Friday June 27, 2008

First Reading: 2 Kings 25:1-12
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 137
Gospel: Matthew 8:1-4

TGIF brothers and sisters, may the peace of the Lord be with you today!

Are you hurting? Do you suffer from something that causes so much pain in your life? Is there an emotional wound that you have not been able to get over or seemed to heal? I think we have all been there and are there now. There are things in our lives that we go through that seem so unbearable, and seem as though they will never end. We try a lot of quick fixes, a pill here and gadget there, but none of them really seem to bring us peace, or make the pain go away. so when we are hurting, how do we make the pain go away? How do we find joy in the midst of suffering?

The leper in today's gospel shows us how. "Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean." This is what the leper said to Jesus, that's it! He realized the healing power of Jesus and asked him to be healed. You know what is even more amazing about this are the leper's words. He says, "Lord, if you wish...", not only did he recognize the awesome healing power of Jesus (which many of us often seem to forget), but he also left it in the hands of Jesus, he did not demand or negotiate, he said lord if you want to heal me I know you can, but it is your choice. And how does Jesus respond to this request? He responds; "I will do it. Be made clean." No "I can", or "I should", or "If you insist", no he says "I will." Do you get the sense that God wants to be there to help us?

There are so many times in my life when I do not ask for God's help or guidance, usually because I think that I can handle it or that the problem or situation is too small. This is why I need reminders like this that say hey, no problem or situation is too big or too small for God, he wants to help, you just need to recognize and ask. I have personally experienced the healing power that Christ offers. I know that no matter how great the pain, he can and will heal it. I pray that we can all continue to give our pain and suffering to him. There is no medication or surgery in the world that can heal as Jesus does. Just remember, ask him, and "he will."

Is there something that you are going through either emotionally or physically that you need to pray about. How can we have the faith of the leper in today's gospel and totally trust in Christ and in his ways?

Father in heaven, we thank you and give you praise for your love and mercy. We ask that your will, not our own, to be done, and we pray for your guidance in all of our decisions no matter how big or small. We ask this all through your name as we pray, Amen.