{"id":1550,"date":"2015-02-15T12:31:15","date_gmt":"2015-02-15T17:31:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/?p=1550"},"modified":"2015-02-15T12:31:15","modified_gmt":"2015-02-15T17:31:15","slug":"6th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.renewaloffaith.org\/blog\/6th-sunday-in-ordinary-time-year-b-homily\/","title":{"rendered":"6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B – Homily"},"content":{"rendered":"

6th<\/sup> Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B<\/a>
\nLeviticus 13:1-2, 44-46
\n1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1
\nMark 1:40-45
\nFebruary 15, 2015<\/p>\n

Jesus continues to heal people.\u00a0 Today it is a leper.\u00a0 Jesus heals lots of people and most of them we are never told what their illness is.\u00a0 Today we are told it is leprosy.\u00a0 Why do the gospel writers take the time to specify leprosy?<\/p>\n

Leprosy certainly was a terrible disease.\u00a0 Many who got the disease were never cured and it was a very contagious disease.\u00a0 Anyone with the disease had to be isolated for the safety of others.\u00a0 So, it could mean a lifetime of isolation.<\/p>\n

The leper would have violated the rules by going near any person but here he goes right up to Jesus and kneels before Him and begs Jesus to make him clean.<\/p>\n

What is Jesus\u2019 response?\u00a0 The expected response would have been to shun the man away.\u00a0 Jesus does not.\u00a0 In fact, He touches the man.\u00a0 For touching the man, Jesus would have become unclean himself.<\/p>\n

Why does Jesus touch the man?\u00a0 Jesus heals some people without ever going near them.\u00a0 Won\u2019t leprosy be a perfect reason to heal a person without going near them so you didn\u2019t catch it yourself?<\/p>\n

The touch is important.\u00a0 This man would have been isolated from everyone including family and friends.\u00a0 He would have been all alone.\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 touch was a touch of love and compassion.\u00a0 I would imagine it was a powerful sign to the leper of Jesus\u2019 love.<\/p>\n

Generally, we don\u2019t have people today get diseases like leprosy as it is described in the Bible.\u00a0 Now, there are illnesses where people are isolated but generally it is for a few days at most and it is medically appropriate to do so.<\/p>\n

However, when we think about what it means to live in isolation we should look beyond medical illnesses and think about other people that we, perhaps without ever meaning it, put into isolation or shun them.<\/p>\n

How about the homeless?\u00a0 When you see the person that looks unclean holding a sign asking for help do you go out of your way to avoid them?\u00a0 Do you ignore them?\u00a0 Or do you say a prayer for them? Do you do anything<\/em> to help them?<\/p>\n

How about illegal immigrants?\u00a0 Do you see them as lawbreakers to be removed or do you see them as people in desperate situations?<\/p>\n

How about the mentally ill?\u00a0 Do you avoid them just because you don\u2019t know what to do for them?\u00a0 Here is an area that I struggle with because I don\u2019t know what to do to help them.\u00a0 I have to realize that I don\u2019t have the gifts to help everyone but I can\u2019t use that as an excuse to shun them.\u00a0 Even when we don\u2019t have the gifts to help, we should not shun them.\u00a0 We should love them and pray for them.<\/p>\n

How about parolees?\u00a0 Here can be a difficult one.\u00a0 We have every right to protect ourselves but how do we protect ourselves and still the person a chance to become a better person?<\/p>\n

I remember a few years ago the true story of a man who had been in prison for a long time.\u00a0 When he got out he didn\u2019t have much in the way of job skills.\u00a0 People won\u2019t hire him because of his criminal record.\u00a0 Finding a place to live was difficult at best.\u00a0 He seemed to be in a desperate situation just to get by, let alone become a good person.<\/p>\n

What did he do?\u00a0 Honestly, he went into a bank and told the teller he was there to rob it and then waited for the police to come.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t see any other option.\u00a0 In prison he had a bed to sleep in.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t have to worry about how to get food.\u00a0 He was safe.<\/p>\n

We need to protect ourselves but how do we do this and give people the help they need, the help they deserve <\/em>as God\u2019s children?<\/p>\n

That’s what Jesus would do.<\/p>\n

Lent starts on Wednesday. \u00a0We will fast and abstain from meat. \u00a0We will give up something. \u00a0Maybe we should take some time to think about how we act to others. \u00a0Who do you shun?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 1:40-45 February 15, 2015 Jesus continues to heal people.\u00a0 Today it is a leper.\u00a0 Jesus heals lots of people and most of them we are never told what their illness is.\u00a0 Today we are told it is leprosy.\u00a0 Why do the …<\/p>\n

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