THE LEPER THAT I AM

6th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

FEBRUARY 12, 2012

Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32; I Corinthians 10: 31-11:1; Mark 1: 40-45

I recall an incident that happened when I was a student of theology, during my seminary days. Our theologate was at Rishikesh, the sacred place of Hindu tradition and spirituality. One fine evening, I sat along the bank of river Ganges, observing the gentle flow of the river and watching the rituals Hindu devotees perform in the river. After a while, I noticed a man who sat across me, intently looking at me. He appeared to be an aristocratic, a man in his forties, and was well dressed. When I smiled at him, he approached me and greeted me, inquired my name and profession. When I said, I am a Catholic undergoing training to be a priest; he sat beside me and asked if he can talk with me for a while. Then he took off his shoes. I was surprised and shocked. Suddenly, I sensed the stench of rotting flesh, and I could not stand there any more. His feet were mutilated, toes missing, soles oozing puss… Oh! My God, I can still feel the overpowering stench filling my nostrils and gushing to the lungs! This man was suffering from leprosy. The reason he approached me was to see if I can help him find an institution that cares for people afflicted with leprosy. He particularly inquired I would recommend him to the Mother Teresa Sisters’ community. He had been wandering around with the hope of finding a place of care and acceptance.

In the Gospel for our reflection today Jesus encounters a leper who puts His hope and trust in Him. He believes that “if Jesus wants to, He can make him clean”. From the first reading we heard the grim situation of anyone afflicted with leprosy, that he/she should be reported to the priests who would pronounce him/her to be unclean. Then the afflicted person is forced to live in seclusion, isolated from his family and friends. A very grim situation, indeed!

Yet, you may be in shock, to realize that all of us might already be afflicted with the “dreaded” decease of leprosy. I, for one, find within myself, some telling signs of leprosy. The medical dictionary defines leprosy as an infectious disease characterized by disfiguring skin sores, nerve damage, and progressive debilitation. All forms of the disease eventually cause peripheral neurological damage (nerve damage in the arms and legs) which causes sensory loss in the skin and muscle weakness. Yes, lack of sensation or insensitivity and mutilation within me, as well as isolation/seclusion from the community, and uncleanliness are the visible signs of leprosy that I find within myself.

Sensory Loss: A person afflicted with leprosy experiences the loss of sensory perceptions. He is incapable of experiencing pain, heat, cold and so on. People with long-term leprosy may lose the use of their hands or feet due to repeated injury resulting from lack of sensation. There are so many of us who are incapable of knowing the pains, sufferings, tears and sorrows of our brothers and sisters. All around us we find people who are hungry, sick, in misery and agony. But the more I am exposed to such realities, I tend to take them for granted, as normal realities that ought be. Thus, I do not even notice, much less do I respond to the cries and tears, needs and deprivations of my brothers and sisters. Do I lack compassion? This is sign of leprosy!

Mutilation: Deformity and mutilations are the most visible signs of leprosy. Physically, I may be fit and perfect, handsome/beautiful and healthy. Yet, I may be living with deformed views, mutilated ideologies, short tempers, wounded feelings, fractured mindset, deformed attitudes and broken relationships. It could be that I do not even realize that I have such deformities and imperfections. But every time I open my mouth, people might get hurt. As I move about doing my business, people might sense the stench of arrogance and pride. How wonderfully I might manage to smile, I might still remain un approachable. How great I might think of me, my attitudes might be too mean and construed. Do I hurt people often? Do I humiliate and disrespect others? Do I have lost the original grace that I received in baptism? Have I deformed the image of God in me? If so, I admit, I’m afflicted with leprosy.

Isolation: As we heard from the first reading, a person afflicted with leprosy is kept secluded from the rest of the society. Do I discriminate against some of my brothers and sisters? Are there people in my family or community with whom I find it hard to live and work with? Do I keep off from someone? Do I feel uncomfortable in the presence of anyone? Are there people in my family who keep off from the Church? Do I ever feel that I am not wanted, I am not being respected, I am not being cared for in my family or community? Do I feel the pain of loneliness? Am I carrying the burden of isolation any time of my life? Do I lack self-esteem? Do I consider that I am good for nothing, that I have nothing to do with the family concerns or the community activities? If so, I need to be treated for spiritual leprosy.

Unclean!: In the Biblical times a leper was considered unclean. The priest declares him unclean. Whenever he comes across people in the society, the leper was to cry out “unclean, unclean!”. This was not simply because of the unhygienic situation that the leper was in, but more so because of the belief that leprosy is a punishment from God, and as a result, it is a manifestation that the person is a sinner. Jesus has made it clear that sin defiles a person. It is not the external beauty and physical hygiene that makes a person clean, but the divine virtues and spiritual worth. Yes, every sin I commit, I become unclean… Do I live in sinful situations? Do I harbor evil thoughts and make evil designs? Are my words and dealings clean? Are my attitudes straight and aspirations transparent? Do I engage in corrupt practices and deceit? Is my conscience as clean as my hands?

If I exhibit the signs and effects of leprosy, what shall I do? We heard from the first reading, let the person report it to the priest. Yes, let us report it to the High-priest Jesus Christ. Let us report to Him the symptoms of growing insensitivity to the needs and pains of others, the mutilation and deformity of my character, the pain of isolation and loneliness and my unclean conscience and life-style. Unlike the priests of the Old-testament who declared them unclean and forced them to seclusion, Jesus our high priest now will declare us to be clean and re-integrate us into the community of God and His people. Jesus effects this healing by reaching out and touching my deformed-decayed life. Wonderful indeed, He dares to touch me. He wills to heal me. If only I come to Him and declare myself unclean! Today in the sacraments of reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist Jesus does just that. He washes me in Divine grace and makes me whole.

PRAY LIKE THE CENTURION

September 13, 2010
Monday 24th Week In Ordinary Time – Year II

1corinthians 11:17-26, 33; Luke 7:1-10

The story of the centurion who sought the help of Jesus for the healing of his slave teaches us the three attitudes of prayer: mediation, humility and trust.

Mediation:
The centurion sends a delegation to Jesus to intercede for him. What the centurion would pray for is not a grace for himself, rather for his slave. Pleading for the needs and cause of others is an essential element of Christian prayer. It is a manifestation of love. To pray for others is one of the best gifts we can offer them. Do you want the prayer to be effective, then, pray more for others and less for yourself. This is one lesson I have learned over the years through my experience. This is where intercessory prayers become important in my spiritual practices. Jesus Himself is the mediator par excellence. He intercedes for us with the Father. We have the Blessed Virgin Mary and all other saints on whose intercession we rely for help. The Jews who came to intercede for the cause of the centurion place their petition before the Lord with the logic of the “kindness and generosity” of the centurion—that in spite of his being a non-Jew, he is good to the Jewish community and that he built a synagogue for them. Indeed the best way of praying for the self is to pray through acts of kindness, generosity and love. Jesus gladly listens to the prayer of petition made in generosity and love and offers to go and heal the slave of the centurion. When it comes to generosity and love, nobody can outdo Jesus. If you take one step toward Him, He will take a hundred steps toward you.

Humility:
The centurion is a unusual symbol of humility. He was a man of authority, power and influence. He could have ordered Jesus to come and heal his slave. But, he understands the Divinity of Jesus and he realizes how small he is before the Lord. This awareness is reflected in his declaration: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. “Only say a word and my slave shall be well”. Such was his humility that he does not feel even worthy to stand before the Lord, to see Him face to face. Jesus is moved by such a manifestation of humility, that too, from an unbeliever. True prayer is a reflection of the humble heart. The more I realize the grace of God surround me, I will fall on my knees and fold my hands before the Lord. Our hearts can be raised to the throne of God only on our bended knees, prostrate minds and folded hands. A danger that could happen to me in my journey of faith is that, the more I walk with the Lord, I might presume it is my right that He grants my prayer, that He come to my heart, that He moves with me. This is spiritual pride which would blind my heart to the real nature of my being a creature who only can beg for His mercy. Jesus offers to enter my heart, and stay with me in the Holy Eucharist. How do I welcome Him?

