Br. Ed Van Merrienboer, OP

Br. Ed Van Merrienboer, OP, reflects on the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (September 15th). He discusses Mary's silent suffering, her spiritual martyrdom alongside Christ, and how we can find solidarity with the suffering in the world today. Learn about Mary's role in salvation and how to embrace her example of spiritual strength.

Br. Ed reflects on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated on September 14th. He explains the historical significance of the cross, its transformation from a symbol of scandal to the hallmark of Christian salvation, and its meaning for us today as a sign of redemption and eternal life through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. He encourages viewers to meditate on the mystery of the cross and to be grateful for the gift of love offered through Jesus' death and resurrection.

Brother Edward reflects on the Gospel story of Jesus blessing the children, connecting it to the reality of children suffering in war zones around the world today. He challenges viewers to hold together both the joy children bring to families and the responsibility to care for suffering children globally, emphasizing that neglecting the world's most vulnerable children would offend the Christ who welcomed and blessed all children. The message calls for both prayer and action to bring peace and protection to children in conflict areas.

Brother Edward reflects on the Assumption of Mary, connecting today's Gospel about true blessedness with Mary's role as the perfect disciple. He explains how Mary's "yes" to God's plan made her the prototype of faithful discipleship, and how her Assumption into heaven - body and soul - serves as both a reward for her faithfulness and a promise of our own future resurrection if we truly hear and keep God's word in our lives.

In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us that he will give rest to the weary. Life is sometimes a struggle. Jesus is not minimizing that, but assuring us that he can help us in the worst of times by accompanying us. We never have to suffer alone.

In our Gospel today, Jesus tells us that our faith should be "childlike." Children's understanding of the world is based on personal experience and first-hand knowledge. Let us develop that kind of faith—not the God whom we have heard about, but the God whom we have met.