Beginning today, and continuing until the end of the liturgical year, the second reading comes from the letter to the Hebrews. One of the latest works of the New Testament, it was intended for Jewish converts to Christianity. The unknown author was skilled in Greek philosophy, as he uses it to show that Jesus truly is the Messiah. In today's reading, we are reminded that Jesus’ suffering and death weren’t for him, but for us and our salvation. If we haven’t thought about this for a while, it would be a good idea to spend a few minutes in prayer before the crucifix; especially if we think Jesus doesn’t care about us !