Mk 1:40-45 He Was Made Clean
“If you wish, you can make me clean.” Of course the Lord can make him clean and for this poor leper, he does. But, if I had been in this situation, I would not have responded so kindly as the Lord. I would have rebutted, “Do you want to be clean?
I am not sure if anyone is aware that in the Catholic Church, January 1st is not only the feast day of the Mother of God, but also the World Day of Peace. We are now twelve days into the New Year and it appears as though peace will not come. Peace is still searching for a place to stay. We have been bombarded by shootings and massacres; threats and terrorism. Does the Lord not listen to his people? Does he not see? He does! He does listen and he does see. He listens to every thought and word that comes out from his “holy” people! He sees what others do not see. He sees our very acts! And he is moved with pity. He stretches out his hand and finds nothing to hold on to. There are far too many lepers who do not wish to be made clean.
It is sad to see how the shootings in Tuscan are now being played out in the political arena. Political language is now being blamed for the massacre. And yet, when satanic music and video games were suggested by some conservative organizations as influencing the murderous teenagers in Columbine, Michael Moore turned it into a nonsensical comedy!
Why so much violence across America? Because we have turned our backs on the words of our Lord, “Love your enemy. Love your neighbor as yourself.” And in America, we must heed these words for we are a multicultural nation. We do not all share the same history, language or blood. We must make an effort to unite ourselves to more than just freedom and the pursuit of money. We must unite ourselves to the Bringer of Peace and Love.
But how? By these beautiful words from the psalm of the day: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Ps 95:8). Listen to what the Lord has to say to you. He has much to say. He will speak to your heart today. Pray – meditate - and listen. You will think things you never thought before. You will think yourself crazy with what comes forth from your heart and soul. “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD who made us.” He made me; he knows me; he alone can save me. The world’s salvation will not come by my hands. Salvation comes from the Lord. But I am here to help. “Take care brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God.” (Heb 3:12) My words, my actions can transmit the love of God to my enemy and to my neighbor or they can leave them bruised and torn. What will it be? How shall I do? “If you wish, you can make me clean.”
“Encourage yourselves daily while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin. We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end.” (Heb 3:14)
Hold on for dear life to those who lift you up, encourage you and support you. Christians are important for one another. Where two or more are gathered, the Lord is present. They are gifts from God. They are partners of Christ. They will remind you of sin’s deceits: hating oneself - especially after a fall, blaming others, pursuing selfish desires and purposes, hidden or cloaked agendas, spoken lies or useless and harmful words, exaggerated fears, prayers or sympathies.
The beginning of love starts with the truth, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Start here and it will lead to love – true love of God and neighbor – wishing the best for them. There are many things we can do without, but love and truth are essential, it is what binds us together.
Let’s get beyond the superficial smiles. All who meet me must see in me a gift from God to them. It doesn’t have to be me, it could be anyone. That’s true, but if I notice the beautiful red sky early in the morning and I am amazed at its beauty, then it was all for me. It didn’t have to be, but it was a gift to me. Likewise, if someone can thank me for being there for them, it didn’t have to be me, but it was. I don’t have to be here, but I am.
Love God and love your neighbor is a vocation we all have. This love can only be sustained through prayer and by being made clean.
"We are now twelve days into the New Year and it appears as though peace will not come. Peace is still searching for a place to stay."
ReplyDeleteI say peace begins with us/me. Why go looking for it when it was already given to us? Each mass we recall the words that Jesus said "my peace I give you" We all have it! - I read this quote recently...'Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.' ~ Desmond Tutu
Have the best day!!
One more thing...
ReplyDelete"It is sad to see how the shootings in Tuscon are now being played out in the political arena"
I agree. But if we're being honest it's not far fetched or unreasonable that it would be debated in politics seeing that a politician was targeted and other innocent lives were lost as they were participating in the democratic process.
Father, your blog today worked miracles for a friend and I who were struggling with a request to financially help a sister who has fallen many times with drug and alcohol addictions. Your references to Tucson and Columbine touched us directly as we have ties to both of those incidents. And then you drove it home with "Love your enemy, love your neighbor." Pretty clear message. THANK YOU! Rachel McPhail
ReplyDeleteWonderful Meditation today Father Alfonse.
