Dearest brethren let us never allow ourself to grow weary in our practice of faith. One important reality that we must remember is that of “endurance.” So often people allow themselves to grow weary in their practice of faith and in return they stop. If we were to look to the cross of our Blessed Lord we would see how difficult Calvary was and then in the midst of our own sufferings, pains, and hardships we too can begin to see how they take on meaning.
It is no secret that this community has gone without the celebration of the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite for roughly ten months. I am sure that in the midst of these ten months there was a lot of despair and longing. Some of you may of even given up hope that the celebration of this Mass here at this parish church would ever resume. Nevertheless, this community banded together and prayed fervently especially the Most Holy Rosary of our Blessed Mother.
Today we can see that your prayers have paid off for today we celebrate with great joy that this ancient form of the Mass has resumed. Hopefully, this lesson will serve as a reminder to each of us that we must endure in our prayer even if it seems that our prayers are not being heard and answered. Hopefully, this lesson will serve as a reminder to each of us of the value of the cross of our Blessed Lord and how we too must come to embrace it if we are to ever grow in virtue. Hopefully, this lesson will serve as a reminder to each of us of the value of prayer in the midst of our daily life.
From our Epistle Saint Paul instructed us as such. Here he comes to implore us to hold fast to what he has preached unto us. We know that in the life of every disciple hardshiped remained, but through the cross of our Lord the reality of Enternal Life has been opened wide to us. In our Gospel this man came into contact with out Lord and here his eyes came to be opened. Through the Gospel and our baptism our eyes have been opened to behold the truths of our faith. Let us hold fast to these truths and never grow discouraged.
Today we rejoice, but despite our rejoicing hardship will remain. It is difficult to be sent into the world to live our faith and to remain a beacon of Christ’s love. With this I hope we continue to set these lessons before our sight in order that they may become reminders of all that the Lord has done for us. Let us continue to have endurance to run the race that has been set before us and to hold fast to what has been preached unto us.
