We can say that today’s first reading and the Gospel form such a frame of the picture. We could also compare it to a series and say that the first reading is the first part and the Gospel is the last, final part. The final part went well, the sick man was healed, so we could leave with a good feeling. When you watch a series, you end up saying to yourself: “Well, after all, it’s happening somewhere on that TV, it doesn’t concern me”, but this series, which today’s texts are talking about, concerns us, it concerns every one of us. But I will start with the disease and the history as it was.

The Israelites were very afraid after they left Egypt. They were afraid that some calamity, some epidemic would befall the nation, and therefore they tried to eliminate, eliminate all risks, reduce them to a minimum, and therefore here with these diseases that they could not cure (they did not even know how to treat them, not as cure it yet), so they were already putting forward what are called quarantine measures, isolation. And that measure was very harsh, because as we heard in the first reading, three symptoms were listed there: a sore on the skin, a scab, or a bright spot. But all these are far from the symptoms of leprosy. These are the symptoms quite extensively of other various diseases. But because there was that great fear, this person was isolated, immediately.

So it also became obvious that they isolated people who were not lepers, and who, on the contrary, were in great danger of contracting the leprosy. A man who was thus brought before a high priest or a priest, and he preached over him that lesson about the signs, that man was truly isolated. We can say, he was dead in three ways: medically, socially and religiously. On the social side, there was the fact that he had to move out of the Israeli camp. After that, when they lived in Palestine, in the Holy Land, these people had to leave the city, the village, and lived in some caves or in some shelters. They had to wear clothes that showed that something was wrong with the person, that he was dressed strangely, that something was wrong with him. And when they had to meet someone, they had to shout: “Unclean, unclean!” In later times, they “improved” it even more, so that if they were moving in a group, then at least one of them had to have a bell and ring it, so that a random pedestrian would not approach them. Other people were not supposed to approach them at a distance of less than 10 steps. Why? Well, because then they themselves risked being put in that quarantine. So great was the fear of this disease. The man was cut off from everything. He was actually surviving. There was a big mistake on the religious side. They believed that this terrible disease will be given to the person who has sinned in some terrible way, transgressed against God. And in this they made a great mistake, that they always connected it with sin and with the punishment for sin. This is definitely not the case. When we hear it like that, we say to ourselves: “So it was inhumane.” Yes, it was very harsh, and those people who were infected with leprosy, those people were actually sentenced to death, to a slow, gradual death. They actually justified it by saying that if they were left there, far more people would die. This is a question of prevention and these things, but we will look at it in a different way. When we talk about the lepers, about the fact that they were isolated, we say to ourselves: “That was once upon a time, that doesn’t concern us.” But let’s try to realize that every leper had a family – a father, mother, siblings, or even a wife , children. And for these people who remained in that company – their brother, husband, wife – it was not a stranger, but it was a person they loved, and he could not be with them at once.

So these relatives tried to make life easier for them. They brought them food, clothes, made appointments to have fun at a distance of ten steps and thus tried to support them in every possible way. They tried to show them sympathy. And now we come to what is in the gospel, and what concerns us. Every quarantine, isolation builds dams between people, barriers that are sometimes difficult to cross, that many times people don’t even want to cross. Many times we come across that those barriers are artificially created and people have no compassion. Jesus breaks down that barrier – he talks to him, goes to him, touches him. If that person was healed or if Jesus healed him, then Jesus would also have to be quarantined. And the fact that Jesus touched the leper, that he stretched out his hand to him, for all those around Jesus, was unimaginable, something unheard of. In doing so, Jesus really broke all the regulations of the time. He did it because he had compassion, could help, and knew how to help. Jesus does not stop at pity, but helps.

As a result of original sin, we all tend to build barriers around ourselves, to protect ourselves. In a way, when we think about it, we all want to live in safety, and we also try to build the space we live in to be safe. This means that people I like, people I like, people who don’t threaten me (at least that’s what I tell myself), people who don’t compete with me, for example, with those friends. Those who, in my opinion, could in some ways threaten, harm or overshadow me, I push them out: “They are not my friends. Let them stay somewhere, I don’t count with them in my world.” And this is how we build barriers.

