FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT, 2012
First Reading: Genesis 9:8–15
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 25:4–5, 6–7, 8–9
Second Reading: 1 Peter 3:18–22
Gospel: Mark 1:12–15
A journalist, writing about his experience in Cairo during the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, found it particularly interesting that the protest was not political. For the people in the streets, the protest was not about a form of government, a particular ruling party, or a religion. Citizen after citizen told the journalist that what they wanted was justice from their government, something that was absent from their lives. The one thing that seemed to unite the protests in Egypt was the deep sense that something is wrong in and with society.
Lent is a time to explore our own inner sense. Lent, in a sense reminds us of our Baptism when we got something truly better than what we know now. The Gospel of Mark from which I just read was most likely written in Rome shortly before the year 70. Jerusalem was occuppied by Rome at that time. Like in Egypt Jewish people had started a rebellion against their Roman occuppiers. They destroyed the temple which was the center of Jewish religious life. The historian Josephus claimed that 1,100,000 people were killed during the siege.
Our first reading is from Genesis. It tells us that a flood destroyed the world and how Noah saved the human race. Many Eastern cultures had similar stories about floods that destroyed their land. The point of the story was not to recount an event in human history, but to make sense out of what did for them. This destruction spoke of a change and a new beginning. God was not pleased with how human beings had developed and thus decided to transform it. He began with one man, Noah, and his family, then destroyed everything not on the ark. God's plan and hope was that this one faithful family would be able to transform creation into what He had intended at the beginning.
God was so hopeful that He made an agreement between himself and Noah and Noah's descendants -- an agreement that would last forever. God vowed never again to destroy the earth by water. Noah sent a dove which came back with an olive branch. This meant that the flood had stopped and plants were now growing.
It is interesting to notice that God destroyed just about everything that had been made in order to bring the world back to what He intended it to be. The flood waters are described as being the same waters that covered the earth at creation, these waters being a metaphor for chaos. God’s promise was amazing. The story of Noah communicates to us that it is God’s nature to save, not destroy.
Those preparing to enter the Catholic Church as adults go through a process of instruction and change. For most, the process of preparing for acceptance into the Church through baptism is definitely a life-changing experience and, in spiritual language, a ''transforming experience.'' They not only learn about what it means to believe, but more importantly how believing changes them.
During Lent each of us is called to remember our own journey through the waters of Baptism. When we were baptized our parents and godparents entered into an agreement with God for us. At each weekend Mass we are invited to again renew that proffession of faith.
You see, Lent is not so much about doing something extra for God, as it is about letting God do something extra for us. It is a time for turning to God for the help we need in dealing with the temptations we have to deal with every day.
Lent is the season of becoming and of removing the restrictive boundaries that seriously limit our growth, the fullness of life, and the depth of our souls. On this desert Sunday, begin purging your pet limitations as well as those self-established boundaries you have placed on your prayer, patience, forgiveness, generosity and care of the poor. Whenever you throw a rope to Jesus for spiritual help be sure that you hold on tight to the rope with at least one hand. We sometimes call this process of our faith as renewal.
A recent television series about gardening for beginners attracted a record number of viewers. Gardening experts went into the gardens of a handful of people and advised them about ways of improving their little bit of land. One new gardener wanted to know what he could do with a particularly unsightly area. The garden expert told him that it was wilderness. Nothing will grow there unless the soil is improved. The process of improving the soil involved several hours of back breaking digging and then carrying loads of new top soil and mixing it with the original.
A few months later, the cameras and the gardening expert returned to see a beautiful garden. Looking at the spectacular display of plants, the gardening expert asked if all the effort had been worth it. “Yes,” came the quick reply. “It was a great feeling, getting rid of the bad soil -- and just look at the result.”
Lent's a bit like that -- getting rid of the bad soil in our lives, recreating ourselves, starting again. As Catholics and Christians we are often reminded that we don't take care of our spiritual soil just during Lent, but,as in all things, there is a best time for doing things. During Lent we have a chance to examine what is out of order in our own lives so that we can do something about it.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Homily for the Week of February 19, 2012
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time 2012
First Reading: Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12
Today’s Gospel must be read within two different references. The first is in the reference of what we have been reading from Mark over the past three weekends. The first chapter of Mark began to discuss the authority of Christ versus the authority of the Scribes and Pharisees. From where did Jesus get His authority? Today we read that Jesus’ authority is a divine authority, although this idea will be seriously opposed.
