomed and answered?  Even in situations when we feel powerless, we can still place ourselves before the Lord and ask for help ... then we must surrender ourselves and trust that His will is being done.

Have a great day.

How far should we go?

In just a few days' time, we will enter into the season of Lent.  On Wednesday, we will have ashes placed upon our heads, to mark the beginning of this time of grace, but what grace can we hope for?  What changes do we need to make?  How will life be different this year because we have lived Lent well?

Perhaps the scripture passages we have heard today can help us to begin even now to prepare our hearts.  The first reading says: you shall love your neighbour as yourself (Lev 19:18), but what does it really mean to love my neighbour?  How far should a Christian disciple's love extend?  Does this Command mean that we must always like everyone? Are there times when we might appropriately retaliate in response to a slight or an attack?

To answer this question, we must first remember that we are all children of God; we all belong to God and God is a loving parent.  Saint Paul says it this way: Brothers and sisters, do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Cor 3:16)  We are all God's temple.  God dwells within each of us, in our hearts.  If only we could begin the season of Lent with a prayer, asking for the grace to understand this truth more deeply, I think that we would already have more than enough reason to rejoice and to give thanks, but Christian love is not only about recognizing the goodness of another person.  It is not even only about recognizing God's Spirit dwelling within another person.  It is about loving everyone as we love ourselves.

Christian love is meant to be limitless, extending beyond the local communities and comfort zones that we have grown accustomed to.  Jesus told the disciples that it wasn't enough for them to follow the letter of the Law, Christian disciples must be willing to go beyond the limits of the law; we must be willing to do more than people expect of us.  Jesus told those first disciples: if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, offer them the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give them your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them also the second mile (Mt 5:39-41).  The extent of a disciple's obligation exceeds the limits of merely treating others the way that we ourselves would like to be treated.  A disciple's love gives priority to the other person's welfare first.

During this year's Lenten season, let us all pray for the grace to emulate God's love for us.  Let us strive to love selflessly, forgiving others and loving unconditionally.  God's love for us has called all creation into being.  God's love for us is ongoing: it knows no boundaries.  God's love is redemptive and self-giving.  God's love for us was made known to us in the person of Jesus Christ who willingly gave himself up to death, death on a cross.

How far are we willing to go to love one another?

His Word Today: Cross

Good morning everyone,

We are only a few days away from the beginning of Lent.  As if to help us prepare our hearts, Jesus says in today's gospel: Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me (Mk 8:34).  These are the words of one who is inviting his hearers to join him on a journey.

Each year, we are granted the forty days of Lent as a privileged time of grace, a time to follow the Lord.  In order to do this well, we must begin with an attitude of self-denial so that we can free ourselves from the temptation to be self-centred.  Only in this way can we learn how to be outward focused, ready to go wherever the Lord leads us.  Only in this way can we learn to take up the challenges that the Lord places before us and trustingly follow in his footsteps.

As we prepare for the Lenten period that will begin next week, let us ask the Lord to begin even now to move our hearts and to keep us close to his heart.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Who?

Good morning everyone,

Every one of us who lives in relationship with others has asked ourselves at one point or another: Who is this person?  This question arises in our hearts every time that we must define the relationship that exists between us and another person.

In the case of Jesus, he put this question to his disciples, as a test to see how mature the relationship he had cultivated with each one of them was becoming.  In his question: Who do you say that I am? (Mk 8:29) we hear words that call his hearers to a level of truth that perhaps they had never entertained before.  These words call us too to an honest evaluation of the relationship that we have cultivated with Jesus.

Even Peter, who answered the question with the words that became the most simple but honest expression of faith was yet to have his faith tested.  Belief in God is always accompanied by some level of testing: this is the way that we authenticate its presence.  So it is that Jesus began to teach the disciples that the Son of Man was to suffer greatly and be rejected ... (Mk 8:31).  This the key that differentiates Jesus from every other king.

Who do we say that Jesus is for us?  Are we able to see his greatness in the faces of those who suffer, or are we still looking for him in some other place?

