THE SPIRIT, THE WATER AND THE BLOOD
We do not have a God Who is aloof or unconcerned about our
situation. We hear about the testimony of three who testify in John's first
Letter: the Spirit, the water, and the Blood. The presence of Christ in the
Sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist!
Miracles
like the one in today's Gospel seem like they are a world away from us. Mostly,
we are inclined to see the miracles of the Bible as events from the past;
stories locked up in history. Miracles, the way Scripture describes them, are
rare among us. Our first reading from the first Letter of John invites us to
trust that the miracles of the Scripture, though not present among us in the
same way now, are not locked up in the past. The world of the Scriptures is our
world, too. These biblical stories are the stories for our faith and life.
Jesus' gifts of healing and life are not exiled to the pages of ancient texts.
Just as Jesus gave life to the leper, God gives life to us.
In the
time of Jesus, leprosy was a terrible disease without any means of prevention
or cure. Today, modern medicine helps the battle. This cure/ miracle we hear
about today in Luke's Gospel is important to us, not because we may acquire
leprosy but because the story tells us something about Jesus. He did indeed
work His cures out of a motive of compassion for the people. And, yet, He did
not choose to end all sickness and disease during His life on earth. The
witness He gave to the people was intended to unfold, gradually, Who He was and
is. He is almighty God, Who has come among us in our humanity. He has entered
into the human condition, whereby, He shows His mercy for our weaknesses and
our needs. In other words, we do not have a God Who is aloof or unconcerned
about our situation.
However,
Jesus wants us to respond to Him, not merely as a miracle worker, but as a God
of love. Jesus does not want us to see Him as an extraordinary doctor or
physician to whom we turn only when we need Him. If you think about it, the
only time you see a doctor is when you are sick. Jesus does not want that kind
of relationship with us. If we have this kind of relationship with Him - on our
terms only - we might find ourselves asking, "Does God Exist?"
We hear
about the testimony of three who testify in John's first Letter: the Spirit,
the water, and the Blood. The presence of Christ in the Sacraments of Baptism
and the Eucharist! These three testify to the miracle that God brings life to
the world at all times. He gives us life if we are willing to go to Him for all
things.
In
today's Responsorial Psalm, we are reminded that God "sends forth His
command to the earth; swiftly runs His word" (Ps 147:15). Our God is the
Master of the sun, and the stars; Lord of rain and storm, ice and snow; Lord of
nature and of all creation! We have all received many blessings from God,
blessings upon which we should frequently ponder. All these blessings help us
to see God's goodness and love