The second reference is what have just heard in today’s Gospel. It is in reference to Lent which begins this Wednesday. Lent will interrupt our sequential reading of the Gospel of Mark, which we will return to after Easter, but entering Lent with the question of Jesus’ authority on our minds can help us use Lent well.
In our Gospel today four men bring a paralyzed person who could not walk to Jesus. They take great measures to get past the crowd in order to bring their friend to Jesus’ attention. There is no comment made about the faith of the paralyzed man; instead, Jesus acknowledges the faith of the man’s friends. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
When He said this, Jesus was immediately accused of blaspheming. Blasphemy means saying bad things about sacred ore religious objects or actions. Why? The cause of sickness and disabilities was seen to be rooted in sin. In the people’s minds, either the paralyzed person himself or someone in his family had sinned, causing the paralysis. Jesus didn’t want to merely cure the man’s disability; His intent was to heal the man by restoring him to full standing within the community.
To the people, this was blasphemy because only God can forgive sin. No human had this kind of authority.
Synopsis
There is an old saying about forgiveness that says, Forgive and forget. Unfortunately, we, as humans, can forgive but we’re not able to forget. It’s impossible for us to forget the pain we’ve experienced through someone’s thoughtlessness or anger. But, I believe that it is more difficult for us to forget the bad things we have done, and should not have done, than it is for us to forget what has been done to us by someone else. And why is it that way? Because we have to live with our conscience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our conscience tells us that what we did was good or bad. Our conscience is always there like a thermometer indicating our guilt and shame. These don’t go away unless we forgive ourselves and ask God to forgive us also.
With God, there is no skeleton in the closet. God’s forgiveness is total and without reserve. In fact, in today’s 1st reading, God tells His people that He will not remember our sins. It’s not that God can’t remember the bad things we have done. It’s that He chooses not to. That is a miracle: that there can be, and is, a forgiveness so complete that not even the memory of the offense remains. Jesus brings us complete forgiveness. The best we can do is “forgive and accept” our situations. Only God can forgive and forget.
At times we too can doubt that our sins can be forgiven by anyone except God. When we confess our sins to a priest he does what Jesus did to this crippled man. We are forgiven right there. The priest represents Jesus who listens to our confession. Through the priest Jesus removes our guilt and takes away our sins.
So often, we take this sacrament of God’s forgiveness for granted. If we were fully aware of the depth of the Sacrament of Confession, we might ask ourselves exactly what have we done to deserve this forgiveness. In actuality, there is absolutely nothing that we can do to “make up” for our sins. God’s forgiveness is free—absolutely and completely free.
Jesus offers us this free gift of forgiveness out of love for us, and our concern that we not live in guilt any longer. How fortunate we are to be able to just turn every one of our sins over to God and be free of our fears and worries. How fortunate indeed. It is true that we can talk directly to God and ask for forgiveness. But the healing takes place when we make an effort to speak to someone in confidence as to what we have done.
Confession or telling our sins is only one part of forgiveness. The other part is reconciliation. As a result, many Catholics experience profound peace, acceptance, forgiveness and freedom from the burden of what they have done. For many it is like letting go of the baggage that they have been carrying around for a long time. All of us at times carry a great deal of “baggage” that we would like to unload.
Confession heals in different ways. It helps us to start a new life, to overcome with guilt, to begin a new religious way of living. at times to patch up a broken relationship. I,as a priest become the healer, not to condemn but to help a person begin a new way of living.
All of us have a little part of us called “putting things off.” And this includes our spiritual obligations. Let us fully appreciate all that Jesus has done for us out of love. Sometime during the 40 days of Lent this year make a good confession. Do it. You’ll never regret it. Then you will know the words of Jesus: RISE, PICK UP YOUR MAT, AND GO HOME.
