Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 77
Lectionary: 77
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."
"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
PsalmPS 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.
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 21 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.
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.
AlleluiaLK 7:16
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst,
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst,
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 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 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.
"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 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.
Meditation: The Lord Jesus can make
me clean
Do you seek the Lord Jesus with expectant faith? No
one who sought Jesus out was refused his help. Even the untouchables and the
outcasts of Jewish society found help in him. Unlike the people of Jesus' time
who fled at the sight of a leper, Jesus touched the leper who approached him
and he made him whole and clean. Why was this so remarkable? Lepers were
outcasts of society. They were driven from their homes and communities and left
to fend for themselves. Their physical condition was terrible as they slowly
lost the use of their limbs and withered away. 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.
This leper did something quite remarkable. He
approached Jesus confidently and humbly, expecting that Jesus could and would
heal him. 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.
How do you approach those who are difficult to love,
or who are shunned by others because they are deformed or have some defect? Do
you show them kindness and offer them mercy and help as Jesus did? The Lord is
always ready to show us his mercy and to free us from whatever makes us
unclean, unapproachable, or unloving towards others.
Lord Jesus, inflame my heart with your love and make
me clean and whole in body, mind, and spirit. May I never doubt your love nor
cease to tell others of your mercy and compassion."
Daily Quote from the early church fathers: Why did Jesus touch the leper, by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)
"And why did [Jesus] touch him, since the law
forbade the touching of a leper? He touched him to show that 'all things are
clean to the clean' (Titus 1:15). Because the filth that is in one person does
not adhere to others, nor does external uncleanness defile the clean of heart.
So he touches him in his untouchability, that he might instruct us in humility;
that he might teach us that we should despise no one, or abhor them, or regard
them as pitiable, because of some wound of their body or some blemish for which
they might be called to render an account... So, stretching forth his hand to
touch, the leprosy immediately departs. The hand of the Lord is found to have
touched not a leper, but a body made clean! Let us consider here, beloved, if
there be anyone here that has the taint of leprosy in his soul, or the
contamination of guilt in his heart? If he has, instantly adoring God, let him
say: 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.'" (excerpt from FRAGMENTS ON MATTHEW 2.2–3)
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
The book of Leviticus was written primarily for the priests of Israel, the Levites. It draws together various bodies of law and ritual, starting with the laws concerning the Levites themselves; and in fact this book becomes a manual for conducting the liturgy. Catholic exegetes admit the Mosaic authorship of this book, although they also allow that later additions may have been made.
The book starts in the second year of the exodus, after the sin of the golden calf and the institution of the Levitical priesthood (Exodus 32:29). Moses knew that the use of sacrifices is something which is deeply rooted in the customs of many different peoples; possibly as a result of being descended from our common ancestors, Adam and Eve. What is unique about the sacrifices of Leviticus is that blood sacrifices are required; something which had not been necessary prior to the golden calf. Now, when one wishes to approach God, in addition to whatever cereal sacrifices may be offered, a blood sacrifice is also required. Because the Israelites had violated the first commandment and worshiped a god in the form of an animal, animals must now be sacrificed to show that they reject these false gods and recognize God’s supremacy.
Along with the need for sacrifice came the concept of ritual uncleanness. Such uncleanness is a familiar concept in the East. (The “Untouchables” of India are an example). For the Hebrews, such ritual uncleanness seems to have had little to do with physical or moral uncleanness but was calculated to keep the People of God conscious of their election as a pure and undefiled people of spiritual qualities and destiny. The obedience and observance enjoined by the Law kept the people conscious of their obligations of purity of life and also made them have a greater awe for God and the religion requiring such purity of its worshipers. Ritual cleanness was demanded for almost any communion with God in the ceremonies of the Temple or the home. The leper was an object of much legislation as regards cleanness (Leviticus 13:14). It seems that the leper was thought to have been touched in a particularly direct way by the hand of God.
13:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
Aaron is Moses’ older brother, the one who is Moses’ spokesman (Exodus 4:14-15), and also the one who forged the golden calf while Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai. While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the people had convinced Aaron to represent them in their worship (the golden calf); now that Moses has returned, God has in essence said “You want Aaron, you got him”. He is the high priest in the post-golden calf time and must sacrifice a bull every time he enters the holy of holies, thus rejecting the bull idol which he had made.
2 “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. 44 [If] the man is leprous and unclean, and the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head.
There are many skin diseases which can manifest these appearances, not just what we call today Hansen’s disease. The fact that people suffering from these diseases are unsightly was sufficient reason to declare them unclean. Ordinary skin blotches, scabs resulting from boils or burns, scalp disorders, face eruptions, and baldness were not signs of impurity so long as they were devoid of infectious symptoms. It was widely held that leprosy was a punishment for some sin (Numbers 12:1-10; Isaiah 53:4).
45 “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!’ 46 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.
Leprosy is an infectious disease and every effort had to be made to keep it from spreading. Lepers were impure and they transferred impurity to whatever and whoever touched them and to the places they entered. Life was very different for a person with leprosy. They had to live in settlements or camps away from towns. When traveling about, they had to warn people they were coming by shouting to show they were unclean; they wore their clothes torn and hair uncombed; all this was meant to make them stand out, so that people could avoid them easily.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Saint Paul has been answering questions which the Corinthian Christians have posed to him concerning what is proper behavior and attitude. After all, they are among the minority in their town, they are surrounded by pagan believers and want to know what is permissible action. For example, is it allowed to eat meat which has been sacrificed to idols since they do not believe that the idols have any power? This is the question which we looked at last week. Today we hear Saint Paul sum up his teaching on Christian behavior.
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of
God. 32 Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God,
In everything a Christian does they should seek the glory of God by always acting with the best of intentions. Each person is morally responsible not only for their own actions, but also for the influence their behavior has on the good or bad actions of others.
“Let all the things which you undertake and accomplish have this root and foundation, namely, that they tend to the glory of God. ... When Paul said ‘whatever you do’, he has enclosed our whole existence in a single word, desiring that we never perform any act of virtue with an eye to human glory.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 388), Baptismal Catecheses 6,10]
33 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. 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
In imitating the apostle, the faithful will be imitating Christ who is the perfect example of renunciation for the salvation of mankind.
“If you imitate Paul as he imitated Christ, then you will be imitating Christ as he represented God.” [Saint Clement of Alexandria (after A.D. 202), Stromateis 2,136,5]
Gospel - Mark 1:40-45
Last week we heard the close of Jesus’ ministry on the Sabbath in Capernaum. He had taught in the synagogue and cast a spirit out of a man there; he had then gone to Simon’s home and healed his mother-in-law; then, after sundown (the beginning of a new day in the Jewish reckoning of time) has healed many sick and possessed. The location of the healing which we hear about today is uncertain; all we know is that it takes some place in the region of Galilee.
40 A leper came to him
This miracle illustrates Jesus’ power to save even those excluded from Israel by the Mosaic Law.
(and kneeling down) begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Prostrating himself before Jesus as a sign of humility and shame
41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him,
“And why did He touch him, since the Law forbade the touching of a leper? He touched him to show that ‘all things are clean to the clean’ (Titus 1:15). Because the filth that is in one person does not adhere to others, nor does external uncleanness defile the clean of heart. So He touches him in his untouchability, that He might instruct us in humility; that He might teach us that we should despise no one, or abhor them or regard them as pitiable, because of some wound on their body or some blemish for which they might be called to render an account.” [Origen (ca. A.D. 245), The Healing Of The Leper]
and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” 42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
The disappearance of leprosy was regarded as one of the blessings of the messianic times (Isaiah 35:8).
“If He cleansed him merely by willing it and by speaking it, why did He also add the touch of His hand? For no other reason, it seems to me, than that He might signify by this that He is not under the hand of the Law, but the Law is in His hands... He touched the leper to signify that He heals not as servant but as Lord.” [Saint John Chrysostom (A.D. 370), Homilies on The Gospel of Matthew 25,2]
43 Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 44 Then 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.”
