SUNDAY February 14

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

1. Some People to Be Shunned?

2. Open Communities

 

Greeting (See Second Reading)

Whatever you do,
do it for the glory of God.
Try to be helpful to anyone
for the advantage of others.
Take Christ for your model.
The Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. R/ And also with you.

 

Introduction by the Celebrant

 

1. Are Some People to Be Shunned?

The message of today is that the Lord Jesus touched with his healing power even the untouchable. Today let each of us reflect how often in life Jesus has touched us. He touched us with his love in baptism when he saved us from our isolation and gave us the Christian community to live in. He touched us each time he came to us in the Eucharist to speak to us and give us his body. He touches us often with his healing forgiveness, with his consolation in moments of distress, with his strength when we are timid, with his wisdom when we are confused. But do we let him touch us? And do we touch one another with healing care?

 

2. Open Communities?

When we come together for the Eucharist, we do so because we are a community. How much of a community are we, even here around Christ? There may be people missing here because they do not feel accepted. Perhaps they are too poor to wear nice clothes, or they may fear we look down on them because of a social or mental or even physical handicap. Why is our community not open enough to integrate them and to set them free from their fears and loneliness? Are we ready to restore them to the community, as Jesus teaches us today by his word and example?

 

Penitential Act

Too often we have remained indifferent
when the Lord touched us with his healing power.
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us.
(pause)
Lord Jesus, you said to us:
‘‘Of course, I want you to be healed”
when you touched us with your forgiving hand.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, you said to us:
‘‘Of course, I want you to be healed,”
but we did not let you touch and change our heart.
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you said to us:
‘‘Of course, I want you to be healed,”
but we have not healed one another.
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Lay your healing hand on us, Lord,
and heal us from the contagion of sin.
Lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

 

Opening Prayer

 

1. Are Some People to Be Shunned?

Let us pray that, like the Lord Jesus,
we may not reject anyone as an outcast
(pause)
God our Father,
you let your Son Jesus Christ
share the lot of outcasts
and bear the sufferings of all.
Let us become like him,
so that among us no one stays an outcast,
no sin remains unforgivable,
no misery is a cause for rejection.
Make us with your Son
people who lift up the despised
with words of welcome
and deeds of encouragement.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

2. Open Communities

Let us pray to the Father of all
to accept us and to help us accept others.
(pause)
God of mercy and compassion,
the self-satisfied rejected your Son;
sinners and outcasts cried out to him
and recognized him with tears and joy
as their Savior and their Lord.
And so he could bring them healing.
Help us to do what your Son did.
Send us out without any condescension
in search of the weak
to restore their self-esteem,
their hope and the indestructible courage
to become fully human again
as our brothers and sisters.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

First Reading: Pure before God

In the Old Testament, people were so concerned about outward purity that in their zeal they ex­cluded people with serious skin infections from the worshipping community. Christ in­sists rather on interior purity.

Reading 1: Lv 13:1-2, 44-46

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
“If someone has on his skin a scab or pustule or blotch
which appears to be the sore of leprosy,
he shall be brought to Aaron, the priest,
or to one of the priests among his descendants.
If the man is leprous and unclean,
the priest shall declare him unclean
by reason of the sore on his head.

“The one who bears the sore of leprosy
shall keep his garments rent and his head bare,
and shall muffle his beard;
he shall cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’
As long as the sore is on him he shall declare himself unclean,
since he is in fact unclean.
He shall dwell apart, making his abode outside the camp.”

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11

(7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

 

Second Reading: Give No Offense to Anyone

Paul insists that Christ has set people free from the excessive regulations of the Old Law. Christians should let charity prevail where some do not yet understand this freedom.

Reading 2: 1 Cor 10:31—11:1

Brothers and sisters,
Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do everything for the glory of God.
Avoid giving offense, whether to the Jews or Greeks or
the church of God,
just as I try to please everyone in every way,
not seeking my own benefit but that of the many,
that they may be saved.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Alleluia: Lk 7:16

Alleluia, alleluia.
A great prophet has arisen in our midst,
God has visited his people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

 

Gospel: Jesus Touched the Leper and Healed Him

For Jesus, lepers – and sinners – are no longer outcasts but persons to be loved and to be re­stored in the love of God to the community.

Gospel: Mk 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”
Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand,
touched him, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean.
Then, warning the him sternly, he dismissed him at once.

He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything,
but go, show yourself to the priest
and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed;
that will be proof for them.”

The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter.
He spread the report abroad
so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly.
He remained outside in deserted places,
and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

 

Intercessions

1. Are Some People to Be Shunned?

Let us thank the Lord Jesus for the healing he brings to people and let us recommend to him all people in need and misery. Let us say:

R/ Lord, touch us with your healing love.

–         With all who still seek pardon and reconciliation, we cry out to you, Lord. With all who have found forgiveness, we praise you, Lord, as we say:

R/ Lord, touch us with your healing love.

–         With all the lepers in their body or their heart, we cry out to you, Lord. With all who live with them and help them, we praise you, Lord, as we say:

R/ Lord, touch us with your healing love.

–         With all who are rejected by their communities we cry out to you, Lord. With all who accept people and restore their dignity, we pray you, Lord, as we say:

R/ Lord, touch us with your healing love.

–         With all who wail day and night in their loneliness and misery, we cry out to you, Lord. With those who have found friends to help, we praise you, Lord, as we say:

R/ Lord, touch us with your healing love.

