In today’s Gospel passage, we hear a man ask Jesus to heal him. Going to God to ask a favor is something just about everyone has done at one time or another. Pleading with the Lord is not hard for us to do. This is especially true when we find ourselves running out of options. Even those who are not particularly devout find themselves calling out to the Lord for help. Accepting the Lord’s answer is not as easy to do – that is, unless the answer conforms to our own will.
That is where this leper differs from so many. He not only believes that Jesus can heal him. He is also ready to accept the fact that Jesus may not wish to do so. Much like the prayer that Jesus utters in the Garden of Gethsemane, this man understands that it is God’s will that comes first.
The Word of God did not become incarnate to be our fixer or to do our will. As the first reading reminds us, the Word of God became flesh that we might have eternal life and that we might possess Christ in our hearts. If we possess Christ, then out task in this life is to become more like him. That means that we must be willing to accept the will of God, even in the face of death, loss, and suffering. This is no easy task. However, God has given us the assistance we need if we are willing to embark on this journey of acceptance. We have the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, to give us the grace to place God’s will before our own.
Fr. Lawrence Jagdfeld, O.F.M., Administrator