Our Lady of Peace

Today's gospel was about the leper being healed and clean through the will of God. Apparently lepers and the ill were not cast out of because of their aliments but for the greater good of the community to keep them from getting ill. Sounds like semantics to me, but we do hide away the things we don't want to see in our communities. We try to pretend like we don't see the homeless man on the street, or the run-down neighborhoods where the poor, downtrodden or newly arrived live. We don't like bad parts of society. We'd rather hide it all away. I know I'm guilty of not wanting to see the bad sometimes. I think it's part of human nature.

This thought wasn't something I thought about on the novena that day. I have come back to this post a month after the fact. I did jot down my thoughts, which I'll share now.

Back to Leper Colonies. Relegating the Lepers to a colony was not see ans a cold or heartless act, but one of mercy and compassion. In time, that mercy and compassion faded to fear and heartlessness, which we see today in the way we treat the undesirables of our society.

We, as disciples, are called to spread the Good news. The Gospel today (well that day) shows how the Leper was healed and then shared the good news, though he was told to tell no one but the priest, who could declare him healed. Perhaps he did keep the news to himself, but surely the news of his cure spread. The Lord does wondrous things. God can heal minds and spirits.

Father then talked about Mary. He said a Mariologist said that through her intercession the whole world might be united. He mentioned that her shrine in Ephesus, people of many faiths make pilgrimages to where her home once existed-- the foundation remains. It surprised him that so many non-Christians found themselves there. She has brought many people to her son, she truly is the first disciple of the Lord.

Mary is the mother of us all. All the great faiths acknowledge her, while they may not venerate or call upon her intercession, as we do as Catholics. They recognize her.

I think because Mary is a woman and a mother, she becomes someone we all can relate to our lives. Her struggles are akin to ours in many ways. We can model our lives after her. We must remember her strength and courage when we are weak and suffering and need someone to follow. She can be our guide and bring us closer to God.

Again Mary's yes to God should be an example to us all. We should be joyful and rejoice in God, Our Savior and say yes to God.