His Word Today: Our Lady of Sorrows

Seven swords pierce the Sorrowful Heart
of Mary, inside the church of the Holy Cross,
Salamanca, Spain

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.  Devotion to the sorrow of the Virgin Mary traces its history to the thirteenth century.  In 1233, seven youths in Tuscany founded the Servite Order (also known as the Servite Friars, or the Order of the Servants of Mary). Five years later, they adopted the sorrows of Mary, standing under the Cross, as the principal devotion of their Order.

The Seven Sorrows, which should not be confused with the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary which have become the focus of popular devotion.  They include: The Prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:34-35); The Flight into Egypt (Mt 2:13); The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem (Lk 2:43-45); The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Via Dolorosa; The Crucifixion of Jesus on the Mount of Calvary (Jn 19:25); The piercing of Jesus' side with a spear and His Descent from the Cross (Mt 27:57-59); and The Burial of Jesus (Jn 19:40-42).

Because she endured such sorrow, we believe that Mary is close to all those who suffer.  Let us pray today for all in our world who are in need - whether that need be physical, emotional, intellectual or spiritual - and let us ask Mary to help us find the source of our hope in her son Jesus.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: The Triumph of the Cross

Good morning everyone,

Today, we celebrate the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross, also known as the Exaltation of the Holy Cross or the Elevation of the Cross.  To understand what this Feast is all about, we must back up in time to the third century AD.  The Roman Emperor Constantine's mother - Saint Helena (who was a convert to Christianity) - went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in search of the locations where the important moments in the life of Jesus took place, and in order to preserve the relics of the Christian faith.  One of her goals was to locate the cross on which Jesus died and the place where he had been crucified.

She interviewed many of the locals and enlisted the help of the Bishop of Jerusalem, Saint Macarius.  Eventually, she located the spot and found the true cross which had previously been hidden.  According to the historian Rufinus, the identity of the true cross was confirmed by a miraculous healing which took place on 3 May 326.  Saint Helena had a church built on the site of Jesus' crucifixion, burial and resurrection.  Her son Constantine dedicated it and named it the Church of the Holy Sepulcre on 14 September 335.

The true cross was considered the most valuable of the Church's treasures and became a highly venerated object.  The Feast honouring the Triumph of the Cross has continuously been celebrated - on 3 May in the old Roman calendar (the date of its discovery) and on 14 September in Jerusalem and on the new Roman calendar (the date when the church was dedicated).

Today, let us remember the words of Jesus, spoken to Nicodemus: the son of man has been lifted up so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life (Jn 3:14).

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Saint John Chrysostom

Good morning everyone,

Today, the Church celebrates the liturgical Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, a fourth century Doctor of the Church.  John was born in Antioch around the year 347 AD.  He received extensive education before embracing a life of asceticism.  Ordained a priest, he distinguished himself by means of his preaching.  The title of Chrysostom refers to his golden mouth: a reputation that was born of his eloquence. 

By the example of his life and the brilliance of his speech, he was able to challenge his hearers to love their enemies ... do good for those who exhibited hatred ... to bless instead of cursing, and to pray for those who would mistreat them (Lk 6:27-28).

He was elected Bishop of Constantinople - the capital city of the Roman-Byzantine Empire - in 397 and proved himself a very capable pastor.  Twice, he was forced into exile by the hatred of the Imperial court and as a result of the envy of his enemies.  He died on 14 September 407 at Comana in Pontus.

Even today, each one of us, disciples of Jesus, can make a difference in our world by surprising those who witness us loving our enemies, doing good for those who hate us, blessing those who would curse us and praying for those who would prefer to mistreat us.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Blessed are you

Good morning everyone,

If we are honest with ourselves, we will recognize that no matter how successful we are in life, there is always a part of us that remains doubtful about whether we are truly accepted by others.  When we stand before Jesus in prayer, there is always a part of us that might be hesitant to make ourselves vulnerable, yet it is at the moments that we are willing to open our hearts that we truly are able to realize the extent of God's love.

If we were sitting on the hillside when Jesus was speaking the words of the beatitudes, I wonder whether we might have reacted with surprise.  Blessed are you who are poor ... hungry ... weeping ... when other people hate you and denounce you (Lk 6:20-22) - what?  How can someone who is poor, hungry, crying ... be blessed?

In truth, when we recognize our own poverty, our own hunger, our own discomfort with the way life is playing out, our own hunger for justice ... this allows us to understand the pain and struggles that others have to face.  Our blessedness comes from the fact that we are able to identify with those who are suffering, those who feel that they are far from loveable ... and out of our own sense of vulnerability, God shows us that we are able to remind others that He is always close to us, always loving us and asking us to love others in return.

