Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B: World Day of the Sick – February 11, 2024.
Readings: Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46; Ps 31:1-2,6,11; 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1; Gospel – Mark 1:40-45.
Theme: Doing the Unthinkable for Christ!
Sunday Synopsis
The first reading discloses the characteristic compassionate nature of God who commanded Moses to instruct Aaron about the plight of lepers. In the second reading, St. Paul urges believers not to do anything that is offensive to others but to work for the good of all. Today’s gospel tells how Jesus defied culture and social conventions to touch and heal a leper who cried out to him for help. He orders the man to go and show himself to the priest as evidence of recovery. Like Christ who defied all odds to touch the leper, we are charged to do the unthinkable by showing uncanny compassion to the sick, lonely and the unloved.
Introduction
Today is the last Sunday before Lent – Ash Wednesday is three days away. Our liturgy which calls us to prepare for Lent, reveals Jesus as the compassionate saviour who does the unthinkable – he touches and heals a leper. Recall that on Wednesday, 6 November 2013, at St. Peter’s square, Pope Francis left his pope mobile to kiss a man considered as “a modern leper” with the affection of a spiritual father. This moving encounter caught the attention of the world. Was the Holy Father moved by today’s gospel? How do we treat lepers, those living with HIV Aids, people from a different race, religion, political party? This leads us to the theme of our reflection today, “Doing the Unthinkable for Christ.”
Background and Summary of the Readings
The first reading (Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46) discloses the characteristic compassionate nature of God who commanded Moses to instruct Aaron about the plight of lepers. It was the responsibility of the priest to declare such a person unclean. Such an unclean person must appear in sack cloth and cry “unclean” as he passes and must live apart from the rest of the sons and daughters of Israel so as not to inflict others with the disease.
In the second reading (1 Cor. 10:31-11:1), St. Paul urges believers not to do anything that is offensive to others but to work for the good of all. He exhorts Christians to emulate him who did not seek his own advantage but was helpful to everyone. He surmised that compassion is tied to the salvation of all.
Today’s gospel (Mark 1:40-45) discloses how Jesus defied culture and social conventions to touch and heal a leper who cried out to him for help. He orders him to go and show himself to the priest as evidence of recovery. The man goes ahead to give testimony which attracted dozens of people who kept going after Jesus.
Pastoral Lessons
1. Cut off everything that leads to sin: The instruction of the first reading that lepers should be separated from others so as not to spread the disease since there was no known cure at the time, urges us to avoid anything that endangers others, even as we make concerted efforts to cut off everything that leads to sin – at least Lent (Ash Wednesday) is looming large.
2. Care for the sick: With over 200,000 new registered cases of leprosy globally each year according to latest data by the UN, health workers and pastors of souls are charged to be more dedicated in caring for those who have been separated from the Church and society due to illness – leprosy, HIV Aids, and cancer, etc.
3. Be kind and tender hearted: St. Paul calls us to emulate him by not seeking personal advantage but rather being kind and tender hearted to everyone, thus ensuring the salvation of all.
4. Seek total healing: We are challenged to bring before Jesus, the eternal high priest, our leprosy of unbelief, relativism, and secularism in order to experience the joy and relieve the man in the gospel felt when Jesus intervened in his life.
5. Pray for health works/agencies: This Sunday affords us the opportunity to pray for all United Nations agencies like the World Health Organisation and other Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for their interventions in providing free drugs and treatment for those suffering from leprosy.
Summary Lines
1. The first reading discloses the characteristic compassionate nature of God who commanded Moses to instruct Aaron about the plight of lepers.
2. In the second reading, St. Paul urges believers not to do anything that is offensive to others but to work for the good of all.
3. He exhorts Christians to emulate him who did not seek his own advantage but was helpful to everyone.
4. Today’s gospel discloses how Jesus defied culture and social conventions to touch and heal a leper who cried out to him for help.
5. He orders the man to go and show himself to the priest as evidence of recovery.
Conclusion
In conclusion, on World Day of the Sick, we are reminded that all of us are patients in the leprosarium of sin and Jesus the eternal high priest is ever ready to declare us clean. Abigail Van Buren reminds us that: “the Church is a hospital for sinners not a museum for saints.” We urgently need Jesus’s divine intervention in our lives. Strengthened by him, the Church goes out on mission to care for the sick especially those suffering from leprosy by partnering with various government bodies or NGOs to establish leprosarium for them. This disease requires urgent attention. Like Christ who defied all odds to touch the leper, we are charged to do the unthinkable by showing the sick, the lonely and the unloved, uncanny compassion. May God help us in this all-important mission. Amen. Have a fabulous week!
