February 15, 2015

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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.

Alleluia Lk 7:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst,
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

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.

From: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46

Tests for Leprosy

[1] The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, [2] ”When a man has on the skin of his
body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on
the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his
sons the priests. [44] He is leprous man, he is unclean; the priest must pro-
nounce him unclean; his disease is on his head.

[45] ”The leper who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of
his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry, ‘Unclean, unclean.’
[46] He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean; he
shall dwell alone in a habitation outside the camp.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

13:1-14:57. These chapters contain the regulations to do with leprosy, its treat-
ment, and purification after contact with the disease. They cover leprosy in per-
sons (13:1-46; 14:1-32), in clothing and in accommodation (13:47-59; 14:33-53);
the cleansing of the poor is specially facilitated (14:21-32). The section ends by
looking at the different kinds of leprosy (14:54-57).

13:1-59. According to the state of knowledge at the time, there were various indi-
cations for this terrible disease. Although some of the data given here may be of
interest to historians of medicine, there was generally confusion between lepro-
sy and other skin diseases. However, the fact that people suffering from these
diseases are unsightly was sufficient reason to declare them unclean.

Because leprosy was an infectious disease, every effort had to be made to keep
it from spreading. It was widely held as being a punishment for some sin. Indeed,
in the case of Miriam, who was leprous for a while, we are told that she got the
disease because she had been murmuring against her brother Moses (cf. Num
12:1-10). Also, the suffering servant of Yahweh is portrayed as having leprosy,
an affliction God sent him on account of our sins (cf. Is 53:4). And Job, who had
something like leprosy, was accused by his Mends of having committed some
terrible, hidden sin: it was the only explanation they could think of for his sorry
state.

Life was very different for a person with leprosy. He had to live in settlements or
camps away from towns. When travelling about, he had to warn people he was
coming by shouting to show he was unclean; he wore his clothes torn and hair
uncombed: all this was meant to make him stand out, so that people could avoid
him easily. We often come across wretched lepers in the Gospels, on whom Je-
sus has compassion and whom he makes clean (cf. Mt 8:2-3; Lk 17:12-14): the
curing of lepers was one of the signs of the messianic times prophesied in the
Old Testament (Mt 11:5). And our Lord gives the apostles power to cure lepers
(cf. Mt 10:8).

The New Vulgate abbreviates the original Hebrew text, especially 13:52-53.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

Practical Solutions

[31] So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
[32] Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, [33] just as I
try to please all men in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that
of many, that they may be saved.

[1] Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

31. In everything he does—even in apparently unimportant things, like eating and
drinking—a Christian should seek the glory of God, by always acting with the best
of intentions. In the case of meals, the practice of saying grace before and after
helps us to be mindful of God in that situation.

“When you sit down to eat,” St Basil says, commenting on this verse, “pray.
When you eat bread, do so thanking him for being so generous to you. If you
drink wine, be mindful of him who has given it to you for your pleasure and as a
relief in sickness. When you dress, thank him for his kindness in providing you
with clothes. When you look at the sky and the beauty of the stars, throw your-
self at God’s feet and adore him who in his wisdom has arranged things in this
way. Similarly, when the sun goes down and when it rises, when you are asleep
or awake, give thanks to God, who created and arranged all things for your bene-
fit, to have you know, love and praise their Creator” (”Hom. in Julittarn Marty-
rem”).

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Mark 1:40-45

The Curing of a Leper

[40] And a leper came to Him (Jesus), beseeching Him, and kneeling said to
Him, “If You will, You can make me clean.” [41] Moved with pity, He stretched
out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.” [42] And im-
mediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. [43] And He sternly
charged him, and sent him away at once, [44] and said to him, “See that you
say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your
cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.” [45] But he went
out and began to talk freely about it, and spread the news, so that Jesus could
no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to
Him from every quarter.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

40-44. Leprosy was seen as a punishment from God (cf. Numbers 12:10-15).
The disappearance of the disease was regarded as one of the blessings of the
messianic times (Isaiah 35:8; cf. Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22). Because leprosy
was contagious, the Law declared that lepers were impure and that they trans-
mitted impurity to those who touched them and to places they entered. There-
fore, they had to live apart (Numbers 5:2; 12:14ff) and to show that they were
lepers by certain external signs. On the rite of purification, see the note on
Matthew 8:4.

