Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time
There are many days when I get up in the morning and I bustle around all day long until I collapse in bed at night. When I read today’s reading, the word “scurrying” caught my attention, since there are many days when I think I “scurry” around trying to get everything accomplished. Although the people in today’s scripture hurry around, they have a “holy” purpose. They are busy about bringing the healing touch of Jesus to as many people as possible. I am reminded that even in my busyness, I am called to bring Christ to all those that I encounter in the day. If I get too caught up in the doing, I neglect the importance of being Christ for others. It is with Christ that I can accomplish all that He calls me to do and with Him I can touch others to share His healing and love.
In today’s gospel, many people are “scurrying” across the countryside gathering people in need of Jesus’ healing touch. In their busyness, there is both a sense of urgency as well as a great faith that Jesus can bring healing to each of these individuals. Their faith is so great, that they believe if a person “might touch only the tassel on his cloak” this will bring wholeness and healing. And those that Jesus touched in fact were healed. I can almost imagine these individuals rushing into the villages to announce Jesus’ arrival, just so the many sick would be lining the path where Jesus walked. Those announcing Jesus arrival were people who recognized Jesus, believed in Him, and then wasted no time in sharing this Good News with others. By sharing their faith to those in the villages, they worked with Jesus to bring His healing and share His kingdom.
As I reflect on the faith filled people in this scripture reading, a concept that I read in a book came to mind. This idea is that we are called to live “with” God instead of living “for” God. Author Helen Cepero in her book “Journaling as a Spiritual Practice” writes: “ When we live for God rather than with God, it is easy for us to move ahead on our own steam only to find ourselves resentful or frustrated, exhausted or burned out. Living with God means following his lead rather than leading out; it means being in his time rather than our own; it means letting God’s love instead of our own effort fuel our actions. All those things that we do with God, those that are hard or difficult as well as those that are joy-filled, will form us in Christ as followers of God.” So in our busyness we are called to work “with” Christ to bring His love and healing to others. Instead of scurrying around doing things for God, if we allow His Spirit within us to lead, then we will be with Christ in all of our activities. Living with Christ requires being aware of His presence, and we need to have prayer, scripture, sacrament, and our faith community as a foundation to help us know His ways. Although I may still be physically exhausted at the end of a busy day, if I work with Christ in all that I do, He will provide all the grace, love, wisdom, and compassion that I need. By working with Christ, I can bring His presence to the others, and if they experience His touch, they can find healing and wholeness through that encounter.
"Heavenly Father, Your Son brings your love and salvation to the world. Through the grace of your Spirit, allow us to work with Jesus, so we can be instruments of healing and compassion for all those we encounter. We pray this through Christ our LORD. Amen"
Marylynn Herchline