Daily Reflection for Friday, June 26, 2020
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Friday’s readings at this link:
http://usccb.org/bible/readings/062620.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 2 Kings 25: 1-12
Responsorial: Psalm 137: 1-6
Gospel: Matthew 8: 1-4
Our reflection on Friday’s readings:
“Be made clean .” Matthew 8: 3
I am trying to imagine being the person with leprosy in today’s Gospel. That I have a deadly contagious, disease—a disease requiring me to be isolated from the community and my loved ones lest I spread the disease to others. This disease will kill me. A disease that makes me untouchable, an outcast.
I am watching Jesus come down from the mountain after his great sermon on the mount and there are throngs of people around him. Do I meekly try to get close enough to ask for his healing? Do I have the courage—the audacity—to approach the Lord and, instead of asking, tell him-- “If you wish, you can make me clean”?
Or do I accept my fate, isolate myself and fatalistically await my death? Maybe I even look forward to a quick death and an end to the suffering.
The easy answer might be to accept my fate. I am going to die. Society probably wants me to die so they don’t have to risk being near me. There would be one less “leper” around.
What’s the courageous direction? It takes a lot of courage to believe someone could love me, the outcast. It also requires belief in the power and love of Jesus. Belief that I matter and can make a difference. I can follow Jesus and his direction.
Do I really want Jesus to “make me clean”? Do I really want to be healed? If Jesus loves and heals me, if Jesus gives me my life back, don’t I owe it to Jesus to be his disciple? To follow Jesus and his teachings? To be his?
To follow Jesus takes courage and commitment. It is not the easy road.
Yes, the Lord can heal me. The Lord can make me clean. But then I belong to him.
There’s so much to make clean in me and to make clean in the world. Do I have the courage?
Peace and blessings,
Al Mytty