[The note on Matthew 8:4 states:

4. According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 14), if a leper is cured of his di-
sease, he should present himself to a priest, who will register the cure and give
him a certificate which he needs to be reintegrated into the civil and religious life
of Israel. Leviticus also prescribes the purifications and sacrifice he should offer.
Jesus’ instruction to the leper is, then, in keeping with the normal way of fulfilling
what the laws laid down.]

The passage shows us the faithful and confident prayer of a man needing Jesus’
help and begging Him for it, confident that, if Our Lord wishes, He can free him
from the disease (cf. Matthew 8:2). “This man prostrated himself on the ground,
as a sign of humility and shame, to teach each of us to be ashamed of the stains
of his life. But shame should not prevent us from confessing: the leper showed
his wound and begged for healing. If You will, he says, You can make me clean;
that is, he recognized that the Lord had the power to cure him” (St. Bede, “In
Marci Evangelium Expositio, in loc.”).

On the discretion and prudence Jesus required regarding His person, see the
note on Mark 1:34 and Matthew 9:30.

[The note on Mark 1:34 states:

34. Demons possess a supernatural type of knowledge and therefore they re-
cognize Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 1:24). Through the people they possess
they are able to publish this fact. But Our Lord, using His divine powers, orders
them to be silent. On other occasions He also silences His disciples (Mark 8:
30; 9:9), and He instructs people whom He has cured not to talk about their
cure (Mark 1:4; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26). He may have acted in this way to educate the
people away from a too human and political idea of the Messiah (Matthew 9:30).
Therefore, He first awakens their interest by performing miracles and gradually,
through His preaching, gives them a clearer understanding of the kind of Mes-
siah He is.

Some Fathers of the Church point out that Jesus does not want to accept, in
support of the truth, the testimony of him who is the father of lies.]

[The note on Matthew 9:30 states:

30. Why did our Lord not want them to publicize the miracle? Because His plan
was to gradually manifest Himself as the Messiah, the Son of God. He did not
want to anticipate events which would occur in their own good time; nor did He
want the crowd to start hailing Him as Messiah King, because their notion of
messiah was nationalistic, not a spiritual one. However, the crowd did in fact pro-
claim Him when he worked the miracles of the loaves and the fish (John 6:14-15):
“When the people saw the sign which He had done, they said, ‘This is indeed
the prophet who is to come into the world!’ Perceiving then that they were about
to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the
hills by Himself.”]

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46 ©

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘If a swelling or scab or shiny spot appears on a man’s skin, a case of leprosy of the skin is to be suspected. The man must be taken to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests who are his sons.

‘The man is leprous: he is unclean. The priest must declare him unclean; he is suffering from leprosy of the head. A man infected with leprosy must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean.” As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean; and therefore he must live apart: he must live outside the camp.’

Psalm

Psalm 31:1-2,5,11 ©

You are my refuge, O Lord; you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Happy the man whose offence is forgiven,

whose sin is remitted.

O happy the man to whom the Lord

imputes no guilt,

in whose spirit is no guile.

You are my refuge, O Lord; you fill me with the joy of salvation.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;

my guilt I did not hide.

I said: ‘I will confess

my offence to the Lord.’

And you, Lord, have forgiven

the guilt of my sin.

You are my refuge, O Lord; you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,

exult, you just!

O come, ring out your joy,

all you upright of heart.

You are my refuge, O Lord; you fill me with the joy of salvation.

Second reading

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 ©

Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever you do at all, do it for the glory of God. Never do anything offensive to anyone – to Jews or Greeks or to the Church of God; just as I try to be helpful to everyone at all times, not anxious for my own advantage but for the advantage of everybody else, so that they may be saved. Take me for your model, as I take Christ.

