Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
Brimming with Great Hope! This is the goal of the encyclical to inspire to such a hope that it spills out of us. Hope like this is rarely found, but I have found it in families who have made a choices for life, couples who have made choices for fidelity, professional’s who have made choices for integrity, consecrated who have made choices for faithfulness… the list goes on and each one represents a success story. It is possible and I thank you lord for the everyday saints who have witnessed this to me. I pray to be among them. Amen.
Day 21 #41 Judgement as a setting for learning and practising hope. …"he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead". From the earliest times, the prospect of the Judgement has influenced Christians in their daily living as a criterion by which to order their present life, as a summons to their conscience, and at the same time as hope in God's justice. Faith in Christ has never looked merely backwards or merely upwards, but always also forwards to the hour of justice that the Lord repeatedly proclaimed.
Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
In "A Man for All Seasons", King Henry threatens St. Thomas More, warning him to fear his justice. St. Thomas More replies that if it is true justice, he has nothing to fear. The saints show us the greatness of humanity, living with their feet in this world but their eyes and hearts on the next. The judgement of Christ has been promised to us, to help us live a holy life. Everything Christ does is for our holiness and the glory of the Father. We can truly hope in the justice of the Lord, not because we take his mercy for granted, but because he makes all things work together for the good of those he has called.
Day 22. #48 When we ask such a question, we should recall that no man is an island, entire of itself. Our lives are involved with one another, through innumerable interactions they are linked together. No one lives alone. No one sins alone. No one is saved alone. The lives of others continually spill over into mine: in what I think, say, do and achieve. And conversely, my life spills over into that of others: for better and for worse.
Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
Spilling over is a good theme for me, because I am always spilling over something! The Holy Father is not actually referring to my klutzy actions when I actually spill a liquid all over someone I am serving at the table, nor is he referring to the spilling of my thoughts, emotions and even, yes even, complaints over an innocent bystander who is in the wrong place, wrong time. No he is referring to the action of being connected, and how we touch each other, influence each other and most of all encourage each other in hope. I pray that my spilling move away from accidents and move more towards conscious awareness that all that I do has an effect on others, and may it be a good an holy effect and not a negative, whiny hurtful one. Amen.
Day 23. #48 So my prayer for another is not something extraneous to that person, something external, not even after death. In the interconnectedness of Being, my gratitude to the other-my prayer for him-can play a small part in his purification.
Reflection by Msgr. Vaccari
When the paralytic could not reach Jesus, his friends made a hole in the roof of the house and lowered him down. They brought him to Jesus physically, while we can bring one another spiritually in our prayers. In my prayer of petition I bring other people to the Lord, with my own prayers. My heart touches them as well as touches the heart of Christ. Others do this for me, too, by their prayers for me. This brings me new hope every day. I count on the prayer of others, looking forward to their concern and to bringing me to the Lord as I try to bring them.
Day 24. #48 And for that there is no need to convert earthly time into God's time: in the communion of souls simple terrestrial time is superseded. It is never too late to touch the heart of another, nor is it ever in vain. In this way we further clarify an important element of the Christian concept of hope. Our hope is always essentially also hope for others; only thus is it truly hope for me too.
Reflection by Teresa Monaghen
Another Saint in the making that could be added to the Holy Father’s list found in this encyclical is Blessed Damien of Molokai – whose feast day we celebrate, May 9, 2008 – Damien intended to go to the Leper colony on Molokai for a three month term of service but when he arrived and saw the terrible conditions that people lived in he understood the Lord’s call in his life, “I am bent on devoting my life to the lepers. It is absolutely necessary for a priest to live here. The afflicted are coming here by the boatloads.” Damien set to work and did not stop for 16 years. He cleaned, healed, buried, absolved, built homes, set up food supplies and a system for clean water. He was their “father” caring for the needs of the whole person in the fullest sense of the word. He stopped working 3 weeks before he died, afflicted with leprosy. He had become one of them and he gave all for them. Damien allowed the Holy Spirit to form in him the image of Christ. He became Christ for them and in the end, he left them peacefully having great hope that from heaven he could still help, “Leave you without help? Oh, No, if I have any credit with God, I’ll intercede for everyone.” Thank you Damien, you certainly have, and even as recent as last week a second miracle was recognized so that your canonization will go ahead now in a timely fashion. Intercede for all of us Damien, that we too may give of ourselves to those we are called to serve and like you and like Mary, whose heart you were dedicated to, may we find the trust we need to hold nothing back. We say with you to Mary, “Give us trust to become saints for our brothers and sisters”. Amen.
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