Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.”  Suffering is a great mystery to us.  We even ask why Jesus had to suffer.  There are great graces that can form us during moments of suffering and can even give birth to virtues and beatitudes that help us to respond to the call to be good, holy, merciful, charitable and kind. Virtues can grow, develop and deepen in us in the midst of suffering.  We can learn to become more patient and more patiently endure hardships that can cause love and mercy to grow and even make forgiveness possible.  Yet, for most of us, suffering reminds us of pain we would rather not choose, infliction we would rather not embrace, and discomfort we would rather not face.  If possible, we would rather avoid suffering and would rather pursue happiness and peace. Suffering did not exist prior to creation for only God was there and there was only love of a profound existence.  The kind of love that could foresee a fall from grace, rejection of its Creator, the emergence of hurt caused by sin and the sin of disobedience causing suffering. Yet knowing all this, God still chose to create, knowing that love is greater than sin, and grace is more powerful than the effects of sin. Love will come to heal all these things permanently through a love that would and could only suffer greatly for the good of all and in particular for the gracious good of the other. God’s suffering love will love in creation and love through salvation so that in love, suffering will go away, illness will be no more and God’s profound love conquer sin which caused suffering and death in the first place. Comparisons in general are not good.  We compare ourselves to others, to one another and even compare ourselves to ourselves.  We do so from a love that is imperfect, selfish and wounded by sin.  We make comparisons knowing that our vision is skewed and blurry, our judgement weakened and impaired and our intention self-serving and one-sided.  It is difficult to be a good judge and to make good comparisons when tainted by sin.  All the same, nothing and no one can compare to God.  God is the perfect lover and the just judge. His glory reveals in us a profound love that freely suffers so that in the end, we may suffer no more.  No more hurt, no more comparisons, nor more sin just love forever.

Reflections from the Heart – August 18, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - August 18, 2024
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats ...

Reflections from the Heart – August 11, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - August 11, 2024
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from ...

Reflections from the Heart – August 4, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - August 4, 2024
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “You should put away the old self of your former way of ...

Reflections from the Heart – July 28, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - July 28, 2024
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with ...

Reflections from the Heart – July 21, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - July 21, 2024
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” ...

Reflections from the Heart – July 14, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - July 14, 2024
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out… He instructed ...

Reflections from the Heart – July 7, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - July 7, 2024
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in ...

Reflections from the Heart – June 30, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - June 30, 2024
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “God did not make death, nor does he rejoice in the destruction ...

Reflections from the Heart – June 23, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - June 23, 2024
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have ...

Reflections from the Heart – June 16, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - June 16, 2024
Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo “To his own disciples he explained everything in private.”  Are you tired ...

Reflections from the Heart – June 9, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - June 9, 2024
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Timeby Fr. Ivan Olmo After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree, the LORD God ...

Reflections from the Heart – June 2, 2024

Reflections from the Heart - June 2, 2024
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christby Fr. Ivan Olmo Moses came to the people and ...
The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.