Dear Friends in Christ

The Readings of the Mass this Sunday bring to mind the theme of magnanimity: greatness of soul, largeness of heart. The Saints have always been those who manifest this virtue of magna anima, showing their largeness of spirit whenever they initiated anything for the sake of Christ and His Church. We are called to the same love: great in our human relationships, in evaluations and dealings with other people, seeing everyone as a child of God. Greatness of soul proves itself above all in a willingness to forgive, in matters large and small, whether it be people close to us in our lives or distant. The opposite of the Christina spirit to carry around in our hearts grievances, harbouring grudges and feeding hurtful memories. Our Lord in the Gospel calls us to have a heart like His Heart. St John Chrysostom says: Nothing makes us like unto God so much as being always ready to forgive. On the Cross Jesus taught this: Father forgive them as He prayed; immediately adding the mitigating reason: For they know not what they do. These words show the greatness of the sacred humanity of Jesus. This we hear in the Gospel this Sunday: Love your enemies…pray for those who persecute you. Jesus always asks the same of those who are His own. The first martyr, Saint Stephen, died asking pardon for those who killed him. Are we then not to pardon the comparatively trivial things that happen to us each day? Mary shows us greatness of soul too, which she lived in all the facets of her life with God and with her neighbour.

With every blessing!

Msgr Kevin Hale

Priest@LourdesLeigh.org ✚ 01702 478078
Homily available at LourdesLeigh.org