Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
As the New Year begins, there are few things that are certain, except for the notion that the future will bring about change. Change is often frightening and at times overwhelming, but if we place our trust in God, change can become an opportunity for new beginnings and transformation. The leper in today’s gospel story reminds us that when we encounter Jesus, our life will be changed. The question for us is if we will let go, so God can touch us. And once we surrender to God’s grace, how can we go forth sharing God’s goodness with the world?
In today’s gospel, a leper approaches Jesus asking for healing. Jesus reaches out with mercy and touches the leper bringing about his healing. It was risky for this man to approach Jesus, since lepers were by law required to be distant from others because of their illness. This man also approaches Jesus with surrender and trust- “If you wish, you can make me clean.” After his healing, Jesus instructs the man to go to the priest and make an offering for “that will be proof for them.” The man cannot contain his joy, and he spreads the news of his healing throughout the countryside. Because of his witness, many more people actively seek Jesus.
Many people begin the New Year choosing resolutions to help them change. Some focus on eating better, exercising more, reading more, or even getting more sleep. These are all positive behaviors, but what is the basis for these actions? Are we trying to look better and be smarter than others as we take part in this competitive nature of our social world? Or are we seeking to become the best version of the person that God created, so we can be a witness to God’s grace in the world? Are we able to approach Jesus and surrender our need to control the situation and ask for wisdom and discernment in helping to choose how we are called to change?
As 2024 begins, I hear God inviting me to “let go” of my expectations and demands and trust in God’s plans for me. Change will be a part of the New Year, and if I can prayerfully ask God for the best choices for me, then I will be able to use all of my experiences as a means for transformation. St. Ignatius highlights this trust in prayer: “Help us to have perfect trust in Your protecting love and strengthening power, so that nothing may frighten or worry us, for, living close to You, we shall see Your hand, Your purpose, Your will through all things.”
An encounter with Jesus will definitely bring about change. When we allow Jesus into our lives through prayer, sacrament and scripture, then we see the world with new eyes and heart. Just like the leper in today’s gospel, our encounters with Christ change us dramatically, and we will want to share this “Good News” with others. If a person is transformed with Christ’s presence, others see this change and they will want to encounter Christ as well. When we surrender to these changes and rely on the mercy of God to lead us, we help build the Kingdom of God.
Loving God, Jesus shares your mercy and grace if we humbly approach in faith. Send your Spirit upon us so your wisdom and love can transform our lives. May we surrender to your will knowing that your grace is all we need. We pray this in Christ’s name. AMEN
-Marylynn Herchline