All people have a responsibility to care for other people

Good morning, happy Friday, and many blessings.

In today’s Gospel (Mark 7:31-37) there are two things worth noting in the drama of Jesus healing that man. The man was healed because the people brought him to Jesus. We have to go to Jesus with our problems, we cannot stay where we are, we have to go to Jesus for our problems to be resolved and healed. Jesus is always there for us. When we are alone, Jesus is our friend waiting for us to approach him. When we are in darkness, Jesus is our light waiting to enlighten us. When we are in despair Jesus is the truth waiting to give us hope. When we are suffering, Jesus is our divine physician waiting to heal us and raise us up.

The second thing we notice is that Jesus took the man away from the crowd, so they were alone, Jesus and the man in need of Jesus’ healing. That time alone with Jesus was the most precious time in that man’s whole life; everything before this moment was leading to this special moment, and the rest of his life was transformed after this moment. These moments alone with Jesus were the most important moments of his life, they defined the rest of his life, and surely the rest of the lives of those who knew him and lived with him.

Likewise, our moments with Jesus every day are the most important moments of our day, and define the rest of our day. It is during these moments alone with Jesus when Jesus our friend enlightens our darkness, changes our despair to hope, heals us to raise us up, “touches our ears to receive his word, and touches our mouth to proclaim his faith, to the praise and glory of God.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta at the center of her spirituality was meditating on the words of Jesus on the cross: "I am thirsty." She asked that the words “I am thirsty” be placed next to the crucifix in each of her convents. Thirst, Jesus is waiting for us, waiting for us to get away from the crowd to spend time with him. When Jesus said on the cross, "I'm thirsty," not only was he dehydrated, but he also told us about his longing for us to leave every day to spend time with him.

This is another incidence of Jesus caring for those who are suffering from sicknesses and disabilities of one kind or another. That someone could be interested in them and especially to be able to cure them was really a gift from God. Despite that fact that a great number of people are neglected in the world today who need care and help, there are a still a great number of people who are dedicated to the poor and the sick. This is a gift from God, both for them and for the people they help.

Jesus does not see his healing powers as proofs of his divinity, but rather as signs that the God of mercy and goodness is close to us. He heals because he is moved with compassion. Do I share in the astonishment of the onlookers?

Are there possibilities in your own life for some good deeds that could be done for someone you know? We all have a role in the ‘caring’ respect of each other.

Blessings,

Fr. Luis+