6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B February 14, 2021
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
“Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” In a sense, this verse is a summary of the entirety of salvation history. God’s pity, his mercy, moves him to stretch to the point of becoming human so he could touch us infected by sin and death and make us clean. It is, therefore, also the summary of what we should do in evangelization – stretch out, touch others, and offer them the cleansing, saving power of God.
We’ve been reflecting on evangelization for 6 weeks now, focusing on different aspects of what it is and how it’s done. This week will mark the last in that series. Starting with the beginning of Lent next week, I’ll attempt to lead us on a foundational journey, a refresher on the story of salvation that forms the core of what we believe and who we are meant to be as a Church. I’ve sent out letters inviting people back to Mass and the hope is that this might help to provide a basis for why any of this matters. As I did several weeks ago, I encourage you to invite Catholics who’ve been away to return and to welcome any who respond.
That being said, consider what this scene means for us in evangelizing. Jesus touches a leper – a diseased outcast – in order to heal him and manifest his merciful love. Last week, I emphasized that God does not physically heal everyone and that our endurance in the face of suffering is crucial to evangelical witness. This is true, but it is also true that miraculous healing is a crucial part of how Jesus himself – and his Apostles after him – proclaimed the Gospel. Indeed, part of the command Jesus gives at the end of the Gospel is to heal the sick through the laying on of hands.
Why then, aren’t we doing miracles? Why don’t people come to Mass and walk away healed? Why don’t you hear more stories or see more examples of people leaving wheelchairs and the blind regaining sight and cancer being cured? Wouldn’t it be a lot easier to convince people that the Catholic Church is right if Catholics could actually perform miracles to back up their claims?
Yes and no. Why no? For the same reason that we see on display in this passage. Jesus heals this man and tells him to keep it quiet, which he doesn’t do. Why? Because it interfered with his real mission. In publicizing the miracle too quickly, the man makes it harder for Jesus to go to town and teach in the way he prefers. It creates a public expectation of miracle-working. People tend to get so focused on what they can get – healing – that it’s harder for them to realize that Jesus’ ultimate goal is not physical health, but eternal salvation. It further feeds into the idea that Jesus will be a political and military leader who uses his supernatural powers to overcome the Romans.
There is a reason people are suspicious of televangelist miracle-workers. They claim to have gifts, but then use those abilities to gain power and money. History has proven often enough that religious influence and so-called miraculous powers are all too often tools used to control others and get rich. Jesus knew this kind of thing was a risk, so he sought to downplay the miraculous until he could reveal the balancing influence of the cross. Miracle-workers in our own history were often shy about it and strove to avoid reputations for it: St. John Vianney and St. Andre Bessette were both known to blame their miracles on other saints to avoid getting a reputation. Plus, we must never eject the reality of the cross and redemptive suffering from our understanding of God’s relationship with us.
Nonetheless, Jesus healed people and commanded his disciples to heal in part simply out of compassion for them. Also, there definitely are times and places when a miracle provides the necessary credibility for belief. Miracles do happen. I sometimes hear about them. I’ve been in the room for a few, though I didn’t see it happen directly. I’m no miracle worker and I’ve seen death more than healing, but a few people have claimed to be helped by my prayers or by the anointing of the sick, though I don’t have much proof of it. I usually don’t know what to expect, but I know I’ll get nothing if I don’t ask. So I ask.
I want you to ask too. But I also want you to understand what we’re asking for and how it should be done. As always, the main guiding principle is charity – love of God and neighbor. If we seek miracles for our own glory, then it’s unlikely we’ll get them. If we treat our neighbors like projects to solve, it’s unlikely we’ll see miracles. But if we’re moved by authentic love, by genuine cooperation with the Holy Spirit to seek what is best for their souls, we’re more attuned to God’s desire for them, which might include miraculous or might include lovingly suffering with them in their pain rather than taking it away.
A major factor, too, is the lack of evangelization. I include myself in that – I’m mostly in a bubble of faithful Catholics. Still, if we wait for miracles to evangelize, we’ve got it backwards. Evangelization leads to miracles that confirm our preaching, not the other way around. In places where the effort to proclaim the gospel is fervent, there are more miracles done because there is greater faith and charity. If you want miracles, start by doubling down on your prayer life – love of God – and on evangelizing and serving others – love of neighbor.
After our Lenten journey and taking a fresh look at the basics of the faith, we’ll come back to this theme of supernatural ministry leading up to Pentecost, but for now I’ll leave you with these things to consider:
Ask yourself: Do I really believe God loves me? Do I really believe he loves my neighbor? Do I believe that he can heal us? Do I believe that he loves us even if he doesn’t heal? Am I afraid to ask because I’m afraid his answer will mean he doesn’t love us?
Ask yourself: Do I seek my benefit or my neighbor’s? Do I love them enough to face the discomfort of talking about my faith? Do I love them more than I love their opinion of me? Why am I afraid to ask if I can pray with them when they’re in need? If I love my neighbor enough to want miracles for them, why don’t I love them enough to help them with food, shelter, and other natural needs?
Miracles are real. More importantly, love is real because God is real and became man to prove it. Believe it, act on it, see what happens.