Feast of Saint Hilary--Doctor of the Church

Good morning. “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” That line from the Responsorial Psalm for today’s Mass is an extrapolation of lines 7 and 8 of Psalm 95.  What a wonderful lesson for all of us.  And in the Gospel for today, in response to the faith of a man with leprosy, Jesus reaches out and heals him (Mk 1:40-45).   It is this man’s openness of heart, his childlike faith and humility that leads to his being healed.  It can be so easy for us as adults to become skeptical and hardened. Our Saint for today, Saint Hilary offers us some sound words of advice in this area:  “For Christ teaches that only those who become again as it were little children, and by the simplicity of that age cut off the inordinate affections of vice, can enter the kingdom of heaven. These follow and obey their father, love their mother; are strangers to covetousness, ill-will, hatred, arrogance, and lying, and are inclined easily to believe what they hear. This disposition of affections opens the way to heaven. We must therefore return to the simplicity of little children, in which we shall bear some resemblance to our Lord's humility.”  What a delightful lesson, one that can be so helpful towards helping married couples keep their marriage vibrant and alive.  Being open to playfulness in the marital relationship, to being as little children and breaking free of the routine, can be quite freeing and go a considerable distance in helping couples make it through the difficult times. We all need fun, and being open to playfulness, the simplicity of youth, can be helpful toward building intimacy.  If you think back upon your own youth it is typically the simplest things that tended to bring us the most joy. So why not break free of your hum-drum routine and take some time for play, go out for some ice cream, or play some children’s games together, go for a swing at the play ground, or maybe even break-out the children's crayons and color together. Do something fun for your marriage today. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life and works of Saint Hilary—Doctor of the Church