Corpus Christi Blog

Suffering is an unavoidable part of the human condition. We see suffering all around us and experience it personally across the spectrum, from catastrophes to minor daily annoyances. Suffering can manifest bodily, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, affecting all aspects of our lives. Our modern world tells us to avoid suffering at all costs and to instead seek comfort by any means necessary, such as taking a pill to alleviate pain, seeking divorce when marriage becomes difficult, or giving up in a situation that does not provide immediate satisfaction. The world sees suffering as a senseless evil to be avoided if possible or at least something completely meaningless. However, as Catholics, we know that personal suffering has immense value and is, in fact, redemptive and salvific for ourselves and others. Let's now explore how the great mystery of redemptive suffering works and how we might better allow our suffering to serve the good of ourselves and others.

This week, we will explore an ancient form of prayer called Lectio Divina, or divine reading, which facilitates a dialogue with God in which a person can hear what God is saying to them through scripture. We know that all of scripture, while written with human hands, is the inspired Word of God in which he not only speaks to all of humanity, but also to each one of us on a personal level.

As we are still at the beginning of a new year, both secular and liturgical, I will spend this week and next highlighting two specific types of prayer to encourage everyone to deepen their prayer lives. This week, I will explain the Liturgy of the Hours.

The Liturgy of the Hours — also known as the Divine Office or Breviary — is a public liturgical form of prayer that has been practiced throughout the centuries, dating back to the Desert Fathers in the 5th century. The Liturgy is designed to sanctify the entire day. The Church continually offers praise and thanksgiving to God by saying prescribed prayers at specific hours of the day — invitatory psalm (dawn or 3 am), office of readings (anytime), lauds (6 am), terce (9 am), sext (noon), none (3 pm), vespers (6 pm), and compline (9 pm).

Happy feast of the Epiphany!

The word epiphany comes from the Greek epiphaneia, which means "appearance" or "manifestation." Epiphany celebrates the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world, represented by the magi, who traveled from distant lands to pay homage to the newborn king.