Leviticus 14:1-32 gives the procedures which the priest and the cured must follow in order to be declared clean. Sacrifices and inspections are made and on the 8th day the person is declared clean. This is seen as a precursor to the resurrection when all mankind was given the opportunity to become clean through the offering of Jesus, our high priest.
45 The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
Saint Mark is making a subtle catechetical point: those cleansed by Christ in baptism must proclaim the Good News.
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.
Like the leper, we are to approach Jesus in humility and shame because we have allowed sin to stain our baptismal garment. Shame should not prevent us from confessing; the leper showed Jesus his sores and begged to be healed. Likewise, we must approach Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation by putting aside our pride, confessing our sins, and experiencing His healing.
Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.
1st Reading - Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
The book of Leviticus was written primarily for the priests of Israel, the Levites. It draws together various bodies of law and ritual, starting with the laws concerning the Levites themselves; and in fact this book becomes a manual for conducting the liturgy. Catholic exegetes admit the Mosaic authorship of this book, although they also allow that later additions may have been made.
The book starts in the second year of the exodus, after the sin of the golden calf and the institution of the Levitical priesthood (Exodus 32:29). Moses knew that the use of sacrifices is something which is deeply rooted in the customs of many different peoples; possibly as a result of being descended from our common ancestors, Adam and Eve. What is unique about the sacrifices of Leviticus is that blood sacrifices are required; something which had not been necessary prior to the golden calf. Now, when one wishes to approach God, in addition to whatever cereal sacrifices may be offered, a blood sacrifice is also required. Because the Israelites had violated the first commandment and worshiped a god in the form of an animal, animals must now be sacrificed to show that they reject these false gods and recognize God’s supremacy.
Along with the need for sacrifice came the concept of ritual uncleanness. Such uncleanness is a familiar concept in the East. (The “Untouchables” of India are an example). For the Hebrews, such ritual uncleanness seems to have had little to do with physical or moral uncleanness but was calculated to keep the People of God conscious of their election as a pure and undefiled people of spiritual qualities and destiny. The obedience and observance enjoined by the Law kept the people conscious of their obligations of purity of life and also made them have a greater awe for God and the religion requiring such purity of its worshipers. Ritual cleanness was demanded for almost any communion with God in the ceremonies of the Temple or the home. The leper was an object of much legislation as regards cleanness (Leviticus 13:14). It seems that the leper was thought to have been touched in a particularly direct way by the hand of God.
13:1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
Aaron is Moses’ older brother, the one who is Moses’ spokesman (Exodus 4:14-15), and also the one who forged the golden calf while Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai. While Moses was on Mount Sinai, the people had convinced Aaron to represent them in their worship (the golden calf); now that Moses has returned, God has in essence said “You want Aaron, you got him”. He is the high priest in the post-golden calf time and must sacrifice a bull every time he enters the holy of holies, thus rejecting the bull idol which he had made.
2 “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. 44 [If] the man is leprous and unclean, and the priest shall declare him unclean by reason of the sore on his head.
There are many skin diseases which can manifest these appearances, not just what we call today Hansen’s disease. The fact that people suffering from these diseases are unsightly was sufficient reason to declare them unclean. Ordinary skin blotches, scabs resulting from boils or burns, scalp disorders, face eruptions, and baldness were not signs of impurity so long as they were devoid of infectious symptoms. It was widely held that leprosy was a punishment for some sin (Numbers 12:1-10; Isaiah 53:4).
45 “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!’ 46 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.
Leprosy is an infectious disease and every effort had to be made to keep it from spreading. Lepers were impure and they transferred impurity to whatever and whoever touched them and to the places they entered. Life was very different for a person with leprosy. They had to live in settlements or camps away from towns. When traveling about, they had to warn people they were coming by shouting to show they were unclean; they wore their clothes torn and hair uncombed; all this was meant to make them stand out, so that people could avoid them easily.