First Reading: Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 41:2-3, 4-5, 13-14
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:18-22
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12
Today’s Gospel must be read within two different references. The first is in the reference of what we have been reading from Mark over the past three weekends. The first chapter of Mark began to discuss the authority of Christ versus the authority of the Scribes and Pharisees. From where did Jesus get His authority? Today we read that Jesus’ authority is a divine authority, although this idea will be seriously opposed.
The second reference is what have just heard in today’s Gospel. It is in reference to Lent which begins this Wednesday. Lent will interrupt our sequential reading of the Gospel of Mark, which we will return to after Easter, but entering Lent with the question of Jesus’ authority on our minds can help us use Lent well.
In our Gospel today four men bring a paralyzed person who could not walk to Jesus. They take great measures to get past the crowd in order to bring their friend to Jesus’ attention. There is no comment made about the faith of the paralyzed man; instead, Jesus acknowledges the faith of the man’s friends. “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”
When He said this, Jesus was immediately accused of blaspheming. Blasphemy means saying bad things about sacred ore religious objects or actions. Why? The cause of sickness and disabilities was seen to be rooted in sin. In the people’s minds, either the paralyzed person himself or someone in his family had sinned, causing the paralysis. Jesus didn’t want to merely cure the man’s disability; His intent was to heal the man by restoring him to full standing within the community.
To the people, this was blasphemy because only God can forgive sin. No human had this kind of authority.
Synopsis
There is an old saying about forgiveness that says, Forgive and forget. Unfortunately, we, as humans, can forgive but we’re not able to forget. It’s impossible for us to forget the pain we’ve experienced through someone’s thoughtlessness or anger. But, I believe that it is more difficult for us to forget the bad things we have done, and should not have done, than it is for us to forget what has been done to us by someone else. And why is it that way? Because we have to live with our conscience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our conscience tells us that what we did was good or bad. Our conscience is always there like a thermometer indicating our guilt and shame. These don’t go away unless we forgive ourselves and ask God to forgive us also.
With God, there is no skeleton in the closet. God’s forgiveness is total and without reserve. In fact, in today’s 1st reading, God tells His people that He will not remember our sins. It’s not that God can’t remember the bad things we have done. It’s that He chooses not to. That is a miracle: that there can be, and is, a forgiveness so complete that not even the memory of the offense remains. Jesus brings us complete forgiveness. The best we can do is “forgive and accept” our situations. Only God can forgive and forget.
At times we too can doubt that our sins can be forgiven by anyone except God. When we confess our sins to a priest he does what Jesus did to this crippled man. We are forgiven right there. The priest represents Jesus who listens to our confession. Through the priest Jesus removes our guilt and takes away our sins.
So often, we take this sacrament of God’s forgiveness for granted. If we were fully aware of the depth of the Sacrament of Confession, we might ask ourselves exactly what have we done to deserve this forgiveness. In actuality, there is absolutely nothing that we can do to “make up” for our sins. God’s forgiveness is free—absolutely and completely free.
Jesus offers us this free gift of forgiveness out of love for us, and our concern that we not live in guilt any longer. How fortunate we are to be able to just turn every one of our sins over to God and be free of our fears and worries. How fortunate indeed. It is true that we can talk directly to God and ask for forgiveness. But the healing takes place when we make an effort to speak to someone in confidence as to what we have done.
Confession or telling our sins is only one part of forgiveness. The other part is reconciliation. As a result, many Catholics experience profound peace, acceptance, forgiveness and freedom from the burden of what they have done. For many it is like letting go of the baggage that they have been carrying around for a long time. All of us at times carry a great deal of “baggage” that we would like to unload.
Confession heals in different ways. It helps us to start a new life, to overcome with guilt, to begin a new religious way of living. at times to patch up a broken relationship. I,as a priest become the healer, not to condemn but to help a person begin a new way of living.
All of us have a little part of us called “putting things off.” And this includes our spiritual obligations. Let us fully appreciate all that Jesus has done for us out of love. Sometime during the 40 days of Lent this year make a good confession. Do it. You’ll never regret it. Then you will know the words of Jesus: RISE, PICK UP YOUR MAT, AND GO HOME.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Homily for the Week of February 12, 2012
HOMILY: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2012
First Reading: Leviticus 13:1 2, 44 46
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 32:1 2, 5, 11
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31 -- 11:1
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
Imagine having an illness so disfiguring, contagious and deadly that you cannot have any contact with other humans -- except for those suffering from the same disease. Cut off from family and friends, shunned by everyone, you must cry out, "Unclean, unclean!" warning of your disturbing presence. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if you had to shout out loud what is wrong with you when someone comes close to you? It would be bad enough for you to call out “bladder infection” or “schizophrenia.”
