If you wish, you can make me clean

Today's Readings - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/011212.cfm

"If you wish, you can make me clean." (Mark 1:40)

Today during the mass I am prompted to change the format of my bible reflection based on a verse that strikes me the most. So without further delay, let's jump on it!

In this day and age of "instant gratification" people are hardly patient anymore. In the olden days we use to wait for mails or cards to be delivered in our mailbox, we use to wait in line to pay for tolls, there was no express lanes, we use to wait till we get home to get voicemail, we carry cash instead of credit cards, bank statements are delivered in the mail, we use typewriters, white-outs, paper notebooks...and list goes on. People (including me) are just so impatient these days. Technology has done a lot of good stuff for us, but it has also done a lot of bad stuff. We want things delivered to us in an instant, we don't want to wait anymore, and in the long run we become selfish and looking only for our self-interest.

In the readings today I was looking for the connection between the story of the Israelites being defeated by their enemy and the healing of the man with the leprosy. At first, I could not see any clear connection between the two. All of a sudden during mass it became clear (Thank you Holy Spirit!). As the priest mentioned during his homily, it has something to do with God's will. The Israelites went to battle at first without God, thinking that God will back them up in anything that they do, they did not even ask God for help until they started losing in battle. Even when they decided to take the Ark of the Covenant with them to battle they did not ask God first, they just decided themselves to take it with them. They even celebrated already before the battle by shouting thinking that they would win. The man with leprosy on the other hand, was humble in asking Jesus. He has respect and reverence towards Jesus and knows God's authority and so he asked first for permission to be healed. And so with God's loving mercy he was healed. And because of that healing he celebrated afterwards.

I read a booklet about St. Therese and it was mentioned there about "The Little Way". It says, we must be realistic! The world does not live the Little Way, if we were truly living the Little Way: 

* we would be delighted to take the last place in line

* we would recoil from flattery

* we would rejoice in the success of our neighbors

* we would make no excuses for our sins

* we would be quick to admit our weaknesses

* we would prefer hiddenness to acclaim

* we would be grateful when others criticized us and pointed out our shortcomings

* we would not be undone by the injury and injustice we suffer

* we would be unmoved by worldly status, fame and prestige

* we would experience peace in the midst of the world's conflict, turmoil and strife

And so, do you discern or ask for God's will before making any decision? Do we put God first before taking any action? Or do we set Him aside and call upon Him when things go wrong? Let's wait on the Lord (Psalm 40:2), let us not be impatient, for time purifies and tests things, it allows God to work in us. Let us not seek only for our own good, but for the good of others. I think St. Therese's Little Way says it all.

Jesus loves you!