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Who among us doesn’t know suffering? We’ve all experienced these moments of pain, either physical, mental, or spiritual. In this video, Casey Cole, OFM, proposes that certain kinds of suffering can be beneficial and allows for immense growth.
A non-Catholic friend asked me how the Scriptures at Mass are selected. Who started this and when was the present system adopted?
Vatican II’s 1963 “Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy” called for a wider selection of biblical texts to be used at Mass. The current Lectionary (book of those readings) was prepared by an international committee of experts and went into use in 1970.
Next to abortion, immigration is probably the most divisive issue in our country.
Nelson Mandela once said, “There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children. “
When a mother gives birth to a child, she uniquely imitates Christ in how she mirrors the paschal mystery: through the pains of labor and the resulting gift of newborn life, she enters into the sacrifice of Christ, taking up her cross and following him all the way to resurrection. Every mother who delivers a child offers her body and sheds her blood to give life, just as Christ did on the cross.
Mary lived out her faith in the simplicity of the thousand daily tasks and worries of every mother, such as providing food, clothing, caring for
Nothing is impossible for God’s mercy! Even the most tangled knots are loosened by his grace.
Let us always have at heart the Virgin Mary, a humble girl from small people lost on the fringes of a great empire, a homeless mother who could turn a stable for beasts into a home for Jesus with just a few swaddling clothes and much tenderness. Mary is a sign of hope for peoples suffering the birth pangs of justice.
Victory is for those who continually arise without being discouraged. If we imitate Mary, we cannot keep our arms folded, only complaining, or perhaps dodging the hard work that others do and which is our responsibility. This is not about doing great things, but about doing everything with tenderness and mercy. Mary was always with her people supporting the least.
The willingness to work with God will unleash Joseph’s full potential. His inherent aptitude for organization and for building is well suited to the rearing of God’s Son. First and foremost, it situates Jesus in the same condition as the vast majority of people. He isn’t raised with wealth, prestige, or influence but in ordinary obscurity.
