The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to be open to the endless possibilities for full life associated with our relationship with Christ.
The reading from the Book of Genesis presents the Sign of the Covenant to Abraham.
* [17:1–27] The Priestly source gathers the major motifs of the story so far and sets them firmly within a covenant context; the word “covenant” occurs thirteen times. There are links to the covenant with Noah (v. 1 = 6:9; v. 7 = 9:9; v. 11 = 9:12–17). In this chapter, vv. 1–8 promise progeny and land; vv. 9–14 are instructions about circumcision; vv. 15–21 repeat the promise of a son to Sarah and distinguish this promise from that to Hagar; vv. 22–27 describe Abraham’s carrying out the commands. The Almighty: traditional rendering of Hebrew El Shaddai, which is P’s favorite designation of God in the period of the ancestors. Its etymology is uncertain, but its root meaning is probably “God, the One of the Mountains.” (Genesis, CHAPTER 17, n.d.)
Psalm 128 praises the Happy Home of the Faithful.
* [Psalm 128] A statement that the ever-reliable God will bless the reverent (Ps 128:1). God’s blessing is concrete: satisfaction and prosperity, a fertile spouse and abundant children (Ps 128:2–4). The perspective is that of the adult male, ordinarily the ruler and representative of the household to the community. The last verses extend the blessing to all the people for generations to come (Ps 128:5–6). (Psalms, PSALM 128, n.d.)
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Cleanses a Leper.
* [8:1–9:38] This narrative section of the second book of the gospel is composed of nine miracle stories, most of which are found in Mark, although Matthew does not follow the Marcan order and abbreviates the stories radically. The stories are arranged in three groups of three, each group followed by a section composed principally of sayings of Jesus about discipleship. Mt 9:35 is an almost verbatim repetition of Mt 4:23. Each speaks of Jesus’ teaching, preaching, and healing. The teaching and preaching form the content of Mt 5–7; the healing, that of Mt 8–9. Some scholars speak of a portrayal of Jesus as “Messiah of the Word” in Mt 5–7 and “Messiah of the Deed” in Mt 8–9. That is accurate so far as it goes, but there is also a strong emphasis on discipleship in Mt 8–9; these chapters have not only christological but ecclesiological import. (Matthew, CHAPTER 8, n.d.)
Sherri Brown asks “Why was it so hard for the scribes to accept the Godliness of the action of curing without parsing the reasons for the cure? Why was it so hard for the crowds pressing around Jesus when He cured someone to rejoice in the great good fortune for the recipient and not press and angle for something for themselves as well?”
Is it not a miracle in itself that we are loved by the Divine? Is it not beyond our human experience that God would, at times, step in and change the course of our lives? Is not life itself the most significant and poignant miracle of all? Isn’t the reality of our every single moment a miracle – this breath I just took, the sunrise I saw this morning, the trill of the songbird in my yard, the collective knowledge of humankind that enables me to even communicate these feelings? Doesn’t the miracle of life itself give us great solace that our own lives are meaningful precisely because this Divine Being so loved us as to create us and this world?
And so, my prayer today is for the grace to wonder at all the miracles I see around me and to pay homage to the God who loves me so much. (Brown, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The authority to heal and make clean belongs to Christ,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).
"With great fervor before Jesus' knees, the leper pleaded with him (Mark 1:40) with sincere faith. He discerned who Jesus was. He did not state conditionally, 'If you request it of God' or 'If you pray for me.' Rather, he said simply, 'If you will, you can make me clean.' He did not pray, 'Lord, cleanse me.' Rather, he leaves everything to the Lord and makes his own recovery depend entirely on him. Thus he testified that all authority belongs to him. One might ask, 'What if the leper had been mistaken in this assumption?' If he had been mistaken, wouldn't it have been fitting for the Lord to reprove him and set him straight? But did he do this? No. Quite to the contrary, Jesus established and confirmed exactly what he had said." (excerpt from THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, HOMILY 25.1) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Matthew 8:1-4 comments that Jesus loves us—too much to withhold his grace from us. We may not always receive the healing we want, but we always receive the healing we need. We may not always receive every healing we expect, but we will always receive the one healing that answers all our longings: the healing power of Jesus’ presence.
Don’t ever think that Jesus is reluctant to help you! Don’t ever think that there’s some area in your life that makes him unwilling to come and touch you! Instead, bow before him as the man in today’s Gospel did, and say, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Imagine looking into his eyes and hearing him say, “I will do it.” Then watch to see what he does.
“Jesus, I believe that you want nothing but good for me. Lord, I trust in the healing power of your love!” (Meditation on Matthew 8:1-4, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler shares the meanings associated with the names of Abaham and Isaac in the context of the Covenant description in Genesis. Leprosy isolated people from the community in the First Century. Matthew’s Gospel, written for Jewish Christians, has Jesus attend to the requirements for the priest to verify the healing of the leper. Friar Jude reminds us that people with debilitating disease are part of the Kingdom.
Barbara Holmes emphasizes how the arts are an integral part of crisis contemplation and healing communal wounds.
Art is an expression of Spirit. A lot that comes out of artists is not coming from them. It’s coming through them. The reason art is so powerful is that when you have expressions of art coming through a group of people, a village, a community, you have a great deal of creative and strategic power that’s available to everyone for their use. Making art together is an act of creation that I find invigorating. My communities of choice are artistic communities because they’re always on the cutting edge. They’re not leading with what they think. They’re leading with what is coming through them and that’s always so healing. [1] (Holmes, 2023)
We are prompted by the Spirit to recognize and celebrate the events of daily life that enhance our relationships with others.
References
Brown, S. (2023, June 30). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/063023.html
Genesis, CHAPTER 17. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/genesis/17?1
Holmes, B. (2023, June 30). Art Is Prophetic — Center for Action and Contemplation. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/art-is-prophetic-2023-06-30/
Matthew, CHAPTER 8. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/8?1
Meditation on Matthew 8:1-4. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/06/30/721129/
Psalms, PSALM 128. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/128?1
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Lord, You Can Make Me Clean. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved June 30, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=jun30
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