6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This Sunday we celebrate the 6th Sunday of ordinary time as we finish the first part of Ordinary Time as the Holy Season of Lent begins again with the Ashes of ash Wednesday next week. We have now come full circle and here we are facing into Lent with all its opportunities. However Ash Wednesday and Lent will be different this year because of the COVID Pandemic.
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?
It is interesting to note that during his healing of the leper Jesus reaches out his hand and touches the man. This is a clear breach of one of the rules set down by Moses; touch was forbidden for fear of passing on the infection. But, of course, touch is often an important part of the healing process and Jesus does not hesitate to touch the man he is healing. In hospitals the doctors carry out the physical treatment but it is often the tender loving care given by the nurses that actually brings about the real healing. This TLC, as we call it, cannot be truly given without touching. When we consider the disease of leprosy we can see too that it has many similarities with that other great disease that afflict mankind, namely sin. Leprosy separates human beings from each other, but sin separates us both from God and from each other. Sin brings division and damages the cohesion of the community. The lepers life was changed by Jesus’ compassion, touch and words but Jesus told him not to tell anyone. We have to ask ourselves are our own lives changed when we hear the words of Jesus? Do we allow ourselves to be transformed by the 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 next Wednesday Let us pray for a spirit of compassion and understanding as we journey through Lent to the great celebration of Holy Week and Easter especially during the covid19 pandemic.
Fullerton T 