Daily Gospel Reflection
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January 10, 2020
Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.”
Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him.
And he ordered him to tell no one. “Go,” he said, “and show yourself to the priest, and, as Moses commanded, make an offering for your cleansing, for a testimony to them.”
But now more than ever the word about Jesus spread abroad; many crowds would gather to hear him and to be cured of their diseases. But he would withdraw to deserted places and pray.
Involved, committed, busy, and successful: these are all words that describe the life and work of Jesus. He had things to do, people to see and heal – a church to build, and disciples to train. In the gospel today Jesus completely changed a man’s life by healing him of leprosy and joyfully restoring him to his family. What other great things could Jesus do today? And yet, as Luke tells us, Jesus withdrew to a desert place to pray.
I’m sure that like me, all of us are busy people with things to do and people to see. So many things to do and people to see that we never seem to get it all done, that we simply don’t have time to pray. There is just too much for us to do.
If God, in the person of Jesus, valued a quiet time with the Father, how can I do anything else? I need to find the time, the quiet moments, to sit in the presence of God. Time to listen, time to learn, time to worship and most of all time to be refueled by God’s love. Jesus often withdrew to a quiet place to pray. Do I?
Prayer
Help us, Lord, to foster the brilliant light of our faith and trust in you. Forgive us our indifference at times and help us to serve you in our faith and trust. This we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Agatho was born in Sicily, Italy, sometime around the turn of the sixth century and spent most of his life as a married businessman. In his later years, he felt God calling him to become a monk, and with his wife’s blessing, he left the business world to become one.
Because of his business acumen, he was given responsibility for the treasury of the Church in Rome. He was later elected pope in 678. He only served as pope for three years, but accomplished several important things during that time. He resolved a dispute between clerics in England and convened an ecumenical council to articulate the nature of Jesus’ will, which was in dispute and the cause of several schisms. The council reunited the eastern Church in Constantinople with the Church in Rome—the representatives recognized that “Peter spoke by Agatho.”
St. Agatho was known as a kind and sweet man—his relics rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. He lived in difficult times, as barbarian invasions constantly interrupted life. Many people did not have the luxury of a refined education, such as he had, because they spent their time fighting or working to provide food and shelter. “But we preserve,” he said, “the faith that has been handed down to us.”
Pope St. Agatho, you left your life as a married businessman to lead the Church and heal divisions, pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Agatho is in the public domain. Last accessed November 14, 2024 on Wikimedia Commons.
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