By Melanie Rigney
I say this to shame
you. Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle
a case between brothers? But rather brother goes to court against brother, and
that before unbelievers? (1
Corinthians 6:5-6)
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| Domenico Ghirlandaio [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
Sing
to the Lord a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. (Psalm 149:1)
Everyone
in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed
them all. (Luke 6:19)
Piety
Jesus, touch me.
Study
People like
to be around holiness.
Consider the
way people clamored to be around the newly canonized Teresa of Calcutta.
Consider the way people lined up for blocks to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis
while he was in the United States almost a year ago. And in today’s Gospel
reading from Luke 6, we are reminded that everyone in the crowd wanted to touch
Jesus “because power came forth from him and healed them all.”
Now, Teresa
wasn’t a great orator, nor is Francis. But anyone who was near them can attest
to the feeling of healing that came from them as well. It’s in us all. Because,
you see, healing isn’t always about curing blindness or deafness or bringing
people back from the dead. It can be relieving a friend who’s weighed down by
caregiving at home. It can be sending a card to someone who’s struggling at
work. It can be listening to someone talk about how the grief of losing a loved
one just feels like too much to bear, months or years after the loss occurred.
Think about
the people—family members, friends, and others—you most like to be around.
Chances are they’re not the ones with the best jokes or the best education or
the most expensive house, although they may possess any or all of those things.
But it’s likely the reasons you are drawn to them have less to do with those
attributes than their listening skills, their compassion, and their kindness.
People like
to be around holiness.
Action
Endeavor
to reflect holiness in all your interactions today.
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