Gospel Acclamation

cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ

enlighten the eyes of our mind,

so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

Or	Lk7:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

A great prophet has appeared among us;

God has visited his people.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Mark 1:40-45 ©

A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: ‘If you want to’ he said ‘you can cure me.’ Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. ‘Of course I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, ‘Mind you say nothing to anyone, but go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by Moses as evidence of your recovery.’ The man went away, but then started talking about it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all around would come to him.

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Glorious Mysteries
(Wednesdays and Sundays)
1.The Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:1-18, Luke 24:1-12, John 20:1-29) [Spiritual fruit - Faith]
2. The Ascension (Mark 16:19-20, Luke 24:50-53, Acts 1:6-11) [Spiritual fruit - Christian Hope]
3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13) [Spiritual fruit - Gifts of the Holy Spirit]
4. The Assumption [Spiritual fruit - To Jesus through Mary]
5. The Coronation [Spiritual fruit - Grace of Final Perseverance]

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.

February Devotion: The Holy Family

Since the 16th century Catholic piety has assigned entire months to special devotions. The month of February has been primarily asociated with the Holy Family, probably due to the feast of Our Lord's presentation at the temple, celebrated on February 2. At the very outset of Christ's work on earth, God showed the world a family in which, as Pope Leo XIII teaches, "all men might behold a perfect model of domestic life, and of all virtue and holiness." The harmony, unity, and holiness which characterized this holy Family make it the model for all Christian families.

INVOCATION
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph most kind, Bless us now and in death's agony.

FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY FAMILY
Grant unto us, Lord Jesus, ever to follow the example of Thy holy Family, that in the hour of our death Thy glorious Virgin Mother together with blessed Joseph may come to meet us and we may be worthily received by Thee into everlasting dwellings: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
Roman Missal

CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FAMILY
O Jesus, our most loving Redeemer, who having come to enlighten the world with Thy teaching and example, didst will to pass the greater part of Thy life in humility and subjection to Mary and Joseph in the poor home of Nazareth, thus sanctifying the Family that was to be an example for all Christian families, graciously receive our family as it dedicates and consecrates itself to Thee this day. Do Thou defend us, guard us and establish amongst us Thy holy fear, true peace, and concord in Christian love: in order that, by conforming ourselves to the divine pattern of Thy family, we may be able, all of us without exception, to attain to eternal happiness.

Mary, dear Mother of Jesus and Mother of us, by thy kindly intercession make this our humble offering acceptable in the sight of Jesus, and obtain for us His graces and blessings.

O Saint Joseph, most holy guardian of Jesus and Mary, assist us by thy prayers in all our spiritual and temporal necessities; that so we may be enabled to praise our divine Savior Jesus, together with Mary and thee, for all eternity.

Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be, three times.

IN HONOR OF THE HOLY FAMILY
O God, heavenly Father, it was part of Thine eternal decree that Thine only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, should form a holy family with Mary, His blessed mother, and His foster father, Saint Joseph. In Nazareth home life was sanctified, and a perfect example was given to every Christian family. Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may fully comprehend and faithfully imitate the virtues of the Holy Family so that we may be united with them one day in their heavenly glory. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer Source: Prayer Book, The by Reverend John P. O'Connell, M.A., S.T.D. and Jex Martin, M.A., The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, 1954

Holy Family Chaplet

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with me in my last hour.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul
in peace with you.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true man.
Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most holy.
Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse. Amen.

Say 3 Our Father's, 3 Hail Mary's, and 3 Glory be's.

The Holy Family Icon by Nicholas Markell

PRAYER TO
THE HOLY FAMILY
=====================================================================================

GOD our Heavenly Father, You call all peoples to be united as one family in worshipping You as the one and true God. You willed that Your Son become man, giving Him a virgin mother and a foster father to form the Holy Family of Nazareth.

WE pray: may the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, image and model of every human family unit walk in the spirit of Nazareth and grow in the understanding of its particular mission in society and the Church. May our families be living cells of love, faithfulness and unity, thus reflecting God's covenant with humanity and Christ's redeeming love for His Church.

JESUS, Mary and Joseph protect our families from all evil; keep us, who are away from home, one in love with our dear ones.

