[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 6th Sunday of the Year
10-Feb-2015 Dear Friend, Pimples, boils, wrinkles, and rashes are small things, yet the thought of such afflictions can worry us no end. We go by appearances and in today's culture, as the ads say, Looking good is everything! Our presentation, our appearance to the outside world is the only way we can reveal ourselves, and yet our external appearance can be a barrier that holds us in as it holds others away. What is it that makes us clean or unclean? Do we need healing? May His Word heal us! Have a healing weekend! -Fr. Jude Sunday Refl. 6th Sunday of the Year Of course I want you to be cured! Be healed! 15-Feb-2015 Lev: 13:1-2, 25-46; 1 Corinth. 10:31-11:1; Mark 1:40-45; The first reading from Leviticus describes the terrible plight of the lepers in the Old Testament. The leper was considered unclean and had to proclaim that he was unclean, by his dress, appearance and voice. As long as anyone was suffering from this disease he was ostracized and had to live outside human dwellings. More fearful than the disease were the social effects of being an outcast shunned by society. In Israel, leprosy was considered as the ultimate punishment for sin. Though leprosy is curable today, it is still dreaded and we keep away from lepers. We still have lepers close by - people who, for one reason or another, are defined by their condition and not treated as people -the homeless, the unattractive, many diseased, the armless, the twisted body, people with Aids. Perhaps we need to remind ourselves also that we ourselves are often, in one way or another, inwardly leprous. Handicap no barrierHenri 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 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 the Vicardi's family.Francis Xavier in 'The World's Best Inspiring Stories' The leper in today's gospel in spite of being forbidden to associate or draw near to people, boldly approached Jesus and voices his simple prayer: If you wish, you can make me clean. He did not ask for a cure, his was a statement of belief in the all-inclusive power of Jesus, an affirmation of his own dependence on Jesus, an act of faith. He left himself totally open to whatever Jesus wanted to do with him. Jesus was moved by the approach of the leper, out of sympathy for the afflicted. He stretched out his hand and touched him. Jesus broke all conventions and touched and healed the leper. It was a symbolic act which no doubt shocked the onlookers. Most of us are afraid of the sick, the poor and the outcasts of society. We may give them a few coins, in order to get rid of them but we do not wish to touch them or to be touched by them. Yet we often seek a human touch. We feel honoured when someone important shakes our hands or gives us a pat on the back. Of course I want to! Jesus said to the leper. Be cured! And the leprosy left him and he was cured. He challenged us, his followers, to reach out to those society rejects today: prisoners, drug addicts, travellers, aids victims. It is amazing what people can do for others. People can rekindle hope, bring back the zest of living, inspire plans for the future, restore self-respect. They can even mirror dimly the infinite charity of God. Jesus had this great understanding of, and feeling for people who were suffering. Made whole againIn 1981 Peter Cropper, the British violinist, was invited to Finland to play a special concert. As a personal favour to Peter, the Royal Academy lent him their priceless 258-year-old Stradivarius for use in the concert. This rare instrument takes its name from the Italian violin maker, Antonio Stradivari. It is made of 80 pieces of special wood and covered with 30 coats of special varnish. Its beautiful sound has never been duplicated. When Peter Cropper got to Finland, an incredible nightmare took place. Going on stage, Peter tripped and fell. The violin broke into several pieces. Peter flew back to London in a state of shock. A master craftsman named Charles Beare agreed to try to repair the violin. He worked endless hours on it. Finally he got it back together again. Then,
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 6th Sunday of the Year
10-Feb-2014 Dear friend, A sad characteristic of our age is that we are becoming an angry aggressive generation. We see things going wrong around us but cannot figure out what needs to be done and so we flare up against society, our colleagues and even our own people. A common response seems to be expressing our anger when things or people do not live up to our expectations. Believers cannot approach God with anger in their hearts. Reconciliation and faith must go together. May our God-encounter make us more open to living in peace and harmony with all. Fr. Jude Sunday Reflections: Sixth Sunday-Let go of anger! Be reconciled with your brother first before going to the Lord! 16-Feb-2014 Sirach 15: 15-20; 1Corinthians 2:6-10; Matthew 5:17-37; In the first reading from the Book of Sirach, Ben Sira tackles the issue of human freedom and personal freedom trying to reconcile them with God's sovereign will. He stresses that men and women bear responsibility for the morality of their actions: If you choose, you can keep the commandments, and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice. Each person can choose life or death, whichever one chooses, that will be given. God does not force us to keep his commandments. Our observance of God's law should be an outcome of a free choice. Making choices out of love Once Baal Shen, a Jewish Rabbi had a dream. He was in heaven. He saw two empty seats and asked the angel for whom they were reserved. The angel told him one was for him and the other was for his companion if he used his intelligence. Baal Shen went to see his companion and found that although he was a Jew, he was not following the Jewish laws. He was a very happy man with a lovely family. The Rabbi asked him why he was not following the Jewish law. He said that he was very happy that he loved God and his neighbour. Then Baal Shen visited hell and found two empty seats there too. The devil told him one seat was for him and the other was for his companion. Baal Shen then went to his companion and found that he was a strict Jew who kept all the external laws but he and his family were not happy. The Rabbi told him to change but he was not ready to change as he considered himself righteous for observing all the laws. From this Baal Shen concluded that truly good and happy people are righteous. But not all the righteous are good and happy. We can be true to our calling as Christians if in addition to our love for God and neighbour we also attempt to keep the spirit of the law we practice, intact. - 'The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.' Elias Dias in 'Divine Stories for Families' In today's gospel reading from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows the way to life. This instruction is expressed by means of six antithetical statements that begin with some variations of the formula: 'You have heard that it was said' and conclude with Jesus' new teaching. But I say to you. Several of these sayings deepen the aim of a number of the ten commandments. Jesus forbids not only killing and adultery but seething anger that can lead to murder and lustful looks which amount to adultery in the heart. Other sayings of Jesus do away with divinely permitted practices of the Old Testament. Jesus claims the right to interpret divine commandments in a new way inaugurating the new era of the kingdom. The final two of the six 'antithesis' as they have been called, summon Jesus' followers to a non-retaliatory way of life, loving even one’s enemies. Jesus has been categorized paradoxically as law-abiding, as one who observed the law, as well as a law-breaker, who challenged and rebelled against the law. In principle, Jesus adhered to the Torah and was zealous about God's commandments. Yet, in his ministry, Jesus stressed what he called 'the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.' 'Love of one's enemies' comes as the climax of a set of instructions that highlights the underlying motif of love of God and neighbour, which are integral features of the same commandment. Anger can have no place in the life of a faith person. Anger enters into the issue of how one worships. Jesus stresses the dignity of the human person and so one has to treat every human being with respect and care, never with anger. In one's speech and actions towards others love demands truthfulness and kindness. Let your word be 'Yes' if 'Yes' or 'No' if 'No'. Meaning what we say? Several years ago, William F Merton of Mt. Clemens, Michigan, wrote to Readers Digest to tell of a memorable argument he had with his wife. The argument was well underway as they left for a party one evening. Once they were in the car, words were flying. The area they were driving through was not the best, so they stopped arguing just long enough to lock the doors. Then they started again. Merton's wife had really worked up a storm and after a few choice words from him,
[Goanet] [JudeSundayReflections] 6th Sunday of the Year
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; 45-461 Cor.10: 23-11: 1Mark 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
