Homily For Thursday The First Week in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th January, 2024

Readings: 1 Sam. 4:1-11;  Ps. 44;  Mark 1:40-45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

JESUS IN SOLIDARITY WITH HUMAN SUFFERINGS

 

There is no doubt that the compassionate love of Jesus in solidarity with human sufferings is evident in the scriptures and even in our daily lives.  Little wonder, we have great events in the scriptures that illustrate the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of our troubles.

 

This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where a leper, came up and bowed low in front of Jesus and said to him, if you will, you can make me clean. Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I will! Be clean!’ And immediately his leprosy was cured at once.

 

Here, the touching of Jesus is very significant since no ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. We can think of the inner healing that must have resulted from the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact that the leper had not experienced for a long time due to rejection. Touch is something we all need, but is so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another, and it is even becoming worse with the ugly situation in our society today. But this cannot stop Jesus from reaching out to his children who call on him for healing and restoration.

 

Thus, the leper was despised, feared, shunned and rejected in society, but when he approached Jesus in humility, he became the object of divine attention. We too just like the leper, need healing, including the healing that comes from the touch of Jesus, all we need is to approach Jesus in humility and we will become a person of divine attention. Our sinful actions can make us feel rejected and abandoned, but the touch of Jesus will make us whole and objects of Divine attention.

 

More so, the story of this leper is a good example of how sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from their sins. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him. So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all of our hearts and with all of our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better.

 

This is what all of us must have as well, a strong and genuine faith in God. But we, should not be like the Israelites in our first reading today, who only remembered God when they needed him. For they have made God a tool to be used only when they need him. That is why when they were defeated in war, the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, came with the ark. And when the ark of the Lord arrived in the camp, all Israel gave a great shout so that the earth resounded. However, they were defeated despite the presence of the Ark of the Lord.

 

Dear friends, we should never take the gift of God’s presence in our lives for granted. We must learn to utilize any encounter we have with the Lord, for it may be our great opportunity to be restored and what is needed is to put our faith in action by saying Lord if you will you can restore me.

 

So, friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are going through. Are you weighed down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected? Or do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Do we feel the need for Jesus’s help in some part of our life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he see us? What are you saying to us?

 

Brethren, Jesus in solidarity with human sufferings, wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles, challenges and manipulations from the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the challenges in our lives, in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing and restoration, all we need is an active faith like the leper in our Gospel passage today.

 

LET US PRAY: Lord God, humanity is in deep darkness caused by different forms of leprosies and only you can heal and restore us. For you know our innermost being and the challenges we are facing today, come to our aid we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional, economic and spiritual leprosies, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.