Parent's Prayer

Jesus, Son of God, Son of Man, and Son of Mary, I thank you for the gift of life you have entrusted to my care. Help me be a parent both tender and wise, both loving and forgiving.

Mary, Holy Mother of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and our Motherly Queen of Heaven, nourish our family with your heavenly grace. Help us to remain faithful to The Most Holy Trinity, in all our sorrows and joys.

Joseph, Earthly father to our Lord God, guardian and spouse of Mary, keep our family safe from harm. Help us in all times of discouragement or anxiety.

Holy Family of Nazareth, help our family to walk in your footsteps. May we be peace-loving and peace-giving.
Amen.

Imitating the Holy Family: Four Traits that Make It Possible
[Catholic Caucus] On the Holy Family [Angelus]
Biblical Teachings on Marriage and Family. A Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph
Recovering God’s Plan for Marriage and Family: A Sermon on the Feast of the Holy Family

“Why were you looking for me?" (On the Feast of The Holy Family)
U.S. Postal Service Issues Holy Family Forever Stamp
On Prayer in the Life of the Holy Family
The Holy Family - held together by Love through all their problems [Ecumenical]
Feast of the Holy Family: The Christian Family is a Domestic Church
Chesterton on "The Human Family and the Holy Family"
Joseph, Mary and Jesus: A Model Family
ADVICE TO PARENTS by Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787)
The Holy Family
St. Joseph as Head of the Holy Family (Catholic/Orthodox Caucus)

Feast of the Holy Family
Feast of the Holy Family (Dom Guéranger OSB)
The Feast of the Holy Family
The Holy Family vs. The Holy Innocents: A Christmas season reflection [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican creche to place Holy Family in Joseph's carpentry workshop
The Redemption and Protection of the Family [Feast of the Holy Family]
Study Backs Tradition of Loreto House - Stones in Altar Match Those in Nazareth, It Says
Unraveling Jesus' mystery years in Egypt
Gaudi’s Church of the Holy Family to be ready for worship in 2008
Imitating the Holy Family; Four Traits that Make It Possible
Lots of Graphics: Post your favorite image of the St. Mary and Child, the Holy Family...

Daily Gospel Commentary

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year B

Commentary of the day
Saint Paschasius Radbertus (?-c.849), Benedictine monk
Commentary on Saint Matthew’s Gospel 5,8

“I do will it. Be cured.”

Every day, the Lord heals the soul of each person who begs him to, who worships him reverently and proclaims these words with faith: “Lord, if you will to do so, you can cure me,” and this no matter how many faults he has. For “faith in the heart leads to justification.” (Rom 10:10) Thus, we must address our requests to God in complete trust, without doubting his power in any way… That is why the Lord immediately answered the leper who begged him: “I do will it.” For the sinner has hardly begun to pray with faith than the hand of the Lord sets to work to heal the leprosy of his soul…

This leper gives us very good advice on how to pray. He does not doubt the Lord’s will as if he were refusing to believe in his goodness. But he is aware of the seriousness of his faults, and so he does not want to presume on that will. In saying that, if the Lord wills, he can cure him, he affirms that the Lord has this power, and at the same time, he affirms his faith… If faith is weak, it must first be strengthened. Only then will it reveal all its power so as to obtain healing for the soul and the body.

Without doubt, the apostle Peter was speaking of this faith when he said: “He purified their hearts by means of faith” (Acts 15:9)… Pure faith lived in love, maintained through perseverance, patient in waiting, humble in its affirmation, firm in its trust, full of respect in its prayer and of wisdom in what it asks, is certain of hearing this word of the Lord’s in every circumstance: “I do will it.”

Arlington Catholic Herald

GOSPEL COMMENTARY MK 1:40-45

‘Be made clean’

Fr. Jack Peterson, YA

Leprosy was a hideous, dreaded disease at the time of Jesus. It was feared as much as anything in the ancient world. As a disease, it is devastating. It primarily affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the upper respiratory tract and the eyes. It eats away at the hands, feet and face. It causes a stench and is contagious, being spread by physical contact.

