Deacon Tom Anthony

February 11, 2018

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 77

Reading 1 Lv 13:1-2, 44-46

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 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.

My Brothers and Sisters,

 Society judges us differently than Jesus Christ. Because of that, there will be times in our lives where we feel unclean and unworthy of anything through our thoughts and actions. We will find ourselves wrestling with sins and situations which separate us from the joy we can experience in this life. Embarrassment, shame, and humiliation prevent us from receiving any type or healing from our friends and ultimately Jesus. The first Scripture Reading today focuses on this situation. Under the Old Law, a person who contracts leprosy is pronounced unclean and is assumed cursed by God. They are separated from the community and forced to live as outcasts. It was assumed that they were cursed by God and were living a punishment for their sins or the sins of their forbearers. Under The Law, there was no recompense.

Jesus Christ does not want us to feel that way. It is through Jesus Christ that we receive healing, faith, hope, and love. There is no alienation and humiliation. It is through our relationship with Jesus Christ that all of that ends. In Paul’s letter today, he tells us to be “imitators of Christ.” Christ welcomed those who were deemed unclean and sinners. He embraced the outcast and through that embrace healed them. Through the act of cleansing the leper, Jesus tells us that no one is beyond forgiveness and redemption. There only has to be a desire to be healed and made whole. All we have to do is ask and it will be given to us. There is no precondition. In the same way, we are encouraged to do the same to those who are in pain and are hurting. There should be no precondition to the giving of our love. Christ loves us regardless of what we did or what we are doing. He wants the best for us and we should treat others accordingly.

When we act out our faith, we are not only healing those that we interact with. We are also healing ourselves. When we perform acts of charity in the name of Jesus Christ, He is being revealed to us through the person that we are helping. It is a shared experience. When Jesus healed the leper, not only was the sick person healed physically, he was transformed spiritually by the presence of Jesus which then led to his physical healing. Those who were witnesses to the event were also affected in a profound way. Lastly, all of those who heard the Good News, including the priests, were impacted. Acts of faith

and loves have the capability to do this. There are no limitations to what can be done and who can be affected even through one small act of kindness.

In a Christian Community, the way we interact with one another and with those outside the community can bring a tremendous amount of love and healing. If we don’t conduct ourselves rights, a lot of pain can result also. Doing everything for the glory of God, all of our thoughts and actions, eliminates the negative and insures a positive result. No one is perfect but we can all at least strive for some sort of perfection. Whatever is our focus at a given moment will be that thing which will be displayed with the most prominence be it negative or positive. Unfortunately, the way society is, it is the negative that is remembered most significantly and can wipe away the remembrance of all the good that came before it. Satan is always waiting for the opportunity to emphasize this.

We must always be watchful for weakness within ourselves and within our brothers and sisters. Through prayer and mutual support, we can all keep our focus on Jesus Christ. The more that we do this then the more we will be successful and bear fruit. A tree is known by its fruit and, through Christ, the fruit will always be good.

Deacon Tom