St. Joseph Church Homilies

One aspect of Good Friday that touches me most has to be the judgment of Jesus. Judging him unworthy of faith, Judas betrayed him. Judging him unworthy of hope, Peter denied him. Judging him unworthy of praise, the religious leaders chained him up. Begging for the release of a murderer, the crowds judged Our Saviour as irrelevant. Our King was judged worthy only of a crown of thorns, our God deserving of mockery, humiliation, abandonment and death.

Before them was a man who multiplied bread, cured illnesses, cast out demons and raised the dead to life. They witnessed the miracles and heard his words and still judged him and nailed him to the cross. We might wonder: what will God’s response be, how will he attempt to draw the souls of his unjust and unworthy judges to himself? The answer, surprisingly enough, is the very cross on which he was nailed. He was judged, and in response God allowed himself to be judged proving himself true three days later.

Beyond imagination, Jesus flipped a position of weakness into a position of true power. A source of death transformed into a source of life and a symbol of hate became a symbol of love. You see, he could have left the cross. He could have humiliated those who sentenced him to death and abandoned those who abandoned him. But he didn’t and by enduring the suffering of the cross, his love and power was proven beyond all doubt.

This is great news for us because it’s easy to put God on trial. While we may look down on those who judged Jesus at the time, truth be told, we often do the very same thing today. Forgetting all the gifts and joys God does offer, little tastes of heaven here, we look at the world, see the suffering and cry out: why must children have to endure abuse or cancer? Why are some forced to flee their homes or face hunger? What’s God’s answer to poverty, injustice, climate change, dictators or natural disasters? Where was he when that horrible thing happened to you?

When we’re on trial, God responds with the cross; he endures the consequence of sin, conquers it and redeems us. When we put God on trial even when we have no right to do so, when we question his wisdom, his power or his love, he once again responds with the cross. God’s answer to sin and suffering is always the cross.

When we look on the cross today, what we find is not just a demonstration of God’s love for us, but reason to place all our faith, hope, love and trust in him. On the cross, we see our God who feeds us with his very self; we witness Our God who remains present to us for all time and will never abandon us. When we suffer, Jesus suffers with us. When we face injustice, Jesus remains present. Through whatever horrors any person may face, Jesus never turns away. He knows the pains, the heartbreaks, the toils people face here, and he doesn’t run, but remains truly present. We know we can trust him. Before us on the cross is the one who offers forgiveness, draws us to himself and proves himself trustworthy even when we are undeserving.

After the solemn intercessions this afternoon, a cross will be processed throughout the church. During that moment, you might try asking yourself where you are in relation to the cross of Our Lord. Maybe you find yourself among the disciples who, out of fear, run from the cross or even deny knowing Jesus. Maybe you find yourself caught up at times in the opinion of the leaders and crowds, all those who judged Jesus. Maybe you find yourself next to Mary and John who mourned at the suffering they witnessed. Regardless of where you find yourself, the cross is for you.

Indeed, we could reject his cross. We can dismiss Jesus and his cross as irrelevant or foolish, but that doesn’t help us. In this life, there will always be powers that threaten and harass. Without Our Lord,

Toady we celebrate Christ’s triumphant entry to the Temple in Jerusalem as a King and  awaited Messiah. This was the fulfilment of God’s promise to raise from the house of David a King who will rule eternally and his Kingdom will never come to an end. Christ triumphant entry has two goals: Immediate  and ultimate. The immediate goal was to celebrate the Passover feast. This feast is a celebration of God’s deliverance of Israel from the bondage of the Egyptians n the feast day a lamb without blemished is slaughtered. Here Christ is prefigured as the true Lamb of God that takes a way the sins of the world. The ultimate goal of Jesus ascent is his self-offering on the cross, which supplants the old Sacrifice. Today’s liturgy combines two contrasting moments, one of glory and the other of suffering. The festive mood at the beginning of Palm Sunday Mass turns to a serious and even terrible end. The procession with Palm and hearing the Word of Scripture regarding the life and death of Christ is not something that meant to remind us of what happened long ago, with little relevance of the present. But the Gospel readings mirror the true nature of human life on earth. We all have moments of triumph, victory and joy and moments of pain, sorrow and suffering. We feel happy and elated when we are successful, when our wishes and needs are fulfilled, when our jobs are secured, when people close to us love dearly, when we are healthy, when people appreciate, praise, honour and encourage us. However, at times we also feel very low, isolated and unhappy when we are betrayed by the people we love, when we are insulted and humiliated, when we are left uncared and unloved by family and friends, when we are unjustly judged and condemned by our neighbours and co-workers, when we are denied justice and fair treatment at work or when we like Jesus feel forsaken by God. At same time, we can take comfort in knowing that the same Lord is standing by us and will strengthen us when we feel abandoned. In his walk-through despair and desolation, he walks with us, truly as our brother in both JOY and sorrow.

