Saturday, October 22, 2011

10/26/2011 – homily for Wednesday of the 30th week of ordinary time - Romans 8:26-30


      Today, we celebrate Blessed Contardo Ferrini, a member of the community of saints who possibly is not very familiar to us.  Blessed Contardo was born in 1859 and lived in the last half of the 19th century, but he died at the young age of 42.  Originally from Milan, Italy, he became a professor at the University of Paris, becoming an expert on Roman law.  He spent a great deal of time reconciling his faith with science. This brings up an issue that is  important to us today in our modern world, of how we can see our faith as relevant & alive in the midst of our secular world and in the midst of all the science, technology, and knowledge that we use each day.  Alongside his scholarly research, he attended mass daily & was a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul & a third order Franciscan. 
         I think that most of us look for grand & profound ways in which we can proclaim God’s kingdom, but I think that this quote by Blessed Contardo Ferrini puts it all into perspective – “If on any particular day we do nothing more than give a little joy to a neighbor, that day will not be wasted. For we have succeeded in giving comfort to an immortal soul."
         Paul knew that the Holy Spirit of God comes to us in the reality we face in our lives, as he tells us in his letter to the Romans that the Spirit comes our aide in the midst of our weaknesses, for the Spirit knows that we are not quite sure how to pray and to communicate with God.  Paul tells us that if we search our hearts, we will know the intention of the Spirit, for the Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God.  May the Spirit help us to follow our faith and the will of God in the midst of our journey in the modern world.  No matter how difficult it may seem, may we always follow the Lord in the midst of our joys, our sorrows, and our struggles. 

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