The first reading and the Gospel talk of a disease that made a person unclean. Leprosy did not exist in the Middle East at the time of Leviticus, the author of our first reading. Leprosy was the name given to any kind of skin disease that caused problems to the skin. “Leprosy” was used generically to describe any illness that was known to spread. Unfortunately, not having a clue about germs, bacteria, and such, Jewish teaching blamed illness on a person’s sinfulness or the sinfulness of the parent or other ancestor. They thought God punishes us by giving us a disease.
Detailed regulations, like those recorded in today's first reading, were drawn up to indicate how a leper should be treated. This apparently harsh treatment was the only way the community knew of protecting itself from contagion. And the priests of that day were the public health officials who diagnosed and set apart the person with leprosy. Once diagnosed the leper had to wear torn clothing, ring a bell and cry out Unclean, so that others would avoid them. They had to live in leper colonies. Everything was done to separate them from society.
Leprosy or what is known as Hansen’s Disease is still a common disease. The World Health Organization states that at the end of December about 300,000 new cases were detected in 2010. Today most persons with leprosy live in India and Brazil.
These grim facts render the encounter described in today's Gospel all the more surprising and meaningful. Notice how Jesus reacts. He is not afraid to be contaminated. Jesus is moved with pity. Though everyone else avoids the man, Jesus does not. You can almost feel that Jesus becomes one with this person. Instead Jesus does the unthinkable after the man says to Jesus: If you wish, you can make me clean. He reaches out and he touches the leper. That was a direct violation of the Law, for Jews were to have no contact with anything unclean.
That touch was enough to heal the man’s sores, but best of all, it also healed the deep down inner hurts that come from being rejected, excluded, isolated from all others. At the words of Jesus the man is cured. His life is changed in an instant. He is restored to his friends and to society. He can lead a normal life again.
Also the unclean man did not infect Jesus or the others; rather, the Lord purifies the leper. They recognized that the physical healing imparted by Jesus, while significant, was also meant to signify: It pointed to the spiritual healing offered and communicated by the Savior.
This story, while set in a world very different from ours, has good news for us. It tells us that Jesus is a friend of the outcast, that he rejects no one who comes to him. Jesus gives hope where there is no hope. Jesus does for us what he did to the leper. He sees beyond our sins, or our selfishness. He loves us for who we are as a person made in God’s image.
Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins. All of us are born lepers, disfigured and wounded by sin. Healed by the waters of baptism, we can choose to return to a leprous, sinful state. Thankfully, in the Sacrament of Confession, we have the best help in getting healed. Like the person with leprosy we too can come to Jesus , through the help of a priest, sit beside him and ask to be made clean.
Besides changing ourselves we are also encouraged by Jesus to bring about change. We are to bring our Christian religious and moral values into the marketplace, not the marketplace into our religious values.
Lepers are still among us. We need to ask ourselves how we treat today's lepers.
Whom have we cast out of our lives recently?
Whom have we named as the untouchables of 2012?
How do we react to those who have removed us from their life?
St. Paul today tells us that we must -- not should -- but must be imitators of Jesus. While our first instinct might be to see the sinfulness others, the irritations of family members, and the faults of co workers, we must look beyond their faults and see them with the eyes of Jesus. If we are willing to come to Jesus as the leper did -- if we tell him we disparately need him -- then we too will experience his healing and forgiveness. All we need to do is to invite him.
First Reading: Leviticus 13:1 2, 44 46
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 32:1 2, 5, 11
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31 -- 11:1
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
Imagine having an illness so disfiguring, contagious and deadly that you cannot have any contact with other humans -- except for those suffering from the same disease. Cut off from family and friends, shunned by everyone, you must cry out, "Unclean, unclean!" warning of your disturbing presence. Can you imagine how embarrassing it would be if you had to shout out loud what is wrong with you when someone comes close to you? It would be bad enough for you to call out “bladder infection” or “schizophrenia.”