     Palm Sunday was not a thing of the past. Just as the Lord entered the Holy City that day on a donkey, the Church sees him coming again and again in the humble form of bread and wine. Let us imitate those who have gone out to meet him, not scattering palms in his path, but ourselves before as best as we can, with humility of soul and upright purposes. It’s ourselves that we must spread because lifeless palms delight the eye only for a few hours. For as many of us who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. =so let us spread ourselves like coats under his feet.

      May this Holy week find us renewed in zeal for the things of God, love of God and neighbour eager to celebrate the central mystery of Christian faith.

Last Sunday the first reading told us how the evil mind-set spread to the leaders and the priests and filtered down the people and kicked off an epidemic of evil respecting the abominations of pagans and polluting the temple of God. God repeatedly sent warning messages to them. Out of his compassion he wanted to give them every chance to repent. But they wouldn’t listen they provoked fun at God’s messengers and neglected their messages. God got angry with them and that led  to their seventy years in exile. However, God doesn’t give up on his intention for man and his creation. He is a God who wants to save. Though he takes a drastic decision to rid his creation of man’s wickedness, he still finds a way of carrying out his saving plan.

   In today’s first reading God made a promise of New Covenant through the prophet Jeremiah. This is because the Old Covenant had proved a failure, not on the part of God but because of the sinfulness of the people. The promise of the New Covenant is not a question of renewing the Old because all attempt to renew and reform proved abortive. The early Christians saw the promise of the New Covenant fulfilled in the passion and death of Christ. The synoptic Gospels tell us that on the night Christ was betrayed that he took a cup filled wine and said this is my Blood the Blood of the New and eternal Covenant which will be poured out for you and for many {many in Greek means all} .The New Covenant is between God and Jesus on behalf of mankind. What the people of Israel were not able to do that is to listen to God Christ was able to do. Hence the second reading tells us that although he was a son, he learned obedience through suffering and became a source salvation to all who obey him. Obedience in this context is not obedience of a servant to his master or a subject to his king. It is obedient to the written word of God.St Paul says Christ was obedient even unto death, death on a cross. Abraham says here I am Lord i have come to do your will. Mary said let it be done to me according to your will. Anyone who wants to enter into God’s favour and delight must say here am Lord i have come to do your will. It sounds like a role call for all Christians.

    The gospel of today is a preparation for the passion Sunday which comes up next Sunday. In the gospel some Greeks who came for the Passover approached Philip and said to him we want to see Jesus and Philip took them to Andrew and both took them to Jesus. It was  Andrew who introduced Peter to Jesus. I think the Church needs so many Andrews today to bring people into 2 the Church, that is missionary mandate to go out to the whole World and make disciples of all Nations. Seeing in this context is to know. There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. In the Church we have many professors of theology but non theologians seem to make it more to the sainthood. Pope Benedict the 16th said there are two sources of knowledge, knowledge through the senses and knowledge through I believe.St Paul says it by believing in our hearts and confessing with our lips that we are saved. John”s Gospel always set up a question that was never answered, just like asking a politician a question and in answering your question you never get the answer to your question. They brought the Greeks to Jesus and Jesus said the hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified. The hour is common phrase often used by Jesus. It is an hour of hope. The very reason of his coming  to the earth. At wedding in Cana Jesus says to her mother my hour has not yet come. Everything about Jesus is about the glorification of God, the man born blind, he was blind that God may be glorified. Lazarus was raised to death that God may be glorified. Everything Jesus does was to glorify God.

       The glorification of Jesus is ti...