As I say, we are all prone to it, it is a consequence of the fall of the first people. So, it can be explained humanly, but according to the Gospel it is not justifiable. The Gospel asks us, first, to realize that we have these tendencies, and secondly, the Gospel asks us to try to destroy them. I would point out that the emphasis is really on “trying to break down”, because we don’t always succeed. But now I am not talking about those barriers that are, we would say, worldwide, like enmity between nations, barriers between races, the gap between the rich and the poor, but I am talking about the environment in which each of us lives. It is not so visible there. We do not live in any tense situation, in any strained relationships. It’s all more “combed”. Perhaps it is not visible at first glance, but … There is a “but”. Each of us should ask what it looks like with those barriers around me, if he doesn’t like it and if he isn’t happy with it. The barriers are of all kinds: barriers of political opinions, economic situation, between the young, between the old, between the healthy, the sick and I don’t know what else. The first thing to overcome them: it is necessary to have compassion, to see the other person, that he has a face, that he is not an anonymous person, that he is not just some number in statistics, but that he is a living person. This is how Jesus sees him.

And then another thing: asking Jesus: “Lord, what can I do? How could I change it, how could I tear it down?” As I say, it doesn’t always work, but almost always it can be at least mitigated. We have to realize that the Church in which we live, which we create, does not belong only to some elite, some selected group of people, but all those who belong to it are healed and purified. From what? Well, from our mistakes, because Jesus is the one who heals us all the time. He heals us by forgiving us. We can say: “I belong to Jesus, but I belong there because He healed me.” Jesus is the one who came to heal, to purify, to unite. All these are the basic features of the gospel. We, as disciples of Jesus, should report to this and try to apply it. So let us succeed with his help.

Girolamo (Latin: Hieronymus) was born into the wealthy Venetian patrician family of the Miani (Latin: Aemiliani). After receiving a lavish upbringing and training, he embarked on a military career at the age of 15. In 1506 he was admitted to the Grand Council (Maggior Consiglio) of his hometown. He also quickly made his career as an officer; In the Great Venetian War (1508–1511) between the Republic of Venice and the League of Cambrai, he rose to the rank of general . As commander of the fortress of Castelnuovo di Quero, he had to bow to French superiority in 1511 and was taken prisoner of war. ^[1] That is why he is often seen in pictures with a chain. According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to him in the dungeon and gave him a key to open the shackles. After escaping from captivity, he dedicated his life to becoming a priest. He also founded several orphanages where children who had lost their parents in the war found shelter. ^[2] In the following years, at the request of the local bishops, he expanded his activities to Milan , Pavia and Verona . ^[3] Hieronymus Ämiliani remained a layman throughout his life. Pope John Paul II described him as a “layman who inspires laypeople.” ^[4]

When there was a famine in Venice in 1528, which was exacerbated by an epidemic of plague, Jerome gathered young men to help the hungry, sick and dying. In 1531 Jerome finally left his father’s house. He and two of his companions, the priests Alessandro Besozzi (Latinized: Besuzius) and Agostino Barili, decided to write a Vita communis . In 1532 a community arose in Bergamo under the leadership of Agostino Barili, and in 1534 a community arose in Somasca under the leadership of Hieronymus. Their house became the mother house of the Somaski order. On February 8, 1537, Hieronymus Ämiliani died of the plague .

To be fundamentally a good and wise thing; these are of course wise and good traditions. However, the issue of tradition can be misunderstood – and the Lord Jesus presents it in the right light today. Traditions that oppose God’s commandments, such as the shameful tradition of getting drunk on the occasion of family celebrations; in addition, to various ancient exaggerations, charms, and superstitions. But the wise and noble traditions are often the complement of the commandments and guard the commandments. Such traditions include e.g., joint prayer in the family, prayer of the rosary, May devotions, rorats, fasting, First Friday devotions, participation in spiritual renewal, in the procession on the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is typically our domestic, paternal traditions that decide even our national identity.

