by Orlando Hernandez

The three readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time deal with unlikely persons recruited by God to aid Him in His work of salvation. Isaiah feels doomed before the sight of God because he is “a man of unclean lips.” (Is 6: 5) Saint Paul says that he is “not fit to be called an apostle.” (1 Cor 15:9) Simon Peter kneels in the boat, full of fish, before Jesus, and says, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” (Lk 5: 8b)
God will have none of this breast-beating. He touches Isaiah with the burning heat of the Spirit of Love and “asks” him, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” Isaiah cannot help but exclaim, “Here I am….. Send me!” (Is 6: 8) After having personally met Jesus, Paul has to admit that in spite of his former guilt, “ by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective.”(1 Cor 15: 10) So he toils for the rest of his life as a great apostle of God. Peter does not get a break either. Jesus tells him, “ Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.”
(Lk 5: 10b) No time for feeling guilty, Simon Peter, Andrew, John, and James “left everything and followed Him.” (V: 11b)
This week’s Gospels from Mark also deal with “unworthy” people who are touched by Jesus. People who might be blamed for their illnesses because of their sins are brought by others to the marketplace, “and as many as He touched were healed.” (Mk 6: 56a) Then Jesus defends disciples who “ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed hands.” (Mk 7: 5) In spite of the Syrophoenician woman being an “unclean” gentile, “ a dog”, Jesus the Jew is impressed by her loving perseverance and heals her daughter. (Mk 7: 24-30) When He returns to the gentile Decapolis He heals the deaf man, through physical contact and intimacy. (Mk 6: 33-36) It is important for me to notice that just like the people in the marketplace, the deaf man had been “ brought to Him” by people interceding for him, just like the Syrophoenician woman for her daughter. Perhaps Jesus had been recommended to these folks by the Gerasene man who was cured of those cruel demons. Jesus had told him, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord [our Loving Father] in His pity has done for you.” (Mk 5: 19)
Do we do this? Do we proclaim to all we meet what Jesus has done for us? Or are we too embarrassed ? Do we show it? Do we live as examples of the Gospel? Do we pray for, and touch, and attend to anyone who comes to us in need of God’s help, the way those folks in the Gospel do? I feel pretty sure that most of the people reading this try to live this kind of life, and I rejoice in this. It gives me the strength to try harder.
This weekend I attended a conference titled “Release the Spirit!” This wonderful speaker, Bob, exhorted us to stop beating our breasts and saying “I am not worthy.” Indeed, we are not, but our Lord has died on the Cross so that we may approach His throne in confidence that His Holy Spirit will be poured upon us, to burn within our hearts and heal us. Let’s be renewed by this great Gift, through heartfelt, humble prayer every day, not feeling as much entitled, as feeling so, so grateful for His mercy. But let’s not keep the fire, the grace, the miracle there hiding. Let’s release that Spirit of Love upon the world, especially on those lying prostrate in the marketplaces of our culture, those unclean, unworthy ones, the people in “ the fringes” that Pope Francis talks about. Let us Catholics be open to everyone, welcoming them warmly into our lives, into our churches, like the Evangelicals do. Let us, like our Pope, open our hearts in respect and dialogue with people of all faiths.
Last month in Church we heard passages from the Letter to the Hebrews, my beloved book of the Bible. One of my favorite passages was not included, (Hebrews 13:1-3, 11-16):

“ Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels. Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment and of the ill-treated as of yourself, for you also are in the body….. The bodies of the animals whose blood the high priest brings into the sanctuary as a sin offering are burned outside the camp. Therefore, Jesus also suffered outside the gate, to consecrate the people by His own blood. Let us then go to Him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that He bore. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come. Through Him then let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise, that is, the fruit of lips that confess His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.”

Praised be the Name of Jesus!

Orlando Hernández