Surely He hath borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.

Yes, friends, this last Servant Song of Isaiah extols the Suffering Servant's purifying, saving power over even infectious diseases. I'm not kidding. The Suffering Servant "sprinkles the nations" - outside the place of worship - purifying them of sickn...

The author of the Letter to the Hebrews tells us that “Whom the Lord loves he chastises” (12:6). In the third Servant Song centuries before, Isaiah prophesied that the Lord’s Servant would endure suffering without complaining.

In this second Servant Song, we see the mission of Christ expressed in vivid detail. The people of Israel had lost their way. These were the Chosen People. God had made a covenant with them. But they did not keep their part of the bargain.

Lent comes around each year to invite those of us who have grown weak or dim to hear afresh God’s promise and receive anew the Servant’s healing touch. The ends of the earth await his teaching and they will not be disappointed.

There is an important difference between the teachings that we must believe, which are infallible (deposit, dogma), and/or unchangeable (doctrine), and the rules that we must obey but which are changeable (disciplines). Finally,

We're preparing to sow to the Spirit this Lent through prayer and fasting. Until I was Catholic, it never occurred to me that the Filet-O-Fish' sandwich is not an ordinary staple at McDonald's except in the spring,

"Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvellously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit maybe produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings,

"It is certain that when the husband and wife are subject to one another 'out of reverence for Christ,' a just balance will be established such as to correspond to their Christian vocation in the mystery of Christ (Pope St. John Paul II,

Rest is not a luxury, it is a spiritual discipline. The key to finding balance in your life, to having a well-ordered life, is to follow the pattern God embedded in creation. And that rhythm involves worship/rest as the crown of the week,