VI Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle B – February 14, 2021 Seeking Christ’s healing power and mercy: Trust not presumption, hope, not expectation Leviticus 13: 1-2, 44-46 / Psalm 32 / 1 Corinthians 10: 31 – 11: 1 / Mark 1: 40-45
Saint Dominic taught his brother friars in the Order of Preachers that we should always assume the good in our dealings with one another. That does not mean for us to be gullible, but to recognize the good in others and to not impede God's mercy and the power and possibilities of his grace at work in us and in others. Jesus in today's Gospel reading from the first chapter of Mark seems to demonstrate a similar approach. He makes known his Heavenly Father's will without any ambiguity when he says to the man with leprosy, "I do will it. Be made clean." While Jesus is clear in his warning to the man that he not tell anyone of it, he clearly trusts that the man will follow through on that and also be faithful to the prescriptions of the religious law. The man clearly recognized that Jesus could cure him and felt that he would, but almost to the point of manifesting overconfidence. In addition, his behavior after being cured leads me to think he was guilty of some presumption. He was, however, cured and Jesus did so with immediacy. No matter what the man was thinking, Jesus believed in him. The Lord Jesus in his goodness and compassion seems to err on the side of compassion. This should not surprise us. Christ obviously knew and knows the human heart as well as our weaknesses and selfish tendencies. Still, he heals. Still, he forgives. Why? Because Jesus is love in person. As Pope Francis reiterates, “Jesus is the face of the Father’s mercy.” St. Dominic taught us to trust, not presume, to hope, not expect. On the contrary, the man who sought a cure appears to presume the power and willingness of Jesus. Presuming God's goodness is not the same as trusting him. The good Lord places his healing power and compassion at the service of the man with leprosy. He does not presume anything, but hopes that his grace will bear good fruit in the man who has received a new life. While at first glance someone might tend to focus primarily on the ability and readiness of Jesus to cure terrible diseases, much more is taking place. The compassion of Jesus Christ and his power and will to heal are not jealously guarded powers, but ways through which he makes known his great and tender love for us. As we come to Christ in our need and seek his help, let us always remember that it is a matter of hope, not expectation. May we never presume that he will help us, but trust that he desires to give us his love in all its richness. When our response to Christ is gratitude, then others will find out what he has done for us by how we seek to share his graces with them.