In addition to the horrible, physical effects of leprosy, there were social and religious repercussions. Because it is contagious, lepers were banned from society and forced to live in colonies outside of towns and villages. Additionally, a common perspective among many Jews of the day was that leprosy was a curse from God resulting from personal sin. So, lepers were not allowed in synagogues or the temple in Jerusalem. They had to dress a certain way and yell “unclean” whenever they neared another person.

In the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, a leper approaches Jesus, kneels down and begs Him to be made clean. This was a bold move for a leper. His actions, approaching a crowd and drawing near to a religious leader, went against all cultural and religious norms. Jesus’ response is equally as bold. The Divine Physician responds quickly and generously, “I do will it. Be made clean.” Notice the reference to cleansing: Jesus was indicating that He would offer physical cleansing/healing and spiritual cleansing, that is, forgiveness.

Next, Jesus does something completely unexpected. He stretches out His hand and touches the leper. How long had it been since the leper had been touched by another human being? How long had he gone without the gift of human touch that has the power to express care and warmth, bring healing and forgiveness, create bonds of trust and intimacy. The power of Jesus’ touch was greatly compounded by the fact that He is the Son of God who came to this earth to reveal God’s infinite love, extend God’s fathomless mercy and make an offer of abundant life to those who accept the gift of faith.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus brings this encounter to a common close by saying to him, “See that you tell no one anything …” Of course, the healed man “went away and began to publicize the whole matter.” He can’t hold back from sharing with the world what Jesus of Nazareth had just done for him. The Lord drew close, touched him, cleansed him of sin, removed his leprosy and sent him off to live a brand new life. He had to share the good news.

My brothers and sisters, all of us come before the Lord in a similar situation, do we not? We all stand before God, broken and hurting in certain ways, emotionally, physically and/or spiritually. Every one of us comes to Him with the curse of our sinfulness that distances us from God, and in some circumstances, actually cuts off our relationship with God. We all need Jesus to draw near, extend His hand, touch us with His healing, forgiving love, and send us back into the world with a mission of sharing His truth and love with our neighbor. “If You wish, You can make me clean.”

Fr. Peterson is assistant chaplain at Marymount University in Arlington and director of the Youth Apostles Institute in McLean.

The Work of God

Year B - 6th Sunday in ordinary time

Of course I want to cure you

Mark 1:40-45

40 A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean."
41 Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!"
42 Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.
43 After sternly warning him he sent him away at once,
44 saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
45 But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. (NRSV)

Inspiration of the Holy Spirit - From the Sacred Heart of Jesus

At the time of my healing ministry, lepers were despised and rejected because people feared to be contaminated by them, in fact, they were not allowed in public places.

This poor man suffering with leprosy risked his life in order to be cured. He knelt down before me with utter humility, he knew that I had the power to heal, and yet he did not ask me directly to heal him, he said to me, "If you want to, you can make me clean."

The faith of this leper, his courage, his determination and his need to be healed touched my heart. So being moved by compassion I stretched out my hand, touched him and said to him, “Of course I want to heal you, Be made clean.”

This can be a great lesson for all of you. The first thing that will impress me before I respond with a miracle is faith. It is by faith that I granted many miracles in my time, and I continue to grant them through faith, sometimes through the faith of one who prays for another and sometimes through the faith the one in need.

Without faith there is no response from me. In fact this is the reason why many prayers are not answered. To have faith is to believe beyond doubt that I am hearing your prayer, that I have the power to respond with a miracle and that I will do what you ask me.

But faith alone does not work. It must be combined with good works, and he who approaches the Most High must do so with humility. I do not listen to any request made with an unclean heart.

In good faith you must repent of your sins before you come into my presence. You must forgive your brothers from your heart, and you must be very humble before you come to me. Cain’s offering was rejected because of his lack of respect. Any pride in your soul will block my grace, remember this.

I am the immutable God, living in unapproachable light, I have made myself accessible through my humanity so that you could come close to me and benefit from my infinite goodness.

I am full of compassion and mercy, I do not reject anyone who comes to me with a humble and contrite heart. I am the same Jesus that you see in the Holy Scriptures, I have not stopped granting miracles.

Have faith in me and you will be a witness of my power.

Author: Joseph of Jesus and Mary

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