February 12, 2012

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 
Lectionary: 77

Reading 1 Lv 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
"If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.

"The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, 'Unclean, unclean!'
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp."

Responsorial Psalm Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11

R. (7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Reading 2 1 Cor 10:31-11:1

Brothers and sisters,
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or 
the church of God,
just as I try to please everyone in every way,
not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,
that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Gospel Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
"If you wish, you can make me clean."
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, 
touched him, and said to him, 
"I do will it. Be made clean."
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 

He said to him, "See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest 
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them."

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

Scripture Study

This week the first and third readings give us a picture of the human condition and its remedy. Through the centuries, leprosy was used as a general term for many skin illnesses and conditions that were considered dangerous, contagious, unclean and often a punishment for sin. In the bible leprosy is often symbolic of sin. The traditional view was that by touching somebody who is unclean one becomes unclean too. In Jesus' case it works backwards; the leper that He touches becomes clean. The same kind of compassion is supposed to be exhibited by us who form the body of Christ in the world today. Who are the lepers that I avoid in my life ? Do I avoid reaching out to them with the love of Christ? Paul, in the second reading, urges his readers to be considerate of others. How well do I avoid giving offense?

NOTES on First Reading:

* 13:2-46 This section deals with many types of skin blemishes and diseases which were not contagious but simply disqualified their victims from association with others, especially in public worship, until they were declared ritually clean. These diseases were lumped together with others which were contagious under the name of leprosy. The Hebrew term usually did not refer to Hansen's disease which currently is the only illness that is properly called leprosy.

In ancient Israel, there was no public health service. In the case of these skin diseases this function was filled, to some extent, by the priests. In doing so however, they did not act as physicians but as judges and interpreters of the law. In the Old Testament there are only two cases of someone being cured of leprosy. One was Naaman who was healed by God through the ministry of Elisha (2 Kings 5:1-27) and the other was Miriam, Moses' sister who was healed by God when Moses prayed for her (Num 12:9-15).

* 13:44 The word "if", at the beginning of the verse has been added by the Lectionary due to the verses (3-43) that were left out.

NOTES on Second Reading:

* 10:31 This verse parallels the exhortation of 6:20.

* 10:32 The community has a missionary responsibility to enable conversion not simply avoid creating stumbling blocks.

* 10:33 This verse summarizes Paul's missionary stance. It does not really contradict Gal 1:10 or 1 Thes 2:4 although it may appear to at first. One cannot reach out to those who are running away from him.

* 11:1 Christ is the ideal of humanity that all should strive to imitate but since He is not visible, Paul must mirror the "life of Jesus" (2 Cor 4:10)so that those to whom he preaches may imitate him whom they can see. This is a common theme in Paul (1 Cor 4:16; Gal 4:12; Phil 3:17; 4:9; 1 Thes 1:6; 2:14).

NOTES on Gospel:

* 1:40 For a leper to approach a Rabbi was a violation of the Law as given in Lev 13:45-46. The leper approaches Jesus and acknowledges that Jesus can make him clean. It is likely that he is asking for a cure and not simply a declaration that he is clean. The ambiguity may be intended in order to implicate Jesus in the role of the priests.

* 1:41 The same law forbidding the leper to be among the people also forbid Jesus from reaching out to touch the leper but Jesus did just that. The word used for "moved with compassion" is one associated with a bowel wrenching reaction. Much more vivid than simple compassion. Something akin to anger. It is a very strong emotion. Same word is used of Jesus at Lazarus' tomb when he wept. It may be that the evil, death or illness or sin, causes this reaction in Jesus because it is not compatible with His presence and so He always removes it.

* 1:44 This may be part of Mark's device of a Messianic Secret. Or Jesus may simply have meant for the man to lose no time on his way to the priests but to go without stopping to talk to everyone on the way. Jewish rites of hospitality were long and complex. The procedure for sacrifice and reentry into society after leprosy are given in Lev 13:9-17, 13:1-32.

* 1:45 Jesus' movements become as restricted as the leper's movements had been before the cure. Nevertheless His work continues because the people come to Him.
The rabbis of the time considered the cure of a leper to be as great a miracle as raising the dead. That is why everyone got so excited. In the Old Testament there were only two healings of leprosy: Num 12:10-15, 2 Kings 5:1-14.

Meditation:  "People came to Jesus from every quarter"

Is there anything that holds you back from approaching the Lord Jesus with expectant faith and confidence – perhaps fear, pride, doubt, and the risk of losing your reputation or your friends? No one who sought Jesus out was refused his help. Even the untouchables and the outcasts of Jewish society found help in Jesus. Unlike the people of Jesus' time who fled at the sight of a leper, Jesus touched the leper who came to him and asked to be made clean. Why was this so remarkable? Lepers were treated as outcasts of society. Their physical condition was terrible as they slowly lost the use of their limbs and withered away with open sores over their entire bodies. They were not only shunned but regarded as “already dead” even by their relatives. The Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper, lest ritual defilement occur.

The leper who came to Jesus did something quite remarkable. He approached Jesus confidently and humbly, expecting that Jesus could and would heal him and make him whole again. Normally a leper would be stoned or at least warded off if he tried to come near a rabbi. Jesus not only grants the man his request, but he demonstrates the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch. The medical knowledge of his day would have regarded such contact as grave risk for incurring infection. Jesus met the man’s misery with compassion and tender kindness. He communicated the love and mercy of God in a sign that spoke more eloquently than words. He touched the man and made him clean – not only physically but spiritually as well.

Some eleven centuries later, a man named Francis met a leper on the road as he journeyed towards Assisi. “Though the leper caused him no small disgust and horror, he nonetheless, got off the horse and prepared to kiss the leper. But when the leper put out his hand as though to receive something, he received money along with a kiss” (from the Life of St. Francis by Thomas of Celano). Francis did what seemed humanly impossible because he was filled with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus is ready to heal us and free us from fear, prejudice, and anything else that might hold us back from approaching others with selfless love and concern for their welfare. Paul the Apostle tells us that "God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit  which has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit sets us free to love as God loves – with mercy, kindness, goodness, and compassionate care. How do you treat your neighbor, especially those who have been rejected, mistreated, and left alone. Do you approach them with the same love and compassion which Christ has shown to you?

“May the power of your love, Lord Christ, fiery and sweet as honey, so absorb our hearts as to withdraw them from all that is under heaven. Grant that we may be ready to die for love of your love, as you died for love of our love."  (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 13th century)

St. BUONFIGLIO MONALDO

St. Buonfiglio Monaldo

Feastday: February 12

He was one of seven Florentines who had joined the Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin (the Laudesi) in a particularly lax period in the city's history and who were inspired by a vision on the feast of the Assumption to take up a life of solitude and prayer. After nearly fifteen years of austerity at a hermitage on Monte Senario he took the name in 1240 of Servants of Mary, or Servites. Six were ordained, developed as mendicant friars under the direction of Jamesof Poggibonsi and Bishop Ardingo of Florence and established many houses and foreign missions. Br. Bounfiglio served as its first prikor general from 1240 to 1256 and died on Jan 1. St. John Bounagiunta succeded him, St.Bartholomew Amidei (Br. Hugh) established the order inParis and St. Ricovero Ugoccione (Br. Sostenesw) in lGermany. SS. Benedict dell'Antella (Br. Manettus) were ordained; St. Alexis Falconieri became a lay brother and was the only one to live to see the order approved by Pope Benedict XI in 1304. The "Seven Holy Founders" of the Servites were canonized in 1887 by Pope Leo XIII. Hisfeastday is Feb. 12.