The Lord confronts the bickering of the disciples with counter examples of selfless service and a little child. As we offer our lives for the Lord, may we do so with a sincere and genuine transparency.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 7th Week of the Year
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The Lord warns the disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod, and he reminds them of the multiplication of the loaves to feed thousands. It’s a good insight that both good and bad things start small, and like leaven in dough, they can make big differences.
Mass Readings – Tuesday of the 6th Week of the Year
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Suffering affects our lives on many levels – body, mind, heart and soul – and it can weaken and wound our relationships with one another. When we respond with compassion, help, unity and God’s grace we can restore what was broken with the healing power of Christ.
Mass Readings – 6th Sunday of the Year
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Jesus performs a feeding miracle for the crowds that have been listening to him for three days. This practical point reminds us that we, too, are called to nourish body and soul for the basic needs of those around us.
Mass Readings – Saturday of the 5th Week of the Year (St. Scholastica)
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Jesus heals a deaf man with a speech impediment and simultaneously empowers him with the gift of hearing and speaking. Words have power to build up or tear down; our invitation today is to use the gift of speech for the glory and praise of God.
Mass Readings – Friday of the 5th Week of the Year
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The faith expressed by the woman in the Gospel today was simple and direct…and because of this her child was healed. May her example inspire us to take the gift of faith we have been given and engage our lives with the power and insight of Jesus Christ.
Mass Readings – Thursday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Jesus describes the evil that can come from our hearts, reminding us that the battle is often within. As we strive to follow the Lord we turn from these sins and look to the Cross of Christ.
Mass Readings – Wednesday of the 5th Week of the Year
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Jesus quotes Isaiah the prophet, recalling the need for the Lord to be at the center of our hearts. Once God is at the center, everything else we say and do fits into proper perspective.
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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.
Suffering, for all its challenges and burdens, is a part of human life. How do we face it? How do we find the strength and wisdom to keep going? When we bring our faith in Jesus Christ into the center of our lives we find the courage and conviction to continue on as the Lord guides us through this life to the life to come.
Mass Readings – Sunday of the 5th Week of the Year
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