Isaiah - God comes to save - what are the signs - the blind with see - the ears of the deaf will be cleared - the lame will leap like a deer - the mute will sing.
Gospel of Mark - Jesus heals the deaf-mute - with ceremony.
Our Gospel reading ends with the people wondering just who this is - who can make the deaf hear and the mute speak.
What and whom did Jesus heal? Do you remember some of the healing stories in the Gospels? There are so many - even just in Mark's Gospel - the paralyzed man whose friends lower him through the roof of a house to the feet of Jesus - Jairus' daughter, who was thought to be dead - the woman hemorrhaging for 12 years - the blind man named Bartimaeus
In Luke's Gospel - John the Baptist sends his disciples to Jesus with the question, "Are you the one who is to come - or are we to wait for another? Jesus answers, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard, the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the good news brought to them."
Why did Jesus heal? - out of compassion, certainly - also as a signal that God's reign has come in Jesus.
However, something more - healing has to do with wholeness - Jesus healed to put the ill, the wounded, the living dead, the sinner on the way to wholeness - to genuine humanness.
Why Jesus healed? wa why Jesus took our flesh - to destroy the brokenness that sin has created - Deafness - blindness - and all sort of illnesses - are obstacles to a person's awareness of God's presence - keeps a person from responding to God's love - to knowing Jesus.
But - sinfulness must be healed also - sinfulness keeps us from the Lord - the ultimate healing - reconciliation - Jesus's healing power restores harmony - communion - with God - with each other - and with the earth.
Our Lesson - withing the Catholic boday - healing is an ever-present must - the Church is human - composed of sinners - Church is always in need of reform - Church is not whole - because of selfishness and sin - corruption and conflict - disease and death.
So we need the healing power of Our Savior - and we are called to be healers in the Spirit of Our Savior - we - the wounded healers.
Some Christians are called to image Christ the healer - by confronting phyusical or psychological sickness - healing us on the way to wholeness - we thank God for these healers who are united with the Savior as a healer.
We are all called to bring healing that is reconciliation - to destroy hostility between ourselves and God - to destroy hostility within and among ourselves - especially in families - to destroy holtillity between ourselves and teh rest of God's creation - our earth.
Without reconciliation - oneness with God, with one another , with our earth - our Christianity is a mockery.
Catholicism is not a head trip- how much we know - how learned we are - rather the final test - not what do you know - rather how well did you love.
LET US PRAY
Almighty God, my Father - I come to find you Lord that you may come more completey into my life - come into my life with your love and healing power - heal in me all that keeps me from you - heal in me all that keeps me from being a loving and good person - heal in me all that keeps me from being a saint - this is my prayer, Lord. Amen.
Please join me as we say together the Lord's Prayer.
This past week urned out to be a sad one for the diocese - one of our priests died - Father Jerry Bleaux - I knew him well - we served together several years ago - he was a fine priest - well-known for being rather out-spoken - but always sincere and caring. Please keep Father Jerry in your prayers.
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