“Just as God is compassionate toward you in a threefold way, so ought you to show compassion toward others in three ways. God’s compassion is gracious, spacious and precious. God’s compassion is gracious, that is grace filled, because it purifies the soul of vice … God’s compassion is spacious because with the passage of time it extends itself to good works … God’s compassion is precious in the joys of eternal life.”
— St. Anthony of Padua
St. Paul’s AME Zion Church on Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis has featured the following message on its marquis sign the last several weeks: “Life is not always fair. But God is always faithful.” I have passed the church on many occasions, pondering the meaning of this quote, and recently applied it to what was for me the most memorable part of Super Bowl XLVI. As I watched the Super Bowl of the New York Giants against the New England Patriots, 21 17, what remained most etched in my memory was not the MVP, Eli Manning, the halftime show with Madonna, the 150 million viewers, President Obama’s pre-game interview, the million dollar commercials, or the extravagant Super Bowl party food. The most moving part of the game was when the defensive back for the New Orleans Saints, Steve Gleason, who was diagnosed with ALS, (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease) limped onto the stadium with his cane as his doctor spoke of the neurological effects of this debilitating and fatal disease for which there is no cure. Most people live three to five years with ALS after diagnosis, though some have lived longer and research on treatments continues. Dr. Steve Perrin, the Chief Scientific Officer at the ALS Therapy Development Institute in Cambridge, MA, said he is aware of 27 cases of NFL players being diagnosed with ALS, which is much higher than any other major American pro sport.
Radiating the will to carry on, Gleason, age 34, went public with his diagnosis of ALS and said, "You have to continue to do things you love. There's technology available that if I'm proactive, I can continue to do some of those things. You have to engage in passionate, remarkable human relationships, which has always been important to me."
The game did have its suspense to the very end with the drama of the final play as Patriot quarterback, Tom Brady, threw a 50 yard pass to the end zone, and players leaped for it as it was batted to the ground and the game clock expired, marking the victory of the New York Giants. But more than anything else, Gleason’s testimony was by far the most memorable victory story of the entire evening.
On this Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time, we hear the story of the healing of the leper (Mark 1: 40-45). Leprosy was the most repugnant and feared disease in ancient times. It was so serious that the rabbis considered the healing of leprosy as difficult as raising the dead. Jesus approaches a person who is normally denied any contact with healthy people, as lepers were the supreme outcasts of Jesus’ day. They were shunned by society, feared and hated. However, no one is outside the circle of Jesus’ love and compassion. Jesus restores not only the leper’s health but restores him to the community, which was a far deeper stigma.
St. John Chrysostom wrote, “There is nothing colder than a Christian who is unconcerned about the salvation of others.” Who do we look down on? The people who don’t dress in the latest style, drive the sleekest car, own the most spacious home, parade their academic acumen for self-edification or associate with movers and shakers? Though such persons lack the qualities we consider respectable and often fall through the cracks, they are very significant to the Lord. I like how Sr. Joyce Rupp, OSM, begins each day by making a cross on her forehead, mouth, heart and hands while saying, ‘May all I think, speak, feel and do be for Your honor and done with love.” Jesus sees our motivation for anything we do, let alone, everything we do. St. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Do everything for the glory of God.”
Remember in St. Francis of Assisi’s life, a great turning point was his embrace of a leper. In reflecting on this encounter, he wrote, “What before seemed bitter was changed into sweetness of soul and body.”
Sometimes life isn’t fair as we’re constantly besieged by various problems, challenges and hurdles. They come in the form of health issues, financial distress, family troubles, business woes, crises in relationships, personal disappointments. But we must always remember that God is bigger than our pain, struggles, problems and losses. As Psalm 32:7 says, “I turn to You, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.”
Jesus healed the leper, both physically and spiritually despite the disdain of the viewers. Although we may not have this awful, dreaded disease, we carry our own leprosy from our fallen human condition and our personal sin. As we celebrate St. Valentine’s Day, we are not just called to "sweetheart love," but sacrificial love that surrenders to making God’s will present by our faithfulness in loving in Christ-like ways. Happy St. Valentine’s Day!
You are Love like no other.
Love so large You contain our smallness.
Love so deep You accept our shallowness.
Love so strong You carry our weakness.
Love so wide You enclose our wandering.
Love so tender You experience our hurting.
Love so tolerable You outlive our apathy.
Love so ardent You thaw our coldness.
Love so true You endure our betrayals.
Love so patient You wait for our returning.
— Sr. Joyce Rupp, Fragments of Your Ancient Name