–         With all who hide their suffering, we cry out to you, Lord. With all who share with others and uplift them, we praise you, Lord, as we say:

R/ Lord, touch us with your healing love.

Jesus our Lord, in you people could experience how near God wants to be to people. Let us bring your welcome and peace to all our brothers and sisters.

Be with us, Lord, now and for ever. R/ Amen.

 

2. Open Communities

Let us pray to the Father of all who wants everyone to be happy and who does not reject anyone who appeals to him in the name of Jesus. Let us say:

      R/ Lord, hear your people.

–         For all of the People of God, that we may not isolate ourselves from the world nor erect walls to keep people out, but share the love of God with everyone, let us pray:

R/ Lord, hear your people.

–         For our country, that concern for the weak and the poor may be our honor and pride and that we may all work untiringly for justice and human dignity even, and especially, for the last and the least among us, let us pray:

R/ Lord, hear your people.

–         For the victims of discrimination, for those without fame or name, for those written-off by society, for the sick and old people in their lone­­liness: that, defenseless as they are, they may trust Jesus who was without defense in the hands of people, let us pray:

           R/ Lord, hear your people.

–         For all those incurably ill, for those who have to live with the pressures of suspicion, detraction or slander, for those whose self-confidence has been eroded by the harsh judgment of others, for ex-prisoners and the alienated, that we may speak words of healing to them and inspire them with fresh faith and trust, let us pray:

R/ Lord, hear your people.

–         For all of us here, that we may be a community where we support and uplift one another with the love, gentleness and respect which the Lord has shown to us, let us pray:

R/ Lord, hear your people.

Indeed, Lord our God, hear our prayers, and make our hearts spacious enough to welcome and love all, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

Prayer over the Gifts

Merciful Father,
with bread and wine we remember
how you have raised us up
above our guilt and fears and isolation
through Jesus Christ your Son.
Dispose us to share with all
your joy, your acceptance and affection
on account of him who shared our poverty
and made himself weak and humble with us,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Our merciful Father in heaven has called all through Jesus, his Son, to be one, without discrimination or favoritism, for he loves all. Let us give him our praise and thanks.

 

Introduction to the Lord’s Prayer

With Jesus our Lord, let us pray
to the Father of all,
who lets the sun shine
on the good and the weak alike: R/ Our Father…

 

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us the peace and joy
to live together in unity and peace.
Keep us from refusing to say
the words of welcome and encouragement
that warm the hearts of our brothers and sisters.
Help us to go with them the way to you
and to share your strength with them,
that we may prepare with growing hope
the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom…

 

Invitation to Communion

Come and share the table of the Lord.
This bread that we have broken
is destined for all,
for the Lord is the life of all his people.
As he did not exclude anyone,
let us learn to share each other’s lives,
in joys and sorrows, in riches and poverty,
in sickness and in health.
For this is the Lord among us. R/ Lord, I am not worthy…

 

Prayer after Communion

Loving, merciful Father,
at the table of your Son we have learned
to be present to one another
as he has been present to us here.
Let this Eucharist inspire us
with a love that is discreet and reviving
like a breath of fresh air.

On account of him who has taken away

the hardness of our hearts,
dispose us to share our riches and our poverty,
but also to receive one another and from each other.
the hardness of our hearts,

We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

 

Blessing

How very happy our community would be
if we could fully accept one another
just as we are, without condemning,
without judging or begrudging,
without looking down on anyone,
without trying to create one another
into our own image and likeness.
Let us, rather, build up one another
in the image of Christ;

remain alive in our communities,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Let us go with one another the way of the Lord.

R/ Thanks be to God.

 

Commentary:

Spiritual Leprosy 

To cure a leper was equivalent, in Jesus’ time, to resurrect a dead person. The state of the leper is the mirror of the condition of the sinner. Leprosy does not kill, but it makes one lose sensitivity; thus, a person can be burned, hurt, and doesn’t realize it, but the consequences are very serious. This is exactly what happens to those who lose their moral sensibility. Leprosy makes you lose your physical sensitivity, but spiritual leprosy makes you lose your moral sensitivity, no longer distinguishing between what is good and what is bad, what humanises and what degrades, and becomes unrecognizable as a person.

The disfigured image of the leper is a prototype of the image of a sick humanity where there are all kinds of violence and injustice/ where creation is devastated because everyone is concerned about himself or herself. This spiritual leprosy that disfigures the person and also humanity/ it is incurable with people who are selfish, competing with each other, hurting each other; it is an incurable leprosy.

A leper was regarded as cursed by God and he could not afford to set his foot in the temple – due to his impurity. Approaching Jesus was a risky affair for him, for he could lose his life for coming out into the public. Jesus is angry that this wrong image of God has been instilled in this poor man’s heart. Many people have turned away from the Church and God because of the wrong preaching and catechism of a blasphemous face of God.

The Gospel tells us that Jesus extended his hand to touch this leper. A word from Jesus would have been enough to cure the leper, but why does Mark mention the detail that he extended his hand? It is an expression that we find in the Old Testament; when God extended his hand, he would strike the enemies of his people. In this case, it is not the leper who is struck by the hand of God, but the leprosy that destroys in man the image of his Creator.

And then Jesus touches him. Touch is the sense that puts us more in touch with each Other. Jesus touches the leper, caresses the leper; this is our God, the God we now see in Jesus of Nazareth. A God who already at baptism stood by the sinners and here even caresses the leper and says to him: ‘I want you to be purified