Not that it’s ever at all a good idea to make a comparison between people, but do you ever wonder why certain people seem so successful in some part of life? I mean, we all certainly try, but some just seem to excel maybe in their relationships or marriage, in their work, business or finances. Some seem to shine in their faith life, in raising talented children or in keeping fit during lockdowns. Now, maybe they’re simply lucky, or in some cases, really, really lucky, and had some unique background or opportunities or genes that many of us don’t. But there’s still lots of stories of people building their fortunes from nothing and we love those stories. We love those stories of people coming through severely disadvantaged situations through hard work and love to become really successful in some way, against all odds and powers. Even politicians try adding these kinds of features to their own stories.

So far this Lent, we’ve reflected on how disciples can work to make the changes needed to accept that greater reward Jesus promises, the eternal joys of Heaven. Sometimes though, the figurative wild beasts of the world distract us, exclaiming that we’re not enough for the greater reward, that we can never grow or have what it takes to be a disciple, let alone a saint. Instead of listening to these wild beasts, we take up extra spiritual practices that remind us of our true identity: that we are enough, loveable and worthy of the greater reward Jesus has promised. We know we’ve been made, not simply to gratify desire, but to be disciples, to be saints.

Discipline is choosing what you truly want most over what you want now; it’s never losing sight of what’s most important: the promised greater reward. Disciples need discipline. Good intentions alone won’t do. Desires don’t determine outcome, shape decisions, make life better or define actions, discipline, habits that honour God do. This isn’t the same as willpower. After all, willpower, coming from within, has limits and when its limits are surpassed, it’s easy to cave and lose sight of the greater reward. Discipline, however, is a gift. So, disciples build a dependence on God’s gift of discipline.

Accepting the gift of discipline isn’t a matter of trying but of training. Trying ends when the fuel of good intentions, hope and willpower runs out. Training, however, involves commitment to a plan, a strategy to get from where we are today to that promised greater reward. Disciples don’t have to be saints just yet but at least in the process of becoming so. Our training is a progression of often many steps and stages between where we are now and where God has called us to be.

This week, I’d like to add that our training must also be persistent. While the success of some may be attributed to luck, most find success by consistently doing what some do only occasionally. Those who are successful often have lives marked with consistent patience and persistence. I’ve never met someone who just accidently paid off a ton of debt; no, they consistently worked hard to chip away at debt, and it may have taken most of a lifetime to reach the goal. Most married couples tell me their relationship is a success only because both involved patiently worked hard at it; they may have met accidently, but living a harmonious life together is joyfully hard work. When reading the lives of saints, I’ve never encountered one who just accidently got close to God; they may have had a surprising and unexpected encounter with God, but saints always have to persistently work hard to have a deep relationship with Our Lord.

This is the fourth week that we’ve been reflecting on the greater reward and how we might reach for it; and I’d like to propose a challenge. An examination of past choices made may reveal dozens of ways someone might better reach for the greater reward.

When we think of Jesus flipping tables and driving all the venders out of the temple, we might imagine him being angry or frustrated over the misuse of the sacred space. It’s important to remember though, that when God feels angry or frustrated, it’s always combined with love. Jesus still loved those he drove out and acted as he did out of love for them. While some saw the temple as an opportunity to make money, Jesus expected more and knew that through the temple, God offered something more to his beloved and chosen people, a much greater reward.

For a couple of weeks now, we’ve been reflecting on how disciples can work to make the changes needed to accept that greater reward Jesus promises. He’s promised the eternal joys of heaven, but sometimes the figurative wild beasts of the world distract us from this greater reward. They exclaim that we’re not enough or worthy, can never grow and don’t have what it takes to be a disciple, let alone a saint. Instead of listening to these beasts, we take up practices that remind us that we’ve been made, not simply to gratify desire, but to be disciples, saints. The extra spiritual practices of Lent remind us of our true identity: that we are enough, loveable and worthy of the greater reward Jesus has promised.

Disciples who strive for the greater reward need discipline. Good intentions alone won’t do. Desires don’t determine who you become, shape decisions or define actions, discipline does. Good intentions don’t make life better, habits that honour God do. Discipline is choosing what you truly want most over what you want now; it’s never losing sight of what’s most important: the promised greater reward.

Distraction gets frustrating sometimes, especially when believing discipline to be a simple matter of willpower because willpower has limits; it gets tired when tested and when its limits are surpassed, we begin to cave and lose sight of the greater reward. Discipline isn’t product of willpower though; it’s a gift. Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son and those who willingly followed Jesus despite the difficulties are great examples for us, not of willpower but of the difference the gift of discipline makes. Since willpower has very real limits, we build a dependence on God’s gift of discipline.

