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February 16, 2021Abu Dhabi.
Below is the full text of the homily delivered by Bishop Paul Hinder for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Readings of the Day: Leviticus 13:1-2.44-46; 1 Cor 10:31 – 11:1; Mark 1:40-45
Today’s gospel is like a mirror of what we are going through. Instead of leprosy, we place the pandemic. The leper had to cover his lips, now we are obliged to wear masks. We do not need to shout “Unclean, unclean!” as it was given by the law in the Old Testament. But we are forced to keep the social distance. We do not put people for the rest of their life in a leper village, but every now and then we have to go into quarantine especially if someone is tested positive.
There were two problems that affected in past and present and few can feel it ourselves: first is the suffering for an illness, but not only that, maybe even heavier is the social exclusion which was given as a rule for the lepers and which we may feel also in our experience of the pandemic. During the pandemic people are dying in isolation without the human warmth and love a person needs in such a situation.
There are other physical or mental diseases that can often lead to exclusion. The same is true for behaviours out of the norm; how we treat criminals after they have done their penitentiary, people with abnormalities in behaviour, people who are dirty, poor, people from the streets, other culture, different sexual orientation etc. We all have the tendency to exclude them, which is a kind of leprosy.
The leper needed courage for approaching Jesus against all the rules and exposing himself to the contemptuous comments of the people around. And Jesus? It was only in breaking the law that he could let approach the leper, because he was not allowed to do that. Let us just have a look at the text again:
-“A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees “: He should have come to the temple but he came to Jesus because he already believed that in him there was more than a normal human being, that he was the Son of God. That’s why he fell on his knees as an expression of adoration.
- “If you want to, you can cure me”: He was convinced and he believed: If Jesus wants, he can do it. This is not only with the leper 2000 years ago, He wants each one of us to be healed from our inner leprosy. He, the leper, trusted Jesus like God.
- Jesus touches the leper saying: “Of course I want to!” “Be cured!” Jesus overcomes the distance and reintegrates the leper. He is no more excluded. He touched him, a thing which is not allowed now according to the official rules. It is a sign of human warmth, of reintegrating someone with the Human community.
What does it mean for us now? We all have sores, which make us unappetizing; none of us is absolutely perfect. We all may have our “skeletons in the closet” which we are happy if nobody discovers. We have sins; We need the courage to overcome our shame and to approach the one who wants to heal us, who has the power to do it and who will not blame us for what we are. Jesus will not blame us, he is waiting for us to approach him, full of confidence and asking for healing for our own sores. “If you want Jesus, you can cure me.” Yes, Jesus wants us to be cured from inner sores. In a few days, we are starting Lenten season, with Ash Wednesday, a time of penance, especially a time of approaching Jesus with this confidence of the leper. ‘If you want, you can cure me.”, and he will do it.
We know our present-day restrictions. We have to respect the rules of prudent social distance, yes. But, we should not be overanxious or that could lead to the exclusion or reclusion of people. That means we shall have to overcome again the fear, to approach and also when it is indicated, to touch those who seek healing. Then they will be again included and not excluded.
There is a wonderful example in the life of St. Francis of Assisi which has marked his way in an essential manner and he remembers that the last months of his life has put it into his testament, I quote: “ When I was in sin, it seemed too bitter for me to see lepers.” He used to have nausea in front of them. “ And the Lord himself led me among them and I showed mercy to them. And when I left them, what had seemed bitter to me was turned into sweetness of soul and body.” – We have to overcome our fears and our nausea. Only then we shall discover another world, discover Jesus Christ…
My dear friends, most of us may not feel it easy, entering a leprosy station or something similar where distorted people are living. I remember my first visit to such a station, 40 years ago in Madagascar. It cost me something until the accompanying sister told me, “Don’t worry, you can touch them”. It is a gesture of human closeness. Then, I discovered what it means to these sick people. I experienced it again in Yemen, in the homes of the Missionaries of Charity.
A few days ago, 11th February was the World Day of the Sick. But it should not be just one day that we are keeping them in our mind in prayer. We should not reduce our attention for the sick to one World Day a year. Everyday, a leper may cross the way of my life and need my approach, my openness, my good word and my touch. Am I ready to act as Jesus did? That is the question we have to ask ourselves. He will touch each one of us in the Holy Communion, but he wants each one of us to be really touched and ourselves be healing persons.
Amen.