SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME – CYCLE B – 2021
« Jesus continues his ministry of
proclaiming the Kingdom, healing all sorts of sicknesses, manifesting the
kindness and tenderness of God to all who approached him
o
Today
Jesus heals the leper and gives back to him his dignity, the possibility to
live in community at home, work and
place of worship.
o
The
reading from the Old Testament and the Gospel speak about the leprosy.
o
Paul
invites all to be all for all.
BOOK OF THE LEVITICUS
Ø This third book of the Pentateuch, is
called in Hebrew Wayyiqrā’ = “and He called.”
Ø The name Leviticus comes from the
Latin translation of the Greek translation of the Bible that was made in times
of the Old Testament “Leuitikon.”
Ø The name is well given since it is a
book about liturgical laws for the priesthood of the Levites.
Ø Besides these laws there are other
laws in regards to the holiness of life, in all its different aspects:
physical, psychological and moral.
THE AUTHOR – THE BOOK
o
As
it is the case for all the books, it is difficult, impossible to know who
the author is. The book was being formed over several centuries with the
contribution of many hands.
o
It
belongs to the “priestly” tradition.
o
The
legislation points out to Moses.
o
Although
we find in this book some ancient laws, in its present shape the book belongs
to the time of the return from the Babylonian exile.
o
The
book has the following parts:
I THE
LAW OF SACRIFICE
II THE
PRIESTLY ORDINATIONS
III THE
LEGAL PURIFICATIONS
IV THE
FEAST OF THE ATONEMENT
V THE
CODE OF SANCTITY.
FIRST READING Lv 13:1-2; 44-46
Leprosy
was a skin disease, the skin looked infected and it was permanent, but it was not
always the same disease we now call leprosy.
It included many other skin affections.
The
precautions and the rules for those who suffered this illness probably began as
a hygiene regulation to protect the population.
We can
understand these rules now that we are suffering due to the pandemic. Those who
suffer the COVID19 have to be isolated either at home or at the hospital.
We need
to be isolated from the family, the work companions, the members of our faith
community, so that we do not infect them.
As time
went by, as it always is the case, even now we do many things without knowing
its meaning because we do not know why they began.
If we
add to these rules a religious meaning, then what was regulated for the good of
the people becomes a heavy weight on the people. Something that does not help as was the case
with all the rules about leprosy.
According
to the religious belief of Israel, which we have already mentioned in another
occasion, if you are good things will go well for you, if you are a sinner
things will go bad for you. Thus if you are sick it is because you have
sinned.
Than we
understand the isolation of the sick person because he or she is a sinner,
impure and has to be separated from the rest of the community, “outside the
camp.”
RESPONSORIAL PSALM – Ps 32: 1-2, 5, 11
R. (7) I
turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of
salvation.
Blessed is he whose fault is taken away,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not
guilt,
in whose spirit there is no guile.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and
you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
my guilt I covered not.
I said, "I confess my faults to the
LORD,"
and you took away the guilt of my sin.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and
you fill me with the joy of salvation.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just;
exult, all you upright of heart.
R. I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and
you fill me with the joy of salvation.
The psalmist describes
very well the joy of the leper when he is declared clean by the priest. He was
cured physically but now he is also cured spiritually and socially, he is
healed.
GOSPEL – MARK 1:40-45
ü A leper,
who as we have seen was subjected to
isolation and scorn, approaches Jesus.
ü He has heard that this
new young Rabbi from Nazareth has cured and healed so many people, he never
rejects anyone, he has compassion of all, He treats everyone with respect and
dignity.
ü If you wish, you can make me clean. Yes I do.
ü Jesus as he pronounces
these words “Yes, I do” touches the man.
ü As if He wanted to take
that leprosy of that man and the scorn to which he has been subjected, on Him
to destroy it in his person. It is like an anticipation of what He will do on
the cross for all of us.
ü Yes I want to be one with
you, yes I want you to go back to your loved ones, to your community, yes I
want you to regain your self-esteem, yes I want you to discover the infinite
love that God has for you, yes I want you to be happy.
ü Jesus is the fullness of
God’s revelation, He is God among us. And He, who has come to announce the good
news of the Father’s love, says to us that the Father does not want us,
sinners, to be isolated, to suffer
scorn, but he wants us to experience that God loves us, in such a way, that this
experience makes us return to Him and in so doing find our happiness.
SECOND READING 1
Cor 10:31-11:1
- Paul speaks to the
members of the Community of Corinth, and invites them, that whatever they
do (eat, drink, celebrate, work, pray, travel, rest….) do everything for the glory of God. What does it mean to
do everything for the glory of God?
- The glory of God is
the human being in its fullness, that is, a human being free with no other ties
than the love of God manifested in the love for the other human beings.
- How must that love
to the other human beings be, in order to be true love for God,
- To please everyone
whenever possible
- Not to seek our own
interest
- Do not be the cause of scandal for anyone
- And all of this to
cooperate in the salvation of our brothers and sisters.
- In
a word, it is to take seriously our life as baptized persons and
followers of Jesus.
To M. Antonia Prioress of Tremp
Madrid March 26 1862
My dear Sister in J.C.: I have received your letter and I let you know that a long time ago I have sent the Arte y Cantoral , and for what you tell me I am sure it has been lost. Today I send a new copy , I think you are going to like it. Let all be for the greatest glory of God. I would like the nuns to read it too, it has been difficult for me to do it for the diversity of opinions among the Cantors. The Hymnal and the volumes of the Student or Seminarian will be a single work for the formation of the young men called by God to the ecclesiastical profession, as I am sure you already are aware of it if you have read them, and if you have not read them, I ask you please to read them more than once you and the Nuns, and if you can have the last edition of Barna. , much better. It is ok with me that you order for this house and for the house of Cuba the “Glories of Mary,” charged to my account. I asked Félix Ríu to give you the Rules which are printed and bound, as you had said, and I have already paid them. I have asked also Pedro Naudó to put at your disposal the alms of 300 duros which you may spent in what you see fit. As for the Spiritual Exercises for Girls I have not been in a hurry to seek time to write, because I have many things that I considered more urgent than this, because they can use the book I have written for boys and girls of First Communion. The priests that preach the exercises to the girls in the schools use the book I have mentioned above. If you read it you will see it leaves little to be desired; however, I will write it as soon as possible, to please you and also for some special ideas of great importance that I want to mention for the wellbeing of the girls.
My kind regards to the Nuns and the Girls and as for you, you may
count on your servant Anthony Mary Archbishop of Trajanopolis.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
FALEY, ROLAND J., T.O.R. “Leviticus” in The New Jerome Biblical
Commentary, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
1988.
FLOR SERRANO, GONZALO. “Salmos” en Comentario al
Antiguo Testamento II, Casa de la Biblia, 1997.
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