5-Feb-2012
Dear Friend,
In life, most of the time we keep our distance from people who are sick,
deformed, or handicapped. We may not admit it but we are afraid of them. They
need our touch; they need to be assured that we accept them as they are. Yet,
paradoxically, we love to be touched, we feel honoured when someone important
shakes hands with us or gives us a pat on the back. Our God wishes to touch us,
His name is Emmanuel, God with us. Let yourself be touched by God this weekend!
It can make all the difference! Fr. Jude
Sunday Reflections: Sixth Sunday of the Year 'Reaching out to outcasts, the
unreachable' 12-Feb-2012
Readings: Leviticus 13: 1-2; 45-46 1 Cor.10: 23-11:
1 Mark 1: 40-45
The first reading from Leviticus describes how a leper had to behave once he
had discovered his sickness. He had to leave home and community, he had to wear
clothes that made people aware that he was a leper to be avoided and had to
announce everywhere that he was unclean. One wonders which caused more
suffering, the disease or the rejection and shame and isolation cause by its
stigma. While we need to thank God for the gift of good health, are we
compassionate towards those who we know are afflicted with dreadful diseases:
cancer and aids? Have we written them off? Avoided them? Kept our distance?
Treated them like outcasts?
Handicap No Barrier
Henri Vicardi was born in 1912 in New York City to immigrant parents. He was
born without normal legs. He spent most of his early life in a hospital. He did
not receive his artificial legs till he was twenty-seven. But what a life he
has lived! He has become one of the most respected figures in the fields of
rehabilitation and education. He has devoted his life to ensuring that severely
disabled individuals might have all the opportunities to achieve their fullest
potential as human beings. In 1952 he founded the internationally famed Human
Resources Centre in Elberton, Long Island. Henri has been an advisor to every
President from Roosevelt to Reagan. Once, an interviewer asked him, "Henri
where did you get such a positive attitude towards life?" His answer was a
classic. He said, "When the turn came for another crippled boy or girl to be
sent to the world, God consulted his council of Ministers and they suggested
that they could be sent to Vicardi's
family."
Francis Xavier in 'The World's best inspiring stories'
In the gospel this Sunday, leprosy is the clear theme emerging. People believed
that lepers were cursed by God. Yet, a leper and an outcast dared to approach
Jesus. He ran the risk of being chased away with stones. But he was determined
to meet the one man whom he believed would not reject him. Jesus saw the leper
approaching and allowed him to come right up to him. Seeing the pitiful state
he was in Jesus took pity on him, and reached out and touched him. It was a
symbolic act which no doubt shocked the onlookers. Most of us are afraid of the
sick and the very poor. We may give beggars a few coins but we make sure that
there is no contact. Jesus touched lepers, sinners, sick people, and the dead.
We can imagine how good the leper felt when Jesus touched him. The leper said
to Jesus, "Sir, I believe you can cure me if you really want to." "Of course I
want to!" said Jesus to the leper and he was healed and the leprosy left him.
Jesus also challenges us
his followers to reach out to those that society rejects today: prisoners,
drug addicts, aids victims, and travellers, those different from us. By the way
we deal with people, we can rekindle hope, bring back the zest for life,
inspire plans for the future, restore confidence and self respect. We can give
people the touch of the master by the way we reach out and communicate God's
love.
Breaking Boundaries and Reaching Out
Many people vividly recall a particular event in their lives years after many
similar events have been forgotten. Sportsmen may remember the match where they
got their first score despite many better scores since. Some recall the details
of their first wage packet even though later ones were more substantial. Others
may recall the rain on the night they met their life partner despite all the
torrents that have come since. This selective recall operated in the early
church when the stories about the life of Jesus came to be written down. In
today's gospel, Mark recounts the curing of the leper very early in the
ministry of Jesus. For the Jews, leprosy was not only an incurable disease but
it was erroneously seen as a sign of God's displeasure and punishment. Lepers
were ostracised and forced to live apart from the socially acceptable
community. Jesus broke through the conventions, touched the leper and cured
him. Desperate for a cure, the victim had
turned to Jesus as a last resort and his faith-filled hope was rewarded.
Sometimes in our desperation, we need to imitate the leper and challenge Jesus
to cure us from sin, sickness, and self pity. Sometimes too, we need to step
out beyond the conventions to minister to one another in our needs.
Tom Clancy in 'Living the Word'
Lesser Children of a Little God
‘My Friend, the Sea' is a beautiful book by Sandhya Rao - reminiscent of
Hemingway's ‘The Old Man and the Sea' narrating the experiences of a little boy
who survives the terrors of the 2004 tsunami and looks forward to life with
hope. "I want to ride the waves with my friends - my brother has promised to
make me a new Kattumaram," says the boy, optimistically. I wonder, how many
children in India can really ride the waves, and how many are merely tossed and
turned by tsunamis of child-labour, child abuse, infanticide and the like? How
many children in Iraq can go to school instead of being taught the use of
firearms? Jesus' whole life is one of littleness - babe at Bethlehem, carpenter
at Nazareth, roaming rabbi of Galilee and the crucified one at Calvary
symbolize littleness. Likewise, Jesus selflessly serves the least and
establishes this as the sole criterion for eternal salvation or damnation.
