Eucharist for the Handicapped

Dublin Core

Title

Eucharist for the Handicapped

Description

Audio of the 41st International Eucharistic Congress.

Date

1976-08-03

Format

mp3

Language

eng

Type

Sound

Identifier

MC80_41IEC_cassette_4

Access Rights

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original, contact: CHRC, chrc.aop@gmail.com, 215-904-8149.

Sound Item Type Metadata

Transcription

Side 1

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Let us pray.
 
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Father, you son, accept our sufferings to teach us how to teach the virtue of patience
 
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in human illness.
 
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Hear the prayers we offer for our sick brothers and sisters.
 
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May all who suffer disease, illness, pain, illness or disease realize that they are chosen
 
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to be saints and to know that they are joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation
 
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of the world.
 
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Who lives and reigns with you in the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever.
 
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Please be seated.
 
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The theme of today's mass will be read by Father Bill
 
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Atkinson.
 
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Father Bill Atkinson, for those of you who may be blind,
 
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Father Bill is physically handicapped
 
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and will be speaking from a wheelchair.
 
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Human suffering is a condition that is purely human.
 
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There is no such thing as Catholic cancer, Catholic paralysis, Catholic sickness, or
 
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Catholic suffering.
 
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No.
 
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Sickness, disease, and suffering are
 
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part of the human condition.
 
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But they do not end there.
 
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Christianity adds a new dimension to suffering.
 
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The new dimension is the person of Jesus.
 
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Just as Jesus conquered suffering and death
 
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through his resurrection, dying to himself
 
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so that he lives in his risen life,
 
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we too suffer dying to ourselves so that we may live with him.
 
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What we celebrate this morning is not suffering and sickness
 
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for their own sake, but we celebrate our participation
 
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in the sufferings of Jesus.
 
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In this Eucharist, we share fully
 
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in the dying and rising of Jesus the Lord.
 
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The introduction to the first reading.
 
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In this reading, the prophet Isaiah speaks of the coming Messiah as the suffering servant
 
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of Yahweh.
 
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God's anointed one must undergo sufferings and chastisements.
 
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It is through the sufferings of Jesus that we are made whole, that we are justified,
 
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that we are saved.
 
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A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
 
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Who would believe what we have heard?
 
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To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
 
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He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth.
 
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There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
 
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nor appearance that would attract us to him.
 
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He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering,
 
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accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men
 
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hide their faces.
 
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Spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
 
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Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
 
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our sufferings that he endured.
 
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While we thought of him as stricken,
 
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as one smitten by God and afflicted,
 
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but he was pierced for our offenses,
 
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crushed for our sins.
 
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Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole.
 
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By his stripes we were healed.
 
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But the Lord was pleased to crush him in infirmity.
 
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If he gives his life as an offering for sin,
 
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He shall see his descendants in a long life,
 
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and the will of the Lord shall be accomplished through him.
 
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Because of his affliction, he shall see the light
 
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in fullness of days.
 
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Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many,
 
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and their guilt he shall bear.
 
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This is the word of the Lord.
 
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In this letter, Paul speaks of dying and living.
 
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All of us are called to give witness to the person of Jesus in some mysterious way.
 
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We are called in faith to reveal the person of Jesus through our sufferings.
 
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we are constantly dying so that the life of Jesus is revealed to many.
 
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The second reading will be read by Ms. Bunny Gelman, who is also physically handicapped.
 
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Continually we carry about in our bodies the dying of Jesus, so that in our bodies the
 
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life of Jesus may also be revealed.
 
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While we live, we are constantly being delivered to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life
 
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of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh.
 
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Death is at work in us, but life in you.
 
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We have that spirit of faith of which the scripture says, because I believed, I spoke
 
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out.
 
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We believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise
 
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us up along with Jesus and place both us and you in his presence. Indeed, everything is
 
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ordered to your benefit so that the grace bestowed in abundance may bring greater glory
 
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to God because they who give thanks are many. We do not lose heart because our inner being
 
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is renewed each day, even though our body is being destroyed at the same time. The present
 
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burden of our trial is light enough and earns for us an eternal weight of glory
 
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beyond all comparison. We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is
 
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unseen. What is seen is transitory. What is not seen lasts forever. This is the
 
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word of the Lord.
 
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The Lord be with you.
 
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And also with you.
 
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A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.
 
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Glory be to the Lord.
 
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Jesus went out from the Cynical and made his way, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives.
 
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His disciples accompanied him.
 
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On reaching the place, he said to them,
 
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Pray that you may not be put to the test.
 