2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
Saint Paul has been answering questions which the Corinthian Christians have posed to him concerning what is proper behavior and attitude. After all, they are among the minority in their town, they are surrounded by pagan believers and want to know what is permissible action. For example, is it allowed to eat meat which has been sacrificed to idols since they do not believe that the idols have any power? This is the question which we looked at last week. Today we hear Saint Paul sum up his teaching on Christian behavior.
31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of
God. 32 Avoid giving offense, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God,
In everything a Christian does they should seek the glory of God by always acting with the best of intentions. Each person is morally responsible not only for their own actions, but also for the influence their behavior has on the good or bad actions of others.
“Let all the things which you undertake and accomplish have this root and foundation, namely, that they tend to the glory of God. ... When Paul said ‘whatever you do’, he has enclosed our whole existence in a single word, desiring that we never perform any act of virtue with an eye to human glory.” [Saint John Chrysostom (ca. A.D. 388), Baptismal Catecheses 6,10]
33 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. 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
In imitating the apostle, the faithful will be imitating Christ who is the perfect example of renunciation for the salvation of mankind.
“If you imitate Paul as he imitated Christ, then you will be imitating Christ as he represented God.” [Saint Clement of Alexandria (after A.D. 202), Stromateis 2,136,5]
Gospel - Mark 1:40-45
Last week we heard the close of Jesus’ ministry on the Sabbath in Capernaum. He had taught in the synagogue and cast a spirit out of a man there; he had then gone to Simon’s home and healed his mother-in-law; then, after sundown (the beginning of a new day in the Jewish reckoning of time) has healed many sick and possessed. The location of the healing which we hear about today is uncertain; all we know is that it takes some place in the region of Galilee.
40 A leper came to him
This miracle illustrates Jesus’ power to save even those excluded from Israel by the Mosaic Law.
(and kneeling down) begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Prostrating himself before Jesus as a sign of humility and shame
41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him,
“And why did He touch him, since the Law forbade the touching of a leper? He touched him to show that ‘all things are clean to the clean’ (Titus 1:15). Because the filth that is in one person does not adhere to others, nor does external uncleanness defile the clean of heart. So He touches him in his untouchability, that He might instruct us in humility; that He might teach us that we should despise no one, or abhor them or regard them as pitiable, because of some wound on their body or some blemish for which they might be called to render an account.” [Origen (ca. A.D. 245), The Healing Of The Leper]
and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” 42 The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
The disappearance of leprosy was regarded as one of the blessings of the messianic times (Isaiah 35:8).
“If He cleansed him merely by willing it and by speaking it, why did He also add the touch of His hand? For no other reason, it seems to me, than that He might signify by this that He is not under the hand of the Law, but the Law is in His hands... He touched the leper to signify that He heals not as servant but as Lord.” [Saint John Chrysostom (A.D. 370), Homilies on The Gospel of Matthew 25,2]
43 Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. 44 Then 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.”
Leviticus 14:1-32 gives the procedures which the priest and the cured must follow in order to be declared clean. Sacrifices and inspections are made and on the 8th day the person is declared clean. This is seen as a precursor to the resurrection when all mankind was given the opportunity to become clean through the offering of Jesus, our high priest.
45 The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
Saint Mark is making a subtle catechetical point: those cleansed by Christ in baptism must proclaim the Good News.
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.
Like the leper, we are to approach Jesus in humility and shame because we have allowed sin to stain our baptismal garment. Shame should not prevent us from confessing; the leper showed Jesus his sores and begged to be healed. Likewise, we must approach Jesus in the sacrament of reconciliation by putting aside our pride, confessing our sins, and experiencing His healing.
St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune,
MS http://www.scborromeo.org
SIXTH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, MARK 1:40-45
(Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; 1 Corinthians 10:31—11:1)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11, MARK 1:40-45
(Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; 1 Corinthians 10:31—11:1)
KEY VERSE: "I do will it. Be made clean" (v 41).
