A tender moment of compassion
Feb. 11—Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Readings: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46; Psalm 32, R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.; 1 Cor 10:31—11:1; Gospel—Mark 1:40-45I would like to frame this Sunday’s Gospel using this description: a tender moment of compassion. You see three elements in this moment, our points for reflection: the courage and humility of the leper, the “softness” of Jesus and the prudence of Jesus vis-à-vis the people’s spontaneous response to Him.
The courage and humility of the leper is what strikes us at the beginning of this narrative. It took great courage for him to do what he did, approach Jesus. This was anathema, as it was a big “no-no” for a leper to go near anyone.
At the same time, it was courage ennobled by humility, as he knelt before Jesus and begged Him, imposing no demands whatsoever. His was a tender moment of “please”: “If You wish You can make me clean.”
This also expressed his courageous and humble faith and hope in Jesus. It was this hope and faith that moved Jesus and shaped His response.
This is an edifying grace. The leper would have been a person desperate for healing; as our experience would tell us, desperation can lead to either hope or the “kapit-sa-patalim” attitude, desperate measures that are reactionary in character.
It was courage and humility that bore fruit in a genuine faith and hope in Jesus. This was what moved Jesus. It will always move the Lord.
His response, our second point for reflection, was one of compassion with equal courage. He touched the leper, which was likewise a bold move.
Jesus responded to the courageous and humble faith and hope of the leper with compassion and courage. He placed himself on the line for the sake of the leper. In Filipino, “tumaya” on the leper.
PrudenceThis is the nature of Jesus’ healing and help. With them always comes His very self, as He works for the good of those He heals and blesses.
Finally, there is the prudence of Jesus vis-à-vis the people’s spontaneous response to Him. He instructed the leper not to tell anyone.
This was Jesus’ prudence. He did not want to call attention to Himself, to His healing miracles, most especially, because He did want the people to equate His mission with power and strength.
He avoided developing a false image of the Messiah and wanted to make sure that the people would understand that it will be through His suffering in his passion and Cross out of loving obedience that He will fulfill His mission to save us.
In several stories of healing, where Jesus gave instructions to keep it quiet, the response of the people, those who were healed most especially, was to give thanks and praise, to proclaim the glory of God.
It is the natural response of a person, the heart and the soul, when one experiences a tender moment of compassion.
We hear this often at the end of every Mass: “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord with your life.”
The Mass, a tender moment of compassion, is an encounter with Jesus who “loved us and gave Himself up for us.”
Perhaps we will experience the fullness of the grace of the Mass as we approach the celebration with courageous and humble faith and hope in Jesus, praying, “If You wish You can …”
No matter what our prayer and petition, always let us offer it with faith and hope, with courage and humility. —Contributed INQ