ReplyDeleteI really liked these two thoughts.
"The beginning of love starts with the truth, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Start here and it will lead to love – true love of God and neighbor – wishing the best for them. There are many things we can do without, but love and truth are essential, it is what binds us together."
"Love God and love your neighbor is a vocation we all have."
This also spoke to me because only Satan would keep people from God's love.
God has been working on me to create love in our family, His love. To help us reconize what love really is...and this is it.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury. It does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.
So, what I have been telling myself and my family, if we are not doing and acting in the above way, then Satan is our master at that moment. That means it is a time for auto-correct, change the heart, focus again on God and start again...in God's love. It seems to be helping.
God Bless you Father! We really appreciate all you do for us.
Rose :)
"Listen to what the Lord has to say to you. He has much to say. He will speak to your heart today. Pray – meditate - and listen. You will think things you never thought before. You will think yourself crazy with what comes forth from your heart and soul."
ReplyDeleteIt is so wild/interesting/no coincidence I’m sure, but I just got back from confession this morning and one of the things I mentioned was having difficulty discerning what God is ‘saying’ to me and what are my own thoughts. Fr.’s answer was, “Just assume everything is your own thoughts.”
I don’t understand. You ‘guys’, priests, are telling us to talk to God, to Listen to God, and yet when we do, and we ‘hear’ Him we think we are crazy and heaven forbid, if we dare to share what we believe He is ‘telling’ us, eye brows go up and we’re left with the impression that they think we are crazy.
One time I actually asked God in prayer, of course, when He started talking to me. The response was, “I have always been talking to you”. So I asked, “When did I start to listen?” And the response was very specific, something I hadn’t thought of in years, but yes, it was exactly the first time I heard His voice. It was during a CRHP discernment. So I believe it’s Him, but sometimes I still don’t know how to discern between Him and me.
Any other advice other than what I already received today?
I loved the image. So clean!
ReplyDelete"Encourage yourselves daily while it is still ‘today,’ so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin."
I do believe that daily encouragement is absolutely essential. Just like I need to take a shower daily to keep myself clean.
"Pray–meditate-and listen." <-- Introspection and conversation with God works wonders in making this journey called life deeper I believe.
Thank you Fr. Alfonse!
Personally, when I'm trying to understand what God's will is - or what he is saying – I ask if it corresponds to the truth. That is His truth: If it's something that would come from God, something that helps me love more, be holier, etc...If it is, than it probably is God 'speaking' to me. If not than I know it surely is not God; he would not contradict himself.
ReplyDeleteI think - most of the time - God 'uses' us to communicate his message. He tries to relay his will for us in a way we can understand. So it may seem like it is our 'own' thought(s), and perhaps it is in a way, but God is 'using' the means available to him to get his message to us.
When I have to make a decision about something, and I am unsure what God is 'speaking' to me, I simply choose what seems to me to be the best choice. Now, of course, if it a moral decision than we can know what he is 'speaking' to us, because he has left us His guidelines (The Commandments, and the Teachings and Traditions of the Church.) But, if I simply must make one of the many decisions of daily life, than I go with my best judgment...
Just some thoughts, Hope they help! :)
Yesterday I was thinking a lot about relationships. About if we really ‘need’ each other…If we can just do it alone.
ReplyDeleteI always fall back into thinking that ultimately it must depend solely on us. And if ‘ultimately’ it depends on us than why do we need anyone at all? It is a way to make myself the center of my universe, a way to make me responsible to myself alone, and dependent on no one. But it makes love unnecessary. Perhaps, most importantly, it is an attempt to prevent hurt from entering into our lives.
But I have decided we can not do it alone! Today I read your words: “Hold on for dear life to those who lift you up, encourage you and support you. Christians are important for one another. Where two or more are gathered, the Lord is present. They are gifts from God. They are partners of Christ.” It was another reassurance that we must never let the fear of pain, or betrayal, keep us from living in the truth of love.