And even the very connection to a wise tradition should be wise. Lord Jesus today quotes a drastic example of the unwise cult of tradition. So it would be something unwise and bad, e.g. to leave a sick person at home without care – to go to a midnight procession or pilgrimage. Especially if the tradition is supposed to be an expression of fidelity to the commandments – first, it is a commandment of love: no tradition has the right to cancel this commandment – and this is clearly stated in today’s Gospel.

An example of noble loyalty to tradition is participation in St. masses – and St. Mass. Henryk Sienkiewicz – at the end of one of his novels – draws attention to the fact that although various structures, customs, and sizes have passed away over the centuries – so St. the mass is “in the old glory”. Here one can realize that it is not so much “in the old” way; it is the older people who remember that once upon a time at St. Mass had different speeches and ceremonies. Of course, but there is a confirmation of what has been said here: that for wise reasons the less serious details of the tradition must often give way – to save the tradition itself. So also in St. certain non-essential elements were removed from the Mass – so that the essential elements stood out more prominently: sacrifice, transfiguration, breaking of Bread – the rest always consistent with tradition.

Illustration photo:

During the deacon practice, we spent a week in a hospital in the summer to get a little closer to the world of the sick. They are a fixed part of the priest’s care, although it is not very joyful and even the priest’s throat sometimes dries up.

Cesarean section, removal of varicose veins, skin transplantation after being scalded with stew – these are just some of the experiences that were not pleasant. Doctors also sent us to talk with patients. One of us managed to make a faux pas when he addressed the dying man by asking how the health care was useful to him… The school does not prepare for some situations.

Like Job, he is not prepared for the onslaught of “Job” messages. “My eye shall see no more happiness” is one of the weaker reproaches with which he will later litter the sky. Saint Jerome compares this book to an eel that escapes the more we try to catch it.

The job cannot be classified historically. The biblical scholar Martini speaks of a placeholder, a “laboratory model” of a righteous man who attracts evil for no reason – although he takes care of his family, makes regular sacrifices to God, and lives as an innocent. Suffering for your mistakes is understandable. But to suffer through the fault of others, their decisions, to suffer undeservedly – that’s drama.

Something of the mystery of God is revealed in Job. For example, the fact that his story is not only tied to the Jewish faith is more universal. We do not find there the theme of the covenant, the temple, Jerusalem or priestly service. The most recent Jewish biblical literature (Job, Wisdom, Ecclesiastes) brings up the theme of retribution that doesn’t work, and non-believing observers like to point this out. There is no reward for good and no punishment for evil.

The three main characters are clear: Job, God and Satan. The last one will probably surprise us. He is allowed to test a person first by touching his property. After failing, he goes further and touches the integrity of his body.

Satan, as the accuser of man (a favorite theme of Pope Francis), claims that true piety does not exist because man is incapable of selfless love. He considers it a delusion and an illusion. What the critics of religion like to say today: the deity was invented by man to defend and sublimate his own motivations, which are not altruistic.

The reader feels that he is drawn into a struggle where he can honestly admit that reproaches against God and cursing of heaven will appear even in the hearts of honest people. Simply, exams exist and will exist for everyone. That initial “yes” to God is sometimes easy to say. Persisting when the various struggles come is arduous.

“It is important not to close our eyes to the suffering of the body and even then to offer a certain spirituality with realism based on our limitations.”

Martin Luther, who threw a bottle of ink at the tempter when he was put to the test, would probably agree. When commenting on the Book of Job, he noted that perhaps God listens with more interest and without offense to the cry of the desperately ill, to the point of blasphemy, than the prayers of ordinary Christians who participate in Sunday liturgies in their comfortable lives.

So the human feeling of bitterness is not condemned by the Bible. On the contrary, it preserved it as part of an inspired sacred text.

Christian faith accepts and develops this Jewish realism. It is the religion of the body, because the human body was sanctified by God’s incarnation. It is important not to close our eyes to the suffering of the body and even then to offer a certain spirituality with realism based on our limitations. It is a spirituality of openness to a horizon that transcends human senses.

Something similar was experienced by a married couple in the pilgrimage town of Cascia, where I spent a few months assisting the local priest. The first thing Don Renzo did in the new parish was the funeral of a girl who committed suicide at a young age. His closeness to the parents who died during the period of mourning caused their faith to deepen.

