Heart for Healing

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today challenge us to reassess the situations where we have separated ourselves from others and petition the Spirit to guide us to a heart for healing.

Healing Together

The Reading from the Letter to the Hebrews is a warning against unbelief and a reminder of Israel’s Infidelity.

* [3:7–4:13] The author appeals for steadfastness of faith in Jesus, basing his warning on the experience of Israel during the Exodus. In the Old Testament the Exodus had been invoked as a symbol of the return of Israel from the Babylonian exile (Is 42:9; 43:16–21; 51:9–11). In the New Testament the redemption was similarly understood as a new exodus, both in the experience of Jesus himself (Lk 9:31) and in that of his followers (1 Cor 10:1–4). The author cites Ps 95:7–11, a salutary example of hardness of heart, as a warning against the danger of growing weary and giving up the journey. To call God living (Heb 3:12) means that he reveals himself in his works (cf. Jos 3:10; Jer 10:11). The rest (Heb 3:11) into which Israel was to enter was only a foreshadowing of that rest to which Christians are called. They are to remember the example of Israel’s revolt in the desert that cost a whole generation the loss of the promised land (Heb 3:15–19; cf. Nm 14:20–29). In Heb 4:1–11, the symbol of rest is seen in deeper dimension: because the promise to the ancient Hebrews foreshadowed that given to Christians, it is good news; and because the promised land was the place of rest that God provided for his people, it was a share in his own rest, which he enjoyed after he had finished his creative work (Heb 3:3–4; cf. Gn 2:2). The author attempts to read this meaning of God’s rest into Ps 95:7–11 (Heb 3:6–9). The Greek form of the name of Joshua, who led Israel into the promised land, is Jesus (Heb 3:8). The author plays upon the name but stresses the superiority of Jesus, who leads his followers into heavenly rest. Heb 3:12, 13 are meant as a continuation of the warning, for the word of God brings judgment as well as salvation. Some would capitalize the word of God and see it as a personal title of Jesus, comparable to that of Jn 1:1–18. (Hebrews, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 95 is a Call to Worship and Obedience.

* [Psalm 95] Twice the Psalm calls the people to praise and worship God (Ps 95:1–2, 6), the king of all creatures (Ps 95:3–5) and shepherd of the flock (Ps 95:7a, 7b). The last strophe warns the people to be more faithful than were their ancestors in the journey to the promised land (Ps 95:7c–11). This invitation to praise God regularly opens the Church’s official prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours. (Psalms, PSALM 95 | USCCB, n.d.)

In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus Cleanses a Leper.

* [1:40] A leper: for the various forms of skin disease, see Lv 13:1–50 and the note on Lv 13:2–4. There are only two instances in the Old Testament in which God is shown to have cured a leper (Nm 12:10–15; 2 Kgs 5:1–14). The law of Moses provided for the ritual purification of a leper. In curing the leper, Jesus assumes that the priests will reinstate the cured man into the religious community. See also note on Lk 5:14. (Mark, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB, n.d.)

The reflection from Angela Maynard Of Creighton University's Online Ministries was not available at publication time.

Don Schwager quotes “Why did Jesus touch the leper,” by Origen of Alexandria (185-254 AD)

And why did [Jesus] touch him, since the law forbade the touching of a leper? He touched him to show that 'all things are clean to the clean' (Titus 1:15). Because the filth that is in one person does not adhere to others, nor does external uncleanness defile the clean of heart. So he touches him in his untouchability, that he might instruct us in humility; that he might teach us that we should despise no one, or abhor them, or regard them as pitiable, because of some wound of their body or some blemish for which they might be called to render an account... So, stretching forth his hand to touch, the leprosy immediately departs. The hand of the Lord is found to have touched not a leper, but a body made clean! Let us consider here, beloved, if there be anyone here that has the taint of leprosy in his soul, or the contamination of guilt in his heart? If he has, instantly adoring God, let him say: 'Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.' (excerpt from FRAGMENTS ON MATTHEW 2.2-3) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Hebrews 3:7-14 comments that today’s passage from Hebrews makes an observation about our lives as Christians. We must “hold . . . firm” by pushing against the tides of temptation and discouragement so that we end up where God wants us to be (Hebrews 3:14). So how do we hold firm?