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He withdrew from them about a stone's throw,
 
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Then went down on his knees and prayed in these words,
 
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Father, if it is your will, take this cup from me.
 
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Yet not my will, but yours be done.
 
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An angel then appeared to him from heaven to strengthen him.
 
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This is the gospel of the Lord.
 
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Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
 
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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I have come that they may have life and have
 
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it more abundantly.
 
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These are the words of our blessed Saviour reminding us that we have been created for
 
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life, not death.
 
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That we have been created and formed for wholeness, not brokenness.
 
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This is our aspiration, this is our destiny, to be whole, to be healed.
 
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None of us feels at ease with suffering, with pain.
 
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None of us is comfortable.
 
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Man is made for happiness and yet in this life man finds suffering.
 
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And the paradox of life is that oftentimes the path of eternal happiness and joy is strewn
 
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with sorrow, pain and suffering.
 
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We are like Job who experiences plenty and want happiness and suffering.
 
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Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, deep in his heart,
 
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man has a hunger for wholeness and happiness,
 
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just as he has a hunger for bread.
 
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Man hungers for bread, for happiness,
 
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but above all, man hungers for God.
 
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Thou hast made us for thyself, O God,
 
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and our hearts will never rest until they rest in thee.
 
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Like the deer that yearns for running streams,
 
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my soul is yearning for you, my God.
 
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My soul is thirsting for my God, the God of my life.
 
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When can I see the face of God?
 
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We as Christians now are hungry
 
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for that which brings us close to God,
 
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that which effects wholeness and happiness.
 
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We hunger for the body and blood of Jesus Christ,
 
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our loving Eucharistic Savior,
 
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who holds up a hope for all of us at all times and in all places.
 
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I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly.
 
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At this International Eucharistic Congress,
 
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Christians of many lands have gathered here together
 
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to honor the divine physician, Jesus,
 
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who once walked the dusty roads of Jerusalem,
 
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but who today makes himself present among us
 
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in the most extraordinary fashion,
 
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mere bread, mere wine.
 
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Our hearts beat with joy, and our voices echo in faith
 
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the words of the Corpus Christi liturgy,
 
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Adorate, Devote, Latens Deitas.
 
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Hidden God, devoutly I adore Thee.
 
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Yes, that which is at the very heart of our Catholic faith,
 
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the holy sacrifice of the Mass, demands of us
 
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a tremendous act of faith with which to fathom the presence of Jesus
 
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in this most extraordinary and humble Eucharist.
 
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Our faith is thus tested.
 
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our faith is thereby strengthened.
 
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It is in the strength of this bread of heaven
 
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that we manage to cope with life's many and varied problems.
 
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It is in the strength of this divine manner
 
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that we who are called followers of Christ
 
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can face up to our sufferings.
 
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As we look up to the host raised,
 
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we cry out in faith,
 
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Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
 
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With this same faith in Jesus, the ever faithful physician on call 24 hours a day,
 
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we must take a good look at our sufferings.
 
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We who are called to hold on to that abundant life must also be willing to listen to the man of sorrows
 
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and learn from him through this channel or medium of suffering.
 
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Suffering. As said before, none of us really relishes the thought of suffering.
 
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And yet the very words of Jesus speak of the necessity of suffering.
 
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Unless you take up your cross daily and follow me, you shall not be my disciple.
 
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Experience tells us none of us, my dear brothers and sisters, escape suffering.
 
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Faith tells me that there is more to suffering than meets the eye.
 
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Just as we see mere bread before our eyes, so too do we see the mangled arthritic joints,
 
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the polar stricken limbs, the sightless, the muted lips,
 
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and the limp-legged limbs.
 
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But is this all there is?
 
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The bred, the ill-formed limbs, is that all there is?
 
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We gaze through the lens of faith and we see more than broken bodies
 
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and malformed limbs.
 
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No, that is not all there is.
 
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The same faith in Jesus which makes us experience his presence in the Eucharist
 
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is the same faith that allows us to see through our sufferings,
 
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to see through the visible things, so as to share in his glory,
 
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that is, life in abundance, wholeness and life eternal.
 
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With all the technological and scientific advancements affecting our lives, with all
 
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the push-button modern conveniences and comforts at our service, the 20th century man either
 
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does not want to or cannot bring himself to see any value in suffering.
 
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He asked his God, why suffering?
 