TO KNOW: In the time of Jesus, leprosy (Hebrew, tzara) was not simply modern Hansen’s disease, but any number of skin diseases, which were temporary conditions that were usually not fatal. Leprosy could also be mold or mildew, which affected fabrics and houses. Leprosy was seen as punishment for sins involving speech or language such as gossip and slander. Since it was thought that persons or objects with leprosy could contaminate others, they were separated from the community for the good of all. Quarantined from healthy members of society, lepers were forced to live apart from family, friends and the community. One such leper dared to approach Jesus and humbly beg to be healed. Jesus was filled with compassion, and he touched the man even though contact with leprosy made one "unclean." Then Jesus sent the man to the priest who alone could pronounce him cured (Lv 14:1-32). Jesus was concerned that his miracles might be misinterpreted as wonder-working, so he admonished the man not to speak of the healing. But the man could not restrain himself and proclaimed the good news to everyone. Now it was Jesus who was forced to live on the outskirts of town.
TO LOVE: Do I tell others of the Lord's mercy.
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, I humbly ask you to heal me of my afflictions.
WORLD DAY OF THE SICK
Pope John Paul II initiated the day in 1992 to encourage people to pray for those who suffer from illness and for their caregivers. The Pope himself had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year before, in 1991, and it is considered that his own illness was impetus for his designation of the day. People around the world take the time to pray for the sick and for those who work very hard to alleviate the sufferings of the sick. Faith organizations mark this day especially to provide the sick with medicines, food, and spiritual guidance.
Sunday 11
February 2018
Week II Psalter. 6th
Sunday in Ordinary Time. [Our Lady of Lourdes].
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46.
Psalm 31(32):1-2, 5, 11. 1 Corinthians 10:31 – 11:1. Mark 1:40-45.
I turn to you, Lord, in
time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation—Psalm 31(32):1-2, 5,
11.
Be glad in the Lord and
rejoice.
Imagine the absolute joy
radiating from the leper after Jesus had healed him. The psalmist, too, speaks
of such joy after being rescued by God from his sinful ways.
Such fullness of spirit
is not meant to be contained. We are called to pass on this joy to those we
meet. Attending a number of wedding ceremonies recently, I was reminded of that
initial joy at the newness of marriage. The couples involved were absolutely
glowing with happiness.
Of course, not all marriages
continue to be filled with such wonderful experiences. In our relationship with
God there are also problems along the way. At such times, we need to remember
our sense of joy and wonder when God filled us to overflowing with his love for
the first time. Those around us will certainly notice!
Our Lady of Lourdes
Saint of the Day
for February 11
The Story of Our Lady of
Lourdes
On December 8, 1854, Pope
Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception in the apostolic
constitution Ineffabilis Deus. A little more than three years
later, on February 11, 1858, a young lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous.
This began a series of visions. During the apparition on March 25, the lady
identified herself with the words: “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
Bernadette was a sickly
child of poor parents. Their practice of the Catholic faith was scarcely more
than lukewarm. Bernadette could pray the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the
Creed. She also knew the prayer of the Miraculous Medal: “O Mary conceived
without sin.”
During interrogations
Bernadette gave an account of what she saw. It was “something white in the
shape of a girl.” She used the word aquero, a dialect term meaning
“this thing.” It was “a pretty young girl with a rosary over her arm.” Her
white robe was encircled by a blue girdle. She wore a white veil. There was a
yellow rose on each foot. A rosary was in her hand. Bernadette was also
impressed by the fact that the lady did not use the informal form of address (tu),
but the polite form (vous). The humble virgin appeared to a humble girl
and treated her with dignity.
Through that humble girl,
Mary revitalized and continues to revitalize the faith of millions of people.
People began to flock to Lourdes from other parts of France and from all over
the world. In 1862 Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the
apparitions and authorized the cult of Our Lady of Lourdes for the diocese. The
Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes became worldwide in 1907.
