Saturday of week 25 in Ordinary Time
Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs
Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Gospel: Luke 9:43-45In today’s Gospel, while everyone is astonished at the works of Jesus, He turns the attention of His disciples toward something they would rather not hear: “The Son of Man is going to be handed over into the power of men.” The disciples do not understand, and significantly, “they were afraid to ask him” what He meant. Their fear of suffering prevents them from entering more deeply into the mystery of Jesus. We often react in the same way: suffering frightens us, and our instinct is to avoid it, deny it, or ask God to remove it immediately. Yet Jesus does not teach us to love suffering for itself; He teaches us not to be afraid of suffering, but to deal with it through love. This is precisely what He will do in His Passion: betrayal will be met with fidelity, violence with forgiveness, abandonment with surrender to the Father, and death with a love stronger than death. Mary follows the same path, remaining close to her Son even when that closeness leads her beneath the Cross. Saints Cosmas and Damian, remembered for placing their healing service at the disposal of others and ultimately giving their lives in martyrdom, likewise remind us that love does not run away when suffering appears. We should relieve suffering whenever we can, but when it cannot be removed, love can still enter it, accompany it, and transform the way it is lived. Suffering becomes most frightening when faced alone; when received with Christ and surrounded by love, it can become a place of communion, self-giving, healing, and even hope. Let’s reflect: When suffering enters my life or the life of someone close to me, do I allow fear to make me withdraw, or do I ask Christ for the courage to face it with presence, faith, and love?
Don Giorgio