Thanksgiving for Recovery

The text in the Roman Catholic Lectionary today from Psalm 30 is a thanksgiving to God for recovery from a serious condition. The psalmist witnesses to the power of the Life of God within the proclamation of the message of the great power of God over illness and death. The Book of Wisdom makes it clear that death is not the plan of God for humanity. God delights in humans fully alive. The envy of the devil from creation is the source of sin. We are convinced that our way of living is superior to God's plan. The mystery presented in the Gospel from today is one which believers wrestle daily. Why are some apparently healed and others not? The method of Mark, noted by Friar Jude Winkler is to begin one story and then insert another before completing the first. Both the woman with a hemmorage and the daughter of the synagogue official are returned to life. The woman is no longer ritually unclean and her reunion with community will bring her life of trial and triumph to them as testimony to faith. The moving on of the young girl challenges the professional mourners and those who live in the darkness of "it is what it is' to consider the lie of their philosophy of life. Father Larry Gillick SJ encourages us to consider the questions of what we are healed "from" and the direction our living will take after healing to address somewhat what we are healed "for". Paul addresses the Corinthians with the notion of "fair balance" in mind as he petitions them to support the destitute in Jerusalem. The abundance which we accumulate is an opportunity for service to others. The fair balance is to share with them the gifts which we have received and which can be evidence of our response to the delight of God in our being by increasing the opportunity for others to share delight with God in their life. The envy of the devil is also the motive which encourages us to be in the 'what's mine is mine" atttitude. The recovery we look to celebrate is the witness we give as healed grateful and generous people who are choosing to follow His will for our lives which always creates the opportunity for more love and life from our healing, our patience, our sacrifrice, our thanksgiving, our joy, our forbearance for Life in others.