The first reading and the Gospel talk of a disease that made a person unclean. Leprosy did not exist in the Middle East at the time of Leviticus, the author of our first reading. Leprosy was the name given to any kind of skin disease that caused problems to the skin. “Leprosy” was used generically to describe any illness that was known to spread. Unfortunately, not having a clue about germs, bacteria, and such, Jewish teaching blamed illness on a person’s sinfulness or the sinfulness of the parent or other ancestor. They thought God punishes us by giving us a disease.
Detailed regulations, like those recorded in today's first reading, were drawn up to indicate how a leper should be treated. This apparently harsh treatment was the only way the community knew of protecting itself from contagion. And the priests of that day were the public health officials who diagnosed and set apart the person with leprosy. Once diagnosed the leper had to wear torn clothing, ring a bell and cry out Unclean, so that others would avoid them. They had to live in leper colonies. Everything was done to separate them from society.
Leprosy or what is known as Hansen’s Disease is still a common disease. The World Health Organization states that at the end of December about 300,000 new cases were detected in 2010. Today most persons with leprosy live in India and Brazil.
These grim facts render the encounter described in today's Gospel all the more surprising and meaningful. Notice how Jesus reacts. He is not afraid to be contaminated. Jesus is moved with pity. Though everyone else avoids the man, Jesus does not. You can almost feel that Jesus becomes one with this person. Instead Jesus does the unthinkable after the man says to Jesus: If you wish, you can make me clean. He reaches out and he touches the leper. That was a direct violation of the Law, for Jews were to have no contact with anything unclean.
That touch was enough to heal the man’s sores, but best of all, it also healed the deep down inner hurts that come from being rejected, excluded, isolated from all others. At the words of Jesus the man is cured. His life is changed in an instant. He is restored to his friends and to society. He can lead a normal life again.
Also the unclean man did not infect Jesus or the others; rather, the Lord purifies the leper. They recognized that the physical healing imparted by Jesus, while significant, was also meant to signify: It pointed to the spiritual healing offered and communicated by the Savior.
This story, while set in a world very different from ours, has good news for us. It tells us that Jesus is a friend of the outcast, that he rejects no one who comes to him. Jesus gives hope where there is no hope. Jesus does for us what he did to the leper. He sees beyond our sins, or our selfishness. He loves us for who we are as a person made in God’s image.
Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins. All of us are born lepers, disfigured and wounded by sin. Healed by the waters of baptism, we can choose to return to a leprous, sinful state. Thankfully, in the Sacrament of Confession, we have the best help in getting healed. Like the person with leprosy we too can come to Jesus , through the help of a priest, sit beside him and ask to be made clean.
Besides changing ourselves we are also encouraged by Jesus to bring about change. We are to bring our Christian religious and moral values into the marketplace, not the marketplace into our religious values.
Lepers are still among us. We need to ask ourselves how we treat today's lepers.
Whom have we cast out of our lives recently?
Whom have we named as the untouchables of 2012?
How do we react to those who have removed us from their life?
St. Paul today tells us that we must -- not should -- but must be imitators of Jesus. While our first instinct might be to see the sinfulness others, the irritations of family members, and the faults of co workers, we must look beyond their faults and see them with the eyes of Jesus. If we are willing to come to Jesus as the leper did -- if we tell him we disparately need him -- then we too will experience his healing and forgiveness. All we need to do is to invite him.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Homily for the Week of February 5, 2012
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B 2012
Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Mark 1:29-39
In a program that trains nurses to work in a parish setting, a panel of speakers was asked, “What do you see as the difference between ‘healing’ a person and ‘curing’ a person?” A doctor on the panel immediately responded, “Medicine can cure an illness, but it might not be able to heal the person.” A priest on the panel immediately picked up on the statement saying, “Faith can heal a person, but it might not be able to cure the illness.” To cure someone usually means to end an illness. Healing is not about illness. It is about the person. People need healing in many ways beyond merely curing an illness. Although Jesus did cure some people, he really came to heal us. Healing is not about becoming physically well, it is about being made whole.