Reflection
Lourdes has become a
place of pilgrimage and healing, but even more of faith. Church authorities
have recognized over 60 miraculous cures, although there have probably been
many more. To people of faith this is not surprising. It is a continuation of
Jesus’ healing miracles—now performed at the intercession of his mother. Some
would say that the greater miracles are hidden. Many who visit Lourdes return
home with renewed faith and a readiness to serve God in their needy brothers and
sisters.
There still may be people
who doubt the apparitions of Lourdes. Perhaps the best that can be said to them
are the words that introduce the film The Song of Bernadette: “For
those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not
believe, no explanation is possible.”
Our Lady of Lourdes if
the Patron Saint of:
Bodily Ills
LECTIO DIVINA: 6TH SUNDAY OF
ORDINARY TIME (B)
Lectio Divina:
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Jesus
heals a leper. Reintroducing the marginalized into human society.
Mark
1:40-45
1. OPENING PRAYER
Lord
Jesus, send Your Spirit to help us to read the Scriptures with the same mind
that You read them to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. In the light of the
Word, written in the Bible, You helped them to discover the presence of God in
the disturbing events of Your sentence and death. Thus, the cross that seemed
to be the end of all hope became for them the source of life and of
resurrection.
Create
in us silence so that we may listen to Your voice in creation and in the
scriptures, in events and in people, above all in the poor and suffering. May
Your word guide us so that we, too, like the two disciples on the way to
Emmaus, may experience the force of Your resurrection and witness to others
that You are alive in our midst as source of fraternity, justice and peace. We
ask this of You, Jesus, Son of Mary, who revealed the Father to us and sent us
Your Spirit. Amen.
2. READING
a)
A key to the reading:
The
Gospel of this sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time tells us how Jesus receives a
leper. In those days, lepers were the most excluded people of society, avoided
by all. Lepers could not take part in anything. In olden days, the lack of
effective medicines, the fear of contagion and the necessity of defending the
life of society led people to isolate and exclude lepers. Besides, among the
people of God whose defense of the gift of life was one of the most sacred
duties, they thought that the exclusion of lepers was a divine duty because it
was the only way to defend the community from deadly contagion. Thus, in Israel,
the leper felt impure and excluded not only by society, but even by God (cf.
Lev 14:1-32). Gradually, however, as better remedies came to light and, above
all, thanks to the deep experience communicated to us by Jesus concerning
God our Father, lepers began to be accepted and reintegrated as brothers and
sisters in human society.
In
spite of two thousand years of Christianity, the exclusion and marginalization
of some categories of people goes on even today, whether in society or in the
Church. For instance, those suffering from AIDS, migrants, homosexuals,
divorced persons, etc. Today, in your society and in the Church, what are the
categories of excluded and avoided people? With these questions in mind, let us
read and meditate on the Gospel for this Sunday.
b)
A division of the text as a help to our reading:
Mark
1:40: The state of abandonment and exclusion of a leper
Mark
1:41-42: Jesus welcomes and heals the leper
Mark
1:43-44: Reintroducing those excluded into fraternal society
Mark
1:45: The leper proclaims the good Jesus did to him, and Jesus becomes an
excluded person
c)
Text:
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.
3. A MOMENT OF PRAYERFUL
SILENCE
so
that the Word of God may penetrate and enlighten our life.
4. SOME QUESTIONS
to
help us in our personal reflection.
a)
What did you like best and what touched you most in this text? Why?
b)
How does this text express the exclusion of lepers?
c)
How does Jesus welcome, heal and reinstate the leper? Try to observe each
detail carefully.
d)
How can we, today, imitate Jesus’ attitude towards those excluded?
5. FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO GO
DEEPER INTO THE THEME
A)
The context of then and of today:
Whether
in the 70’s, when Mark was writing, or today in our times, it was and still is
very important to hold to some criteria or models to know how to live and
proclaim the Good News of God and how to carry out our mission as Christians.
