Merry Christmas | January 8, 2016

January 8, 2016

As the Christmas season comes to a close (yes, it’s still Christmas until this Sunday!!), our Beloved PhD John’s words wind down as well. Today’s opening line is, “Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” I don’t know about you, but I like being on the winning team and according to John, who knew Jesus more intimately than most, all I need to do is believe that he is the Son of God. OK, so what’s the problem? I got this. Or do I? What about my need to control situations that are beyond my control? What about my doubt that God can still love me even when I sin? What about my inability to surrender the fight and give it over to him? What about my fear? What about my broken heart that remains divided? What about my pride that has convinced me that I can change people? What about my insecurity that has me desperately seeking attention? And that list goes on and on. I’m not sure any one of those things convicts my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I know, I know, I should cut myself some slack, I’m only human and these are all very real issues of our humanity, but I certainly cannot settle in complacency, I should not let these things identify me, I don’t have to choose to live in the mediocrity of humanity, I can do better, I am called to holiness and holiness means that I need to become the best version of myself, the version that God has been painting, composing, sculpting, and writing my whole life. Why would I want to be anything less than? To believe that Jesus is the Son of God requires holiness. Holiness requires purification. Purification requires presenting our unclean selves to Jesus and allowing him to wash us in water and in blood. These symbols come directly from the Hebrew sacrificial offering liturgy of the Old Testament before Christ came onto the scene. John points out that when Jesus was born he came into the world through blood and water and we know that it was John who witnessed Jesus’ side being pierced on the cross and blood and water gushed forth as a sign that our sin had been purified (divine mercy!!). It wasn’t until the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles that these mysteries could be discovered and the same is true for us, we must surrender to the Holy Spirit in order to see the workings of Jesus in the world. Spirit (grace), water (cleansing), and blood (death to self) are necessary for us to be able to proclaim Jesus as the Son of God and that means we need to come before God unclean so that we can be purified. I know it’s heavy and I know it’s deep, but John just brings that out in me and I feel like we could all use some practice at going deeper.

Today’s gospel is about a leper that went to Jesus for healing. It says that he fell face down on the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” I find this request filled with a beautiful sweetness and perhaps I can use it in my own prayer life. Face down, I crawl before you and beg, if you are willing, Lord, please…take this, heal that, forgive this, have mercy on that, bless this, show me that. The word “if” is where I find the humility, because it leaves the requester open to whatever is the Lord’s will. Jesus’ response comes with a touch (to touch a leper is the most scandalous thing you can do, because you make yourself unclean as well), “I am willing. Be clean.” Insert whatever form of leprosy you have, mine are all in the list of questions posed in my opening paragraph, feel Jesus’ touch and hear his words, “I am willing. Be clean.” Notice the “I Am” of that sentence and understand that in the ancient Jewish society it was believed that only God can heal leprosy and Jesus was saying “I Am.” Only God can fill the voids in our lives that leave us unclean, far away from love, feeling unworthy, unloved, and Jesus says, “I Am.”

The final piece of the gospel is when Jesus tells the leper, don’t tell anyone about this, but show them that your life has been changed. They knew he was a leper before and they would see with their own eyes that he is no longer that, and they would know that only God could have made that happen. Even though I am a words person, sometimes words do fall short and we just need to show people how God is working in our life through the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and forgiveness. We cannot control how others perceive or receive us, but we can control how we show God’s presence in our life.

From that encounter, “The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.” Jesus needed to withdraw, rest, and pray, and he gives you and I permission to do the same.

Let’s bring our uncleanliness before Jesus so that he can wash us in mercy and grace. Let’s show the world that God is indeed working in our life by treating them with loveliness. Let’s take some time in a lonely place to pray. Merry Christmas.

Reading 1 1 JN 5:5-13

Beloved:
Who indeed is the victor over the world
but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ,
not by water alone, but by water and Blood. 
The Spirit is the one who testifies,
and the Spirit is truth. 
So there are three who testify,
the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, 
and the three are of one accord. 
If we accept human testimony,
the testimony of God is surely greater. 
Now the testimony of God is this,
that he has testified on behalf of his Son. 
Whoever believes in the Son of God
has this testimony within himself.
Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar
by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. 
And this is the testimony:
God gave us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son. 
Whoever possesses the Son has life;
whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you so that you may know
that you have eternal life,
you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

Responsorial Psalm PS 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20

R. (12a) Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates;
he has blessed your children within you.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has granted peace in your borders;
with the best of wheat he fills you.
He sends forth his command to the earth;
swiftly runs his word!
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He has proclaimed his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
He has not done thus for any other nation;
his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia SEE MT 4:23

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom
and cured every disease among the people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel LK 5:12-16

It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” 
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.” 
And the leprosy left him immediately. 
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” 
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.