February 14-15, 2009
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Leviticus 13:1-46 First Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 1:40-45
The cleanest of fine restaurants has dirty floors. No sooner do we step out of a cleansing shower than our skin begins to flake and become soiled with sweat. No sooner do we drive from the car wash than small bugs and dust begin to smack into our windshield. Everybody has some sort of closet with a skeleton or two….but do we focus on the closet or do we see it as part of a bigger picture…a picture that may be so big that the closet becomes insignificant? In looking at the issue of leprosy in today’s First Reading and Gospel (a rather unpleasant topic for Valentine’s Weekend…sorry!) the issue is not really about the (now curable) physical disease. The issue is that Jesus is NOT wary of those afflicted with choices/diseases/sins that might make a person reprehensible to our society or community. While in the Leviticus selection we hear that a person afflicted with a disgusting ailment should pull apart from society…in the Gospel of Mark we have Jesus doing the unthinkable and TOUCHING the leprous man…and encouraging the man to get back into the swirl of community by going into the temple area to complete the process. While the physical disease is rare in today’s world, who might the modern-day leper’s be? Wall Street brokers who accepted large bonuses? Politicians who failed Income Tax 101? Ponzi schemers? Sexual molesters? Drug addicts? Out-of-control parents who scream at their kid’s coaches? Repeat divorcees? Illegal immigrants? Who are the people, whom, when we hear of them, our first reaction/response is: ‘ I don’t want them anywhere near me or my family!’ How do we reconcile that these flawed persons are a part of our society…how do we continue to incorporate them into our culture? Of course, there are some people who probably think that it is okay to simply dismiss these people as unworthy of consideration, perhaps even desire to lock them up and throw away the key forever…and they righteously think these things as they receive Communion! On this weekend devoted to ‘Valentine love’….our readings speak of the depth of Jesus’ love for EVERYONE….especially those who are flawed, sick and despicable. And that includes each of US….the people who individually have dark sides and mistakes….the people who in the course of Mass each week pray: ‘forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ Hmmmm…..what if the grace of God was a quid pro quo exchange? We will get what we are willing to give?
Happy Valentine’s weekend to all who have come to share our worship and celebration here at Corpus Christi this weekend. Have you jumped on board our Pastoral Services Appeal effort for this year? Come on…step up and be part of the family paying down our loans! Next weekend is our Mardi Gras Food Fair, make sure you schedule some extra time in your schedule to enjoy the offerings of the assorted booths….BACON RULES! Our Corpus Christi College Scholarship Application Forms are available on the Concierge Shelves…submission deadline for consideration is April 15th. Please accept a Bulletin on your way home, with Ash Wednesday starting to draw close (February 25th) you may want to know of the Ash distribution schedule along with other Lenten happenings. As you either seek out…or try to avoid….Cupid’s arrows, remember, you are loved. FKB