In verses 16 to 45 of the first chapter of Mark, in gathering together eight
episodes, describes how Jesus proclaimed the Good News. Each episode contains
the criterion for the community of His time, so that people then could examine
their own mission. This Sunday’s text makes concrete the eighth criterion:
reinstating those excluded. Here is the overall scheme to clarify what follows:
TEXT
ACTIVITIES
OF JESUS
AIM
OF THE GOOD NEWS
Mark
1:16-20
Jesus
calls His first disciples
forming
community
Mark
1:21-22
The
people are amazed at His teaching
creating
a critical conscience
Mark
1:23-28
Jesus
drives out an evil spirit
fighting
against the power of evil
Mark
1:29-31
The
healing of Peter’s mother-in-law
restoring
life through service
Mark
1:32-34
The
healing of the sick and those possessed by devils
welcoming
the marginalized
Mark
1:35
Jesus
gets up to pray while it is still dark
staying
united with the Father
Mark
1:36-39
Jesus
goes on proclaiming the Good News
not
allowing results to stop us
Mark
1:40-45
Jesus
heals a leper
reinstating
those excluded
b)
A commentary on the text:
Mark
1:40: The state of abandonment and exclusion of a leper
A
leper approaches Jesus. He was an excluded man, impure! He was to be sent away
from human society. Anyone who came close to him would also be impure. But the
leper had much courage. He broke the rules of religion so as to approach Jesus.
He says, “If You are willing, You can cleanse me!” In other words,
“There is no need for You to touch me! If You are just willing that is enough
to heal me!” This sentence reveals two evils: 1) the evil of the disease called
leprosy that made him impure; 2) the evil of solitude to which
he was condemned by society and religion. It also reveals the great faith
people had in the power of Jesus.
Mark
1:41-42: By receiving and healing the leper, Jesus reveals a new face
of God
Deeply
compassionate, Jesus heals both evils. Firstly, to heal the evil of solitude,
He touches the leper. It is as though He says to him, "For Me you are not
an outcast. I welcome you as a brother!" Secondly, He heals the disease
called leprosy, saying, “I am willing. Be cleansed!” In order to
come into contact with Jesus, the leper had broken the rules of the law. For
Jesus to be able to help this excluded one and thus reveal a new face of God,
He breaks the laws of His religion and touches the leper. In those days, anyone
who touched a leper became impure in the sight of the religious authorities and
before the law of that time.
Mark
1:43-44: Reinstating those excluded into fraternal life
Not
only does Jesus heal, but He wills that the healed person be able to live with
others. Reinstating a person to society. In those days, for a leper to be
received within the community, he or she had to have a declaration of healing
from a priest. Thus it was written in the law concerning the purification of a
leper (Lev 14:1-32). This still happens today. The sick person leaves the
hospital with a letter signed by the doctor of a particular section. Jesus
obliges the leper to get the document from the competent authority so that he
may be reinstated into normal society. He is thus obliging the authorities to
confirm that the man has been healed.
Mark
1:45: The leper proclaims the good that Jesus worked for him and Jesus
becomes excluded.
Jesus
had forbidden the leper from speaking of his healing. But the leper did speak.
The leper started freely proclaiming the story everywhere, so that
Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but stayed away in desert places.
Why did Jesus stay away in desert places? Jesus had touched the leper. Thus,
according to opinion in those days, now He was impure and had to live away from
all. He could not enter any city. But Mark implies that people did not much
care about official rules, because people from all around kept coming
to Him! A complete turn around!
The
double news that Mark conveys to the communities of his time and to all of us
is this: 1) that proclaiming the Good News means witnessing to the concrete
experience that one has of Jesus. What does the leper proclaim? He proclaims to
others the good that Jesus did to him. That’s all! And it is precisely this
witness that drives others to accept the Good News that Jesus proclaims. Anyone
who has no experience of Jesus will have little to proclaim to others. 2) To
take the Good News to others one need not fear breaking religious rules that
are contrary to God’s plan and that render communication, dialogue and a life
of love difficult, even if such an attitude may create difficulties for people
as it did for Jesus!
c)
Further information:
The
eight criteria for evaluating the mission of the Community
A
double slavery marked the situation of people at the time of Jesus: the slavery
of the official religion, upheld by the religious authorities of the time, and
the slavery of Herod’s politics, upheld by the Roman Empire and supported by
the whole organized system of exploitation and repression. Because of all this,
many of the people were excluded by religion and by society: the very contrary
of the fraternity that God dreamt of for all! And it is precisely in this
context that Jesus begins to carry out His mission of proclaiming the Good News
of God.
