“So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice.” – John 16:22

       Steven Pete was four months old when his parents noticed he was chewing on his tongue while teething. By the time he was diagnosed with congenital analgesia, a disorder that makes him unable to feel any pain, he had chewed off a quarter of his tongue.

       Gabby Gingras has the same disorder. As a toddler, she didn’t feel pain when she rubbed her eyes too hard and ended up tearing her corneas. One eye was so infected it had to be removed.

       The lack of pain makes these children reckless and unintentionally self-mutilating. They have multiple injuries from self-inflicted bites, scratches, burns and fractures.

       Reading about these kids makes me realize that pain is essential. It helps us modulate our actions based on what our bodies can endure and protect us from greater harm.

       In the same sense, God allows us to suffer to protect us from a greater evil or to lift us to a greater good. Instead of railing against God for your sufferings, receive it as a gift, and trust that He has a good purpose for allowing it, even if that purpose appears inscrutable to you. Cecil Lim (cez_lim@yahoo.com)

Pope Francis Says: “Suffering is a call to conversion: it reminds us of our frailty and vulnerability.”

Merciful God, no matter what suffering may come my way, let me always trust in You.

We tend to think that Paul preached in the marketplace a couple of times and then moved on to the next city. He actually spends at least six months in Corinth during his first visit, and then returns to the city many times and writes at least four letters to them. Building a Christian community is very hard work.

9 One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision, “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, 10 for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.” 11 He settled there for a year and a half and taught the word of God among them. 12 But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him to the tribunal, 13 saying, “This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.” 14 When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud, I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews; 15 but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles and your own law, see to it yourselves. I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.” 16 And he drove them away from the tribunal. 17 They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official, and beat him in full view of the tribunal. But none of this was of concern to Gallio. 18 Paul remained for quite some time, and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had shaved because he had taken a vow.

Psalm 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R: God is king of all the earth.

1 [2] All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness, 2 [3] for the Lord, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth. (R) 3 [4] He brings peoples under us; nations under our feet. 4 [5] He chooses for us our inheritance, the glory of Jacob, whom he loves. (R) 5 [6] God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts. 6 [7] Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise. (R)

Faith can turn sorrow into joy. When we fully trust in the Lord’s plan for us, we can find joy no matter what happens. Faith is a way of knowing God. Our lives have meaning through our knowledge of God. Without faith, many events in our lives will remain meaningless. With faith, however, they are given new significance and meaning.

Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory.

20 Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. 21 When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. 23 On that day you will not question me about  anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”

think: Faith can turn sorrow into joy.

Thank You Lord for: __________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Deuteronomy 31-34 

THE WAY OF BEAUTY

One of the many descriptions the papacy of Pope Francis has been given is that it is a ministry of gestures. Pope Francis is not the philosopher/poet that St. John Paul II was. Neither is he the strict academician/theologian that Benedict XVI is. Pope Francis, though certainly not lacking in intellectual depth and seriousness, evangelizes the culture by the way of beauty. In the short period of his papacy, the world has been captivated by stirring images of an approachable churchman — hugging children, kissing disfigured individuals, washing the feet of women and convicted persons during the rites of Holy Thursday Mass.

       Because beauty is attractive to everyone, even non-believers are beginning to take a look at the Church that Pope Francis leads. Even secularists like Elton John, who otherwise totally just ignore the Church and consider Her irrelevant, considers him their “hero.” Beauty is accessible to anyone. It attracts the human heart. And when you have attracted the heart, the proclamation of truth will not be far behind. Here lies the genius in Pope Francis’ papacy.

       Through his ministry of gestures and the way of beauty, Pope Francis is able to share the fragrance of Christ and His message in a manner that is non-threatening and non-intimidating.

       All throughout the week, we have been reading the apostolic efforts of Paul and his companions in the Acts of the Apostles (see today’s First Reading). The faith that we have right now, we owe to their bold proclamations. But the perpetuation of that same faith, we owe to the persuasive and attractive evangelizing ways of modern successors of Peter and their collaborators.

       How engaging it would be if every Christian becomes an evangelizer through the way of beauty. Let us not forget that the Gospel is a proclamation, not an argumentation. That’s why you share it, not shove it in people’s throats. Fr. Joel Jason

REFLECTION QUESTION: In what simple way today can you evangelize through a ministry of gesture?

Lord, make me an ardent yet gentle proclaimer of Your Gospel. Amen.