Why going to Mass is good for your health

Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, Mark 1:40-45 (6th Sunday of OT, year b)

Vancouverites love being healthy. We emphasize the importance of exercising, staying active and getting outside. Healthy, organic foods are popular. We pretend to like quinoa and kale. Increasingly, we are seeing the importance of promoting the health of the whole person: body, mind and spirit. Many try practices like meditation and yoga in a search for “holistic health”. The desire to be truly and fully healthy is good. Christ wants the same for all of us.

When Jesus encounters the leper in the Gospel, He heals him on three different levels. Each of these three healings could become the the basis for a homily or reflection. We could, for example, speak about the leper’s physical healing. At the time of Jesus, leprosy was a terrifying, contagious and incurable disease. Beginning with spots on the skin, the disease attacks the internal organs and later causes extremities to literally rot away. In healing the leper, Jesus freed him from a life of physical suffering. In this reflection we could speak about how Christians are called to continue Jesus’ work of ministering to the sick and suffering, a reason why the Church has always tried to open hospitals and provide medical care for all, especially the poor.

We could speak about the leper’s social healing. As the book of Leviticus demonstrates, lepers were social outcasts. They had to live apart, separated from their friends and family. They were forced to wear rags, keep their hair disheveled and shout “unclean, unclean!” whenever they moved about so that people could avoid them. When Jesus healed the leper, He reunified this isolated, ostracized man with the community. In this reflection we could talk about the people in our lives we view as “lepers”. Who do we not create space in our hearts for? We can make into lepers people of different religious, political or moral viewpoints. Even people who cheer for the wrong sports team! We can ostracize the difficult, grating person at our workplace or in our family. This reflection could talk about how progress in following Jesus involves learning to love - dare I say like - those we have labelled as outcasts.

Today what we will focus on is the leper’s religious healing. Not only were lepers excluded from the community, they were also excluded from worshiping God. Lepers were forbidden to enter the temple and therefore excluded from worship. The leper who encounters Jesus certainly suffered physically and socially. At the same time, he suffered greatly as a human being because he could not worship. Notice the first thing Jesus tells the leper to do after healing him: “go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed”. Jesus sends the man to worship.

Like the leper before his healing, many Catholics today do not worship. The overwhelming majority of baptized Catholics do not go to Mass on Sunday, which is the primary way we worship. As a rule of thumb, it is safe to say that there are over twice as many baptized Catholics who do not go to Mass on Sunday compared to those that do attend. This trend is getting worse. A 2011 study found that only one in three Canadian young adults (18-34) who attended church weekly as a child still do so today.

You might be thinking “so what?” Is it really that important that people aren't going to Mass to worship? Perhaps we have doubts about the value of worship in our own lives. In all the commitments of life, going to Mass can seem like an added burden. Is it really necessary? After healing the leper, why does Jesus send him off to worship?

Fear of God’s punishment is not the reason why we worship. Nor is it guilt. Nor is the fact that our pastor will get upset if he doesn't see our envelope in the collection basket the reason why we worship (he will be sad, but this is besides the point). We worship God because it is good for us. Over time we become similar to what we worship. As we go through life we are transformed to become more and more like our “ultimate concern”, to borrow a phrase from Paul Tillich. Our ultimate concern is the thing that we worship. If our ultimate concern is our work, then work will define who we are. If our ultimate concern is family, we will become more like the members of our family. If our ultimate concern is the Vancouver Canuck’s, our core identity will be that of a sports fan. The question is not if we worship, but what we worship. We want to become like God.

Coming to worship at Mass each Sunday gives our life order. There are many things competing to be our ultimate concern: family, work, hobbies, or studies. When we come to Mass on Sunday, we reorder our life, making God again and again our ultimate concern. When we choose to go to Mass instead of all the other things we could do (sports, shopping, resting), we send ourselves the message that God is more important than all these other things. We need to hear ourselves at Mass asking God for mercy, thanking Him for for all the good gifts He gives us and begging Him for help. We need to hear ourselves saying who our ultimate concern is.