Encourage yourselves daily while it is still “today” (Hebrews 3:13). We all need to be encouraged—each day, if necessary—to persevere in our life with the Lord. So be open to receiving the encouragement of your brothers and sisters in Christ. And be ready to encourage them as well. Walk beside someone who is doubting. Be a friend who listens. Remind them of God’s love. Above all, reassure them that it’s worth swimming against the tide in order to arrive at a place of freedom and peace!

“Lord, soften my heart so that I can hear your voice and stay close to you each day!” (Meditation on Hebrews 3:7-14, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments on the theme in the Letter to the Hebrews that the Hebrew Testament is a prefiguring of the time of Jesus. The rebellion that prohibited the entry of the ancestors to the Holy Land reappears in the rejection of Jesus. Today is the day to respond to the Lord and enter into his rest. Friar Jude reminds us of Jesus' desire to maintain the messianic secret so as to avoid treatment as a wonderworker.

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Sikh activist Valarie Kaur who tells a brief story of Guru Nanak (1469–1539), founder of the Sikh faith.

Guru Nanak’s followers were called Sikhs, seekers or students…. Sikhs believed that people of all castes, genders, faiths, races, and places were equal…. It was a radical experiment that rebelled against the caste hierarchy and feudal order of the era, a mysticism that inspired revolutionary social change…. The ideal archetype in the Sikh tradition became the sant sipahi: the sage warrior. [2] (Rohr, n.d.)

We contemplate the healing power of our relationship with Jesus and seek the support of the Spirit as we encounter the people on our journey.

References

Hebrews, CHAPTER 3 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/3?7 

Mark, CHAPTER 1 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/1?40 

Meditation on Hebrews 3:7-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/01/16/1181104/ 

Psalms, PSALM 95 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/95?6 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Guru Nanak: A Sage Warrior. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/guru-nanak-a-sage-warrior/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). The Lord Jesus Can Make Me Clean. The Lord Jesus Can Make Me Clean. Retrieved January 16, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=jan16 

Resisting full life

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite contemplation of our resistance to embrace fidelity to action that increases our fullness of life.

Sharing Life

The passage from the Book of Judges presents the Infidelities of the Israelites in the “Promised Land”.

* [2:10–19] This long thematic passage establishes the cyclical pattern for the stories found in the rest of the book. When the Israelites are secure, they forsake the Lord and worship other gods. In punishment the Lord places them in the power of a foreign oppressor. But when they cry out in distress, the Lord takes pity on them and raises up a judge, who delivers them from the oppressor. The Israelites remain faithful to the Lord during the lifetime of the judge, but when the judge dies they again abandon the Lord, and the cycle begins anew.1 

Psalm 106 recites from Israel’s history eight instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness.

* [Psalm 106] Israel is invited to praise the God whose mercy has always tempered judgment of Israel (Ps 106:1–3). The speaker, on behalf of all, seeks solidarity with the people, who can always count on God’s fidelity despite their sin (Ps 106:4–5). Confident of God’s mercy, the speaker invites national repentance (Ps 106:6) by reciting from Israel’s history eight instances of sin, judgment, and forgiveness...The text gives the site of each sin:... Canaan (Ps 106:38).2 

In the Gospel from Matthew, Jesus invites the rich young man to deepen his experience of full life.

* [19:16–30] Cf. Mk 10:17–31. This story does not set up a “two-tier” morality, that of those who seek (only) eternal life (Mt 19:16) and that of those who wish to be perfect (Mt 19:21). It speaks rather of the obstacle that riches constitute for the following of Jesus and of the impossibility, humanly speaking, for one who has many possessions (Mt 19:22) to enter the kingdom (Mt 19:24). Actual renunciation of riches is not demanded of all; Matthew counts the rich Joseph of Arimathea as a disciple of Jesus (Mt 27:57). But only the poor in spirit (Mt 5:3) can enter the kingdom and, as here, such poverty may entail the sacrifice of one’s possessions. The Twelve, who have given up everything (Mt 19:27) to follow Jesus, will have as their reward a share in Jesus’ (the Son of Man’s) judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Mt 19:28), and all who have similarly sacrificed family or property for his sake will inherit eternal life (Mt 19:29).3 

Larry Hopp can see a pattern in the texts today. The stories contained throughout the Bible teach of the importance of maintaining our focus upon God.