Have a great day. 

His Word Today: Apostles

Good morning everyone,

Do you remember where you were 17 years ago today - when the first reports of what seemed to be a dream was unfolding in New York City, in Washington, DC and in rural Pennsylvania?  We may not have recognized it at the time, but that was a new beginning for all of us.  In so many ways, our world has changed since that day that we might find it difficult if not impossible to remember a time when the memory of 9-11 wasn't present in our minds.

A new beginning is described in today's gospel passage.  Saint Luke tells us that Jesus withdrew to the mountain and spent the night in prayer.  When day came, he called his disciples to himself and chose twelve of them whom he named Apostles (Lk 6:12-13).  For those twelve, that moment was significant because they were changed.  Once they were disciples - followers of Jesus who learned from him - but now they were Apostles - a word that translates as the ones who were sent.

Each one of us who has been baptized is a disciple of Jesus.  Each day of our lives here on earth is another opportunity for us to remember that we are disciples - followers of Jesus who learn from him - but as the gift of faith is awakened in our hearts, we become increasingly aware of God's presence, and aware of the fact that we too are apostles, sent out to share the good news of our faith with others.

Have a great day.

His Word Today: Find a way

Good morning everyone,

Today's gospel account recounts one of the many encounters Jesus had with the Pharisees - those who were responsible for upholding the Jewish laws.  It was a sabbath day and Jesus was in the synagogue (cf Lk 6:6) and there was also a man there who had a withered hand.  The Pharisees and scribes knew that Jesus had performed miracles, so they were watching him to see whether he would break the Jewish law that calls for rest on the sabbath.

Herein lies the problem: the Pharisees were so hung up on keeping the law that there was no room in their hearts for compassion.  Whether we want to admit it or not, there are times when we too are like the Pharisees.  It's just easier sometimes to hide behind the law rather than going out to the people who need to encounter compassion, acceptance and love.

Be attentive today to the situations that God unfolds.  Try to ask yourself: Am I trying to hide ... or is there a way that I can be compassionate toward the person that is standing before me?  How is God challenging me to go out to his people today?

Have a great day.

The great and the small

Have you been paying attention to the drama that is playing out in the political world during these past months?  Two weeks ago, the President of the United States announced that there will soon be a new agreement for international trade between his country and Mexico, and over the past week, negotiations are progressing toward the inclusion of Canada in that agreement, or possibly the formulation of a separate agreement altogether.

Against this backdrop, I find it curious that the scriptures ask us today to ponder: do you, do I ... really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? (Jas 2:1).  If we do, are we really willing to follow him?  His portrayal of power is not based on any trade agreement other than a willingness on our part to look beyond the gold rings and fine clothes (cf Jas 2:2) that some people are privileged to possess and to focus our attention on the person instead of the clothing.  God has chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised (Jas 2:5).

These are powerful words, but they speak a truth that challenges us to look beyond the physical world that we are used to perceiving.  These words challenge us to look inwardly, to ask ourselves what we truly consider to be important in life.  These words give us a glimpse into the heart of Jesus who was always more concerned for the person who stood before him than he was for the possessions that person may have clung to.

Today’s gospel passage places us with Jesus at a moment when they brought to him a man who was deaf and who had an impediment in his speech (Mk 7:32).  Saint Mark says that Jesus took him aside in private, away from the crowd (Mk 7:33).  What a wonderful moment that must have been for this man.  Until that moment, he had been ignored by most of the people around him.  His deafness had cut him off from countless conversations that had taken place.  How frustrating it must have been for him!  Yet, Jesus took him aside, paid attention to him as though he was the only person who really mattered.

Jesus knew the frustrations this man had lived with, and Jesus knew how much he wanted to hear again.  That’s why he cured him (cf Mk 7:33-35), and Jesus also knows each one of us as well.  He knows that each one of us has grown deaf to the cries of our brothers and sisters, even if we have not yet realized that we have grown hard of hearing.  Jesus knows that we have developed speech impediments: that our tongues have been silenced or that we have forgotten how to use our tongues to speak out for those in our world who cannot speak for themselves, and he wants to heal us of our infirmity.

Can we be courageous enough to come to Jesus and to ask him to restore the gift of hearing so that we can once again hear the cries of those who need our help?  If he were to free our tongues, would we be brave enough to say to those who are fearful of heart, ‘Be strong, do not fear’ (Is 35:4), come to the Lord and rediscover the power of his love.