23rd Sunday Homily--Healed by Jesus, Now we can Love.

Last weekend I received double good news.  Two of my nieces and their husbands are expecting babies in the coming year.  I was sooo happy for them!
BUT I they told me to be quiet until they announced to all the family.
KILLER--in this day of social media, I wanted to share this happiness
It is only natural right that when we have good news, we want to spread it.
A transformative moment in my life happened over a decade ago.  It could be considered a conversion moment. It was when my mind, and then heart, were opened to Christ and his healing in a whole new way.  It was a time, over a few days maybe, in which finally Jesus, his teachings and his person, made more sense to me in a very real waY.

It led to breakthroughs in dealing with my depression.
It has led me to a deeper comprehension to the mystery of our Catholic faith and what it means, even to this day.
It changed the way I preach and act as a priest.
Christ will heal us.  
This is the promise of salvation.  The healing of Christ for salvation means that we are able to be more alive, more open to love in this world.  And if in this world, certainly in the next.
Maybe Christ has already healed us, or is in the process of doing so, and we are not aware of it yet.
What do we do with our good news?
Are we really letting it change the way we live?
And are we sharing this good news with others?
True life is about giving of ourselves for the good of others, and receiving with gratitude what others give of themselves for us.
It is the mystery of Jesus’ Cross and Resurrection.

I think this is where so many of us need that healing.   
I think this the power of our Catholic-Christian faith.

It is not about amazing buildings, elaborate ceremonies, rules, regulations. Nor is it about deacons, priests, bishops, cardinals, popes, nuns, monks, convents, monasteries
These have a purpose.

Above all, it is about is being Healed in Jesus Christ.

Jesus heals and the healings are miracles, but maybe not in the dramatic way we have in our gospel.
Now this deaf man with the speech impediment, let’s place ourselves in that time.
Remember, there were no hearing aids, no surgeries, no understanding of deafness or any conditions like this.
The perception was these conditions were due to sins, to evil spirits, to badness.
So people would avoid those who were different.  The afflicted ones would have been prevented from attending synagogue or going to temple.
They would have been isolated from others.
That is not life.
Jesus restores people to life, to community when he heals.  He restores them into relationships.
Our own conditions like our fears, our anger, our sadness, those egos of ours that demand everyone’s attention...
...That make us react to others with lies, gossip, our bigotry, racism, sexism, with hardness of heart…
These keep us from life because they impede our ability to love.
These inflict too much suffering.
These hurt our relationships with all.
Jesus revealed God’s way is that self giving, humility.  
Yes God is humble!
Jesus revealed this self giving, this humility expresses in forgiveness, so that we do not need live lives of anger and bitterness, or shame.
Jesus revealed the way to life as hope, so that we can live through any sadness and find joy.
Jesus said to love, because love, believing in the good of others, conquers all fear.  It creates trust, its creates generosity and mercy.
I have witnessed people who finally got it, healed, and the change was dramatic.
A smile on their face,  Peace in their hearts.

Maybe some of us here too?  My wish is that all of us would experience it, not just once  but over and over and over.
And then we share it with others!  
People will say, HEY, you act differently, better--what made the difference?  
“Jesus Christ made the difference.   Let me tell you how.”

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