Yet in today’s Gospel, Jesus provides us with further insight into the question of “how do we live our lives for our Lord”.  The young man approaching Jesus evidently understood the value of eternal life. It is interesting that Jesus did not initially respond with the first commandment of loving God with all our hearts, mind & soul, but rather Jesus listed off 5 commandments that the young man believed he had kept.  Jesus however included a 6th command (actually the very important 2nd commandment about loving our neighbors as ourselves). Perhaps the young man got caught up in feeling pretty good about himself with the first 5 Jesus mentioned and glossed over that 6th directive about loving others. Jesus definitely did not miss the irony, so he responded in a more direct answer “…”go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come follow me.”4 

Don Schwager quotes “Seek the life that endures,” by Saint Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"The Lord said to a certain young man, 'If you would enter life, keep the commandments.' He did not say 'If you would have life' but 'If you would enter life,' defining that life as eternal life. Let us first consider then the love of this life. For this life is loved, whatever its quality - and however troubled it is, however wretched, people are afraid to end it. Hence we should see, we should consider, how much eternal life is to be loved, when this miserable life that must at some time be ended is so loved. Consider, brothers, how much that life is to be loved when it is a life you never end. You love this life, where you work so much, run, are busy, pant. In this busy life the obligations can scarcely be counted: sowing, plowing, working new land, sailing, grinding, cooking, weaving. And after all this hard work your life comes to an end. Look at what you suffer in this wretched life that you so love. And do you think that you will always live and never die? Temples, rocks, marbles, all reinforced by iron and lead, still fall. And a person thinks that he will never die? Learn therefore, brothers, to seek eternal life, when you will not endure these things but will reign with God forever."  (excerpt from Sermon 84,1)5 

The Word Among Us meditation on Matthew 19:16-22 comments that when we read this story of the rich young man, we often focus on how he “went away sad” (Matthew 19:22). But we don’t always give him enough credit. He knew enough to realize he needed help—and to ask Jesus for it. His question was sincere too: “Teacher, what good must I do?” He wanted to be a better man, and he wanted the “eternal life” that he saw the disciples enjoying (19:16). Every day, we can ask Jesus to help us see how we are doing in our walk with him and how we can do better. In the sixteenth century, St. Ignatius of Loyola developed a way for us to do just that. He called it the “Daily Examen.” Here’s a version that consists of five steps.

The first step is to thank God for all the blessings you’ve received that day... The second step is to pray to the Holy Spirit... Third, review what happened today... Fourth, think about when you felt closest to God... When did you feel further away from God?... Your fifth and final step is to look ahead to the next day...6 

Friar Jude Winkler compares the Deuteronomistic history in the Book of Joshua with the more realistic account today from Judges. Maybe our preparation for the future tends to avarice resulting in neglect for the poor. Friar Jude reminds us of the wisdom of Tertulllian who warned that our excess is robbed from the poor.

Daniel P Horan, OFM, explains “The principle of the common good” from his series Understanding Laudato Si (EP 10).

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares that Catholic priest and peace activist John Dear, teaches that nonviolence requires three simultaneous attributes: being nonviolent toward ourselves; being nonviolent to others, including creation; and joining the global grassroots movement of nonviolence. (Franciscan organization Pace e Bene). What does it mean to be nonviolent?

Coming from the Hindu/Sanskrit word ahimsa, nonviolence was defined long ago as “causing no harm, no injury, no violence to any living creature.” But Mohandas Gandhi insisted that it means much more than that. He said nonviolence was the active, unconditional love toward others, the persistent pursuit of truth, the radical forgiveness toward those who hurt us, the steadfast resistance to every form of evil, and even the loving willingness to accept suffering in the struggle for justice without the desire for retaliation. . .8 

Fr Richard reminds us that living nonviolence requires daily meditation, contemplation, study, concentration, and mindfulness. Just as mindlessness leads to violence, steady mindfulness and conscious awareness of our true identities lead to nonviolence and peace. The fullness of life, referred to in John 10:10, is sometimes resisted by our ego and self serving focus.

References

1	(n.d.). Judges, chapter 2 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/judges/2
2	(n.d.). Psalms, chapter 106 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/psalms/106
3	(n.d.). Matthew, chapter 19 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/19
4	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections - OnlineMinistries - Creighton University. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
5	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
6	(n.d.). Meditations - The Word Among Us. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/2019/08/19/
7	(2016, May 3). "Understanding Laudato Si" Series - YouTube. Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO2W1tFFtdJn9V9_DvEbz9Bygt7XsYXRj
8	(2019, August 19). Remembering Who We Already Are — Center for Action and .... Retrieved August 19, 2019, from https://cac.org/remembering-who-we-already-are-2019-08-19/