Thanks to the good priest, they not only found answers to their painful questions, but later offered their qualities in preparing the betrothed before marriage. Their transformed pain seemed to become the fuel cell of the ship, which steered it into new waters of active faith in the community.

A deep cry before God saved them from a lifetime of grumbling about how cruel and unjust the world is. French philosopher Emmanuel Mounier (1905-1950) experienced something similar. Benedict XVI also heard his thoughts at the bedside of his daughter, who was stricken with meningitis and later died. during one of the spiritual exercises in the Vatican.

“What would be the meaning of all this if our little girl were only a sick body, only a bit of painful life, and not, on the contrary, a white host that transcends us all, one great mystery?… We should not think of pain as something that it came to us to take, but for something that was given to us and we can give… I felt that when I approached his little bed without a voice, it was as if I approached the altar…

We wished our little Françoise to die. But isn’t it just the desire of a well-fed society? Who knows if it is not the other way around: if we have not been asked to guard and adore the guest in our midst. My little Françoise, you are the image of faith for me.”

During our lives we receive the sacraments, but also the sacraments. Let us look generally at the difference between sacraments and ordinances.

On the feast of the Three Kings we bless water. On the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple, at the Feast of the Holy Sepulchre, we bless the tapers of the Feast of Trumpets in a special ceremony. Afterwards, the blessing of the blessed lamb is bestowed. At the beginning of Lent, our foreheads are marked with consecrated ashes. Each of us should begin and end the day with blessing and prayer. Many of us wear a cross or medal around our necks. At home we have a cross on our walls, some even have holy water. What are the rites, what are the acts and things that make our worship more beautiful, that affect our civil life as well? We call them sacraments. Is there a difference between sacraments and sacramentals? Yes, and a big one!

Sacraments are sacred acts instituted by the Lord Jesus for the sanctification of our souls. There are seven of them: baptism, confirmation, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Sacrament of Penance, the anointing of the sick, the sanctification of the priesthood, and marriage. Some can only be received once in a lifetime (baptism, confirmation, priesthood ordination).

Sacraments are sacred acts and things by which the Church entrusts us to God’s protection.

The difference is that:

– Sacraments instituted by Christ – Sacraments by the Church;
– the sacraments are seven – the sacraments many;
– the sacraments operate by their act – the sacraments only according to the disposition of the one receiving them.

The aim of a sacrament is always the sanctification of the human soul. The sacraments have different destinations. Some are used in worship, e.g. the church, the bell on the tower, the liturgical vestments, the holy oils… Others are for the exclusive use of the faithful, e.g. the crucifixes.

The goal of the sacrament is always the sanctification of the human soul. Sacraments have different purposes. Some are for use in worship, e.g. the church, the bell on the tower, liturgical vestments, holy oils… Others are for the use of the faithful only, e.g. crosses, consecrated rings, thunders, holy water, etc. It is not only the priest who is to be the consecrator of the sacraments, but every Christian is to be a consecrator of the sacraments. Blessings are performed by fathers and mothers when they bless their children, when we bless others, when we bless ourselves, when we bless ourselves, when we bow before the cross on the road.

The sacraments are not only to sanctify the soul of man, but they are to permeate our life so that the environment in which the Christian lives is Christianized, sanctified. That is why crosses and small chapels were built along the roads and in the fields. But let us not forget that the sacraments are much more important than the saints. Nevertheless, we had better notice the cross by the roadside, or the chapel in the field, or the created things, so that we may better understand that the sun above us is a gift of God, that out of pure water, out of the fragrance of flowers, God speaks. In all things the power of the Creator can be seen. Everything is sanctified by his hand and everything is meant to serve our happiness. Let us receive these gifts and open our souls to his blessing with holiness.

