Garden of Delights

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Gospel of Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him,“I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.

 I love art, especially religious and Asian Art. I wish I could spend more time in art museums.  Whenever I travel, I schedule a tour of the local museum.  The Art Institute of Chicago and the British National Portrait Gallery are my favorites.   Maybe one of these days I will sign up for an art appreciation course; an activity on my bucket list!

The Leper and the Garden of Delights  During a Google search, I came across Hieronymus Bosch's masterpiece "The Garden of Earthly Delights."  The triptych is an interpretation of the Adam and Eve Story.  My eyes instantly caught the detail of the river with the fish and the people swimming it.  This made me think of the leper in today's gospel reading.  Back in the time of Moses, those inflicted with leprosy were required to publicly acknowledge their uncleanliness and remain isolated, an outcast left alone to suffer. Once symptoms disappeared, lepers could reach out to a local priest for healing, and be cleansed in the river Jordan, but for those suffering from ongoing skin afflictions they were banned from the public waters.  Certainly, nobody would find a leper along with healthy individuals, frolicking about enjoying the warm water as if at a spa!  Lepers lived lives of constant pain, shame and suffering.  

Shoo!  Don't tell!  What I find so interesting is how Jesus warns the leper not to tell anyone about Him. (This is a common theme throughout the Gospel of Mark.  Nobody is to tell others about Jesus.)  But, wouldn't people naturally want to know the leper's story of healing?  No way to remain quiet about something so awesome!!  Naturally all of us want to share good news, especially if we come across a miracle.  I can totally understand why Our Lord desired to stay out of the public spotlight and for as long as possible.  With the positive attention comes along a lot of jealousy and hate, especially among the priests and scribes.  Think about how the paparazzi harass celebrities today.  Every detail of their public and private lives are monitored and quickly spread around.

We all experience some form of "leprosy."  It may not be in the form of scabs, rashes or sores but as emotional wounds.  Guilt and shame ravage our hearts to the point where we internally bleed out.  People say hurtful things to us.  Loved ones ignore us.  Others bully us around.  How difficult to imagine swimming around in the Garden of Delights when we see ourselves trapped in the Dead Sea.

Our sufferings are meant to strengthen us and bring us closer to God.  If we live free from physical pain and mental anguish, would there be a need for prayer?  If everything was perfectly fine, and we possessed everything we ever desired, would there be a need to Trust in God?  If suffering no longer existed in the world, we'd forget all about the meaning of Christ crucified.  We may even go so far as to no longer celebrate 40 days of Lent or even Easter!  

I love these inspiring words from Leon Bloy published in today's Magnificat Meditation of the Day:

"Suffering is necessary.  It is the backbone, the very essence of moral life.  Love is recognized by this sign, and when the sign is lacking, love is but a prostitution of strength or of beauty.  I say that someone loves me when that someone consents to suffer through or for me....There is but one sorrow and that is to have lost the Garden of Delights, and there is one hope and one desire, to recover it."

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for Us!

-J.