Corpus Christi Sunday and the Corporal Works of Mercy

Today is the Feast of Corpus Christi, the day we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ, the God-Man. He dignified our human nature by taking on flesh. What better day to do the corporal works of mercy in honor of the feast.

So Larry and I are taking a trip to Johns Hopkins to visit my brother who is suffering the ravages of a debilitating stroke (last July) complicated by onset of a disease related to MS (I can't remember the name off-hand.). Please pray for John. Only a few months ago he was able to walk with a four-pronged cane and, while he needed lots of assistance, he could do many things for himself. Now he needs help for everything. He's a relatively young man, only 55, a retired police officer, who was always there for anyone who needed a helping hand. He has shifted from being the Good Samaritan to being the wounded Jew, a much more difficult role.

We'll be praying several rosaries in the car on our five-hour round trip both for John and all those who face the prospect of suffering that isn't likely to go away. That's the worst kind, a priest once told me. You suffer and know things are only likely to get worse. We pray for a miracle of healing for John if it's God's will and for his courageous perseverance if it's not. Only God knows the purpose of this painful time in John's life. He is downhearted but not defeated. May his guardian angel and patron saints surround him with their love and strength and help him lift his eyes toward the throne of God.

Our Lady Help of Christians, pray for John and all those suffering this day. St. John, St. Michael, and St. Joseph, pray for him. Angel of God, stay his side. And may the Body and Blood of Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist bring relief to John and our suffering world.