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What have I done that I should suffer this pain, this disfigurement, this disease, this
 
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this loss of limb? Why this evil in my life? The Old Testament people asked
 
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themselves these same questions. At one time they would see suffering, either
 
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physical or psychological, as a result of the disturbance in the relationship
 
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between God and man. This disturbance we call sin, chief of which is called
 
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original sin. Thus sickness and suffering were closely connected with sin. This might
 
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very well be, in some instances, as in the case of those loose living persons, who might
 
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suffer the consequence to the body from sinful love. But this kind of suffering is only one.
 
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The kind of suffering can and should be avoided by a virtuous, good moral life, made possible
 
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by the help of God's strength and grace.
 
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The kind of suffering we must look at
 
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through the eyes of our Christian faith
 
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is that for which we have no rational answer when
 
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we ask the question why.
 
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This kind of suffering is best seen
 
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in the mystery of life, which escapes
 
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all calculated and easy answers.
 
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What does one, what answer does one give to a young girl
 
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or a boy in the prime of life who is struck down with cancer?
 
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What answer does one give to a clean heart working
 
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and conscientious father of a large family
 
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when he's lost the use of his eyes?
 
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These examples could go on without exhaustion,
 
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unavoidable suffering must be seen through the eyes of the people.
 
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Why is there suffering in the world?
 
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Why do good people suffer?
 
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Why do you personally have to suffer?
 
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The answer you give to this question will determine your own attitude towards suffering.
 
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There is no easy answer to this problem of human suffering,
 
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but you know that God is an ever-loving Father
 
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who will never permit you to have greater trials and sufferings
 
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than you can endure.
 
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For His grace is always there to strengthen you.
 
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What should be your attitude to suffering?
 
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How should you suffer?
 
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A newly ordained priest was summoned to the bedside of a dying woman.
 
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It was his very first sick call.
 
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The woman, though suffering intensely, was quite conscious.
 
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On seeing the priest, she whispered,
 
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Father, please tell me how to suffer.
 
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Show me how to die.
 
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The priest raised his head, silently uttering a prayer to say the right word.
 
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Then his eyes fell on a crucifix nearby the wall.
 
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There was the answer.
 
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Pointing to the crucifix, he told the helpless patient,
 
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Look at Christ on his cross. He will teach you how to suffer.
 
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He will teach you how to die.
 
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Let us look at Jesus, our suffering Messiah, and see what should be our response to suffering
 
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for which there is no rational answer.
 
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In St. John's Gospel, we read the story of the man born blind, receiving his sight through
 
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the healing power of Jesus.
 
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As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth, and his disciples asked him,
 
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who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?
 
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Jesus answered, it was not that this man sinned or his parents,
 
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but that the works of God might be made manifest in him.
 
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Suffering as we conceive with the man born blind
 
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can serve a higher purpose besides that of retribution.
 
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it can be that God wishes to reveal to us something of that divine purpose or
 
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plan of which St. Paul speaks about in the first chapter of his letter to the
 
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Ephesians. Before the world was made, he chose us, chose us in Christ, chose you,
 
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my dear suffering brothers and sisters, for his own kind purposes, to make us
 
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praise the glory of his grace. The Christian who finds himself in the entangling and avoidable
 
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web of suffering might very well rebel and curse God as would the contemporaries of Job.
 
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Eventually, however, the spark of faith deep within him must be found into a flame of holy
 
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resignation by the fundamental question, what plan does God have for me in giving me this
 
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suffering? The answers will certainly vary. It could be, could it not, that suffering
 
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brings the Christians, bring you and me, my dear brothers and sisters, to a certain awareness
 
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of our own weakness and the need for God
 
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to play a more important part in our lives.
 
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In this way we are jolted from self-reliance,
 
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even from arrogance, and made to rely more
 
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on our Creator and on our Father.
 
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St. Paul reminds us that although he was given
 
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extraordinary graces, to stop him from getting proud,
 
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he was given a thorn in the flesh.
 
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About this he tells us,
 
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I have pleaded with the Lord three times for it to leave me, but he said,
 
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my grace is enough for you.
 
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My power is at best in weakness.
 
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Suffering is surely a means to give the Christian a closer awareness of what Jesus is to him.
 
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someone an untrue ally, someone who has a divine plan into which the sufferer fits,
 
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and someone who knows, too, what it is to suffer.
 
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Yet, there is another positive aspect of suffering,
 
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of which we Christians must remind ourselves from time to time,
 
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redemptive suffering.
 
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This, to the man without faith, is indeed a stumbling block, mere madness.
 
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How can suffering redeem?
 
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The words of the prophet Isaiah instruct us as they point to Jesus, the suffering Messiah.
 
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And yet, ours were the sufferings he bore, ours the sorrows he carried.
 
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Yet we, we thought of his as one, as someone punished, struck by God and brought loo.
 
