6th Sunday, Year B February12, 2012
A Fresh Start For All
The CD-player flicked over to the crisp rhythms of the Bueno Vista Social Club as Fiona
cleared the plates from the table. In the kitchen she and her husband Lachlan agreed the
party was going well.
Back in the dining room, and with the Coonawarra Shiraz weaving its inevitable spell,
talkative Lance was finally running out of puff. Quiet Michael took that as his cue to
enter the conversation. Mike was there with his wife, Megan, together with Lachlan's
business partner, Terry. Also at dinner was Karen from across the street, talkative
Lance's wife Collette, and of course Fiona and Lachlan.
"If there is one thing I've learned," reflected quiet Michael, "it is not to waste time being
a people - pleaser". "Couldn't agree more, mate", mumbled the now mellow Lance.
"True," chorused Megan and Fiona. "But you can't be rude to people either," Megan
continued. "I think it is best to be real with people, and in some way to be attentive to
them." "But surely you have to pick and choose," said Terry. "I feel you have to give
priority to your own and your own kind, that's life's way, isn't it?" They were talking like
this following their twenty minute pre - dinner sharing on the readings for this Sunday
(6th Sunday Year B). "But when St. Paul said he tried to please everyone in every way,"
said Collette, "I don't think he meant that we should be people - pleasers. That's more
about pleasing others for your own benefit rather than theirs. Nor do I think it is just
about pleasing your own kind. What do you think, Lachlan?"
As he topped-up the wine glasses, Lachlan noted that Jesus seemed to be the same with
everyone he met. "He was there for rich and poor, fool or wise, powerful and
powerless; he was present to everyone just as he found them. That's what made a
difference to them - that they were totally recognised. That's what brought them to
freedom. That's what changed them." "Even the healthy and the unhealthy?" queried
Terry. "I think it was even more than health," chimed in Fiona. "In Sunday's Gospel about
the leper, Jesus accepts him not just because he's in bad health; he recognises him as the
outsider he had become because of disease. Some people actually avoided the leper.
Jesus reaches out and touches him."
"I guess the people were afraid of the leper and the site of leprous skin," noted Michael.
"We don't know if Jesus feared the leper or not, all we know is that he reached out and
touched him." "And that was enough," Karen emphasised. "It healed him and gave him a
fresh start." Genuine, friendly and argumentative, their conversation continued over
chocolates and coffee. Eventually it got onto asylum-seekers and how some Australians
feared them. They began to wonder if there was a better way to reach out and give
refugees a fresh start, a better way to acknowledge them and become their advocates.
Edmund Nixon CSsR
© Redemptorists 2012
GOSPEL: Mark 1:29-39
The leprosy left him at once and he was cured.
A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: 'If you want to' he said 'you can cure
me.' Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. 'Of course I
want to!' he said. 'Be cured!' And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus
immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, 'Mind you say nothing to anyone, but
go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by
Moses as evidence of your recovery.' The man went away, but then started talking about
it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into
any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all
around would come to him.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Stewardship Corner:
Brothers and sisters. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for
the glory of God. " - 1 Corinthians 10:31
Are you doing everything possible for the glory of God? Or is there maybe some other
way that you could generously share your time, talent or treasure for God's glory? Think
about it.
A Vocation View:
That we may generously share our time, talent and treasure to make our parishes and our
schools Alive in Christ.
A Fresh Start For All
The CD-player flicked over to the crisp rhythms of the Bueno Vista Social Club as Fiona
cleared the plates from the table. In the kitchen she and her husband Lachlan agreed the
party was going well.
Back in the dining room, and with the Coonawarra Shiraz weaving its inevitable spell,
talkative Lance was finally running out of puff. Quiet Michael took that as his cue to
enter the conversation. Mike was there with his wife, Megan, together with Lachlan's
business partner, Terry. Also at dinner was Karen from across the street, talkative
Lance's wife Collette, and of course Fiona and Lachlan.
"If there is one thing I've learned," reflected quiet Michael, "it is not to waste time being
a people - pleaser". "Couldn't agree more, mate", mumbled the now mellow Lance.
"True," chorused Megan and Fiona. "But you can't be rude to people either," Megan
continued. "I think it is best to be real with people, and in some way to be attentive to
them." "But surely you have to pick and choose," said Terry. "I feel you have to give
priority to your own and your own kind, that's life's way, isn't it?" They were talking like
this following their twenty minute pre - dinner sharing on the readings for this Sunday
(6th Sunday Year B). "But when St. Paul said he tried to please everyone in every way,"
said Collette, "I don't think he meant that we should be people - pleasers. That's more
about pleasing others for your own benefit rather than theirs. Nor do I think it is just
about pleasing your own kind. What do you think, Lachlan?"
As he topped-up the wine glasses, Lachlan noted that Jesus seemed to be the same with
everyone he met. "He was there for rich and poor, fool or wise, powerful and
powerless; he was present to everyone just as he found them. That's what made a
difference to them - that they were totally recognised. That's what brought them to
freedom. That's what changed them." "Even the healthy and the unhealthy?" queried
Terry. "I think it was even more than health," chimed in Fiona. "In Sunday's Gospel about
the leper, Jesus accepts him not just because he's in bad health; he recognises him as the
outsider he had become because of disease. Some people actually avoided the leper.
Jesus reaches out and touches him."
"I guess the people were afraid of the leper and the site of leprous skin," noted Michael.
"We don't know if Jesus feared the leper or not, all we know is that he reached out and
touched him." "And that was enough," Karen emphasised. "It healed him and gave him a
fresh start." Genuine, friendly and argumentative, their conversation continued over
chocolates and coffee. Eventually it got onto asylum-seekers and how some Australians
feared them. They began to wonder if there was a better way to reach out and give
refugees a fresh start, a better way to acknowledge them and become their advocates.
Edmund Nixon CSsR
© Redemptorists 2012
GOSPEL: Mark 1:29-39
The leprosy left him at once and he was cured.
A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: 'If you want to' he said 'you can cure
me.' Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. 'Of course I
want to!' he said. 'Be cured!' And the leprosy left him at once and he was cured. Jesus
immediately sent him away and sternly ordered him, 'Mind you say nothing to anyone, but
go and show yourself to the priest, and make the offering for your healing prescribed by
Moses as evidence of your recovery.' The man went away, but then started talking about
it freely and telling the story everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer go openly into
any town, but had to stay outside in places where nobody lived. Even so, people from all
around would come to him.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Stewardship Corner:
Brothers and sisters. Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for
the glory of God. " - 1 Corinthians 10:31
Are you doing everything possible for the glory of God? Or is there maybe some other
way that you could generously share your time, talent or treasure for God's glory? Think
about it.
A Vocation View:
That we may generously share our time, talent and treasure to make our parishes and our
schools Alive in Christ.