Apart from being a friend of children, Jesus works
his miracles mainly for the little ones of society. Today's gospel narrates
one such miracle worked for a leper.
Francis Gonsalves in 'Sunday Seeds for daily Deeds'
The Provident God Cares
Stevenson relates this story about a poor old man who was always supplied by
God. One of the poor members of the flock of Christ was reduced to
circumstances of the greatest poverty in his old age, and yet he never
murmured. "You must be badly off; and I don't know how an old man like you can
maintain yourself and your wife; yet you are always cheerful," said a
kind-hearted neighbour to him one day as they met. 'On no!' he replied, "We are
not badly off, I have a rich Father, and he does not suffer me to want." "What!
Your father is not dead yet? He must be very old indeed." "Oh!" said he, "my
Father never dies and he always takes care of me." This Christian was a daily
pensioner on the providence of his God. All knew his struggles and his poverty;
but his own declaration was that he never wanted what was absolutely necessary.
The days of his greatest straits were the days of his most signal and timely
deliverances. When old age benumbed the hand of his
industry, the Lord extended to him the hand of charity. And often has he gone
forth from his scanty breakfast, not knowing from what earthy source his next
meal was to be obtained. But yet he could rely on his Shepherd's care, and say,
"I shall not want," and as certainly as he trusted in God, so surely, in some
unexpected manner was his necessity supplied.
John Rose in 'John's Sunday Homilies'
Remembering Outstanding Lives
I was one of 85,000 people who gathered in a football stadium in Brussels, to
celebrate the centenary of Blessed Damien the leper priest. He had lived for
sixteen years in a remote corner of one of the remotest islands in the Pacific.
He worked with lepers and, like Jesus in today's gospel, word spread about him
far and near. He was written about in newspapers from England to Australia. The
day of our gathering was a national holiday in Belgium. The king and queen
attended. The whole country was en fete. And all for one man who spent sixteen
years working at the back of beyond, but working in Jesus' name, and doing his
work. I couldn't help remembering at that time that it coincided with the
centenary of the birth of Adolf Hitler; and I didn't hear of any celebrations.
Jack McArdle in 'And That the Gospel Truth'.
The Difference
A man was wondering what hell and heaven might be like. One night he had a
dream, in which he was brought off to visit hell and heaven. Hell consisted of
a large room, with a long table down the centre, and the table was laden with
every kind of food. The people sitting around the table, however, were totally
emaciated and malnourished, as each had six-foot long chopsticks, and they were
unable to get the food up to their mouths. Next door was heaven, which was also
a large room, with a long table down the centre, and, once again, the table was
laden with all kinds of food. In this case, also the people had six foot long
chopsticks. However, they were all happy, fulfilled, and contented, as each
picked up some food, and fed the person sitting opposite. In today's gospel,
Jesus reaches out to touch the leper. The gratitude and joy of the leper was
his way of touching Jesus. Of course, Jesus wanted to heal him.
Jack McArdle in 'And That the Gospel Truth'.
The Touch of the Master's Hand
In 1981 Peter Cropper, a British violinist, was invited to Finland to play a
special concert. As a personal favour to Peter, the Royal Academy of Music lent
him their priceless 285-year old Stradivarius to use in the concert. This rare
instrument takes its name from the Italian violin maker Antonio Stradivari. It
is made from 80 pieces of special wood and covered with 30 coats of special
varnish. Its beautiful sound has never been duplicated. When Peter got to
Finland, an incredible nightmare took place. Going on stage, Peter tripped and
fell. The violin broke in several pieces. Peter flew back to London in a state
of shock. A master craftsman named Charles Beare agreed to try and repair the
violin. He worked endlessly for hours on it. Finally he got it together again.
Then came the dreaded moment of truth. What would the violin sound like? Beare
handed the violin to Peter Cropper. Peter's heart was pounding inside him as he
picked up the bow and began
to play. Those present could hardly believe their ears. Not only was the
violin's sound excellent, but it actually seemed better than before. In the
months ahead Cropper took the violin on a world-wide tour. Night after night
the violin everyone thought was ruined forever drew standing ovations from
concert audiences. No matter what, Jesus can touch us and make us whole again.
Anonymous
May we always remember the master's touch that can make all the difference!
Fr. Jude Botelho
judebote...@yahoo.co.in
PS. The stories, incidents and anecdotes used in the reflections have been
collected over the years from books as well as from sources over the net and
from e-mails received. Every effort is made to acknowledge authors whenever
possible. If you send in stories or illustrations I would be grateful if you
could quote the source as well so that they can be acknowledged if used in
these reflections. These reflections are also available on my web site
www.netforlife.net Thank you.
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