My dear people, we're entering even more deeply now into this very very special time of year, when we are approaching the Lord's cross, walking with him towards Jerusalem, towards his passion and towards his death, which as we know leads to the glory of his Resurreciton.  It's an incredible time in the world and in the church.  I'd like to encourage you strongly to go back and watch the full video of our Holy Father Pope Francis' extraordinary event that took place on Friday, a very special time of prayer called the Urbi et Orbi Blessing, a blessing given to the Church and to the World.  Watch it here: https://youtu.be/JcUqLrbi9Cg.

It was visually and spiritually stunning to see the Holy Father as a frail man, as a disciple of the Lord, walking alone through St. Peter's square towards the altar, standing as a sign of faith in the midst of everything we're going through in the world right now, as a sign of faith and hope and love.  Millions watched, and I encourage you to join them via the archived video of the Vatican News Service, to participate in this incredible hour of prayer.  Pay close attention to the Pope's beautiful and powerful words calling us to faith and hope, and begging God to look with mercy upon us.  

The Holy Father reminded us that Our Lord is our guiding star amid the stormy seas on which we find ourselves at this moment in the history of our world.  Seeing the Holy Father as a weak and frail man, carrying the Blessed Sacrament in his weak arms, stumbling towards to altar, is beautiful sign of how divine strength shines forth in human weakness.  The strength of God shines forth in our human need.  That's what I see when I look to the pope, struggling to hold up the beautiful golden monstrance bearing the Sacred Body of our Lord: seeing divine strength shining forth even amid human weakness. 

I think we also see that in this Sunday's gospel, in the person of Our Lord.  We see his full humanity and we also see the strength of his full divinty.  We see him weep at the death of his friend Lazarus, entering into true human sorrow.  but we also see Christ raise Lazarus from the dead, something that only God could accomplish.  And so we know that in Our Lord, we see someone who is at once perfect God, but at the same time true man, subject to the same trials and sorrows as we are, but without sin.  And so we can trust him.  We can trust that he is with us, that he understands.  Especially at times like this.  Let us cling to Christ.  If we let him be our guiding star, he will indeed lead us through these trials to the glory of the Resurrection.