Worship gives our souls shape and order, just as exercise gives our bodies shape and order. Like exercise, worship can be difficult and a bit of a chore. Sometimes people complain that Mass is boring or that is doesn’t speak to them. You don’t always enjoy Mass? So what?! Don’t get me wrong, we should do what we can to make Mass engaging, but we need to remember that we don’t go to Mass to be entertained. We worship because it is good for us. In life we do many things that are difficult and hard not because they are enjoyable but because they are good for us. We worship so that we can become more like God.

Staying healthy takes work. The results, however, are worth the effort. Want to be truly healthy? Eat a healthy diet. Exercise. Get plenty of rest. Most importantly, worship God.

Why the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on assisted suicide changes everything and nothing

Job 7:1-7, Mark 1: 29 - 39 (5th Sunday in OT, year b)

This Ruling Changes Everything. Among the many recent newspaper headlines, this one stands out. The headline refers to the decision taken by the judges of the Supreme Court of Canada to strike down the law prohibiting assisted suicide. If this action does not concern you, it should. This ruling changes everything.

Suicide has always been viewed as a tragedy to be prevented.  Most still think this way. On January 28th, many Canadians participated in Bell Let’s Talk Day. The purpose of this event was to get people talking about mental illness. Great awareness was raised for those who suffer - often silently - from mental illness. In their suffering some are inclined to end their own life. During this day, numerous people remembered the comedian Robin Williams who took his own life in August. We desire to do whatever we can to prevent this tragedy from happening to anyone else. Getting people talking about mental illness and the help available is a good start.  The law struck down by the Supreme Court did more. It was meant to protect those inclined to end their own life. The law made it a criminal offense to assist someone to commit suicide or counsel them to do so. In short, the law made it illegal to contribute to a tragedy.

This Ruling Changes Everything. No longer is suicide viewed as a tragedy to be prevented. Rather, the Supreme Court ruled that people have a right to have help ending their lives. Society now has a duty to assist people to commit suicide. No longer is suicide a tragedy to be prevented, but a public service. Language surrounding the issue has changed in a subtle, intentional way. People do not speak about “assisted suicide” but rather  “doctor assisted death”. The vocation of doctors has always been to alleviate suffering. Now they will be obliged to eliminate those who suffer.

Normally when people talk about assisted suicide, the type of situation they have in mind is of someone whose death is imminent and unavoidable. Assisted suicide, people argue, simply brings about the inevitable in a compassionate manner. It would surprise many people to learn that the Supreme Court has very different cases in mind. The court ruled that any competent adult has a right to assisted suicide provided their medical condition causes them enduring and intolerable suffering. What is surprising is the scope of the ruling. Significantly, the suffering can be either physical or psychological. More shocking, the condition causing the suffering does not have to be terminal (meaning that the person is dying from it), simply incurable.

The ramifications of the Supreme Court ruling are troubling. Judging from other nations which have legalized assisted suicide, this is just the beginning. In Belgium for example, children are permitted to be euthanized, providing they get the permission of their parents. Sadly, many weak, dying and elderly members of our society feel that they are a burden to those around them. How long before the “right to die” is perceived by such vulnerable people as an “duty to die”? This ruling changes everything. Suicide is no longer seen as a tragedy to be prevented.

How do we respond? In this, nothing has changed: we respond as Christ would.

Jesus broke through social barriers to care for the suffering. At the heart of the debate on assisted suicide are real people who really suffer. We need to act like Jesus and do all we can to be close to them. So great was Jesus’ desire to comfort Peter’s suffering mother-in-law that he was willing to break a number of social and religious taboos to be close to her. Jesus took her by the hand - an unacceptable gesture for those not in the woman’s immediate family. Jesus healed on the Sabbath - a violation (according to many Jews) of the law and an offense which separated one from the community. Jesus willingly risked their scorn. In the gospel, Christ cares for the ill and those possessed by demons. In other words, He was attentive to the suffering of the entire person. In the first reading, we heard about Job. His story shows that physical anguish is so often accompanied by mental and spiritual suffering. Those who suffer can feel isolated and without hope. Jesus shows true compassion for the suffering, being close to them and doing what he can to alleviate their pain while always respecting their human dignity.