Dear brothers and sisters! Each of us has overcome some illness in our life. How did it affect my insides? Did I accept her, or did I grumble, why am I the person she impacted? What does Jesus do when he meets the sick woman?
“He approached her, grabbed her hand, and lifted her up. The fever left her, and she served them” (Mk 1:31).
Peter’s mother-in-law is bedridden. Sometimes illness can cause those we used to serve to now have to serve us. It does not have to be only a physical illness, but also a mental one, when a person feels anxiety and suffering. We should ask the best doctor, Jesus, not only for ourselves, for our physical and mental healing, but also for those who need it even more. This requires sincere, humble supplication, which is perhaps the best medicine for the fever of the spirit. It should come from a pure heart, full of love.
It is appropriate to remember the words of the Lord Jesus: “Whatever you did to one of the least of these, you did to me.” He gives us an example worth following in his sacrifice. It should be a matter of course for us to help the sick and suffering in the neighborhood, whom few people remember. Even for a glass of water given out of love, we will be rewarded, so let’s be attentive and kind to those who depend on others. It only takes a little effort and sincere effort for a person to feel love and a new motivation for life. We have many examples of healing in the Holy Scriptures – the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ robe, the centurion’s servant.

Lord Jesus came to this earth to help us so that we can heal diseases among people. We feel the need to heal the world in its relationships. How do we like it when we meet a person who likes others when we meet with cordiality towards us? How we don’t like it when someone wants to dose the cordiality drop by drop. Cordiality dosed drop by drop kills and destroys joyful well-being. We must fully and spontaneously show interest in the person in our love. She is the best medicine for the disease. It requires firm faith. She is the truth and illuminates our mind, protecting it from error. Heals our wounds and remnants of original sin that make us prone to go astray. Sometimes illness is necessary for our spiritual growth. Here it is always important to examine God’s will. In the New Testament, Jesus first reveals his power through miraculous healings, that is why they brought the sick and those possessed by evil spirits to him and he healed them. He shows his power over pain by giving it a new meaning in the kingdom of God. But Jesus gives the most personal answer to the mystery of pain through his passion and death on the cross. Through pain and suffering, the Father calls us to his love.
Someone is lying on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. He is waiting for someone to show him mercy. Someone is lying on the road towards Golgotha. He fell, and he’s half dead. He is waiting for someone to help him carry the burden. Many lie injured, abandoned, lost, or half-dead on the roads. They walk the roads lost, resigned, helpless, waiting. Neighbors are waiting and looking for those who believe, hope, and love on our roads. Here one brings Bread along the way. Bread for you. Bread for giving, for healing, bread for life. Bread of life. Someone is on the way – God for you, for us. For salvation, for healing, for life. God the physician, God of life. One thing is certain: in suffering, or illness, a person recognizes that he does not have the keys to the secret of life and death in his hands; pain refers him to Someone greater. A painful question is a special way to talk with God.
In the visiting hospital, the priest asks an elderly, sick woman: “How are you?” The woman answers:
“Hardly, very badly.” – “What hurts you, what troubles you?” – “My children have not been with me for more than five weeks. He thought she would complain about body pains, but what hurts her is that her children ignore her.

More than once, when we give medicine to a sick person, he still says: “Give me your hand!” He doesn’t just want the healing of his body, but also the healing of his life, his soul.

When Mother Teresa came to Czechoslovakia, two newly married couples came to her to give her a large sum of money. She asked them: “Don’t you need money?” – “Mother Teresa, we are happy. There are people who do not like each other and cannot like each other, either because of hunger or poverty.” Then the youths said: “We have decided to give all the wedding gifts to the poor, the suffering, and the sick.” Lord, you are also in charge of the well-being of people, and you want to heal it for us in your son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Help us to be less selfish and to realize that the healing of human well-being is not only allowed in drop-by-drop favors. Help those who do not rule, are used, or abused in their surroundings, let them not become bitter, and give us strength to be doctors of warm, pleasant coexistence. Each of us knows how to make medicines of goodness and love, and can test our medical skills in this way.

Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, who loves all and forgets no one, we pray to you for all your creation and all your children. We remember all those on whom you placed the cross of suffering, physical illness, and weakness. To all who are without relatives and friends, to all who are troubled by the suffering or sin of those they love, to all who are affected by loss, that in the dark days, they may find security and peace in you. We ask you, for all who are immersed in their sorrows, to begin to share their worries with their brothers and to know the mysterious and blessed community of the cross. We beg you for all who are lonely and sad in the midst of the joy of others, that they may know you as their Friend and Comforter. Remember all those who pass through the valley of shadow, so that they may know that the resurrected Christ is with them and that he is a light even in the evening.

