Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health Vailankanni

The psalmist says: “The Lord is great and worthy of praise” (96[95]:4). Who is this 'Lord' if not Jesus Christ, great and worthy of praise? You surely know he appeared as man; you know, too, that he was conceived in the womb of a woman; that he was born of that womb, nourished, cradled in her arms, circumcised, that an offering was made for him (Lk 2:24) and that he grew up. You also know that he was struck, covered with spittle, crowned with thorns, crucified, and that he died, pierced by a lance. You know well that he suffered all those things. Yes, “he is great and worthy of praise”. Guard yourselves from despising his littleness; understand his greatness. He became small because you were small: understand how great he is and you will become great along with him. This is how houses are built, how the solid walls of a building are raised. The stones brought to construct the building increase: you, too, increase, understanding how great Christ is and how he who appeared to be small is great, very great indeed... What can poor, human language say in praise of him who is so great? In saying “very” great it is trying to express what it feels and believes..., but it is as if it were saying: “Try to grasp in thought what I am unable to express in words, and yet you must know that whatever you may have grasped is only a fragment.” For how can any language translate something that surpasses all thought? “Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise!” May he be praised, then; may he be preached; may his glory be proclaimed and his dwelling place erected.

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