St James Catholic Church

As we fast approach Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season of repentance and penitence, we hear how Jesus responded to a man who was considered unclean, both physically and spiritually.  Over the following forty days we will approach our Lord as sinners, in need of forgiveness, in need of being made clean.  May Jesus’ response to the leper in today’s Gospel assure us of his love and mercy for us despite of our failing, despite our sinfulness.

The leper in the reading recognized Jesus as more than a healer, for a healer could only cure an illness.  The leper specifically asked to be made clean.  He wanted God’s punishment to be removed.  Jesus removed that barrier the moment he touched him, bridging the gap between community and outcast, even before healing him.  In touching the man, Jesus would have been considered to make himself impure.  But far from making himself less than whole, he is making the common whole by restoring the leper to it.

Jesus challenges us to do the same, to break down the barriers that keep us apart, that keep some excluded from the community.  He challenges us to be unafraid of reaching out to those whom we feel uncomfortable coming in contact with.  Paul, though he was Jewish, reached out to Gentiles from Jerusalem to the ends of the known world, bringing all of them into this new religion as full members.  This inclusiveness calls us to imitate this in our families, our communities, our nation, and our world.

Love, Peace, Joy,

Fr. Bob

As Lent is right around the corner, it might be time to think of what are we going to do during these forty days.  The three traditional penances are: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving (charity).  It’s at this time of year that the Archdiocese conducts the annual Catholic Stewardship Appeal.  You should have received or will be receiving a mailing in this regard.  St. James has always been very generous in the past.  Please prayerfully consider making the 2024 Catholic Stewardship Appeal a resounding success.