Jesus goes beyond the customs and religious sensibilities of his people. He reacts favorably to a forbidden touch and challenges death to give back a life.

Years back, one unforgettable day I sat and watched my father as he died. There’s not much we can do for the people we love in this hour but pray and be present. I had recited all the mysteries of the Rosary, all the mysteries of life and love and suffering, during the weeks before his death. But after he was gone, I sat with his body and prayed only the glorious mysteries. In the end, we believe, all that’s left for the faithful is glory.

My mother liked to tell this story, a true one: My younger sister, Jane, was finishing her senior year at a nearby academic institution. She had been sick for a few days, nauseous and in pain, and no medical treatment seemed to help. 

Scott Neeson was living the abundant life. Born in Scotland, he came to Los Angeles in 1993 and became a successful Sony Pictures movie executive. Then, in 2009, while on an backpacking trip to Asia, he stopped in Phnom Penh.

With faith and trust, we ask for forgiveness from our merciful God.

We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials.