14 January 2021
Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” It seems near impossible given the events of last week not to have experienced any hardness of heart. The scenes of the Capitol and the political turmoil further stoked in its wake continue to show the division in the country. Our political positions may be hardened, or even more worrisome, our judgment of those who do not hold our political views. Like the man with leprosy in today’s Gospel passage, our wounds and sickness are public for all to see. Recognizing that we are sick is the first task.
The second task is believing that we can be healed. The man with leprosy begs and challenges Jesus to heal him. Such a challenge in ancient Mediterranean culture would be a test for Jesus’ public honor. He could have decided to ignore the request since the man was in the lowest social status, likely being a pariah in his community. Jesus in the eyes of others might have lost honor for even recognizing the man. Jesus is “moved by pity” and heals the man. Jesus is not concerned for his honor as he is concerned for the man to be restored in the community. The man disregards Jesus’ instruction to not speak about his healing, but he cannot contain his joy. He shares the news.
Healing might be the last desire in our hearts if they have become calloused. We hear the memory of the Ancient Israelites grumbling in the desert in the Letter to Hebrews. They were hungry, tired, and felt abandoned by God as they wandering dragged on for years. They wondered whether it was better to be slaves to the Egyptians than to be a free people in the desert. The people said to Moses, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Ex 17: 7). The question is honest, and good prayer is honest prayer. Yet, like the Israelites and the early Church, we have to be mindful when we are led into despair, that is when we no longer think we can be healed or helped. Despair hardens our hearts to pull back from the movement of the living God towards it. The only explanation in having faith, hope, and love despite all inducements to the contrary is grace. If we do not feel those gifts in our hearts, let us trust that our desiring for them is a sign that God is indeed with us, and desires to heal us. Let us never tiring in asking for God’s healing.
In a quiet moment today, take a moment to say a prayer for all political leaders for wisdom, for peace between those who differ in views, and for those who lost their lives last week in the storming of the Capitol.