Total Healing
Friday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 8:1-4 - When Jesus came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And then a leper approached, did him homage, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I will do it. Be made clean.” His leprosy was cleansed immediately. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one, but go show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“He stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I will do it. Be made clean.’ “
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
This Gospel passage shows not only a great miracle of Jesus, but the intentions behind His works. Jesus doesn’t just go around doing the right thing because He is supposed to; Jesus goes around doing the right thing because He wants to. The leper in the Gospel approached Jesus and said, “if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus tells the leper that He does want this, and then He heals the leper.
Jesus wants to heal us. He wants to. Are we approaching Jesus with our troubles? He wants to help. If He chooses not to help us in the way we want, we should realize that He is still helping us, and in fact, He is doing so in the way that is truly best for us. Also, and this is of even greater importance: Are we approaching Jesus with our sin? Our sin shouldn’t be a reason to turn from God, but instead a reason to turn to God. Jesus wants to heal us of sin. He can and will.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above. (Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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