8th February 2009
People throughout time have had problems with the existence of God, especially in the face of human suffering. The Scriptures for today speak about human suffering, and next Wednesday the Feast of our Lady of Lourdes is International Day of prayer for the sick. The why of sickness and suffering is something that we will be able to explain at least on this side of the grave. If you ever have reason to go to Our Lady's Hospital for sick children it is a real test of faith in a loving God. Why does God not intervene in the lives of the innocent, why do bad things happen to good people, why do the wicked seem to prosper, why is life so cruel at times?
These questions are not new ones. The famous character from the Old Testament, Job, is introduced to us today. And that reading is not for the faint hearted on a dreary winter's day. In short poor old Job lost everything, his wife, his children, his house, the hair on his head. One thing he never lost was his faith and he could cry out in triumph 'Blessed be the name of the Lord'. Jesus in the gospel heals out of compassion, but he has further work to do, he needs to preach the Word to them. In his life that preaching of the Word would lead to his own experience of suffering and rejection and ultimately death on the Cross. But his suffering was redemptive, it was not an end in itself, it was not demanded by a cruel God. In times of sickness and suffering people get great consolation from gazing on the crucifix, looking on the God man who gave of himself to the end out of love. People who say that God cannot exist when there is so much suffering need to look at the Cross again. The figure on the cross is not just a man of history who lived 2000 or so years ago. He is our God who came not to explain away suffering but to walk the way before us. In that beautiful ending to that reflection 'footprints', we hear the words 'my precious precious child, when you see only one set of footprints it is then I carried you'. Let us keep those thoughts close to us when we ourselves are tempted to lose hope or despair. May our Lady of Lourdes intercede for all the sick and troubled. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
17nd May 2009
26th April 2009
3rd Sunday of Easter
12th April 2009
Easter Sunday
9th April 2009
Holy Thursday
29th March 2009
5th Sunday in Lent
22nd March 2009
4th Sunday in Lent
17th March 2009
St. Patrick's Day
15th March 2009
3rd Sunday in Lent
8th March 2009
2nd Sunday in Lent
1st March 2009
1st Sunday in Lent
25th February 2009
Ash Wednesday
22nd February 2009
8th February 2009
1st February 2009
25th January 2009
18th January 2009
11th January 2009
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
6th January 2009
Feast of the Epiphany
4th January 2009
2008 HOMILIES ARCHIVE
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