Noah’s ark is a well known passage of Genesis that captures the imagination. Confronting wickedness and sin, the ark is a sign of hope in which God offers us a way forward – inviting us to mirror this example as we now prepare to embark on the season of Lent tomorrow.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 6th Week of the Year
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The original sin of Adam and Eve carries on within their family, reminding us how sin – if left unchecked – leaves devastating consequences on those closest to us.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 6th Week of the Year
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The healing encounter between Jesus and the leper reveals the Lord’s fundamental desire to restore and renew our lives. May we take stock of our spiritual situation right now and draw near to the Divine Physician for what we need to grow in grace.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
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Following their disobedience, Adam and Eve confront the consequences of their sin, even as their behaviors reveal how it has begun to affect them.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Evil enters the world when Adam and Eve are tempted by the serpent. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we practice constant vigilance: aware of daily temptations in our lives, we renew our hearts to the Lord through prayer, sacraments and virtue.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The creation account continues in Genesis with a focus on God’s goodness and our need for relationships, particularly in the context of marriage. May the beauty of marriage inspire us to help all marriages foster and grow.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The garden of Eden is established and God gives a simple command, setting the stage for how humanity will respond.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Genesis continues with the account of the creation of living creatures throughout the earth. God then creates humanity and charges us with care and stewardship of the earth before taking a rest on the seventh day.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The beginning of the Book of Genesis fosters gratitude and wonder in our hearts as we reflect upon the beauty of creation around us.
Mass Readings – Monday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Study: Reflect on wounded relationships in your life. What needs to be done to bring them healing?
Pray: Ask the Lord for the grace to bring healing to the relationships in your life, especially where suffering has caused misunderstanding or fear has led to doubt and uncertainty.
Serve: Are there people in your life that are struggling in their relationships? How can you be a bridge that fosters unity and reconciliation?
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
Last week I focused on the personal nature of suffering. When we are in pain, when we hurt, we can easily focus on ourselves. This is not necessarily a bad thing; suffering can help us confront reality and strive for healing and wholeness. In our suffering we are aware of blessings that we may have taken for granted – our sight can become sharper as we realize the gifts that have been lavished upon us.
There is another dimension of suffering, however. Suffering commonly affects relationships; when one person suffers, it is often the case that others suffer as well. Consider the following:
There are countless examples, but the point is clear – the pain and anguish a person suffers can directly affect relationships with God and one another. Suffering can become an obstacle that blocks us from the very persons who can bring healing and relief. Often the greatest wound from suffering is isolation: in our weakness we withdraw from the very people who can help us the most.
The 1st Reading, Responsorial Psalm, and Gospel today reveal both the obstacles of suffering and the bridges that God makes possible through healing grace. In the face of suffering the Lord comes, not just to bring healing to a person, but healing to the relationships among persons. God longs not only to renew our lives but the lives around us as well. Where suffering brings isolation the Lord brings unity – drawing us together in reconciliation and love.
This communal aspect of suffering thus begs two questions for our consideration:
When the Jesus healed the leper in the Gospel today, he did more than give the man back his health – he gave back his relationships as well. The man (formerly cut off from human society) is now restored to his family, his friendships, and his participation in the community. His life has been restored.
As we look to our own encounters with suffering we keep an eye to the ways in which our relationships are harmed/healed. May we call upon the grace of Christ to touch our lives, and bless the lives of those around us.
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Note: This post was originally published on February 9, 2015.