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Helping

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel places us in the village of Bethsaida, on the Sea of Galilee.  When Jesus and his disciples arrived there, people brought a blind man and asked Jesus to touch him (Mk 8:22).  This is one of the moments when we see other people (who are aware of Jesus' ability to heal) coming to the help of their friends.

Like them, we can bring our friends, relatives and people we know to Jesus by remembering them in our prayers, especially when they are sick, or when we know that they are facing difficult moments.  We can also pray for others, giving thanks to God on their behalf when they have encountered moments of celebration and joy - although I wonder how often we take the time to pray in thanksgiving, either for ourselves or on behalf of others.

Inspired by those who brought the blind man to Jesus, let us take some time today to bring to mind all of our friends: the ones who we remember in our prayers, the ones for whom we give thanks to God.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Broken Bread

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel passage begins by explaining to us that the disciples were in the boat and that they only had one loaf with them in the boat (Mk 8:14).  At this point, the disciples had just experienced the miraculous multiplication of loaves; they had left the place where that miracle had been performed and were on their way across the lake.

Jesus took advantage of this private moment with his disciples to deepen their understanding of the miracle that they had just witnessed.  It is interesting to note that the disciples had one loaf of bread with them on the boat (and that it was presumably whole).

The key to understanding the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes is that these foods had to be broken in order to be shared.  Even today, it is only when we are able to break bread together that we are able to share it; it is only when we are able to recognize our own brokenness that we are able to share ourselves with others.

Jesus invites us to recognize the gifts we have been given, and as a response to God's gifts, to be able to share the fruitfulness of God's wisdom with those we encounter.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Signs

Good morning everyone,

In today's gospel passage, we are reminded of a moment when the Pharisees began to argue with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him (Mk 8:11).  Many centuries later, the modern-day disciples of Jesus still seek signs from time to time.

It seems as though the process of looking for signs is a human response to Jesus' invitation to enter into a personal and loving relationship with our God.  In Jesus, God has revealed the depth of his love for us, but it is up to us to respond to God's love, and our response is what is known as faith.

While the human response to God's invitation is to ask for visible and tangible signs, the only response that we can really make is to have faith.  Let us pray for the grace of faith, and let us ask the Lord to help us increase our faith in Him.  With enough faith, there will be no need for visible and tangible signs.

Have a great day.

Filfill the Law

At the beginning of today's gospel passage, Jesus says: Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill (Mt 5:17).  David Bivin, an Israeli-American biblical scholar teaches that the phrase to fulfill the Law is often used to mean to properly interpret the Torah (the Law of God) so that people can obey it as God really intends.  In other words, to fulfill to Law is to do as God truly wants us to do.

If we want to discover God's will, and if we want to do what he wants us to do, we need to develop the habit of listening for his voice, and we need to develop the habit of acting on his words.  The entire bible is filled with details about all the things that our God has done since the beginning of time in order to convince us that we are loved, first and foremost by God, but the fact that God loves us does not mean that He is somehow bound to do what we want him to do.  I wonder sometimes if this understanding of love has not been turned upside down in our modern-day society.  For example, it is right that parents should love their children, but love for their children does not mean that parents should always do what children want them to do.

It is truly an act of humility - not humiliation - for us to realize that we are not entitled to God's love yet God chooses to help us, and God's choice is motivated by perfect freedom, offered from a place of pure love.  The Law that God gave us was not meant to limit us, but rather to ensure that we use the gift of God's love which has been freely given to us in a way that is good for us and for others.  As the Book of Sirach counsels: If you trust in God, you ... shall live and ... act faithfully as a matter of your own choice (Sirach 15:15).  In other words, having experienced God's love, we will come to trust Him and we will also learn how to freely share God's love with others, as a matter of choice.

Love cannot be compelled; it must be freely offered and freely accepted.  This means that even if we desire to offer love to another person, that other person must be free at all times to refuse our offer.  It might seem strange to think of God ever saying no to us, but this is the point.  If we truly want to live in a mature and loving relationship with God, we need to respect God's freedom, and we need to realize that God always respects our freedom.  We should always seek to use our freedom in a way that gives glory to God.  If we do, we will strengthen our relationship with God and with others.

