How can I, after putting in for an intention last Monday for what was then a “No 7AM Mass” on this Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius, remain open to the possibility that today Christ might lead me away from the “crowd,” transforming my journey—whether I find the Cathedral locked, join a laity-led Service, or discover a miraculous Mass for my son Daniel’s healing—so that, in the end, I may echo what is last said at the end of every Mass, “Thanks be to God,”❓
Gospel
Jesus left the district of Tyre
and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,
into the district of the Decapolis.
And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment
and begged him to lay his hand on him.
He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
He put his finger into the man’s ears
and, spitting, touched his tongue;
then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,
“Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)
And immediately the man’s ears were opened,
his speech impediment was removed,
and he spoke plainly.
He ordered them not to tell anyone.
But the more he ordered them not to,
the more they proclaimed it.
They were exceedingly astonished and they said,
“He has done all things well.
He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
Lectio Divina Reflection on “crowd“
This week, I step forward in faith, unsure of what awaited me at St. Mary’s Cathedral. The bulletin said there was no 7:00 AM Mass on Friday, February 14, yet something deep within me—a voice not drowned out by the noise of doubt—whispered that there would be one. I wonder how often I have been lost in the crowd of uncertainty, allowing fear and discouragement to dictate my steps. But this week, I chose to walk forward, hoping that even in the midst of silence or confusion, God’s will would be revealed. He took him off by himself away from the crowd.
In the vast crowds of our cities, people pass by one another without a second glance, wrapped in their own struggles and burdens. Pope Francis reminds us that overcrowding can lead to isolation, yet love can break through, weaving belonging where walls of indifference once stood. As I reflect on this, I think of those who have walked this road with me—those who pray alongside me, whether they are physically present or holding my family in their hearts. Even if I find myself alone before locked church doors, I am not truly alone. Love has the power to gather even the scattered, just as Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish for the hungry crowd
multiplied them for the hungry crowd.”
If I enter and see a small gathering of laity conducting a Service, I will join them, carrying the intention for Daniel deep within me. I wonder how often God speaks through the humble faith of those who persist despite the absence of a priest, despite uncertainty, despite being overlooked by the larger crowd. Perhaps the greatest miracles do not always come with grand signs but through the simple act of being present, of trusting that God is listening, even when the voice of doubt tells me otherwise.
And if there is a Mass, if the intention I requested is spoken aloud, if a crowd so large gathers that we must move into the main sanctuary—then I will rejoice, knowing that the prayer of my heart has reached beyond me. But even then, I will step back, away from the crowd, into a quiet place where my gratitude can rise undisturbed, where my soul can whisper its deepest thanks.
Will I have the faith to follow wherever He leads—whether into the heart of the crowd or into solitude—trusting that His presence is with me in all things❓
In the unstable neighbourhoods of mega-cities, the daily experience of overcrowding and social anonymity can create a sense of uprootedness which spawns antisocial behaviour and violence. Nonetheless, I wish to insist that love always proves more powerful. Many people in these conditions are able to weave bonds of belonging and togetherness which convert overcrowding into an experience of community in which the walls of the ego are torn down and the barriers of selfishness overcome.
FROM PARAGRAPH 149 of ENCYCLICAL LETTER LAUDATO SI’ OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME