Fr. Michael Williams

Yesterday was ‘World Day of Prayer for the Sick’. The eleventh of February is chosen as a special day of prayer for the sick because it is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Lourdes has become a great shrine for the sick. It is a place where many sick pilgrims go to seek healing and strength from God, through the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin. From the time when Our Lady first appeared to Bernadette, in the grotto of Massabielle, ‘there arose in the Church a marvellous spirit of prayer and charity, especially in helping the poor and the sick’. Today many people travel to Lourdes seeking blessings and consolations from God.

The poor and the sick have a special place in the heart of the Church. Primarily this is because Jesus Himself was someone who reached out to those who suffered in any way. He especially reached out to those suffering illness and disease. Today’s gospel is an illustration of how the Lord would literally reach out to the sick. The Law of Moses stated that someone with leprosy “must live apart” from the rest of the community. This was because leprosy was seen as a highly infectious disease that could infect the whole community. The community was trying to protect itself.

However, Jesus has a different approach to the sick, and those isolated from the rest of the community. Jesus’ law is governed by love. So when the leper came to Jesus on his knees, “Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him”. Jesus was moved with compassion for the man with leprosy and “he was cured”. Jesus’ law of love directs Him to care for the sick and isolated. One of the most important principles of the Mosaic Law for Jesus is that, “You must love your neighbour as yourself”. This was far more important than any other law according to Jesus. Jesus shows His love for this humble man who approached Him seeking healing.

Because Jesus showed such compassion for the sick we are called to do the same. Caring for the sick is a fundamental element of the gospel. In fact in the Last Judgement scene from St Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus clearly states that when we visit the sick: “you visited Me”; and when we neglected the sick: “you neglected me”. How we treat the sick will have eternal consequences. To close our hearts to the sick is a grave sin, but to open our hearts and give people we know or don’t know, our time and care, is to follow in the footsteps of the Master.

The Mother of the Lord who appeared to a poor peasant girl called Bernadette, nearly a hundred and fifty years ago, because she was concerned for the poor and the sick. We could say like Mother like Son. Mary followed the example of Her Son and reaches out to the poor and the sick. In John’s Gospel Mary tells the servants: “Do whatever He tells you”. One thing He tells us by His actions is to be compassionate and caring to the sick.

Let us pray for all those who are sick. May the Mother of the Lord obtain for all the sick, especially those who feel isolated and alone, all the blessings and consolations of Jesus her Son, who has a special predilection for those suffering from illness and disease.