We certainly try. We all try so hard to manage money better, to deepen prayer and be kind and pure, loving and forgiving, generous, faithful and healthy. So many try so hard. Although we have the best message ever, the help of the Holy Spirit and the blessings of God himself, sometimes it seems as though moving mountains might be easier than making even simple changes. We try, we fail and we wonder, practically speaking, what can be done? How do we accept that gift of discipline needed to always choose what we truly want most over what we want now?

I wonder if maybe, instead of trying so hard and dealing with the frustration of limited willpower, we consider ourselves to be in training. When trying no longer seems to work and change remains elusive despite our best efforts, maybe it’s time to give up on trying and start training instead. Trying and training: there is a difference. This is probably far from a dictionary definition but for us today, trying is a good attempt to change but with minimal commitment. Trying begins with a decision to change for the better, is fueled by hope, good intentions and willpower and then often ends when that fuel runs out. Training, however, includes a plan, a strategy to get from where we are today to that promised greater reward; it features a commitment not just to an end, but to a process needed to get to that end.

Who do you want as your surgeon: someone who tries or someone who has trained? Those hoping to win a gold medal at the Olympics don’t just show up on the day of the game ...

Truth be told, I don’t really like the moment we heard about in today’s First Reading. I don’t like the test God put to Abraham: when he asked Abraham to sacrifice his own only son. God had promised the elderly Abraham that through Isaac God’s chosen people would be established, that a nation so large it would outnumber the stars in the sky would be established. Abraham was asked not only to willingly surrender his only son whom he loved, but the future of his family and even his hopes.

When reflecting on the passage though, I think it’s important to remember that Abraham was put to the test not for his sake or for the good of God, but for us. After all, God could have simply taken a look at the heart of Abraham to determine the man’s faithfulness. No, this moment in the life of Abraham, this test he endured, gives an example of what the life of someone devoted to the greater reward may look like.

One reason Catholics make sacrifices and take up extra spiritual practices during Lent is because we know we can be better, that there’s room for growth as disciples of Jesus. We know we have been made, not simply to gratify desire, but to be saints. Ever since Jesus revealed great reward that surpasses anything we could imagine, this greater reward has become the goal of life. But, for those of us who struggle with making the changes needed to aim for the greater reward, we’re often left wondering why true growth is so challenging. Of course, we may have some incredibly good intentions, but sometimes it seems as though moving mountains might be easier than making even a simple change.

Last week, we reflected on how identity plays a big part in this experience. We reflected on how the figurative wild beasts of the world distract us from the greater reward by lying to us about who we are. They exclaim that we’re not enough, that we can never grow, that we don’t have what it takes to be a disciple, let alone a saint and that we should just give up on that greater reward. Those who listen to these wild beasts, who believe they can never be a saint probably won’t try.

But the Lenten sacrifices we take up remind us of our true identity, of how we’re made not for the passing joys of this world but for something more; they reveal that we are enough, that we’re loveable and worthy of the truly great reward Jesus has promised. We don’t have to discover our identity; God’s already told us who we are. Knowing this about our identity is just the first step in making those changes needed to strive for the greater reward though; we also need discipline; good intentions aren’t enough. Desires don’t determine who you become, shape decisions or define what you do, discipline does. Good intentions don’t make life better, habits that honour God do. Disciples need discipline.

The second thing we should know about discipline is what discipline actually is. Discipline is choosing what you truly want most over what you want now. Our long-term goal, what disciples truly want above all else, is that greater reward Jesus has promised. But between now and fulfillment of that promise, a great many wants, both good and bad will appear and sometimes they distract and lead us away from what we truly want. Discipline is what keeps us focused on the greater reward.

I looked it up: Mount Tabor, where the Transfiguration is supposed to have happened, is a nearly five-hundred-meter climb. Although I’m sure those who went with Jesus were in good shape, it would have taken the better part of a day to make the trek to the top and back and a journey up any mountain always involves some danger and loads of discomfort. Peter, James and John had no idea what they were going up the mountain for; the glory of the Transfiguration was well beyond their imagination. The disciples could have turned the invitation...

