Follow instructions!

The story is told about a boy who asked his father what  an “F” in his report card meant. The father thought a while, and told him that “F” meant “Fassed.” In return, the son said: “No Dad, I think ‘F’ means “Ferfect”!

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In today’s Gospel (Mk. 1, 40-45) we hear of the healing of a leper by Jesus. The Healer was perfect. But the healed leper was not. Why? Because he did not follow instructions. He was told not to tell the miracle to anyone, but he went away and began to publicize the whole matter. If God tells us something, we must listen, follow, obey and carry out His instructions.

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When God orders us to do something, we must listen. Many of us half-listen or do not listen at all. Why? Because we listen to ourselves or to the world around us. God speaks to us every day in ordinary ways. In the Holy Bible He speaks to us in a special way. If we want to listen to God, we must tone down the volume of our own headsets and the noise of the world around us. Only with a listening ear, and a prayerful heart can we truly listen and discern.

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In his joy and amazement the leper forgot to follow the instructions of Jesus to keep secret the whole incident, and to go show himself to the priest and make an offering for his cleansing just as  Moses commanded. As a result of the leper’s not following instructions, Jesus’ fame spread far and wide. But the downside of the whole thing is that He was no longer free to go anywhere because of the crowd, and He began to have trouble with the authorities.

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Enthusiasm can easily become the enemy of reason, or true commitment for that matter. A lot of sins have been committed by well-meaning and good-intentioned people and eager beavers.  There is a thin line between enthusiasm and fanaticism. At any moment of our lives, we must keep raising the question whether it is really God, or is it just ourselves which is at the center of all our plans, actions and understandings.

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Advance Happy Valentine’s Day! In today’s Gospel, we read that Jesus was “moved with pity” toward the leper who knelt before Him and begged for His healing. Jesus had a heart, a compassionate heart! Let this be a reminder to us that matters of the heart do and still matter. Let us not oh so belittle compassion in this world so full of all sorts of passions!

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Someone said that we are living in “less” times. And so it is that our gadgets are wire-less, our doors are key-less, our youth are job-less, our leaders are shame-less, our relationships are meaning-less, our attitudes are care-less, our values are heart-less and the situation is becoming hope-less. The only way to reverse the situation is to go back to God’s heart and really listen, follow and obey His instructions, and there meet Him, and meet each other as brothers and sisters again.

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The leprosy that plagues our times is that of talk. So much church talk, government talk, media talk, neighborhood talk! What is needed is action. Our people need our presence and action to alleviate their suffering and hopelessness, not so much our rules, legislation, doctrines or regulations.

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I wonder what our people feel when in their dire need and suffering, all we give them is our dose of “panis et circensis,” i.e., bread and circus. We give them some crumbs and entertainment so that they forget the real issues, and they do not wake up to their rights and they do not demand from us our responsibilities. In that sense we still put the “lepers” of our society in their “proper place” and we enjoy our undisturbed comfort zones, all the while claiming ourselves to be public servants or servant leaders, disciples or what have you. Jesus tells us today to be present and to be of help to the lost, the least and the last among us.

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“Little things mean a lot.” It meant a lot for the leper that Jesus stopped for Him. It meant an awful lot for the leper that Jesus allowed him to come near. And it meant an awesome lot that Jesus healed him. We do not really have to do great things the way Jesus did, but each one of us, in our own small way, can leave behind our “heartprints” in people’s lives. As Mother Teresa put it beautifully, we just do whatever we do with much love.

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Some thoughts for Valentine’s Day: “Our days are better when we give others a piece of our hearts rather than a piece of our minds.” “As we grow older, our arteries may harden, but hopefully not our hearts.” “The most lonely place in the world is the human heart when love is absent.”

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At the end of our lives, when our names are called out loud, may we hear the Lord say “Passed”! May we not hear the Lord say “Failed!” because we did not follow instructions.

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Wishing you all a heart that is light and a face that is bright. Wishing us all to live healthy, helpful and happy lives. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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A moment with the Lord:

Lord, help me to really listen, follow, obey and carry out your instructions. Amen.