Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings of the Day 

Today’s gospel is the healing of the leper. The first reading illustrates the seriousness of the leprosy. A person with leprosy was seen as defiled, a sinner and ostracized from their community. The public acknowledgement and being considered unclean added shame and despair in addition to the physical pain the individual was encountering.

These feelings of defilement are felt by all of humanity today as a result of our sinful nature which causes us to feel ostracized from our community with God. We often feel unclean and shame about things we have done and failed to do. Despite these feelings, Jesus stretches out his hand to each of us through the Eucharist to heal us, overcome our sinful nature and make us clean. To receive this grace of the Eucharist and be welcomed back into the heavenly community, we must ask for it and be open to it.

Jesus and His graces are in every part of our lives, especially those “deserted places.” We must go to those places in our lives that feel like a desert and look for Him because He is there. Whether it is helping a young mother with her child, a family in grief counseling, or an immigrant or refugee to feel at home, we meet people in their most deserted places when they come to Catholic Charities. It is there where we get the opportunity to meet people in the places where they feel the most deserted and extend our hand as a vehicle of God’s love and grace for each human being He created. Through that extension of love and grace, God gives it back to us in return through the individuals we are privileged to serve.     

Brian Smith is the Director of Parish Engagement for Catholic Charites of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City.