A common practice Catholics have is to give something up for Lent, to make a Lenten sacrifice. It’s a tradition that reminds me of making New Year’s resolutions. We all know that we can be better, that there’s room for growth. A New Year is a good opportunity to make resolutions to be better even in one small way. I don’t actually make New Year’s resolutions because, truth be told, I’m not great at keeping them. I suppose this might have been a good year to sign up for a gym because so far the gyms are all closed; it’s not my fault I can’t go. Maybe some of you are better disciplined than I.

I do, however, find it much easier to give something up for Lent. It’s only forty-some days and for me, making a temporary but big sacrifice is much easier than making a small life change. Be it for Lent, New Year’s or any other time, Christians work to grow and become better because we know we have been made, not simply to gratify desire but, to be saints. Jesus has told us about a great reward that surpasses anything we could imagine. For a disciple of Jesus, this greater reward becomes the goal of life.

For those of us who struggle with making changes in life, who aim for the greater reward, we’re often left wondering why it’s such a challenge to grow, to make the changes needed in life to be better. Of course, we may have some incredibly good intentions, but sometimes it seems as though moving mountains might be easier than making even a simple change. Oh, we want to change but actually doing so: well, that’s another story. For the next few weeks, we’re going to take a look at this experience and how, this Lent, we can work to choose the greater reward. We’ll look at identity, discipline and willpower and of course, how we can invite God to help us make those incredibly good but difficult changes needed to be the saintly people he made us to be.

A funny thing is how, in the major areas of life, we all mostly want the same things. We all want good relationships and, for those called to that vocation, good marriages. I’ve never had an engaged couple come to me hoping for an eventual divorce; no one wants that. I’ve never met anyone who wants to be an eyesore at the beach. No, we want to look good, feel good and be healthy enough to conquer any flight of stairs even at one hundred years of age. Similarly, no one longs to live in the stress of living paycheque to paycheque for life. No, we want to feel financially secure so we can be generous to others.

We all want similar things, we have similar desires for life, but from person to person we end up with tremendously different results. You see, desire doesn’t determine who someone becomes. It takes much more than desire to build good relationships, become financially secure and healthy. It takes more than desire to be a disciple of Jesus and live for that greater reward. Yes, discipline definitely has something to do with it and we’ll get more into that next week; but identity has a lot to do with it too.

One of the reasons I don’t bother with New Year’s resolutions is because, when I inevitable fail to keep them, I get frustrated with myself and feel weak. This easily happens when we fail to live up to our own expectations. We know Christians are supposed to grow, to do good and avoid evil. We know we’re to pray, read scripture, be generous, honest, kind and pure. But when willpower wanes and we cave and start to give in, perhaps without even knowing it, a point comes when we look back and must admit that, against all Christian teaching and willpower, I spent the money I was saving, ate what should have been shared, clicked and consumed what should have been left well enough alone, all while completely forgetting God’s love, the duty to care for others and what is truly good for me. We’ve all been there.

Leprosy is referred to in two of the three readings of today. In the time of Jesus, leprosy was the most isolating of all diseases. In the Word of today’s reading the leper had to live outside the Camp, away from the normal places where people interact with one another. If for some reason, the leper drew near to people ,the Jewish law stipulated that he or she had to announce his coming, shouting unclean, unclean ,so that people could move away from him or her as quickly as possible. Not only that lepers  were socially isolated they were also religiously isolated. They couldn’t come to the local synagogues to join the Sabbath service. One of the more distressing impact of the coronavirus for many people has been the experience of isolation. People in nursing homes and hospitals in the recent months have felt isolated. Someone told me of his friend, in her seventies who was in hospital for several months before and after Christmas and for perfect understandable reason no one could visit her. Am sure that many others in our parish have had a similar experience with the loved ones or friends. Hopefully we can begin to look for a time we can interact with one anther in a more natural and human way.