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Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins.
 
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On him lies a punishment that brings peace.
 
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And through his wounds, we are all healed.
 
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To underline this notion of redemptive suffering is the Judeo-Christian concept of human solidarity
 
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reflected in the Catholic teaching of the body of Christ.
 
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The baptized faithful and Jesus making up the body.
 
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Whatever affects one part affects indirectly the other parts.
 
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If one part is hurt, all parts are hurt with it.
 
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If one part is given special honor, all parts enjoy it.
 
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Now you together are Christ's body, but each of you is a different part of it.
 
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In today's 23th century, we must emphasize this concept of human solidarity, for each
 
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man is related to every other person and to Christ.
 
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No man is an island. No man stands alone.
 
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We in the world are the one body of Christ.
 
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Who is to say that today's world does not need redemption?
 
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The wars, the starving thousands upon thousands in the underdeveloped countries,
 
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the jobless men without hope, the acts of violence and hideous crimes,
 
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abortions, greed, graft and corruption in high and low places.
 
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All those responsible for these are in need of redemption.
 
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Make up for that which is lacking
 
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in the suffering of Christ, says Saint Paul.
 
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And again, always remember, wherever we may be,
 
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we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus,
 
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so that the life of Jesus, too,
 
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may always be seen in our body.
 
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Our faith tells us and our experience
 
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confirm that suffering can be beneficial for the transformation
 
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of others.
 
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Is that God's plan for you?
 
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I invite and I challenge you, my dear brothers and sisters,
 
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to ask the Lord with sincerity and profound humility
 
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while here at this Eucharistic Congress.
 
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Lord, what will thou have me to do?
 
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Look at Christ on the cross.
 
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There is your answer to the puzzle of human suffering.
 
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No man ever suffered more excruciating pains.
 
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No man had less reason to suffer.
 
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No man suffered with more joy and confidence.
 
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Christ feared suffering just as you and I remember his prayer
 
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during his agony in the garden.
 
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Oh, my father, if it is possible,
 
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let this chalice pass from me.
 
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Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.
 
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For Lord accepted his suffering as the will
 
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of his heavenly father.
 
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And so he faced his passion with peace and joy.
 
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Like Christ, you must accept your sufferings,
 
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seeing in them the will of a loving Father.
 
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With Christ, you must offer them up to redeem the world.
Side 2

00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,960
The world we live in is hungry for food, but more hungry for justice, hungry for redemption.
 
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Jesus invites all of us, you and me, to couple our sufferings with his in order to redeem
 
3
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the hungry world.
 
4
00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:28,600
Once redeemed anew, life in abundance will be experienced by all men.
 
5
00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:35,880
and joy will prevail, given birth by suffering and sacrifice. This, however, can only be
 
6
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realized if we suffer like Jesus, in accordance with His example. Not only does the Christian
 
7
00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:54,160
suffer like Christ, but he also suffers for Him and with Him. Suffering for suffering's
 
8
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is of no value.
 
9
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The Christian suffering is of value only insofar
 
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as it exists in Christ.
 
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The Christian who approaches suffering in such a positive manner
 
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with resignation and confidence
 
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will, like Job, look at suffering in the context of mystery.
 
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You might not be able to fathom the purpose of your suffering,
 
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but you will faithfully rest your case in the hand of God, your Emmanuel.
 
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Such a person of faith will not be able, will be able to say with St. Paul,
 
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it makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now,
 
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and in my own body to do what I can to make up for all that has still to be undergone by Christ,
 
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for the sake of His body, the Church.
 
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Yes, my dear brothers and sisters, our church is broken by sin, confusion and selfishness.
 
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You are invited to share in the sufferings of Jesus, are special in His side.
 
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You are special because you bring healing to His body and to the world.
 
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As we celebrate the Eucharist today and are reminded of God's providential love for us,
 
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in His tender care for each and every one of us,
 
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let us make our own those words of the liturgy.
 
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Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,
 
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but only say the word and I shall be healed.
 
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Healed in body, healed in mind and soul.
 
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Our church too and our world will then be healed through us.
 
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For we will have identified with Him who suffered
 
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that we may be healed and have life in abundance.
 
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God bless you.
 
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Lord God, loving Father,
 
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you bring healing to the sick
 
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Through your Son, Jesus Christ, hear us as we pray to you in faith,
 
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and send the Holy Spirit, man's helper and friend, upon this oil,
 
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which nature has provided to serve the needs of men.
 
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May your blessing come upon all who are anointed with this oil,
 
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that they may be freed from pain and illness,
 
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and made well again in body, mind, and soul.
 