Today we have come to pray together.  Here, in this place, we ask the Lord to show us what he truly wants us to do in the coming days, how we can be his faithful disciples.  No one compels us to gather here.  We have freely chosen to come, so that we can seek the wisdom of God, advice which is capable of guiding our steps in the coming days.  As we celebrate the Eucharist, a sacrifice that was made freely on our behalf, let us ask forgiveness for the times we have ignored God's invitation to follow him, and let us embrace the gift of God's law and the true freedom that it leads us to discover.

His Word Today: Saints Cyril and Methodius

Good morning everyone,

The gospel passage today recounts the encounter between Jesus and a deaf mute (Mk 7:31-37).  As he did in other cases, people brought ... a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him (Mk 7:31-33).  It is interesting to note that other people who had heard (or encountered) Jesus' good works were bringing this man to Jesus.  This is one of the signs of the fruitfulness of God's presence in our lives: when we have encountered Him and discovered the power of his love in our own lives, we are driven to share this good news with others ... even to bring them to Him.

Jesus took the man off by himself, away from the crowd.  He put his finger into the man's ears and touched his tongue (Mk 7:33).  In other words, he stopped, recognized the man's need and tended to him.  Perhaps we know what it is like to encounter Jesus in this way.  Perhaps we have had the great privilege of experiencing his gentle yet powerful presence in our own lives.  Perhaps we have even seen the power of Jesus at work, opening the ears of those who had previously been deafened to the sound of His voice and touching the tongues of those who have been muted so that they can regain the power of speech.

Saints Cyril (826-869 AD) and Methodius (815-885) were brothers and Byzantine Christian theologians.  They are most famous for inventing the Cyrillic alphabet which allowed them to translate the scriptures and to evangelize the Slavic people.  Like Jesus who opened the ears of the deaf man, Saint Cyril and Methodius made it possible for the Slavic people to hear the good news of the Gospel proclaimed in a language that they could understand.  Having opened their ears in this way, these two holy brothers also played a big part in freeing their tongues so that they in turn could share the joy of knowing Jesus with others.

Be on the lookout today for the ways in which Jesus invites us to be the agents of change, and pray for the courage to cooperate with such endeavours if you are invited to take part.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Foreign

Good morning everyone,

Today, we encounter the meeting between Jesus and a woman who he would never have met under normal circumstances.  She was a Syrophoenician, not a Galilean; she was a woman, not a man; and Jesus was not in his home territory, where he would have been most comfortable.  Still, the woman bravely came forward to present her plea on behalf of her daughter, and Jesus welcomed her prayer (cf Mk 7:24-26).

What can we learn from this encounter?  Jesus was not afraid to welcome the plea addressed by the woman, and neither is he afraid to listen when we offer our prayers.  The woman must have been brave in order to voice her request, and so we must also be brave, confident in our faith so that we too can voice our requests in prayer, trusting that Jesus will stop, stoop down to us and listen to our prayers.

With the knowledge of God's openness to listen to our prayers, let us bravely approach; let us confidently speak our concerns and let us grow together in our trust that our prayers will be answered.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Defile

Good morning everyone,

When Jesus appeared on the scene, he brought with him a new message which was spoken with freshness.  This message was born and first nourished within the Jewish faith.  Today's gospel passage gives us an example: Nothing that enters ... from outside can defile a person, but rather the things that come out from within are what defile (Mk 7:15).

This teaching was meant to differentiate the new way from the ancient tradition of dietary laws, but Jesus wanted to extend his teaching far beyond the confines of food.  Rather, he challenges us to keep care of our own behaviour and language.  The reason for this is so that we may realize the truth that faith is meant to be lived and that living our faith has its influence on those we meet.

What words come out of my mouth?  What thoughts arise in my heart?  Do these words and thoughts reflect the faith that I am striving to live?

