Friday of the
Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 17:1-9-10.15-22; Matthew 8:1-4)
Sometimes when I make a donation to charitable
organization, I put cash in an envelope and mail it anonymously. I would like to report that I do this to
conform to Jesus’ lesson on almsgiving.
He says in the Sermon on the Mount, “’When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before
you, as the hypocrites* do in the synagogues and in the streets
to win the praise of others.’” But, truth be told, the reason I don’t toot
my horn when I donate is that I don’t want to receive a dozen more
requests. Jesus, as we should expect, is
much more consistent in doing what he is right.
In today’s
gospel, Jesus is approached by a leper for healing immediately after he
delivered his famous discourse on the mountain.
He performs the cures and orders the man not to tell anyone about his doing
the healing. Most preachers say that
Jesus desires secrecy because he does not want to be confused with a political
messiah. This is probably true, but it
is also the case that Jesus is acting in perfect conformity with what he just said
on the mount about doing righteous deeds in secret.
We find in
Jesus our model for life. We should always
endeavor to do what Jesus did. This does
not mean, of course, that we have to wear sandals and drink wine. But it does call us to love our neighbor not
for any advantage to ourselves but because he or she is a child of God.
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