6th Sunday of ordinary time
This Sunday we celebrate the 6th Sunday of ordinary time which is also the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes and world day of prayer for the sick. In our parish we will be celebrating the anointing of the sick in the afternoon as we remember all those our families and friends who are sick as well as all who care for them. Then next Wednesday we begin the Holy Season of Lent with the Ashes of ash Wednesday.
Our Gospel story tells us about the Leper going to Jesus who healed him but it is about much more than just the healing, it is about the faith that the leper had in Jesus. It is also about the faith we have in Jesus. After he heals him Jesus tells the man to be silent. He wants the miracle to be personal and quiet for a purpose. The man is to go first to the priests and go through the ritual cleansing prescribed in Leviticus (14:1ff.) Maybe the priests would ask the man how he was cured and then they would hear about Jesus. Who better to give witness to Jesus than someone whose life has been changed by him? Who better to witness to the strength, joy, encouragement, hope and direction that Jesus gives us than one who has been transformed by him?
The lepers life was changed but by Jesus’ compassion, touch and words but Jesus told him not to tell anyone. We have to ask ourselves are our own lives changed by the words and compassion of Jesus? Do we allow ourselves to be transformed by the compassion and words of Jesus in order to show his compassion to others? The man who Jesus cured became an evangelist. He “proclaimed and spread the word.” In the context of Mark, the cured man brought others to faith even though he was told not to tell anyone. So many, in fact, Jesus could not travel in the open for fear of a mob. Yet, they came to him from every point in Galilee. Jesus continued his ministry despite restrictions placed on him. But he could not visit new territories and preach. Word of his power preceded Jesus and brought the needy to him. May we share the healed man’s enthusiasm to make known the goodness of God. As we begin the season of Lent with the Ashes next Wednesday with all the opportunities it provides for renewal of our spiritual lives Let us pray for a spirit of compassion and understanding as we journey through Lent to the great celebration of Holy Week and Easter.
Fullerton T 