Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP

A Word of Hope by Fr. Andrew Carl Wisdom, OP.
In today's reading, Jesus purified the temple. After the Resurrection, Christians themselves became the privileged temples of God's presence in the world. Living this out, acknowledging God's presence in ourselves and in others, will go a long way to solve the violence that plagues our world today.

Also, a reminder that our Provincial's Dinner is this coming Thursday, November 30, at the Union League Club of Chicago. To find out more, go to: https://www.opcentral.org/news/6th-annual-provincials-dinner or just email Fr. Scott at media@opcentral.org . This year we are honoring Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, OP, just back from the Synod on Synodality.

Jesus healed ten lepers and only one came back to thank him. Jesus did not need to be thanked, the lepers needed to give thanks to witness to themselves what a great gift they have received. Be grateful for the gifts in your life and the darkness will give way to light.

On this Feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, we are asked to take another look at these helps to our salvation. Angels are not just for children, we all can use their help.

The prophet Haggai tells us the time is NOW to quit building our own house and build the House of God. Fr. Wisdom got a text, "Christ will be arriving in four minutes," which caused him to consider his ways. Is he building God's house, or his own?

On this Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, we remember how Mary accompanied Jesus through his suffering and death on the cross. She did not look away. May we have the courage and the empathy to walk with others in their pain.

Today's Gospel proclaims that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to save it. Thus, the cross is transformed from a tragedy to a climax of God's saving action in the world. Trusting this can transform all of the crosses that come our way.