28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

What is your leprosy?  What is it that you suffer from that needs healing?  Today we have some great stories of healing which brings up the question, what is it in our lives that needs healing?  What is the spiritual leprosy that we are suffering from?  Addiction, broken relationship, anxiety or depression.  I think we can learn a lot about woundedness and healing from the lepers in today’s gospel.

1.      First, they had the courage to name and claim their woundedness.  To be a leper in antiquity was a shameful thing but the gospel says that they raised their voices, almost yelling to Jesus about their woundedness.  This is what we do at the beginning of every mass when we “take a moment to call to mind our sins and ask for God’s healing.”  I would love if we took this time to go around the church and we all could admit our deepest wound and what is most in need of healing.  Imagine if we went around and all had the courage to admit, I need healing from my anxiety and depression.  I need healing from my addiction to pornography.  I was hurt by someone many years ago, and I need healing from that.  If we did this, we probably wouldn’t have many people come back the next week.  But imagine how powerful it would be to simply name and claim our woundedness.

2.      Second, the lepers have the courage to follow Jesus’ request to go show their leprosy; to go show their woundedness.  As Catholics, we do not believe in covering up our wounds.  No we believe our wounds have power.   Jesus, after he was raised from the dead appeared in his resurrected body which still bore the wounds of his suffering and death. But these wounds are not a sign of his weakness but rather of the power of his love.  Likewise, our perfect selves are not without wounds.  Even more, it is in showing these wounds to others that becomes a sign of strength.  Our wounds can be a sign to others that it is okay to be wounded.  That we may be wounded but we are still loveable.  We do not white wash over Jesus’ wounds on the crucifix.  On the contrary, we celebrate his wounds as a sign of his strength and love for us.  It is through Christ’s wounds that we are healed. Likewise, we do not need to cover up our wounds.  It is through our wounds that we can bring healing and strength to others.

So, what is your spiritual leprosy?  What are your wounds that need to be healed?  May we have the courage like the lepers to be able to name and claim our wounds and to bear those wounds to others.  Christ used his wounds as a sign of strength and love to heal us.  And Christ can use our wounds as well.  It is through Christ’s wounds that we were healed, and it is through our wounds that we can bring healing and strength to others.  In the words of Pope St. John Paul II, Do not be afraid.