This
Sunday’s Gospel is part of a broader literary unit (Mk 1:16-45). Apart from the
description of the preparation of the Good News (Mk 1:1-13) and of the
proclamation (Mk 1:14-15), Mark brings together eight activities of Jesus to
describe His mission of proclamation of the Good News and to describe how the
mission of the community should be (Mk 1:16-45). This is the same mission that
Jesus received from the Father (Jn 20:21). Mark puts together these episodes,
which were passed on orally in the communities, and links them together like
old bricks in a new wall. These eight episodes are eight criteria that serve
the community to revise and check whether they are carrying out their mission
well. Let us see:
i)
Mk 1:16-20: Creating community.
The
first thing that Jesus does is to call people to follow Him. A fundamental task
of mission is to gather people around Jesus in order to create
community.
ii)
Mk 1:21-22: Creating a critical conscience.
The
first thing that people see is the difference between the teaching of Jesus and
that of the . Part of mission is to create a critical
conscience in people, even in the face of the official religion.
iii)
Mk 1:23-28: Fighting the power of evil.
Jesus’
first miracle is the driving out of an impure spirit. Part of mission is
fighting the power of evil that destroys life and alienates people from
themselves.
iv)
Mk 1:29-31: Restoring life through service.
Jesus
heals Peter’s mother-in-law, and she gets up and begins to serve. Part of mission is
the care of the sick, so that they may be able to get up and once more serve
others.
v)
Mk 1:32-34: Welcoming the marginalized
After
the Sabbath, people bring to Jesus the sick and the possessed that He may heal
them, and, by laying His hands, He heals them all. Part of mission is
to welcome the marginalized.
vi)
Mk 1:35: Staying united with the Father through prayer.
After
a day of labor that extends far into the night, Jesus gets up quickly so that
He may pray in a desert place. Part of mission is staying
united with the source of the Good News, that is, the Father, through prayer.
vii)
Mk 1:36-39: Keeping up an awareness of mission.
The
disciples were happy with the results and wanted Jesus to return. But He
carried on with His journey. Part of mission is not to be
content with results, but to keep alive an awareness of mission.
viii)
Mk 1:40-45: Reinstating the marginalized into human society.
Jesus
heals a leper and asks him to present himself to a priest so that he may be
declared healed and may be able to live among people. Part of mission is
reinstating the excluded to human society.
These
eight points, so well chosen by Mark, indicate the purpose of Jesus’ mission:
“I came that all may have life, and may have it abundantly!” (Jn 10:10). These
same eight points may serve to evaluate our own community. Thus we can see how
Mark built up his Gospel - a beautiful structure that keeps in mind two things
at once: (1) it informs people of what Jesus did and taught; (2) and it forms
the community and people in the mission of proclaimers of the Good News of God.
6. PRAYING A PSALM: PSALM 125
(124)
Anyone
who trusts in the Lord will not waver!
Whoever
trusts in Yahweh is like Mount Zion:
unshakable,
it stands for ever.
Jerusalem!
The mountains encircle her:
so
Yahweh encircles His people,
henceforth
and forever.
The
scepter of the wicked will not come to rest
over
the heritage of the upright;
or
the upright might set their own hands to evil.
Do
good, Yahweh,
to
those who are good,
to
the sincere at heart.
But
the crooked, the twisted, turn them away,
Yahweh,
with evil-doers. Peace to Israel!
7. FINAL PRAYER
Lord
Jesus, we thank You for the word that has enabled us to understand better the
will of the Father. May Your Spirit enlighten our actions and grant us the
strength to practice what Your Word has revealed to us. May we, like Mary, Your
mother, not only listen to but also practice the Word. You who live and reign
with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
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