REFLECTION FOR FRIDAY AFTER EPIPHANY YR B (9/1/2015) TEXTS: 1 JN 5:5-13; LUKE 5:12-16 Since the beginning of this week, the readings seek to impress upon us that Jesus is truly the Incarnate Word of God. Faith in Jesus as the Son of God is the key to our salvation. St John writes, “Who can overcome the world? Only the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” So important is this confession of faith that St John’s writings were all meant to show this. He said, “I have written all this to you so that you who believe in the name of the Son of God may be sure that you have eternal life”(Jn 20:31). John was writing against the Gnostics who did not believe in the true humanity of Jesus. They suggested that Jesus was a man adopted by God when He sent the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at His baptism. And since God cannot suffer pain or death, being immutable, the Spirit left Jesus at His death on the cross. This means that only the man Jesus died but not God. Adoptionism is a denial that Jesus is truly God and truly man. If that were the case, it means therefore that we are not saved because Jesus’ humanity was not perfected. Without faith in the incarnation, it means that God and man are not reconciled. Precisely, faith in the incarnation holds that in Jesus, the God-man, we are reconciled in Him. The gospel portrays the true humanity of Jesus in His response to the leper. Most of us would have reacted with fear if a leper were to approach us. But Jesus in His solidarity with the suffering of humanity responded with compassion and acceptance. Only a true man who is in touch with his own needs, sufferings and humanity can feel with his fellowmen/women. The healing of the leper is a testimony to the mission of Jesus who came to save us. Leprosy, of course, is the symbol of what sin can do to man. The leper was excommunicated from the covenantal community and therefore lost his relationship with God. Jesus has come to heal us and to take away our sins when no one else can do it. And in order to reinforce this idea of witness, the gospel tells us that Jesus ordered the healed leper to tell no one, “But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them.” The testimony of healing by the authority would verify that Jesus is truly the Saviour. Dear friends, how do we react when our fellow human beings are suffering or in need? Do we distant ourselves from them or identify with them? Do we reach out to them or use their situation against them? On the other hand, Like Jesus, there is need for us to withdraw once in a while to commune with God. Only in intimacy with the Lord, in prayer and meditation, will we come to manifest the Incarnated love of God in us. So, prayer is the most important means and is indispensable in ministry and witnessing. Unless the Spirit is at work in us, we can do nothing. Have a grace-filled weekend!
Posted on: Fri, 09 Jan 2015 07:12:08 +0000
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