Coffee With God

Reflection: Mark 1:40-45

A week ago we have reflected on Jesus healing the leper by touching him, as recorded by St. Luke in Chapter 5. We reflected on the courage of the leper who dared to breach the quarantine regulations – that were the social norms of those days to approach Jesus and also the compassion and love of Jesus who also breaks the social restrictions to touch a leper. A few years ago, While talking about alms-giving, Pope Francis had said, “the way of giving alms is as important as the gift itself. You should not simply drop a bill into a cup and walk away. You must stop, look the person in the eyes, and touch his or her hands.” Wow! Would I dare to make an attempt today? Perhaps, through the gospel today, Jesus invites us to re-live the miracle. Pope Francis explains this passage of the Gospel and says, “Jesus came precisely for us sinners, and the greater a sinner you are, the closer the Lord is to you, for He has come for you, for me, for all of us – the greatest sinners. Let us make a habit of repeating this prayer, and pray always: “Lord, if you will it, you can do it… If you will it, you can do it”, with confidence that the Lord is close to us; and with His compassion, He will take upon Himself our problems, our sins, our inner diseases, everything.” Fr. Paulson Veliyanoor, a Claretian Missionary and Clinical Psychologist, last year published an article on the Sacramentality of Touch during these pandemic times. In the article, Fr. Paulson explains that any loss or failure in life is bearable if someone can hug us or simply place one’s arm around our shoulders. Do not lovers spend hours holding hands, without having to speak anything at all? He further talks about God and the Eucharist: “Without touch, God is a monologue, an idea, a philosophy; he must touch and be touched, the tongue on flesh.” Indeed, the Eucharist today is God’s skin-to-skin embrace. In the Eucharist, Jesus continues to touch us so personally and comforts us with his message: “I want to make you clean, I want you to be happy.”