Tag: Suffering

The Art of Denying One’s Self

The month of May carries the full beauty of Spring and sets aside a special day to celebrate mothers. Mother’s Day. A day of celebration for those who are mothers and grandparents. The joy that comes from standing up to receive a blessing...

At the Foot of the Cross

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who...

The Thorny Problem of Human Suffering

Our readings for the Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time tackle the thorny problem of human suffering, as well as the suffering of the just and of innocent people, including children. I would like to reflect on this troubling problem in the context of...

With Change, There is a Leaving Behind

On Friday, June 19, 2020, I was officially transferred from Mater Dei Hospital, Malta’s General Hospital, to the Oncology Centre of Sir Anthony Mamo, Malta’s only centre which specializes in cancer treatment. The move was significant for more than...

Enduring Our Suffering

No one likes complainers. We all try to avoid them. As they approach us we begin to wonder what they might have to complain about, this time, and how long the conversation will take. Well, the prophet Jeremiah complained a lot; I mean a lot but, as...

The Jewish Understanding of Suffering

The recent commemoration of the Holocaust brought into my heart and mind the reality of suffering. One of the most complex subjects in Judaism is certainly suffering. There are a myriad of approaches in Judaism in order to try to understand this...

Holy Week And Man’s Search For Meaning

I am writing this essay at the beginning of Holy Week, a time that recalls the Last Supper, the agony in the garden, the arrest and trial, the pain and humiliation of the scourging and crowning with thorns, and the terrible journey on the via...

An Open Letter To Seekers

I am writing this letter on another anniversary of the events of 9/11. That was a day in which we saw great evil followed by acts of love, faith and charity. It occurred to me this morning how much, in a world of faith, evil can abide. The recent...