Love cannot be neutral or impartial.

“‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.'” Jesus had compassion for him. He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be clean’ (cf. Mk 1:40-41). Jesus’ compassion! This “fellow feeling” drew Jesus close to every suffering person. Jesus does not hesitate; instead, he allows himself to be captivated by the pain and needs of people because he knows how to “feel for others” and has a heart unashamed of “fellow feeling.” “Jesus could no longer openly enter a city but stayed outside in deserted places” (Mk 1:45). This means that in addition to healing the leper, Jesus also took upon himself the marginalization imposed by the Mosaic Law (cf. Lv 13:1-2, 45-46). Jesus accepts others’ suffering, even at the cost of his own (cf. Is 53:4).

Compassion leads Jesus to concrete action: to reintegrate those who are marginalized. These are the three key concepts that the Church presents in today’s Liturgy of the Word: Jesus’ compassion for marginalization and his efforts to integrate. Marginalization: Moses, who approached the question of lepers in a legal way, asked that they be separated and marginalized as long as they were affected by their disease, declaring them “unclean” (cf. Lev 13:1-2, 45-46).

Imagine how much suffering and shame the leper must have experienced: physically, socially, psychologically, and spiritually! He is not only a victim of the disease but also feels guilty about it, punished for his sins! He is a living corpse, “like one whose father has spit in his face” (cf. Num 12:14). Furthermore, the leper experiences fear, contempt, and disgust and is therefore abandoned by his own relatives, shunned by others, and pushed to the margins of society, and even society itself expels him and forces him to live in places far from the healthy, excluding him. The situation is to the point that if a healthy person approaches a leper, he is severely affected and is often treated in the same way as a leper.

It is true that these regulations were designed to save the healthy and protect the righteous. Their protection against every risk consisted in delaying the “danger” by treating the infected person mercilessly. This is why the high priest Caiaphas declared, “It is better for you that one man should die for the people than that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:50).

Integration: Jesus overturns that mentality closed in fear and limited by prejudice and shakes it powerfully. However, he does not abolish the Law of Moses but rather fulfills it (cf. Mt 5:17) when, for example, he proclaims the counterproductive effectiveness of the law of an eye for an eye and asserts that God does not want the observance of the Sabbath to be at the expense of man and to be rejected, or when he does not condemn the sinner but saves her from the blind zeal of those who were ready to stone her without mercy, considering it an application of the Law of Moses. Jesus also turns consciences with the Sermon on the Mount (cf. Mt 5), when he opens new horizons to humanity and reveals the fullness of God’s logic. The logic of love, which is not based on fear but on freedom, love, healthy zeal, and God’s desire for salvation: “God our Savior wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:3-4). “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt 12:7; Hos 6:6).

Jesus, the new Moses, wanted to heal the leper; he wanted to touch him, and he wanted to reintegrate him into the community without having to limit himself with prejudices, adapt to the prevailing mentality of the people, or worry about contagion. Jesus responds to the leper’s request without hesitation and without the usual delays to study the situation and all the possible consequences! For Jesus, what is important above all is the salvation of those who are far away, the healing of the wounds of the sick, and the reintegration of everyone into the family of God. This offends some!

Jesus is not afraid of this type of offense! He is thinking of open people who embrace healing and welcome any openness, any step that fits into their mental and spiritual patterns, and any caress or tenderness that corresponds to their habits of thought and their ritual purity. He wanted to integrate the marginalized, to save those who are separated (cf. Jn 10).

There are two logics of thought and faith: the fear of losing the saved and the desire to save the lost. Today too, these two logics sometimes intersect: that of the teachers of the Law, namely, to marginalize risks and to distance the infected person; and the logic of God, who, with his mercy, embraces and accepts, integrates and transforms evil into good, condemnation into salvation, and exclusion into proclamation.

These two logics permeate the entire history of the Church: marginalization and reintegration. St. Paul, fulfilling the Lord’s commandment to carry the message of the Gospel to the ends of the earth (cf. Mt 28:19), causes scandal and encounters strong resistance and severe hostility, especially from those who demanded unconditional observance of the Mosaic Law even from converted pagans. Also, St. Peter is harshly criticized by the community when he enters the house of the centurion Cornelius (cf. Acts 10).

The Church’s journey from the Council of Jerusalem to the present day has been, without interruption, Jesus’ path of mercy and integration. This does not mean underestimating the dangers or allowing wolves to approach the flock, but rather welcoming the repentant prodigal son, resolutely and courageously healing the wounds of sin, rolling up one’s sleeves, and not remaining passively looking at the suffering of the world. The Church’s journey is not to condemn anyone forever, but to spread the mercy of God to all people who desire it with a sincere heart. The Church’s journey consists precisely in going outside the fold, in seeking out those who are distant on the essential “peripheries” of life, and in fully accepting God’s logic, in following the Master who said, “Those who are healthy have no need of a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Lk 5:31-32).