  By referring to leprosy in the two readings of today, clearly the Church wants us to direct our attention to something deeper than a purely physical disease. Perhaps there is some parallel to this on the spiritual plane. In the Church of Jesus Christ, a sin committed by any member of this community is never a private affair, but a rejection in some degree to a standard the members have pledged to uphold. There is touching humility in the leper’s request to Jesus, if you choose you can make me clean. Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him and he was cured and began to praise God. Like the leper we may feel unclean in some way. Something in our lives, in our past or present, can make us hesitate to draw near to the Lord. We may wonder if the Lord is willing to draw nearer to us. Yet, there is no part of our lives which the Lord will not gladly touch with his compassionate life-giving presence. There is nothing in us that would keep him from us. He doesn’t hesitate to touch, even to embrace those part of our lives that are ugly and infected. All we need to do is to rise above our hesitation. The letter to the Hebrews puts it well when it encourages us to approach the throne of grace with confidence ,so that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

   The Gospel reading encourages us to approach the Lord with the same assurance with which he approaches us. The reading also challenges us to be alert to those who may be crying out to us in their isolation as Jesus was to the leper. That cry is not always easy to hear ,even when it comes from those close from us. It can be subtle and faint. It can be hesitant as it seeks out whether we are willing. Our own preoccupation can prevent us from hearing it, and can make us hesitate to respond. Yet to hear ad to respond can be truly life giving for the one who cries out to us.

As we cry out to God for help in ugly situations of lives, we also pray for refugees scattered all over the World searching for shelter, the prisoners, those isolated by the society and those isolated because of the pandemic that the good Lord will stretch out his healing touch on them and give us the willingness to heed to the cry of those who cry out to us in their isolation through Christ our Lord.

Suffering cut across the first reading and the Gospel of today. The cry of Job in today’s reading is the one that comes out of deep suffering. He was in a very dark place indeed. Not only has he lost his health, property and members of his family, but he seems to have lost God. He had been living an exemplary life and cannot understand why God should allowed misfortune to befall him. The God whom he worshiped when things were good now seems complete stranger to him. The God who he related as a friend seems to have become his enemy. The experience of loss, whether it is loss of health or property or loved ones, can bring on something of spiritual crisis. When one’s prayer out the depth is not answered he feels angry with God, he senses that his trust in God has not be vindicated.

    We are far removed from Job in time, but not from his experience. The world in which we live is an ocean of suffering. We  only have to visit a general hospital to see for ourselves,you will notice little infant just born crying with unbearable pain. We find teenagers struck down with suffering in the flower of their youth etc. But physical suffering is only a drop in an ocean. Many suffer even more deeply in other ways: think of the psychological suffering of spouses or children from broken homes. Think of widows whose children have forgotten in their sun set years languishing in loneliness. Think of those addicted to alchol,drug or sex,the pain they inflict on themseleves and family members.  Christians sometimes attempt to give explanation to human suffering: God sends suffering to those he loves most, the more a person suffers the more God is pleased with him. Sorrow purifies and is a punishment for sin. Can we go along with the answers?  Human suffering is beyond human comprehension and defiles human understanding. Jesus takes up this explanation in the Gospel of today not with explanation or reason ,but with a response. We can see that response in the Gospel of today: the sick came to Jesus and he heals them. Jesus still heals through the Holy Mass and the Sacrament of the anointing of the sick. In EX 15:26 ,the Lord our God is our healer.In IS 53:5,by His stripes we are healed. In my Diocese of origin one of our priests had a cancer and was flown to India for medical treatment, all the medical  efforts to cure heal him failed and the medical consultant in charge  of the hospital phoned my bishop and told him the young man had two weeks to live. He said to the bishop that it was better for him to die in Nigeria. The young man was sent home. When he got to Nigerian airport no Airline accepted to check him in because the pilots were afraid he could die in the flight. The Diocese boarded a tax for him which took a whole day journey. When he arrived to the diocese the bishop anointed him and asked him to request any priest who comes around to do the same. Just like a dream the young man started to recover and as am speaking to you the cancer had gone.          The last medical test he went there’s no trace of cancer in him. He is now fully engaged with parish work. Job 42:2 says I know Lord you can do all things and no one can thwart your plan. In chapter 19:25 for I know that my Redeemer lives.

     Today’s Gospel challenges us to help to ease the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, family members, community and the entire humanity at large. We can allow Christ to act in us to care for lonely, for the sick, the poor and to be with the fearful and the heartbroken. Like Him we will seek out ways to reach out to such people who are vulnerable in our society. We are to follow Jesus not only in our happy times, but also in time of  loneliness and suffering. God never discards us. He sees not just what we are but what we can become if  we surrender ourselves complet...