Mark’s Gospel, from which we will reading most weekends of this year, is short compared to the other Gospels. We have just heard in a few short sentences about Jesus and Peter's mother in law who was sick with a fever. This is a story about healing, not curing. The Bible says he cured her, but He did more than just take care of a cold. Mark says that Jesus “grasped her hand, and helped her up.” This is the phrase used when Jesus raised a person from the dead. Mark is telling us that this was a serious illness, and some probably already thought of her as dead. With such a cure, it is startling that, instead of rejoicing, the mother-in-law immediately waited on Jesus and the others present.
She got up and ministered to those present. Jesus healed this woman in a way that restored her so that she could serve God. Reconnected to God’s service, she was made whole. Jesus’ role, however, was not to cure; it was to preach a new way of living, and restore us to it. Our role, like that of Peter’s mother-in-law, is to serve the Kingdom and thus be whole.
On the other hand if you were carefully listening to the first reading you must have said to yourself: Poor old Job. Job called life on earth a drudgery. But his life seemed even worse than that. He complained: I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted me. His insomnia sounded worse that any we might have known. He reports, the nigh drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. His days come to an end without hope. He complains: I will never see happiness again.
The Book of Job is a story. Job was a good man. Among his many blessings were his wife and children, a lot of cattle, and much land. These were outward signs of a special relationship with God. But Job's life turned tragic for no reason known to him. Ultimately Job loses his wife and family, his cattle, lands and most of his friends. Even those friends who stayed close to Job blamed him for his misfortune, saying he must have sinned in some manner to bring such a catastrophe upon himself.
Job is alone. Job has become utterly dependent on others for his survival. Like many people today who lose their job, each day he would wait in the marketplace to be hired. In the Mediterranean world it was considered shameful to ask someone for a job. You had to wait until asked, and Job felt depressed while knowing that no one would hire him. Having nothing and having been reduced to begging, Job now considered life itself as nothing but drudgery.
Jobs suffering is not the final word. Even were his troubles not ended happily with his family, he would still be called to be thankful. This kind of trust and faith is difficult for many of us to understand. Job did not give in to despair. If you were to read more of the Book of Job you would find he did come out of his despair. He finally mentions that he knows that God can do all things. He tells God that he is sorry for not trusting in him.
God does not answer Job's questions about suffering. But Job was satisfied with God's answers. Job's heart told him to trust in God's love even when his mind couldn't understand the mystery of suffering. God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. God does heal the broken hearted. Often we need to take the time to find out what is just around the corner. When we do, God takes our hands and lifts us up.
Does it seem astonishing that this bleak picture is followed immediately by our psalm that invites us to Praise the Lord, who heals the broken-hearted? We prayed in the Psalm that God heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. This is obviously not a God unaware of suffering. This wise God is the God of justice. God gives to each of us what we deserve.
The good news about Mark's Gospel and the story of Job is that we learn that God knows us for who and what we are. And because of this God will always give us the right choices and the right path to follow. Sometimes things happen for no reason. God is not sitting in heaven sending us bad things. Suffering enters our life in many different ways.
Life can be difficult, not because God made it so. Life is difficult because life is difficult. We don't live in an ideal world where every problem is resolved in less than sixty seconds. where you don't have homework, where everyone is easy to get along with. The people who came knocking at Peter's door looking for Jesus wanted an instant cure for their problems. Jesus knew that these things take time, yet he responded in love. Taking time to pray and place ourselves in God's presence is one of the many important actions we witness and follow through Jesus' good example. St. Therese of Lisieux wrote: OUR LORD DOES NOT LOOK SO MUCH AT THE GREATNESS OR OUR ACTIONS, NOR EVEN AT THEIR DIFFICULTY, BUT AT THE LOVE WITH WHICH WE DO THEM.
Job 7:1-4, 6-7
Psalm 147:1-2, 3-4, 5-6
1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23
Mark 1:29-39
In a program that trains nurses to work in a parish setting, a panel of speakers was asked, “What do you see as the difference between ‘healing’ a person and ‘curing’ a person?” A doctor on the panel immediately responded, “Medicine can cure an illness, but it might not be able to heal the person.” A priest on the panel immediately picked up on the statement saying, “Faith can heal a person, but it might not be able to cure the illness.” To cure someone usually means to end an illness. Healing is not about illness. It is about the person. People need healing in many ways beyond merely curing an illness. Although Jesus did cure some people, he really came to heal us. Healing is not about becoming physically well, it is about being made whole.
