REFLECTION
The church recognises the dual aspect of healing
as a physical and spiritual reality. ‘The Lord
Jesus Christ …. who forgave the sins of the
paralytic and restored him to bodily health has
willed the church to continue …. his work of
healing and salvation. This is the purpose of the
two sacraments of healing: the sacrament of
Penance and the sacrament of Anointing of the
Sick’ (CC #1421).
Sin is the root of human unhappiness.
It is selfish and self-centred.
It separates us from others, from God and from
the best parts of ourselves.
God’s forgiveness is the only possible
answer to sin.
While sin divides, strips people of their dignity
and causes anxiety and guilt, forgiveness
reconciles, restores self-respect
and removes the burden of guilt.

REFLECTION
This is yet another confrontation
between Jesus and evil.
In recent gospels, we have seen Jesus
overcome possessing demons, sickness
and social taboos; many of the themes
merge in this text.
The leper takes an audacious step
in approaching Jesus, defying all the rules
and conventions of his society.
Despite his exclusion and isolation,
he has not lost hope. Jesus reacts
in exactly the opposite way from that
which may be expected.
He is moved by pity not revulsion.
Instead of sending the man away
he responds with immense compassion
to the man’s courage and faith.
He reaches out and touches him.
This is not only an act of ritual impurity
but of human foolhardiness!
Not wanting to be known as a
miracle worker, Jesus orders the leper
not to speak of his cure but to undergo
the necessary rituals to enable him to re-enter
the people of Israel.
The priest should be able to recognise that,
in the cure of the leper, the prophecy of Isaiah
is being fulfilled and the Messiah is among them.
The great irony is that by curing the leper and
allowing his re-entry into the community,
Jesus places himself in a position where
he is forced to go out into isolation in places
where no one lived.

REFLECTION
In touching Simon’s mother-in-law and then
allowing her to serve him, Jesus is breaking
down traditional barriers. He brings wholeness
and holiness to her by his presence. The
Kingdom of God cannot tolerate prejudice and
taboo just as sickness and evil have no place in
the Kingdom. This text show us a typical day for
Jesus- the first of his ministry. He listens to the
Word of God, then worships with his community;
he relaxes in the home of a friend; he pursues his
work of healing and preaching and, before dawn,
he withdraws alone to develop his relationship
with the Father through prayer. There is a
wonderful pattern of balance here between
prayer, work and rest. When his disciples find
him, they want him to return to Capernaum to
the acclaim he is receiving. Instead, Jesus
insists that the boundaries of the Kingdom be
pushed out. It is for this that he came!

REFLECTION
In contrast to last week’s text on
John the Baptist, this one comes from
the latest of the written Gospels.
John was penned at the very end of the
first century. One common characteristic,
however, is clear: the Baptist is again
presented as the forerunner.
John the Baptist rejects all messianic
or quasi-messianic titles.
He throws human expectation into chaos.
He claims for himself only the role of
the ‘voice’ of Isaiah 40, but the
evangelist presents him as the most
reliable of witnesses,
’Sent by God … to speak for the light.’
The only other person in John’s Gospel
to come from God is Jesus himself.
Before an audience of the leaders
of the religion of Israel, John witnesses
with an authority and a truthfulness
that has its source in God.

REFLECTION
The prophet Isaiah brought a message
of hope and comfort to the people of Israel
who were in exile in Babylon.
Despite their failings, God is merciful and has
promised them a new beginning.
John the Baptist appears in the line of that
prophet and again promises Israel the chance
of a new beginning if they repent
and turn again towards God.
The emphasis in Mark’s portrait of the Baptist
is very much that of the subordinate.
John’s self-effacing manner makes it clear
that he is not the one who is promised,
but the one who is to prepare the way.
The emphasis in John’s preaching is on
judgment; for Jesus is the Reign of God
and salvation.
Advent is also a time of new beginnings and
John the Baptist’s ‘voice in the wilderness’
is also a personal invitation to each of us to
prepare a way for the Lord into our lives now.
What special preparation for Christmas
will you undertake this year?