GOD’S REIGN IS AT HAND!
Thursday of the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Scripture Readings: Hosea 11:1-4, 8e-9; Psalms 80: 2ac and 3b, 15-16; Matthew 10:7-15
My dear encountered couples:
When Jesus sent his apostles on mission to announce “The reign of God is at hand!” he told them to “Cure the sick, raise the dead, heal the leprous, and expel demons.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could do things like that! But we can’t. Can we? In a way, maybe we can. There is possibly a lot we can do of that sort.
Much sickness in today’s world has its roots in the mind. Many people are burdened by untold numbers of problems - pressures, burnouts, paranoia, misunderstandings, and imaginings are but a few of the things that play havoc with people’s minds.
Some who see no lights in their lives, no rays at the end of the tunnels in which they live, are almost worse than dead. How they are spoken to, how they are treated, the patience and understanding shown to them even when they are not nice to us just might be able to help lift their burdens, expel their demons of guilt and depression, bring light into their lives. Who knows? It’s certainly worth a try. But it can take lots of time. Are we willing to give our time to anyone? Let’s certainly not make their problems worse by our attitudes and words towards them.
Some people are treated like lepers. A nurse from Kaiser said she feels frontline staff are being treated “nearly like lepers” over their role in the battle against coronavirus.Those not pleasant to be around are shunned. We might even be tempted to cross the street or duck down another aisle in a grocery when we see them coming. Saying “hello,” giving them a smile, letting them know someone thinks they’re worth speaking to and being with for a few moments might cause miracles. Maybe some of the miracles won’t show on the outside, but what we can do inside the mind of someone alone and distressed might be wondrous.
I think we all possess, at least to some extent, power to cure the sick of mind, the dead in mind, and those treated as lepers - if maybe we just try to treat them with some care and concern. By being nicer to people maybe we can expel some of the demons that bother them. Let’s pray so.