Mark’s Gospel, from which we will reading most weekends of this year, is short compared to the other Gospels. We have just heard in a few short sentences about Jesus and Peter's mother in law who was sick with a fever. This is a story about healing, not curing. The Bible says he cured her, but He did more than just take care of a cold. Mark says that Jesus “grasped her hand, and helped her up.” This is the phrase used when Jesus raised a person from the dead. Mark is telling us that this was a serious illness, and some probably already thought of her as dead. With such a cure, it is startling that, instead of rejoicing, the mother-in-law immediately waited on Jesus and the others present.
She got up and ministered to those present. Jesus healed this woman in a way that restored her so that she could serve God. Reconnected to God’s service, she was made whole. Jesus’ role, however, was not to cure; it was to preach a new way of living, and restore us to it. Our role, like that of Peter’s mother-in-law, is to serve the Kingdom and thus be whole.
On the other hand if you were carefully listening to the first reading you must have said to yourself: Poor old Job. Job called life on earth a drudgery. But his life seemed even worse than that. He complained: I have been assigned months of misery, and troubled nights have been allotted me. His insomnia sounded worse that any we might have known. He reports, the nigh drags on; I am filled with restlessness until the dawn. His days come to an end without hope. He complains: I will never see happiness again.
The Book of Job is a story. Job was a good man. Among his many blessings were his wife and children, a lot of cattle, and much land. These were outward signs of a special relationship with God. But Job's life turned tragic for no reason known to him. Ultimately Job loses his wife and family, his cattle, lands and most of his friends. Even those friends who stayed close to Job blamed him for his misfortune, saying he must have sinned in some manner to bring such a catastrophe upon himself.
Job is alone. Job has become utterly dependent on others for his survival. Like many people today who lose their job, each day he would wait in the marketplace to be hired. In the Mediterranean world it was considered shameful to ask someone for a job. You had to wait until asked, and Job felt depressed while knowing that no one would hire him. Having nothing and having been reduced to begging, Job now considered life itself as nothing but drudgery.
Jobs suffering is not the final word. Even were his troubles not ended happily with his family, he would still be called to be thankful. This kind of trust and faith is difficult for many of us to understand. Job did not give in to despair. If you were to read more of the Book of Job you would find he did come out of his despair. He finally mentions that he knows that God can do all things. He tells God that he is sorry for not trusting in him.
God does not answer Job's questions about suffering. But Job was satisfied with God's answers. Job's heart told him to trust in God's love even when his mind couldn't understand the mystery of suffering. God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. However, instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. God does heal the broken hearted. Often we need to take the time to find out what is just around the corner. When we do, God takes our hands and lifts us up.
Does it seem astonishing that this bleak picture is followed immediately by our psalm that invites us to Praise the Lord, who heals the broken-hearted? We prayed in the Psalm that God heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds. This is obviously not a God unaware of suffering. This wise God is the God of justice. God gives to each of us what we deserve.
The good news about Mark's Gospel and the story of Job is that we learn that God knows us for who and what we are. And because of this God will always give us the right choices and the right path to follow. Sometimes things happen for no reason. God is not sitting in heaven sending us bad things. Suffering enters our life in many different ways.
Life can be difficult, not because God made it so. Life is difficult because life is difficult. We don't live in an ideal world where every problem is resolved in less than sixty seconds. where you don't have homework, where everyone is easy to get along with. The people who came knocking at Peter's door looking for Jesus wanted an instant cure for their problems. Jesus knew that these things take time, yet he responded in love. Taking time to pray and place ourselves in God's presence is one of the many important actions we witness and follow through Jesus' good example. St. Therese of Lisieux wrote: OUR LORD DOES NOT LOOK SO MUCH AT THE GREATNESS OR OUR ACTIONS, NOR EVEN AT THEIR DIFFICULTY, BUT AT THE LOVE WITH WHICH WE DO THEM.
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