Sunday, February 04, 2018

Sunday word, 04 Feb 18

Fifth Sunday of the Year B (04 Feb 2018)
Homily of Fr. Paul Panaretos, S.J. on 8-day
Made Whole
The first readings and gospels on Sundays are paired with an intention: the gospel fulfills the first reading. The pairing is not always obvious—like today. The church gives a gift to us with today’s responsorial psalm refrain: Praise the Lord, who heals the brokenhearted. It helps us appreciate the pairing of selections from Job and Mark’s gospel.

Job readily evokes a brokenhearted soul, full of miseries. The end of Job’s story lets us see God restoring him. Unfortunately, worship rarely uses the Book of Job; a bit of its ending—God restoring Job—is read at mass on one weekday every other year! Its no surprise our image of Job is mainly, or even only, brokenhearted and suffering.

What of us? We will contend with our challenges and sufferings this side of heaven. Some may be physically healed; others will be healed differently. Different way of healing does not mean less real. Healing is not the same as curing. Healing makes us whole in mind, body, spirit, community and environment.1 Christian healing allows us to enter the mystery of God’s heart; finding ourselves in God’s heart we are made whole, restored to our true selves. How does this happen?

I ministered with a woman who felt healed from a life marred by betrayal, violence and loss. Her ministry was effective. At midlife she was diagnosed again with cancer. She confided to me she was afraid because she felt her life was unfinished; nor did she feel right with God. Later when she had no hope of a remission let a lone a cure, she looked different: radiant even though gaunt. I’ve let go, she said; I’ve never felt peace like this. I’m ready. She was healed, not cured. Even a reconciliation she had with a significant person soon after her diagnosis was transformed: it was made whole.

That moment remains vivid: she offered me the gospel free of charge--free: that is, without condition; authentically. Until that moment my colleague was on the way to being healed. She had been separated from herself. Her distance separated her from others and God.

Job’s sufferings separated him; his story is part of the bible because he allowed his miseries to let him enter the divine mystery. Jesus human sufferings allowed him to enter the presence of God; we call his entrance resurrection. St. Paul encountered risen Messiah Jesus. His encounter healed Paul’s  energetic life; he let nothing prevent him from preaching the gospel of Jesus crucified…and offer the gospel free of charge. He included free of charge in his letter because after Paul left Corinth others hijacked Paul’s ministry; they charged for their words and their service as charlatans did—and, I wager, still do. His phrase reminded Christians in Corinth to be alert for authentic preachers who preached like him—like my colleague announced it to me. 

Perhaps some of us are like Simon and plea on behalf of another; I am praying for the healing of a child these days. Others may be praying to be delivered from illness or another misery that distorts their lives. We share prayer that the world be delivered from violence and enjoy peace. Whatever our praying this gospel selection stretches us to keep up with Jesus. After curing Simon’s mother-in-law and others brought to him Jesus left before dawn…. Simon…searched for him and… finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” As if to say, get back and do more wonders. Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.”  

Jesus cured, yes; more often he healed: restored people to themselves and their community. Jesus was convinced announcing God’s desire was more valuable: people can set right their relationships with one another and with God. For Jesus curing people was a feature of announcing God’s good news for all. He refused to let himself be seen only as a wonder-worker. Some who rejected God’s good news as impossible saw him as one: the chief priests, with the scribes, mocked him among themselves when Jesus was crucified, “He saved others; he cannot save himself.2 

Do we allow our miseries and setbacks to help us enter God’s heart? Or, do we insist God’s healing good news is impossible? We are probably a mixture of both. To help us know better which way we lean at a given moment give Jesus 15 minutes each day this week.

In your daily 15 minutes with Jesus
  • Pause in the company of our triune God creating us each moment.
  • Ask Job, St. Paul and Simon’s mother-in-law to present us to Jesus.
  • Chat with him: praise him for becoming human for us; thank him for dying and rising to heal us and all creation. 
  • Ask Jesus for grace to be healed and respond more freely to his constant invitation to share his life and mission.
  • Close saying slowing the Lord’s Prayer. Living his prayer as best we can begins our healing; frees us to offer the gospel in deed and word; and helps us restore our corner of creation.
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  1. Strategic Plan: Building the Science of Healing.
  2. Mark 15.31
Link to this homily’s Spiritual Exercise
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Wiki-image Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law PD-US; by Distant Shores Media/Sweet Publishing Sun CC BY-SA 3.0
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