Homily: Thirtieth Friday of Ordinary Time
Thirtieth Friday of Ordinary Time (Lk. 14:1-6) “Compassion Does take a Rest”
Medical terms that are used in the Bible may confuse us at times. We are told in today’s scripture that a man comes to Jesus who is suffering from dropsy. Dropsy revolves around a retention of fluid in a body cavity. For instance, we may have a fluid that collects on the lungs. We often also see people who have swollen legs or feet. This may be because of heart failure or kidney failure.
Whatever the cause, the man who comes to Jesus is not doing well. He was struggling to move around. He might have been having problems breathing. The man might have been dying. He needed help.
The second factor that is important in this story is the religious laws the Jews had concerning the sabbath. There was supposed to be no work done on the Sabbath. Practicing the healing arts was considered work. You could make a person comfortable and that allowed them to wait until a workday when they could have full medical attention.
We may think of all this as an eccentric way of looking at things, but we might consider what happens in modern times. There are lifesaving remedies that some Christian people refuse to use because they believe that using medical science shows a lack of faith. Praying should be enough in their eyes.
We also have people who believe that they have the right to control their own body in every instance. Personal freedom trumps all medical treatment. But this forgets the church’s teaching on the importance of the common good. Could my choices affect the lives of others?
Jesus was angry with those who were more concerned with keeping religious rules then the health and well being of another person. We would have to wonder how he would feel about the health care debates we are having in the present moments revolving around things like abortion and the COVID 19 vaccines.
Reflection Questions:
- Have I known a Christian person who has refused a medical treatment? What was the reason?
- Does a person have to use every medical means to stay healthy?
What are some exceptions to the rule in my mind?
Dear Parishioners,
We are asking that people turn in their TTT pledges by Monday. The results of the fund drive so far have been very promising. We should have some good news to announce next weekend.
The next step in the building process would be to get permission from the diocese to move forward with an architect to draw final designs for our building addition. Our hope is to break ground in 2022 and to move forward with construction.
As everyone knows, the supply chain for building materials has been disrupted. Let’s pray that those issues can be resolved so that the building process will move forward smoothly.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints watch over you today.
Fr. Mark