February 9, 2003

As St. Valentine's Day approaches you may be writing valentines and remembering someone over whom you suffered a broken heart. Perhaps you look back and wonder what you did wrong to deserve such suffering. Today's Scriptures invite us to look forward and believe in the Lord, who heals the broken heart.

Valentine's Day has been hard for Joe since Camilla died. He had been convinced that their love would pull her through the cancer that robbed him of his Valentine. What had they done wrong? He blamed himself, the doctors, God on bad days, and he even blamed Camilla. None could convince him that any good would come of this. He was sick at hear and nothing would comfort him.

Whether it is a cold, a lost loved one, cancer, or a broken heart, we cannot seem to stop blaming ourselves for the suffering and the sickness that besieges us. Like Job's friends, we keep looking back and asking, "WHY?" Today's Gospel invites us to believe that Christ is at our side, ready to grasp our hands and help us up. It invites us to look for the ways in which the Lord is trying to cure us of our "various diseases."

How can we, who are not doctors, help the sick and the sick at heart? How did Paul reach out to those who were weak? "To the weak, he became weak." We are not Jesus. We cannot drive out their demons or cure their illnesses. However, we can resist the impulse to run away or to diagnose the reason for their problems. We can recognize our own weakness and listen to their pain and be with them in their suffering and be confident that the Lord will do what we cannot.

SO THE QUESTION: HOW CAN YOU HELP THE LORD HEAL THE BROKEN HEARTED THIS WEEK?

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