By healing the leper, Jesus does not harm the healthy, but rather frees them from fear; he does not expose them to danger, but provides them a brother; he does not despise the Law, but values ​​the person for whom God inspired the Law. Jesus truly frees the healthy from the temptation of the “elder brother” (cf. Lk 15:11-32) and from the burden of envy and the grumbling of the “laborers who bore the burden of the day and the heat” (cf. Mt 20:1-16).

Consequently, love cannot be neutral, aseptic, indifferent, lukewarm, or impartial! Love is contagious; it excites and threatens to captivate! True love is always undeserved, unconditional, and selfless! (cf. 1 Cor 13). Love is creative in finding the right vocabulary to share with all those who are considered incurable and untouchable. We need to acquire the right vocabulary. Contact is the truly communicative vocabulary, the same emotional vocabulary that gave health to the leper. How many healings can we accomplish and bring about if we learn this vocabulary of contact! The leper became a herald of God’s love. The Gospel says, “He went away and began to proclaim it zealously and to spread the news” (Mk 1:45).

This is the logic of Jesus; this is the path of the Church: not only to welcome and integrate with evangelical courage those who knock on our door, but to go without prejudice and fear to seek out those who are far away and to show them freely what we ourselves have received . “He who claims to remain in Christ ought himself to walk just as he walked” (1 Jn 2:6). Total availability in the service of others is our distinguishing mark, our only title of honor!

(…) I invite you to serve the crucified Jesus in every person who is marginalized for whatever reason and to see the Lord in every excluded person who is hungry, thirsty, and unclothed; to see the Lord also present in those who have lost faith, have distanced themselves from the life of their faith, or have declared themselves atheists; the Lord who is in prison, sick, unemployed, and persecuted; the Lord who is in the leper in body and soul and in the discriminated against! We will discover the Lord if we truly welcome the marginalized! Let us always remember Saint Francis, who was not afraid to welcome the leper and those who suffer from any kind of marginalization. Dear brothers, the gospel of the marginalized, in fact, reveals our credibility!

Don Bosco was visiting a wealthy family in Turin. They showed him their home and then their three sons. The mother pointed with pride to each of them, saying: ‘This one is studying medicine—he’ll be a doctor.’ This one has technical talent. He will undoubtedly become an engineer.’ When the youngest child stopped speaking, Don Bosco said that he would undoubtedly become a priest. The mother was shocked and replied, ‘He would rather die.’ Don Bosco was saddened. Some time later, the boy died. His death was not a punishment from God, but a warning that we do not control our fate; it is God who directs everything.

Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up. He entered the synagogue, opened the book, and read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” All eyes focused on him. Jesus’ final words were, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled.” The time has been fulfilled. Since the birth of Jesus divided history into the time before and after him, he has been here among us continuously in the Holy Church. Have we ever considered what we should leave behind and what we should adopt so that we, too, can say of ourselves that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us? He chooses men for this proclamation who will announce the gospel and call people to repentance for the forgiveness of sins. He is the one who keeps calling; he wants the basic proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of God to be spread.

Indira Gandhi (1917-1984), the Indian Prime Minister, sent her children to study at Oxford University in England. Journalists reproached her, saying that even in India, there were already schools on par with English ones, that she was not patriotic enough, and that she was not serving the interests of India. She replied, “I want our people to understand the English mentality well so they can bring new ideas to raise India’s level.” Those who live in their environment will better assimilate its elements and transfer them to other cultures. Christ comes from the life of God, from the love of the Father for this world, and brings a new culture, a different life. Through Christ, we can be in the love of the Father. He will help us identify our mission among people, so we can say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” and help those with whom we live feel it too.

 If someone were to ask you what you found fascinating about today’s reading, it probably wouldn’t be this sentence. You could emphasize how Jesus rescued the apostles by appearing on the water and calming the storm. After all, he magnificently demonstrated his power and certainly dispelled the apostles’ doubts. Miracles naturally attract our attention. But at least as important is the fact that Jesus prayed. This means that although he had a divine nature, he consciously submitted to his Father. Mark writes that Jesus got up early in the morning and prayed in a “deserted place” (Mark 1:35). He always carefully followed his Father’s will and his plan for our salvation. 

And what about us? But Jesus needed to pray; how much more do we need to be in contact with God! If we don’t pray at all, the first problem we encounter will derail us. If we rarely pray, we will give up too easily and fail to listen to the Lord. But if we follow Jesus’ example, regularly withdrawing into silence and seeking God’s presence, we will likely achieve results similar to his. Even if we don’t witness miracles and our problems persist, we can find peace in knowing that Jesus is alongside us, calming the turmoil in our hearts and fortifying our faith. 

Occasionally, God’s glory is revealed in times of crisis or urgency; other times, we encounter the Lord when life is going smoothly, and everything is as calm as the still surface of a lake. Both of these experiences are precious and rewarding, but wisdom teaches us not to put off seeking the Lord until an emergency. It is best to seek him every day. God wants you to become a proclaimer of his truth and love. You don’t have to walk on water to help someone else accept Christ into their life, but you definitely have to pray!

