MONDAY HOMILY: 1ST WEEK MONDAY IN ADVENT – YEAR B

MONDAY HOMILY: 1ST WEEK MONDAY IN ADVENT – YEAR B

THEME: It Takes A Village

By: Deacon Bill Frere

Boat Chapel, Magdala

Gospel – Luke 5:17-26

It takes a village! I’ve heard that so many times but lately it really seems to ring true. Our family has had more than its share of struggles and medical issues these past 4 weeks (actually closer to 3 months). It has challenged us, stretched us, stressed us to the point of breaking. And yet the one thing we never felt was this – ALONE!! We never felt we were on our own. From the staff/friends at the Village (medical and professional), the ER nurses, ICU nurses, PA’s, surgeons and doctors, the wheelchair pushers and spiritual ministry staff – they all did their part – and so much more!

ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY: MONDAY 2ND WEEK IN ADVENT [YEAR B]

And then there was Jaime, our daughter! The guy upstairs definitely had this all planned out so that she and Josh just happened to be in town just when we needed most the help, the support, the chance to sleep! She took charge over grandpa’s care and treatment, dealt with all the medical staff and translated for us all the test results and plans. Yes, I know – a dad is always proud of his daughter. But it brings tears to our eyes to see her in action and see the woman, the daughter and grand-daughter, the nurse practitioner, the caring medical professional, in action! WOW! Just WOW!

Today’s Gospel is a familiar one, rich in imagery. A paralyzed man is brought to Jesus. The crowd is so large and crushing that they climb the roof and lower him down. Jesus forgives his sins and cures his illness.

But what strikes me are these words: “when Jesus saw THEIR faith.” Jesus wasn’t speaking just to the paralytic; He was speaking to the men who brought him. And then He forgave THEIR sins! Consider what faith those men must have had! They braved the crowd to bring their friend to Jesus for healing. When they saw no way to get to Jesus, they climbed the roof, made a hole in it and then, using ropes, they lowered the man down to Jesus. That is faith! That is a testament to their love of their friend and his trust in them and, of course, their belief in Jesus’ healing powers. They are the ‘village’ in this story. They are literally the unsung heroes. The paralytic never would have made it to Jesus without them.

We tend to focus on the healer and the healed in a story like this. But perhaps today we can focus on the ‘village’ behind the paralytic. In spite of his illness and the general belief that illness was a punishment, these men stood by him, carried him, and cherished him.

Perhaps today we could focus on the ‘village’ in our life – all those people with such a strong faith in God and His healing powers that they stood by us, supported us, believed in us even when we felt we couldn’t even take a step on our own!

And while we’re at it, let’s pray for all those unsung heroes fighting illness and pain every single day – doctors, nurse-practitioners, EMT’s, lab techs, orderlies, researchers and scientists, chaplains, receptionists, and so many more! Pray for them, support them, ask the Lord to call down His grace and protection upon them. And remind yourself – who is your village??

FOR SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE >>>