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Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Numbers 21:4B-9
Psalm 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38
Philippians 2:6-11
John 3:13-17
S
UMMARY
Today˅s first reading is well known to us, ˈThe cup of blessing that we bless, is it
not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a
participation in the Body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though
many, are one Body for we all partake of the one loaf.ˉ John˅s gospel is the ac-
count of Jesus, in the presence of his mother, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, the
wife of Clopas, , pronouncing from the cross, ˈWoman, behold your son,ˉ and to
the beloved disciple, ˈBehold your mother.ˉ The last sentence: ˈAnd from that
hour the disciple took her into his home.ˉ
R
EFLECTION
This is the feast of Our Mother of Sorrowsˎ Mater Dolorosa. The messages are
very clear. We are the Body of Christ. We belong to each other.
Today is a special day for our sister parish, Dolores Mission, as it is that parish˅s
feast. The statue of Our Mother of Sorrows is taken from that small church on
Gless Street and placed on the flatbed of a truck where it is decorated and sur-
rounded with flowers and plants for the evening procession through the
neighborhood. On a number of occasions, it was my privilege to participate in
that processionˎ to walk with mothers and grandmothers who understood what it
must have been like on that day at Calvary when Our Mother of Sorrows held the
body of her Son. These women have known the unimaginable grief that comes
from violence, and yet, they allow themselves to be wrapped in the loving arms of
our Mother of Sorrows from whom they have gained strength and courage. As
the Body of Christ, they have wrapped their arms around one another, and have
risen above the grief to become the peacemakers. Through their tears, they have
spread the Good News that we are the Body of Christ and we belong to each
other. Theirs is not a simple faith. It is a deep faith that continues to sustain