This week's readings Week of Feb. 16 - Feb. 22 Sunday, Feb. 16, 2003 Reading I: Lev 13:1-2, 44-46 Reading II: 1 Cor 10:31--11:1 Gospel: Mk 1:40-45 Monday, Feb. 17, 2003 Reading I: Gn 4:1-15, 25 Gospel: Mk 8:11-13 Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003 Reading I: Gn 6:5-8; 7:1-5, 10 Gospel: Mk 8:14-21 Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2003 Reading I: Gn 8:6-13, 20-22 Gospel: Mk 8:22-26#v22 Thursday, Feb. 20, 2003 Reading I: Gn 9:1-13 Gospel: Mk 8:27-33 Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 Reading I: Gn 11:1-9 Gospel: Mk 8:34--9:1 Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003 Reading I: 1 Pt 5:1-4 Gospel: Mt 16:13-19 Pope's Prayer Intentions February General Intention Bread and water for all the world: That all Christians, sensitive to the people who are still suffering from hunger and thirst, be moved to greater solidarity with their brothers. February Mission Intention The Church in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei: That these churches may dialog with other religions while keeping faithful to their exacting evangelizing missions.

Heal us, Lord!:
Make us whole again

		Word of God  Word of Life  Fr. John G. Stillmank

The story of Jesus healing the leper and of how knowledge of his power over illness spread like wildfire among the people shows us how much people need healing.

When they heard the report that Jesus had healed the leper, people came from miles around to be near him. They came carrying their sick relatives and friends to be cured. They desperately desired to see Jesus, to hear his words, to be touched by his healing hands.

"Jesus came to preach a Gospel message of God's love and mercy, but also of repentance and conversion. He came to call us away from sin to a new life of fidelity and holiness -- a new life of wholeness and well-being, of fitness and health in mind, soul, and spirit."

His fame as a preacher and healer spread so far that "it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly." He would be mobbed by people who recognized God's healing love in him. So he remained outside the towns, and people came to him in droves.

That story of Jesus' healing power should be the same story of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in our day. All you need is to read the paper, watch the news on TV, listen to the car radio, or surf the Internet, and you know - people need healing today! There is much sin and sickness in the world.

Readings for Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Feb. 16, 2003) Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46 Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 11 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 1:40-45

Jesus promised us he would be with us always, until the world's end. He is in the Church as our food, the Body and Blood of Christ. He is present in his Word, in the people, in the Sacraments, and in his priests. He is present with his love and power at the baptism of every child, at the wedding of every couple, at the funeral of every loved one.

He stands at the altar during every Mass, and he listens patiently and lovingly to every confession when people come to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

You'd think that people would come in droves for that, for that gift of grace and healing and mercy. There are good crowds at Mass, but church is not full, and not everyone who ought to be there is there every week. More people are at church after a crisis, like September 11, 2001, but afterwards that tapers off, too.

What about the Sacrament of Reconciliation? People are not coming from miles around. Huge droves of penitents are not crowding the church. Sinners are not returning to the Lord for his forgiveness, love, and mercy, as the sick would seek out Jesus to be healed of their bodily ailments.

What's wrong?

Maybe we've lost our sense of the sickness of sin. We know when we are physically ill, and since being sick is unpleasant and curtails our everyday life, we go to the doctor to get checked out. We take medicine. We do what is necessary to be healed. We don't want to be sick.

But sin is different. We've lost the sense of sin. We don't recognize as readily when we are ill because of sin, when our relationships with God and one another are wounded and hurting, when we ourselves have been made less whole because of sin.

Sin is different, but sin is real. Jesus came to preach a Gospel message of God's love and mercy, but also of repentance and conversion. He came to call us away from sin to a new life of fidelity and holiness - a new life of wholeness and well-being, of fitness and health in mind, soul, and spirit.

That's something worth spreading the news about! That's something that people should come in crowds to see and participate in! That's something that Jesus wants to give us by the touch of his hand, the sound of his voice, and the look of forgiveness, welcome, and new life in his eyes.

Heal us, Lord!

Fr. John G. Stillmank is Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Madison and pastor of St. Andrew Parish, Verona, and St. William Parish, Paoli.