Clean Me Up, Lord!

Christ cleans leper man (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File)

                      

Deacon Tom writes©

Clean Me Up, Lord!

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B

Leprosy was dreaded disease. Can you imagine the feelings of utter rejection the Leper in today’s gospel experienced when he was found to be “unclean”?  Unclean!  This word meant banishment and isolation not only from participating in the services at the Synagogue, but also from family, friends, and even their livelihood. People with leprosy were banished to the “abode of the dead” for all intense and purposes. And, worst of all, there was no way back.

We can’t help realize as we read the gospels that Jesus did not recognize any barrier that kept people alienated from God’s abundant love. In fact, throughout Jesus’ ministry, he continued to challenge rules, attitudes, powers and authorities that led to division or imposed obstacles to genuine and authentic spirituality, that is, union with God. Today’s gospel shows Jesus bringing God’s healing power to this forsaken man and making him clean. This intensely liberating act by Jesus allowed the cleanse Leper to reclaim his rightful place in the community.

Sin is tantamount to “spiritual leprosy”, a sickness that deprives us of God’s graces that are vital to life. Sin diverts our focus away from God. We choose instead to pursue our own selfish and often destructive desires. Let’s face it, we are not very pleasant at times and fall way short of “the glory of God”. We are demanding of others. To get what we want we can often be abusive, manipulative, and conniving. When we don’t get what we want, we can become bitter, resentful, and very ungrateful. We experience too many days when we are not our best selves and those around us know it! We do many things that alienate us from one another, that undermine one of the most basic tenets of our faith, namely, that we are “temples” of the Holy Spirit and that the Spirit of God abides in us. 

Jesus is always looking to wash away our sins in order to strengthen our relationship with him. The Leper in today’s gospel shows us how to do that when he asks Jesus:

“If you wish, you can make me clean.”  

And Jesus’ reply, “I do will it. Be made clean.”

If we wish it, Jesus can restore us to health –physical, spiritual or emotional. He can get us back on the road to true happiness and joy, even though we may have messed things up quite a bit. He can, in the words of the 23^rd Psalm, “…. Restore my soul…” if, that is, we ask Him, and if we let Him. Let us look to Jesus to help us overcome our sinful past and to be made clean to enjoy the abundant life we find only through, with, and in him.

Enjoy the day!

Deacon Tom 

Find the Joy

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Deacon Tom writes ©

“Find the Joy”

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Have you ever heard the expression, “The more things change, the more they remain the same”.  For many of us, life is extremely hard, or as Job says, “life is a drudgery”.  Those repetitive demands that go into daily family life…the laundry, cooking and cleaning, the shopping, the commuting to work, the homework…taking care of children or parents or both, day in and day out can become exhausting and easily wear us out.  These essential activities may even become boring!  We wake up and then rush into the demands of the day.  At night we go to sleep, or try to, only to have the alarm go off in the morning so we can start all over again, like Bill Murray in the movie, “Groundhogs Day”. These daily activities become so routine and ordinary they may leave us with a sense of being “unfulfilled”.

It doesn’t have to be this way!  Sure, we all get stuck in that proverbial "rut" at times.  We all fall victim to feeling unappreciated and sense that our lives are unfulfilled, empty or that we will “never see happiness again”.  It is understandable how this happens.  We are busy people.  We have responsibilities.  We carry around our “to-do” lists on our I Phones and tablets or on little pieces of paper in our pockets.  We do all those big and little things to care of our families, provide for our loved ones, for their immediate needs like food, clothing, shelter, and for future needs, like college for the kids or retirement for ourselves.  Busy…Busy….Busy, yet so dull and oridnary!!!

Running constant four minute miles will begin to take its toll and get us asking ourselves if it’s all worth it, or worse, wondering at some point along the way if, like Job, we will ever find happiness again.

When we find ourselves with too much to do and feel we are missing out on the simple joys and happiness of life that should be a “red flag” alerting us that we need to take some precious minutes for ourselves.  See how Jesus revitalizes himself in today’s Gospel.  With the crowds now seeking him out and his celebrity status growing, Jesus “rising very early before dawn…he went off to a deserted place, where he prayed”.

Jesus responds to the demands others place upon him by withdrawing into the solitude of prayer.  Prayer is one of those activities that will reenergize our spirits and keep us from falling into a life of drudgery.  Prayer, meditation, spending quiet time with Jesus routinely is therapeutic.  Prayer validates our reason for being… gives us time and space to hear God’s plans for us…gives us the courage to set out in the direction he wants us to go.  Prayer even helps us get our priorities straight, helping us let go of some those activities we “think” are essential. 

We are in troubled times but we don’t have to be troubled people.  Prayer will help us discern God’s plan in all the events, activities, and demands that we face each day and give us a clear vision of how we should face our daily challenges and obligations without being overwhelmed.  If we remain faithful in our prayer life, like Jesus, we will find the joy he promised us so that, in this life, our… joy may be complete (Jn 15:11).

Enjoy the day!!

Deacon Tom