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Our Lady of Lourdes

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes.  The first apparition of the lady who appeared to Bernadette Soubirous occurred on 11 February 1858 while the 14-year-old girl was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend.  The lady appeared eighteen times in all during that year.  Although the local authorities discounted reports of the visions, they were eventually confirmed.  Lourdes is now a major Marian pilgrimage site especially for those who are sick.

This day also marks the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.  Each year, we pray especially for those who are sick and suffering on this day, entrusting them to the maternal care of the Blessed Virgin.

At another time in history, Jesus expressed his displeasure at those who would honour him with their lips but whose hearts were far from him (Mk 7:6).  Thankfully, in the Blessed Virgin, we find the example of a mother who genuinely cares for us, one who deeply wants to be close to us and to care for us, especially when we are sick.

Today, we ask her to intercede for us so that we in turn may honour our God not only with our lips but more importantly with our hearts.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Saint Scholastica

Good evening everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the liturgical Memorial of Saint Scholastica, the twin sister of Saint Benedict of Norcia.  History tells the story of Benedict who settled at Monte Cassino.  Scholastica established a religious community for women located at Plombariola, only five miles from her brother's abode.  They would visit each other once a year, usually in a nearby farmhouse where they would discuss spiritual matters.

The gospel passage for today's Mass tells us of a moment when Jesus and his disciples came to the land of Geneseret (Mk 6:53).  As Jesus visited that land, we might say that Benedict visited the land where he established the Abbey of Monte Cassino.  To this day, that Monastery still stands and continues to welcome pilgrims who come to visit.  In his time, Jesus brought healing to those who he encountered in the land of Geneseret.  Many of those who visit Monte Cassino also find healing and answers to their prayers.

Today, we ask Saint Scholastica to intercede for us so that we too might be aware of the ways in which Jesus passes by.  These are indeed moments of grace which should be celebrated.

Have a great day.

Be salt for the earth

In a few days' time, we will celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes and the World Day of Prayer for the Sick.  In anticipation of this important day, it is fitting that we should spend some time reflecting on the lessons that we can learn from our interactions with those who are sick and suffering.  Each week, we pray for our brothers and sisters who are weakened as a result of illness, but truly being present to those who are suffering in this way is an integral part of living our faith, for in doing so, we touch the wounds of Jesus.

In the gospel, Jesus tells his disciples: you are salt for the earth (Mt 5:13) ... and you are light for the world (Mt 5:14).  These words must have sounded perplexing to those who first heard them.  Even though many years have come and gone, each time we read these words, they should sound equally as perplexing to us today.  What does Jesus mean when he says that we are salt for the earth.  Scripture scholars tell us that salt has always been important for preserving food, and for enhancing its taste.  Therefore, Jesus used these images in order to tell us that we have a duty to enhance our encounters with others by sharing our faith with them.

It may seem paradoxical that the society we live in can be filled with so much wealth and yet there are so many of our neighbours who suffer the poverty of loneliness.  Many of us are extremely tech savvy and yet we are forgetting the art of socializing.  Canadian society would have us believe that the introduction of a practice known as Medical Assistance in Dying is a matter of respecting an individual's right to choose, yet the promised inclusion of Hospice and Palliative Care as alternate options for taking care of those who have been diagnosed with terminal illnesses has yet to be enshrined with the same level of acceptance.

On 31 January of this year, the President of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote a letter on behalf of all Catholic Bishops in this country in which he unequivocally affirmed and maintained the fundamental belief in the sacredness of all human life, a value which we share with many others ... including persons of different faiths and of no faith at all.

Jesus challenges us to be light for our world.  We do this by speaking out whenever the values and beliefs we have learned are being tested.  We do this by respecting the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death.  We do this by proclaiming the mystery of God, not in lofty words or wisdom (1 Cor 2:1) but rather by offering the food of our faith to those who are hungry for acceptance and by satisfying the needs of those who are truly afflicted (cf Is 58:10), especially those who cannot speak for themselves.