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Father, may this oil be blessed for our use.
 
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In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
 
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who lives and reigns with you forever and ever.
 
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Amen.
 
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And having reflected on the word of God,
 
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let us place our human needs and prayers
 
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before our Heavenly Father.
 
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The reading of the Prayer of the Faithful will be done again by Father Bill Atkinson.
 
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For those here present who suffer under any physical ailment, that they may know that they are called by God in a very special way, let us pray through the Lord.
 
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Lord, hear our prayer.
 
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For all men, women, and children who suffer, whether physically or emotionally, that they
 
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may be aware that they are participating in the sufferings of Christ, let us pray to the
 
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Lord.
 
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For world leaders, both civil and ecclesial, that they may be more conscious of those who
 
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and that they may accept the challenge of faith to alleviate all needless sufferings in the world.
 
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Let us pray through the Lord.
 
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For all persons who have dedicated their lives to the caring for and assisting their brothers and sisters
 
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who are disabled, that they may be sustained in Christian service through union with Christ in the Eucharist.
 
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Let us pray through the Lord.
 
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For all who understand and respect the disabled, that they may help the disabled to help themselves,
 
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let us pray through the Lord.
 
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For all who have volunteered their time and effort this morning to assist us in this celebration,
 
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that their compassion may be nourished always by Jesus, the bread of life, let us pray through
 
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the Lord.
 
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in thanksgiving for all the gifts that we have been given,
 
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particularly in thanksgiving for families
 
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who through their understanding towards the disabled
 
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have grown closer in love with one another,
 
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that the source of their union
 
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may ever be our Eucharistic Lord.
 
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Let us pray to the Lord.
 
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Lord, hear our prayer.
 
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Father in heaven, you have made us for yourself.
 
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Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.
 
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Fulfill this longing through Jesus, the bread of life,
 
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so that we may witness to him who alone satisfies
 
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the hungers of the human family.
 
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By the power of your spirit, lead us to the heavenly table
 
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where we may feast on the vision of your glory
 
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forever and ever.
 
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He is risen from the dead to give the pious free.
 
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The middle-class, the old city goer, the bread of life to eat.
 
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As when the shepherd was his sheep,
 
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they know and hear his voice.
 
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So when you call your family, Lord,
 
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they follow and rejoice.
 
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You tell us what love may hide, if it but by this we eat.
 
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Come give to us, O saving Lord, the bread of life to eat.
 
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We join all in its peace and joy,
 
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Our praise and gratitude.
 
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Let wisdom, doubt, and worry not,
 
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Share this heavenly good.
 
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If you satisfy the hungry heart,
 
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He gives the finest wheat, a gift to us all,
 
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saving for the bread of life to eat.
 
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His blood, our blood, we bless and share,
 
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the blood of Christ have poured.
 
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Do not look up or you'll think there
 
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A moth dancing in the wall.
 
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You'll satisfy the hungry heart
 
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With hymns of kindness sweet.
 
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Come with to us, O Savior,
 
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The bread of life to me.
 
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Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
 
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O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
 
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You satisfy our hungry hearts.
 
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It gives the fireless wings.
 
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A gift to our souls, saving Lord,
 
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the bread of life to eat.
 
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Hear us now, to us, O Lord, and tell us how now's need,
 
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To serve each other in her name, in truth and charity.
 
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You satisfy the hungry heart with gift of highest need.
 
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Come give to us, O Savior, the bread of life to eat.
 
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God our Father, your love guides every moment of our lives.
 
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Accept the prayers and gifts we offer for our sick brothers and sisters.
 
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Restore them to health and turn our anxiety for them into joy.
 
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We ask this in the name of Jesus, the Lord.
 
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Amen.
 
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The Lord be with you.
 
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And also with you.
 
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Lift up your hearts.
 
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We lift them up to the Lord.
 
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Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
 
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We decide to give Him thanks and praise.
 
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Father, it is our duty and our salvation,
 
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always and everywhere, to give you thanks
 
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through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ.
 
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He is the Word through whom you made the universe,
 
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the Savior you sent to redeem us.
 
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By the power of the Holy Spirit,
 
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he took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary.
 
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For our sake, he opened his arms on the cross,
 
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he put an end to death, and revealed the resurrection.
 
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In this, he fulfilled your will
 
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and won for you a holy people.
 
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So we join the angels and the saints in proclaiming your glory as we sing.

Files

Citation

Bishop Samuel Carter, “Eucharist for the Handicapped,” Catholic Historical Research Center Digital Collections, accessed February 17, 2026, https://omeka.pahrc.net/items/show/9015.