In today’s Gospel we have a summary of Jesus going about curing, healing and driving out demons. Jesus preached the coming of the Kingdom of God: “After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God: ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” (Mark 1:14-15). The Kingdom of God is “at hand” not only in Jesus’ preaching and teaching but also in Jesus’ ministry of welcoming all and healing. So, the Kingdom of God is present as we hear in today’s Gospel: “He had cured many and, as a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. And whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, ‘You are the Son of God.’”
Jesus came to heal life in all its dimensions, both the spiritual and the physical. Following this example of Jesus, we are called today to a deeper respect for human life as we pray for the protection of unborn children. Human life, all human life is a sacred gift from God and all human life from the unborn child to the elderly are in God’s loving hands. We cannot pick and choose which human life we will respect but following the example of Jesus we must show respect of all human life. Jesus taught us in his Sermon on the Mount to be perfect so to be godlike:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies…that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48).
In the biblical understanding to be “perfect” means to be compassionate or merciful as we hear in Luke’s version of the saying of Jesus: “Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36).
Today we are called upon to respect all human life that means we are called upon to show mercy and compassion to all, the unborn child, the pregnant mother, the sick, the poor, the immigrant, the elderly, the outcast of our society. Jesus showed us the way to go out to all of these people and to offer them healing and compassion. Let us follow in this way of Jesus.
Image: “IMG_5619 X Caravagisme ca 1630-1640 Le Christ guérissant l’aveugle. Christ healing the blind man Brescia Pinacoteca Tosio Martinengo” by jean louis mazieres is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.