St. Leo the Great, pope, doctor of the Church


Scripture from today's Liturgy of the Word:

Wisdom 6:1-11
Psalm 82:3-4,6-7
Luke 17:11-19


A reflection on today's Scripture:

All of us have sufferings and crosses in our lives. That is part of our human experience and condition. It is what we do with these crosses and sufferings that makes all the difference. We can choose to accept them with love and offer our suffering to Jesus, or we can become preoccupied with trying to overcome and eliminate these sufferings from our lives.

I have learned much from Vicka, a simple and humble visionary from Medjugorje. She has endured tremendous sufferings, pain, and illnesses in her life, and she explains that these sufferings should be looked at as a special gift from God, and an opportunity for us to show God how much we love Him. She explains that we should accept and embrace sufferings in our lives with love and acceptance, rather than immediately praying that we are healed from them.

Suffering is certainly a mystery that we do not fully understand, but it many times, if not always, suffering strengthens us and helps us to grow. For our own sufferings we pray:

Dear Jesus,
may we learn to accept suffering in our lives with love,
patience,
and joy,
and offer these sufferings to your most Sacred Heart for our own good,
and the good of the whole world.
Amen


- Steve Shawl