This past weekend was the Feast of Corpus Christi, a fundamental and vital feast day in our Church and in our faith. It is a time to reflect on the miraculous way that we get to take part of Jesus in the Eucharist every weekend and in some cases, daily.
We read from Luke 9:11-17 which is the story of Jesus multiplying the loaves of bread and fish to feed a multitude of people. We’ve heard and read this story many times. While this is an important telling of our faith I was stuck on the first verse of the Gospel.
“Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed to be cured.”
It’s easy, at first glance or first hear to automatically go to the conclusion of ‘why didn’t God heal everyone? Why did he just cure those who NEEDED to be cured?’ It can almost be a controversial verse when you first read it. But, this is a huge testament to our faith and the Kingdom of God.
I live with a rare disease, one that requires lots of medical attention, medications, and care. I also have sleep apnea and suffer from anxiety and depression. I have battled with anxiety from the age of sixteen until now and there were many times that I would pray to God asking him to cure my anxiety and to make it go away.
However, it is essential to note that in the Gospel, God healed those who needed to be healed. And what happened to those who didn’t get healed? Well, they were part of a greater plan, a greater good.
We live with a lot of trials and burdens in our lives; medical ailments, broken relationships, mental illness, addiction, abuse, etc…. and a lot of the time, most of the time we are not miraculously healed from these tribulations. It doesn’tmean that we still aren’t part of God’s story and will for the world.
Yes, the people that were cured got to proclaim it to the crowds and live the Gospel but that didn’t mean that those uncured were any less loved by God or couldn't do the same.
We, as those struggling, have a very important vocation in our suffering. We must proclaim the Gospel, we must share the good news, and we must shout of God’s love for us. We must live our lives walking after Christ and know that the sufferings we have in our lives are for a greater purpose that God has already written.
In life, we could meet someone who is going through similar struggles, someone who needs a friend who just understands it, someone who will listen to our testimony and start the path to completely change their lives around.
Cured and Uncured - both are a call to further God’s Kingdom.