CURRICULUM VITAE

He was born in Spain near Barcelona. He soon became a philosophy teacher. Furthermore, he studied law in Italy and became a public defender for people on low incomes. The bishop of his birthplace persuaded him to return and made him a canon of the Barcelona Cathedral. He was a renowned preacher, confessor, and scholar. At around 46, he entered the Dominican Order. He was the Superior General of the Order from 1238 to 1240. He reorganized the Order’s statutes. At the behest of Pope Gregory IX., he prepared for publication the regulations of church law, which he compiled into a collection called the Decretals. His writings resulted in the “Summa of Cases for the Correct and Useful Administration of the Sacraments of Penance.” In the 1770s, he also founded Hebrew schools. In Catalonia, he then devoted himself to missionary work, established dialogue with Muslims, and lived a pious penitential life for about a hundred years.

CV FOR MEDITATION

ON A COAT OVER THE SEA

His birth name is associated with the castle of his ancestors in Pena fort in Catalonia, the capital of which is Barcelona. There, he successfully studied at the cathedral school, where he also worked as a chorister. At the age of 20, he became a philosophy teacher, and for 9 years, he instilled in his students the principles of true Christian wisdom and was an example of a life of faith. Then, in 1205, he decided to continue his studies in Bononia (today’s Bologna), Italy. After obtaining his doctorate, he lectured on church law as a public teacher. People with low incomes used to have an excellent defender in court.

During his journey from Rome, the Bishop of Barcelona, ​​Berengar, persuaded him to return to his homeland, and after his ordination, made him a canon, later a provost and vicar general. At around 46, he entered the Dominican order, which was only approved in 1216. He stood out as a renowned preacher, confessor, and excellent counselor. As general of the order, he was entrusted, among other things, with writing theological writings. After consultations with Peter Nolasco and King James I of Aragon, who chose him as their confessor, all three, on the advice of the Virgin Mary, decided to ransom Christian prisoners from the captivity of the Muslim Moors. For this purpose, the Order of Mercedarians was founded, whose religious rules were written by Raymond and confirmed by Pope Gregory IX. Peter Nolasco became the first general superior of this merciful order.

Pope Gregory IX summoned Raymond to Rome in 1230 to make him his confessor, advisor, and domestic chaplain. It is known that Gregory IX once received from him a penance to care for people in poverty and to provide them with assistance. This was the moment Raymond saw that a group of poor people had come to the papal palace and received nothing. The pope then diligently ensured that the poor were cared for.

At the behest of the Pope, Raymond compiled the canons of church law into a collection of five volumes known as the Decretals. These became the primary source of legal doctrine and the basis of the code of church law.

Around the beginning of 1235, the Pope offered Raymond the Archbishopric of Tarragona in Spain, but he humbly declined the position, preferring to remain a humble monk. Due to his exhaustion from an active life, doctors advised him to leave Rome. Gregory IX was reluctant to grant him permission. Raymond was joyfully welcomed in his birthplace, where he began working to foster the flourishing of his order. After the tragic death of the order’s general, Jordan of Saxony, he was elected the new general of the Dominican order, the third since its foundation. He reorganized the order’s statutes and demonstrated himself to be an experienced, careful, and kind father when he visited the order’s individual communities. He also published a manual for confessors, “Summa casuum.” After two years, when he was about 70 years old, for health reasons, he resigned the rank he had received out of obedience to continue living as a simple brother, dedicating himself to missionary work for the conversion of Muslims and Jews. Therefore, he established schools in several monasteries where Arabic and Hebrew were taught. From there, capable missionaries emerged.

Raymond was not demonstrating his superiority; rather, his actions were a manifestation of God’s power and an emphasis on the validity of God’s law, which he held dear. It was a sign that it is easier to cross the sea on a mere cloak than to willfully remain in sin while trying to secure one’s salvation.

As the Lord Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed … nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) We should consider Raymond’s behavior more normal than the king’s. Of course, we should consider the Word of God as the norm for us. For those who think sin is normal in life, the norm is the opposite. It is very dangerous to succumb to illusions that shape the conscience, according to King James’s rules on his way to Mallorca. Not everyone will receive the grace of the experience that Raymond’s actions in this story provoked.

RESOLUTION, PRAYER

For one, the resolution may be a daily prayer of faith to strengthen trust; for another, conversion, beginning with the path of correct formation of conscience. For another person, the resolution may involve rejecting a tendency towards a sinful relationship.

This saint’s example inspires us to resist the influence of worldly opinions and instead seek guidance from the Spirit of God. With his help, Raymond established relationships in all his activities, studied, remained humble, and experienced relationships with the Virgin Mary, the poor, the suffering, and sinners whom he led to conversion.

“Merciful God, you filled Saint Raymond with great love for sinners and captives; through his intercession, free us from the slavery of sin, that we may freely do what pleases you. We ask this through your Son Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, forever and ever.