Episode Transcript
[00:00:04] Speaker A: Welcome to Sundays with Bishop Ken.
[00:00:11] Speaker B: A.
[00:00:11] Speaker A: Weekly podcast brought to you by the publishers of little books of the Diocese of Saginaw.
Each Sunday of ordinary time, the gospel and Bishop Ken's homily are proclaimed by members of our faith community.
During the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, our Sunday prayer time will be taken from the little book's reflections for that season.
We are pleased to spend this quiet time with you today.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Hello and welcome. It's Sunday, April 14. Thanks for joining us.
Today we begin with the story of a saint for our times.
Blessed Ciara Corbella Petrella's story is one of unconditional love, suffering and joy.
Her cause for sainthood was opened in 2017, only five years after her death at the age of 28.
Born on January 9, 1984 in Rome, Ciara met her husband, Enrico Petrillo, while on pilgrimage in Medjugorji when she was 18 and he was 23.
They married in 2008.
In the first few years of marriage, Ciara and Enrico lost their first two children.
Each child was baptized before passing to eternal life about 30 minutes after birth.
When Ciara became pregnant with their third child, Francesco, the couple was confronted with yet another trial.
Chiara was diagnosed with cancer.
To avoid risking the life of her unborn son, Chiara rejected any treatment.
As her disease progressed, it became increasingly difficult for her to see or speak.
She underwent surgery just two days after welcoming her healthy baby boy into the world.
Although she suffered greatly and was tested during the next and final year of her life, her joy was palpable. She testified to God's love and goodness until the end.
Surrounded by family and friends, Chaira died on June 13, 2012, in her wedding dress.
For our Sunday reflection, we think about the unbelievable story of the risen Lord.
How can God, all four gospels in different ways, tell the story of the disciples initial encounters with the risen Lord?
In each of the four gospels, they had a hard time believing it.
There are many reasons why it was difficult to believe that anyone could come back from the dead. But what shows up in Jesus response to their difficulty in believing is a clue to why they had the biggest problem believing. They couldn't believe because of the way he died.
They had written off that he was what he said he was, the son of God, the Messiah.
He had been taunted, if you are the son of God, the Messiah, come down from that cross and he didn't. It was embarrassing, devastating, humiliating for him and for them.
When people are struggling with their faith, their most repeated question is something like, how can God be a good God and let my child die?
How can God be a good God and let my grandmother suffer?
How can God be a good God and let famine and starvation happen?
You can't reconcile suffering and horror with a good God.
It's the same problem the disciples had.
And Easter is the feast that helps us deal with that problem.
Jesus says, I am with you.
I am with you in the senseless death of a child.
I am with you when you are trying to do right and things go wrong.
I am with you when there doesnt seem to be any payoff and I'll see you through it.
I am with you and will lead you to life and to happiness.
That's what we celebrate at Easter, the breakthrough in the faith of the disciples when finally they were able to believe.
We go through the same struggle at times to believe, and the risen Lord Jesus is with us because he promised to be.
[00:06:22] Speaker A: Thank you for sharing some quiet time with the Lord today.
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For more information and other prayer resources, go to littlebooks.org dot.
May your day be blessed.
