6th Sunday Jesus heals

One of the most difficult aspects of life to deal with is suffering and why bad things happen; and why does God permit these bad things. Why is a child sick, or why does one take a gun and shoot others? Why do accidents happen? Why must my elderly parents have dementia? Why is my heart broken?

We read in Scripture Jesus doing these amazing miracles for some; but then the thought can come “why can’t Jesus do one now?” We can think God does not answer us; God is silent. It can seem that way.

Yet, what do we have faith in?

Jesus performs a miracle in our gospel. Jesus heals this man with leprosy or some skin ailment which would have isolated him from the community. He then tells him to keep quiet about what happened, to not share this amazing act. The reason becomes apparent; people begin to perceive him as a miracle maker, only as a miracle maker. The crowd followed him wanting only the miracle. Jesus wants them to understand and know him on a deeper level.

Jesus will move his disciples to understand that He is truly Son of God; that he comes with a larger purpose, not simply the healing of individuals, but a healing of all humanity. Jesus comes as God, is God in our world to heal the woundedness within, the isolation within, the bring the unity of God to us, and us with God.

Think again of the times. This leprous man would have been isolated from others, family, friends, community, and unable to work. He would remain so until he could show himself healed. There was no safety net for him, or if he had any family. There may have been a few good people who could help, but generally not. So he would be in a serious predicament.

Consider our own recent history with COVID; we had to isolate; but yet, we still could access food, water, work from home; the majority of us could continue to care for family.

Jesus, by healing the man, restores him to the community. And also by doing so points out how the community would need to rethink how it treats others.

Jesus would do this repeatedly; in healing and forgiving; calling attention to the leaders that there is something bigger here, more important than a legal matter. There is a call to think about how they cared for others, to be healed and grow as a society.


Jesus will go to the cross, will die and will be raised. Jesus reveals the extent of God’s love for us; that God loves all no matter what; that God will forgive all when we want. Jesus heals all in this paschal mystery; not just individuals.

Jesus shows humanity that we have worth, dignity; therefore we must treat others with this dignity. We must care for the sick, the sinner, the poor, those treated with injustice. 

We must not add to the suffering of others, but work to end it. We realize through Jesus, that in those moments of pain, of heartbreak, of suffering; God does not do that to us; but God is there to bring us hope.

This is our faith.

We have our official ministries as parish, as diocese to be the body of Christ to those in need; to those dying and sick; to those incarcerated; to those lonely and without food. We go forth to offer the healing of God as Church.

But as persons too, as disciples of Jesus, we too can help; we can listen to others, we can not judge others; we can share with others. We can forgive.

There is so much hurt and pain now in our world; no need to go far. We can look around in these pews here, and there are people who deal with cancers, dementia, heart-break. In our city, so many others.

We as Catholics can offer so much, because we have been given so much in Christ. We have been healed, we have been strengthened; so we can also heal and strengthen others too.

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