6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, B

Healing

Mark 1:40-45

Jesus healed a leper.  In the first reading, people are to cry out to the leper, "Unclean, unclean!"

Jesus aims to restore; people aim to warn others, "Unclean, unclean!" without having any intention to cure.

I would focus on healing.  Pope Francis stressed this too in his World Communications Day message, "There are many who are wounded in the digital highways. We just need to be present for them."

How do we know if our presence is a healing presence or a wounding presence?

We know if wounded, we say, "If you will to, you can cure me." Everything depends on the healer.  We can only ask and not demand. It is an opportunity for us to place ourselves under the service of the healer.

Second, if like Jesus, we say, "Of course I want to."  Jesus' presence is absolutely healing.  Ours is partially healing if we say, "We can only do so much." Our every presence is in itself healing.

Third, like Jesus' prescription, "Make an offering of healing."  Healing is a free gift.  It is repaid by another gift - ourselves.  If all people in this world are offerors, nobody would be wanting.