HOMILY FOR 1ST THURSDAY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A

IMG_7219






HOMILY FOR 1ST THURSDAY OF ORDINARY TIME — YEAR A

HOMILY THEME: “IF YOU WISH, YOU CAN MAKE ME CLEAN.”

BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas

Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus [and kneeling down] begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR 1ST THURSDAY OF ORDINARY TIME 

Leprosy is a horrible disease. A person inflicted with this disease is considered dead, socially and spiritually. Since this sickness is contagious, a law prohibits the lepers from entering a town. Socially, they are outcasts. And since the Jews consider sickness as punishment for sins, the persons having this dreaded disease is right away judged as being punished by God for his sins or the sins of his ancestors. So, spiritually, the lepers are also dead in the eyes of fellow Jews.

Fortunately, that is not how Jesus looks at these unfortunate brethren. The Gospel today tells us of the compassion of Jesus. He heals the leper, and brings him back to health. Most importantly, he regains his life and dignity – socially and spiritually. The good thing about this leper which catches the attention of Jesus is his sincere humility. He had no other hope but Jesus alone. So, disregarding everything, he dares to approach Jesus, kneels down and begs, and with full conviction says: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” What a beautiful prayer!

The lesson of the Gospel today is not coming from Jesus, but from the leper. His prayer is not demanding, but there is total surrender to the will of God: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” He is very humble and obedient. He is very sure and confident that Jesus can cure him, only if He wants to. He is ready to accept His decision. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus uttered a similar prayer: “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done” (Lk 22:42).

Let us examine ourselves and the way we pray. How humble are we when we pray? Many times we demand from God, as if He is obliged to repay us for the service we do to Him. How ready are we to obey His will? Many times we insist on our own will, not on the will of God. And many times, we have back-ups, just in case God does not grant us what we ask for. I have a true story about this.

One time I was invited to bless the house of a parishioner. At once I noticed that standing beside the image of Jesus is the statue of the fat Buddha. I asked the father of the family: “What is the image of Buddha doing here, right beside Jesus?” I was shocked by his answer. He said: “Well, Father, it is good to always have a fallback in everything, just in case.” For him, if Jesus cannot or is not willing to do it, he has Buddha to turn to.

This is definitely preposterous! But, come to think of it: many Catholics already have this kind of thinking. This is why superstitious beliefs among Filipinos just do not go away easily. And add to these the widespread belief in feng shui, horoscopes, fortune telling, astrology and many other occult and New Age practices. This is very sad, indeed!

True faith in God means total and complete trust in Him, and in no one else. That is the first commandment. How pure and strong is our faith in God? With God, nothing is impossible. Anything we ask from Him will be given us, provided the three virtues shown by the leper are present: unconditional faith, genuine humility and total obedience to His will. In this Mass, let us humbly pray: “Lord, may your will be done. Amen.”

FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>>>

Dear friends in Christ, We have been sustained by your Charity for the past 11years. Here we are saddled with annual bills. Please, be kind to us with your donation. Click on the “Donate” button to get started. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Catholic For Life

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading