Word to the Wise
Saturday, March 9, 2019 - Saturday after Ash Wed.
[Isa 58:9b-14 and Luke 5:27-32]"Why do you eat with tax collectors and sinners?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do. I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners." [Luke]
Years ago, when I was a student brother [seminarian], one of my Dominican brothers had a little sign on his door that read as follows: REPENT!*. Down at the bottom the asterisk appeared in small print with the words, "If you have already repented, kindly disregard this message!" How many of us can afford to disregard that message?
Pope Francis caused quite a stir when he referred to the church as a "field hospital for the sick and wounded." But he was on very solid scriptural and theological grounds. The quotation from today's gospel scripture shows this. By going to a banquet at the newly-called tax collector's house and eating with people who were despised by the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus was taking the field hospital to the battle. Although Roman occupation may have brought some semblance of law and order, it also brought tax collectors who received a commission on what they collected!
The old hymn assures us that "there is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin-sick soul." This "sickness" can run deeply if we get into patterns of discrimination or judgments that exclude others from Jesus' mercy. Since we can all be agents of that mercy, an intentional effort to show it could have a great impact. But first we must experience it on our own. We can take our wounds to the field hospital and in turn help take care of the others who come after us. AMEN