Reflection for the 29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, 2024

Isaiah 53:10-11, Hebrews 4:14-16, Mark 10:35-45

Today’s message is of hope, hope in Jesus, the Son of God. We will focus on Hebrews, looking at some of the verses closely.

“Brothers and sisters…we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens.”

 

He has gone ahead of us, although He is not far from any of us. Where has he gone? Through the heavens. That is upward. That is beyond the daily difficulties and challenges. He has overcome them. That means we can overcome them. He leaves a trail of grace, through the sacraments of his Church. It is also a ladder of grace. We will follow, up there, if we wish. There is a future for us, but now beyond our sight, and better than we can imagine. Let me not lose this vision in the daily details of life.

Similarly to us, he has “been tested in every way,…” in his body by suffering extreme pain, in his emotions by being rejected by the people he chose to favor the most. My little afflictions are but little shadows of His, but He lets me unite them with his to save souls.

“…yet without sin.”

 

Like Job, without patience wearing thin. Without complaining, even on the inside.

“So let us confidently approach the throne of grace….”

The sky in New England is beautiful on these mild October afternoons–white cotton ball clouds in a blue sky…. Inside our brick school building, however, three active kindergarteners are trying to sit still as they are learning about the sacrament of Baptism. In a few weeks this sacrament will raise their little souls to the throne of grace.

As their teacher reviewed the Sign of the Cross in song, these children discussed very simply the distinct properties of the three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. Since God the Father is a Spirit, we cannot see his body, Sister assured these cherubs. One little fellow claimed, however, that he had seen God the Father, on two different days! The beams of sunlight streaming from the clouds were to him the God that the rest of us cannot see. The faith of children! Of course, God, our ever-watchful Father, is always beaming down on us.

“So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and to find grace for timely help.”

 

Especially for those recovering from natural disasters or other “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”, this message is important. Let us keep open our own portal to heaven by confident prayer that always obtains grace.

What a gift you are, dear friends, to help keep the doorway of hope open to those whom we try to help. God bless your Sunday, and may His light of grace “beam” down on you and yours.

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“With Mary, our lives continually proclaim the greatness of the Lord and the joy experienced in rendering service to Him.”

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