That is the basic idea that will guide us in Mark’s Gospel, from the first chapter. The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Our libraries are full of real knowledge. We offer comfort and luxury. We can fill our homes with beauty and music. Furthermore, we have remedies for almost every disease. Yet we do not seem to have become wiser, happier, and healthier. We have connections to all continents, and yet we are more divided than ever and understand each other less and less. The question arises, why do we meditate on sin? We have to say to ourselves. Sin is not the center of the Christian message. Sometimes it may have seemed so. There was a time when some preachers saw it as their main task to warn Christians about sin and its malignant consequences. And there was an atmosphere of fear. But this is certainly not the Spirit of Jesus. Yet He devoted His whole life to the good news of God’s kingdom, of God’s love, of God’s care for us. Constantly talking about sin and evil cannot be the gospel. Jesus’ sermons are different from those of John the Baptist, who rebuked people for their reliance on being children of Abraham and whom he warned of future judgment. Jesus speaks differently. His main words are love and joy, As Christians, we look at sin through God’s eyes. God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish. but have eternal life. Our messed-up world is constantly in the embrace of His love and power. Even though, we are sometimes overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness amid a world full of destruction and division. We must remember that God wants to heal us of our sins. But it would be just as dangerous to minimize the importance of sin. Some people are prone to reduce sin to some flaw in the social order, or a psychological handicap. Our encounters, our relationships, have a profound dimension. This dimension determines our relationship with our neighbor and society. He causes our lives to be constructive or destructive. But there is another problem. Many have a kind of admiration for sin. All we have to do is read the newspapers. Let’s compare the space that is devoted to crime with the space that is devoted to the good.. Crime is condemned, but sometimes people associate crime with boldness and courage. Many associate virtues with boredom. Sometimes the media unknowingly praises the bad guys. Sometimes there are such funny allusions that society in hell will be more interesting than the one in heaven. However, such a notion is very dangerous, especially for young people. We stopped being afraid of the devil. We know him from fairy tales as this goofy little guy who has one hoof, is hairy has horns and a tail, and wiggles up and down, harmless. But the devil is a living intelligence who wants us to be separated from God, who wants us to go the way of sin. It is very important to show what sin is. You can’t keep making excuses for sin. On the other hand, we must point out the attractiveness and beauty of goodness. If we look in the Gospels we find that Jesus was accused of many sins, but no one called him boring. So what is sin? Sin was once defined as the transgression of God’s commandments. That is true, but it sounds too legalistic and does not convey the reality of sin. Sin is the rejection of God’s love. It is good to remind ourselves before the Holy Confession what gifts God has given us. How He has loved us. Even though he knew what we were like. Then we see our sins not in a legalistic way, but as a rejection of God’s love. God guides us with his love, to which we should respond rightly. Sin is a destructive force that permeates our lives. Sin never remains hidden in the heart. It first works on the sinner, concentrating on his inner self. In his blindness, the sinner begins to justify himself. I don’t believe that I am to blame, others are to blame. They are to blame that I have done something but never me. And then it seems that we confess the sins of others. It’s hard to admit our mistakes and turn away from them. Sin manifests itself in our relationships and becomes a social event. Sin is growing. It is a tragedy when a church leader justifies war by sin or distorts the facts, such as the Russian Orthodox Church leader Cyril. God wants us to recognize our sins and not justify them. What is sin? We break our connection with God and are left alone. We devote ourselves to many things, but they cannot satisfy us. St. Augustine confirms this for us when he wrote. You created us for yourself, O God, Our heart is unsatisfied until it rests in you. This is the fundamental truth of our life. Whatever else we put into our life, love of property love of children, love of wife, all these can satisfy us only temporarily. After a while, we feel another hunger. Why, because our heart is so set that only God can fill it. You can see it very beautifully in little children. They want a toy very much, but in a short time, they stop enjoying it and long for a new one. We often behave like children- It is time for us to wise up. Let us not destroy ourselves by sin. If we want to follow Christ, we need to fight against our sins.