From an intellectual standpoint one can see that we need God. It is the most fundamental thing one must either accept or deny, in terms of our needs as human beings. If we need God, than the belief that we can do it alone is a fallacy. Acting on this fallacy would than be to live a lie. There is no freedom where there is no truth. By the nature of our fundamental need – for God – as humans, we understand that we are actually not impenetrable, isolated, creatures; but rather, we are social beings. We need each other: Because God has chosen to make himself a part of each of us. We need that part of each one of is that reflects God.
Ultimately our decisions do depend solely on us. We are free to choose. Yet, there is a need for the ‘other’. I think I can understand it intellectually, but that is not where the real understanding lies. It is in love! God is love, and as we need Him, we need to give and receive that same love, to and from, others. It is participation in the Divine that we need. We must receive love from others, and we must give love from others. We CANNOT do it (this life) alone. :)
Thanks Padre for your words of reassurance!
- Jessica
Thank you for your blog, Fr.! I have just begun reading it this past week and I am going to make it a part of my daily routine. God bless you and all of your work!
ReplyDeleteThank you Father, I mean anonymous, for your response. I needed to hear this from you because I have been tormented almost daily for the past three months with this. Often the answers I get are things I never would have thought of, or answers I don’t want to hear, or things I don’t want to do, but they pass the test you are talking about.
ReplyDeleteIt’s interesting that you say He uses us to communicate His message because that is exactly what He seems to be doing, and in a big and uncomfortable way lately. I’ve also wondered why He would ‘speak’ the way I do or in such common ways? Duh! How else am I going to 'get it'?
I think my problem is not trusting my own judgment and old red legs is pretty p.o.’d at me for pulling the feathers out of the comfortable nest (like a mother eagle) he’s had in my life for so long. So each day I believe God is speaking to me, then the doubts start circling around in my head and I get confused. That’s it, confusion! I know that is not from God.
Today’s blog made it more clear to me, doubt and lies have occupied much of my life and even though I’ve made much progress at ‘cleaning’ them out in the past few months, the old familiar thoughts are still there, trying to make a ‘come back’.
If this is not Father’s response. Whoever you are, you are very wise. It has given me true peace today:)
Dear Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI am not Father, but I did recieve most of my thoughts from many other wise people and 'Fathers', including Fr. Alfonse :) I am glad the ideas helped! I, too, struggled (and still struggle) with knowing God's will, or if he is speaking to me or it's just my own prefernces, etc...
I realized, though, that God simply wants us to be happy. And we achieve happiness by following the guidlines he has left us and listening to His inspirations. Doubting my own dicernment of God's will (when it is in line with something He would ask) has always been the biggest tool of the devil to prevent me from acting on what is best.
I pray that you are given the grace to act on whatever God is asking of you :)
God Bless!
Dear not Father anonymous,
ReplyDeleteI have been reflecting on this whole exchange and it has been helpful. I realized tonight that my issue is not so much in knowing His will, but in other things that seem to come from Him. It’s not always do this, do that. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of that, but that is made pretty much clear and when it’s not, He makes it clear, sometimes over and over if I am not wanting to accept it. The stuff I have trouble discerning is more like enlightenment, giving me understanding and insight into problems and issues that I’m working through. And maybe the only way to discern that is in the passage of time. Because most of it doesn’t come close to being out of line with the Church, Scripture...or contrary to truth as far as I can tell. In fact much seems to be revealing truth. So maybe that puts me back into the ‘crazy’ box. I don’t know.
But my super Catholic therapist, psychiatrist and spiritual director say I am not crazy, at least not the insane kind of crazy. I just sometimes 'feel' crazy. I know, Father, a feeling not based on truth. blah blah blah :)
So I guess I have to chill and wait on the Lord or I WILL be in a padded room wearing a Velcro suit.
I have to say, your choice of words, the sentence structure and the way you stated your original message couldn’t have sounded more ‘Afonsian’ unless you added, “Love more, Give more, Forgive more” and do it with humility! And maybe he would have said, “Does that make sense?”
Thanks again, now I can 'rest' in peace.