Showing all posts by Elija

Jn 19:25-27

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son.’ Then to the disciple he said, ‘This is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

On Calvary in Jerusalem, next to the very place where Our Lord died for us on the Cross, there is a moving image of the Sorrowful Mother. A sword pierces her heart and her eyes have an expression of deep suffering. Very early in the morning, the faithful pilgrims who come to pray often come to her as well, to ask for her help and comfort, or to thank her because she knew how to remain close to her Son even as He hung on the Cross. It is difficult to even imagine the immensity of her suffering. That is why, at Holy Mass this day, these words resound before the Gospel:

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The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which we celebrate today, has its origins in an event that took place in the year 335. On 13 September of that year, after many years of construction, a large church in Jerusalem was solemnly consecrated. It is known as the “Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre” or “Church of the Resurrection”. It was Emperor Constantine who had it built, after his mother, St. Helena, had found the Cross of Christ on September 13, 320.

One day after the consecration of the Church – that is, on 14 September 335 – the Holy Cross was first shown to the people and “exalted” for veneration. Macarius I, who was then Patriarch of Jerusalem, took the “vera Cruz” (as it was called) to an elevation on that day. From there, he “exalted” the Cross, so that all could see it and venerate it. Hence the name of the Feast: “Exaltation of the Holy Cross”.

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Lk 6:43-49

‘There is no sound tree that produces rotten fruit, nor again a rotten tree that produces sound fruit. Every tree can be told by its own fruit: people do not pick figs from thorns, nor gather grapes from brambles. Good people draw what is good from the store of goodness in their hearts; bad people draw what is bad from the store of badness. For the words of the mouth flow out of what fills the heart. ‘Why do you call me, “Lord, Lord” and not do what I say?’ Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and acts on them – I will show you what such a person is like. Such a person is like the man who, when he built a house, dug, and dug deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But someone who listens and does nothing is like the man who built a house on soil, with no foundations; as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!’ Read More

1 Tim 1:1-2, 12-14

Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the command of God our Saviour and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, true child of mine in the faith. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength. By calling me into his service he has judged me trustworthy, even though I used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous. Mercy, however, was shown me, because while I lacked faith I acted in ignorance; but the grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.

The grace of God, which called the Apostle Paul to follow the Lord, is a great comfort. According to the words of the Apostle himself, he had been “a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous”, until the grace of God found him, and he, for his part, offered no resistance to God’s call.

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Lk 6:27-38

But I say this to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who treat you badly. To anyone who slaps you on one cheek, present the other cheek as well; to anyone who takes your cloak from you, do not refuse your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and do not ask for your property back from someone who takes it. Treat others as you would like people to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit can you expect? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit can you expect? For even sinners do that much. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to get money back, what credit can you expect? Even sinners lend to sinners to get back the same amount.

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