His Word Today: Conscience

Good morning everyone,

The gospel account for today's meditation speaks of King Herod.  When he first heard about Jesus, many people were not sure who this newcomer was.  They were trying to hypothesize about who it was.  Some said that it might be John the Baptist who had come back to life.  Many had heard about John, and those who had heard John speaking were exited about the possibility that John might have come back to life.

Herod too had encountered John.  In fact, he had issued the command to behead him (cf Mk 6:26-29) but in secret he was intrigued by John's words.  Herod could not afford to speak of his admiration for John, but deep down, he longed for the possibility of John's return.  This may be the reason why, when he heard about Jesus, he said: It is John who I beheaded.  He has been raised up (Mk 6:16).

Is there a part of us that is like Herod?  Is there someone who we regret having lost contact with?  Is there someone we long to see again?

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Saint Paul Miki and companions

Good morning everyone,

The gospel for today's meditation presents us with a moment when Jesus was instructing his disciples.  He summoned the twelve and began to send them out two by two ... having instructed them to take nothing for the journey (Mk 6:7-9) but that which was absolutely essential.  These words, first spoken to the twelve continued to be spoken to us as well.  We who endeavour to live our faith in modern times are also encouraged by Jesus to take only that which is absolutely necessary with us for the journey.

Today, the Church celebrates and prays with Saint Paul Miki, a Japanese Jesuit priest, and his companions who were martyred by crucifixion in 1597.  Christians have faced persecution everywhere in the world, so the threat that they would be put to the test was nothing new, yet it has consistently been an essential part of God's plan that where the faithful are persecuted, the seeds of faith are most often planted and most fruitfully flourish.

Even in places where there is the threat of persecution, Jesus continues to send his disciples out ... instructing us to take nothing for the journey except for that which we absolutely need: faith in Him, trust that He will never leave us alone and a willingness to serve.  The reward that comes with such commitment is the gift of joy, the joy of knowing that we are faithful servants with many ancestors in faith - who we call martyrs and saints - to help us.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Saint Agatha

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates and prays with Saint Agatha, a virgin and a martyr who is most highly venerated as the Patroness of Sicily.  She is believed to have been born either in Palermo or Catania around 231 A.D. and completed her earthly pilgrimage around the year 251 A.D.

From her very early years, this very beautiful girl dedicated her life to God and chose to become a consecrated virgin: choosing to remain celibate and to give her life entirely to Jesus in a life of prayer and service ... but this did not stop men from desiring her.  One of those men was Quintianus, a high-ranking diplomat who thought that he could force her to marry.  Despite persistent proposals, arrests, physical torture, imprisonment and starvation, she remained faithful to her promise.  In fact, she endured all the taunts and torture with a sense of cheer.

The gospel passage for today's Mass places Jesus in his own hometown at the moment when he confirmed: a prophet is not without honor except in his native place (Mk 6:4).  These few words have been proven to hold truth, not only in the case of Jesus but in the life of Agatha and many others of the saints.  May this young saint intercede for us today and help us to remain steadfast in our belief.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Long suffering

Good morning everyone,

Today, the gospel passage mentions a woman who had been afflicted with hemorrhages for twelve years (cf Mk 5:25).  Like all the people mentioned in the gospels, this woman also provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the situation that faces at least some of us.

If we want to understand the suffering of that woman, perhaps we can look to modern-day examples. I think for example of all those who suffer from addictions: to alcoholism, to coffee, to shopping, to food, to so many substances.  Those who look upon such situations from the outside might be tempted to think that the addicted persons should be able to simply do without the objects of their addictions, but that is precisely the point - addictions are controlling and they are unforgiving.

Addictions lead many in our world to live long suffering lives.  Even if they are aware of their weaknesses, and even if they may want - with every breath they breathe - to be able to better the control that the addictions can hold upon them - to be free of their addictions, in reality, they truly suffer.

Do we know of someone who suffers because of addiction?  At some level, are we too being held or controlled by some kind of addiction?  In the case of the woman with the hemorrhages, she came to Jesus.  What will it take for us to come to Jesus?

Have a great day.