Wednesday, December 14 : Saint Hilary

When he sent his disciples to Jesus, John was concerned about their ignorance, not his own. For he himself had announced that one would be coming for the forgiveness of sins. But that they might know he had not preached anything else, he sent his disciples to witness his works so that they might give authority to his proclamation and no other Christ might be expected than he to whom his works bore testimony. And as the Lord revealed himself wholly through his miraculous deeds, giving sight to the blind, enabling the lame to walk, healing lepers, giving hearing to the deaf, speech to the dumb, life to the dead, teaching the poor, he said: “Happy are those who are not scandalized on my account”. Now had there already been on Christ’s part any action that might have caused scandal to John? By no means. For he remained effectively within his own sphere of teaching and action. But we need to look at the implications and specific character of what the Lord says: that the Good News is welcomed by those who are poor. It concerns those who are to lose their lives, take up their cross and follow him (Lk 14:27), who will become lowly of heart and for whom the Kingdom of heaven has been prepared (Mt 11:29; 25,34). And because all these forms of suffering would meet in the Lord and his cross would be a scandal to many, he declared happy those whose faith would not undergo temptation on account of his cross, death and burial.
Roman Catholic Ordinary Calendar – rosary,team