Trust:
Prayer demands trust and faith in the power of God. The centurion expressed his trust in the Almighty and All powerful Lord, in His Word and Presence. God accomplished the creation of the universe with the power of His word, “Let it be”. Jesus worked out miracles, bringing the dead back to life by the power of His Word. His Word has not diminished in power. His word is active and effective as it was in the beginning, as it was 2000 years ago, and it will be powerful till the end of the world. I just need to believe and trust in His power. Prayer involves a two-fold trusting: trusting in the power of God, and trusting in His mercy/love. To believe that Jesus can do a miracle is not enough. The faith that everything is possible with the Lord is just the beginning of trust. I need also to trust in His mercy and love that He will do it for me. The Lord can, and He will! This is what is called “confidence” in prayer.

Today, let me bring before the Lord, in confidence, faith and trust, all the intentions and petitions of my community, especially those who are in need of His healing grace this day. Even as I am most unworthy of His favors, I believe that the Lord will show mercy to those who trust in His Word.

HYPOCRITE!

August 25, 2010


Wednesday of the Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 23:27-32

Hypocrisy: If there is one thing that Jesus cannot stand, it is hypocrisy. Jesus has the strongest words and direct approach in condemning hypocrisy. He doesn’t mind offending the sensibilities and pricking the conscience of people as he hits hard on the hypocritical practices, tendencies and attitudes of the society. The entire chapter 23 in the Gospel of Mathew presents to us Jesus’ deploring of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes.

Hypocrisy is duplicity and deception. Even God finds himself helpless in healing a hypocrite. In this sense, hypocrisy is a sin more dangerous than other mortal sins. The hypocrite lives in a world of deception, he deceives himself and others. He is characterized by a split personality, a fake persona, and a deceptive look. His heart wallows in decay and death. His mind and conscience is enveloped in thick darkness of selfishness and self-righteousness. He is a den of the devil that appears in the garb of an innocent child. Even as his heart is rotting and fuming with evil, he has the most attractive smile and the life-style of a saint. He appears to be the standard bearer of holiness. Jesus uses the image of a whitewashed tomb to depict the hypocrite. A well decorated tomb is a beauty to behold. The expensive stones and carvings, the serene surrounding of green grass carpets… indeed, a tomb well kept and decorated is pleasing to the eyes. Yet, the externals of the tomb are just cover-ups of the rotting flesh, the decaying bones and the frightening darkness that lies within. Such is the case with the hypocrite: He is a walking tomb—a glittering, shining, adorable personality outside, and a decaying, rotting, dark personality within. He lives in the tomb of his own creation.

Healing not possible: Perfection is his clarion call. He is perfect, and the whole world is imperfect for him. He is impatient with the imperfections of others even as he is happy with the deceptive self. He does not need reform. Grace of God has no place in him. God can work in us if only we admit our sinfulness and beg for His mercy. Hypocrisy is the highest form of sin, because, it is a sin upon sin. On the one hand, a hypocrite indulges in all forms of sin such as envy, hatred, lust, pride, deception, self-gratification, selfishness, corruption and so on, on the other hand he does not feel he is sinful, he covers up his evil, and puts on a garb of holiness before others and God. If you feel you are perfect, the light of Christ cannot penetrate your heart. The forgiving grace cannot come into your life. This is why Jesus cannot stand hypocrisy in any form.

So today, let me stand bare before God, allow him to search out my heart—my inner feelings, thoughts, fears, anxieties, corruption and self-righteous mentality. Let me open wide the door of my heart, mind and life and admit my sinfulness, weaknesses and imperfections. Let the grace of Christ melt away the duplicity and deception within me, let His light shine upon my being that I may be made whole and clean. Let my steps lead me to the sacrament of reconciliation today that I may be healed of my hypocrisy of words, attitudes and dealings.