February 19, 2012
Scabs & Pustules
Eeeew! Yes, I know that’s not a very attractive way to start a Sunday article -- especially if any of you are reading this with a cup of coffee. But we’re assaulted with the prescriptions against skin disease in our first reading today and left uncomfortably with images of scabs and pustules until we encounter Jesus healing a man with leprosy in today’s gospel.
What a lovely set of readings to get us in the mood for Valentine’s Day!! (I’m joking of course.) And this day our parish is celebrating a special Mass for couples celebrating their 50th and 25th wedding anniversaries, so the readings aren’t the love-inspired words that we often associate with weddings.
Yet, on some level, they might indeed be appropriate for lovers. You see, when romance first blossoms we can only see what is good and lovely about the beloved. We rarely see the “warts” (or scabs and pustules for that matter.) It is only after the infatuation wears off that we can look more clearly at the beloved’s faults and other less-attractive attributes. If at that point, we go running from the relationship, then true love did not reside there.
But, if on the other hand, despite what’s not lovely about the other person, we still can accept them “warts and all” (not to mention scabs and pustules), then we have at least the beginnings of true love.
Jesus is not put off by the skin disease of the man he meets in today’s gospel. He gaze goes deeper than “skin deep” and he truly knows the person. And Jesus is the same way with us. Our deficiencies, our faults, even our sins, do not stop Jesus from accepting and loving us. So his action of healing the man with leprosy is an action we can expect in our own lives.
Now let’s go forth and do likewise. Maybe there are some in your life who might have less-than-attractive qualities about them. Perfect candidates for a Valentine’s card, don’t you think?
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