As followers of Jesus, our best response to the Supreme Court decision is to care for those who suffer, protecting them from the tragedy of suicide. Like Christ, we may have to break through social barriers to do so. People will increasingly argue that assisted suicide is a compassionate thing to do. After the court’s decision, Archbishop Miller released a statement outlining how we can show true compassion to those who suffer. Two points stand out. First, we need to call upon the federal government to enact legislation which will provide all possible legal safeguards for those who are vulnerable to suicide. Second, we must advocate that adequate palliative care be available for all. In palliative care, “we have the technology to control pain, and we have the ability to overcome loneliness and despair.”  The Archbishop explains that “at the root of the desire for assisted suicide is the fact that adequate palliative care is often unavailable, which can lead to thoughts of suicide.” In addition, I think we can all promote and make better use of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. In this Sacrament, Jesus continues His ministry of healing, giving the sick the grace to suffer with hope, knowing Christ is with them. Whenever Catholics are admitted to the hospital they should inform the staff that they would like to visited by a priest. If you are a loved one are not in the hospital and would like to receive this Sacrament, simply contact your parish.

The recent ruling of the Supreme Court is a terrible mistake which will greatly harm our country. In many negative ways this ruling changes everything. In the way we think and act, however, it changes nothing. We will continue to follow Jesus and His way. We will continue to care for those who suffer. We will continue to view suicide as a tragedy to be prevented.

Pornography addiction and the hope Jesus gives

Deuteronomy 18:15-20, Mark 1:21-28 (4th Sunday of OT, year b)

Perched atop the Oppian Hill in Rome sits San Pietro in Vincoli, or St. Peter in Chains. This Church was originally built in the 5th century to house the relic of the chains that bound St. Peter when he was imprisoned in Jerusalem. These chains are on display in a glass case underneath the main altar. Though ancient and remarkable, this relic is not the most incredible aspect of the Church. Located on the interior wall of the Church is a magnificent marble statue of Moses carved by Michelangelo in the 16th century. The figure of Moses looms large, dominating the Church. He is presented as a mighty and heroic figure.

Michelangelo's Moses (source)

Just as his statue dominates the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli, Moses is arguably the most important and influential character in the Old Testament and the Jewish religion. This is because of the central role he played in the defining event in the history of Israel before the coming of Christ: the Exodus. We are all familiar with the drama of Exodus. If we haven’t read the biblical account, at least we have seen a movie based on the story such as the older Ten Commandments or the newer Exodus: Gods and Kings starring Charlton Heston and Christian Bale, respectively, as Moses. For generations the Hebrew people were enslaved in Egypt. It is difficult for us to understand the extend of their suffering, the sense of hopelessness, anger and sadness they must have experienced. After calling on God for so long, many had despaired that He would send help. At last, Moses came to save the people. With great deeds of power, he liberated the Hebrew people from Egyptian slavery and led them to the Promised Land. Because of the incredible role Moses played in the Exodus of the Hebrews from slavery, he was revered above all other leaders.

Eventually the Jewish people realized that the liberation God worked through Moses was not complete. The Book of Deuteronomy was written after the Jewish people had lived in the Promised Land for some time. They noticed that although they were no longer physical slaves in Egypt, they still were bound under a moral slavery. In the land of Israel, the Jewish people warred among themselves. They were slaves to sin, hatred and discord. They prayed that the Lord would again send a prophet like Moses. They desired a new, final Exodus to free them from this more insidious form of slavery and lead them to an ultimate Promised Land.

In the Gospels, Jesus is consistently presented as the new Moses. Jesus’ mission was to free us from the slavery of sin and death. In the story of the man possessed by an unclean spirit (Mk 1:21-28), Jesus confronts the ultimate type of slavery. Such an individual was truly a slave, as he was robbed of his freedom and the ability to determine his own life. This seemingly hopeless situation is not much more extreme than the bondage that sin can hold each of us under. Jesus came to bring about a new Exodus, freeing us from this slavery and leading us into the true Promised Land,  the Kingdom of Heaven which begins here and now and lasts forever. Like Moses, Jesus brings about this liberation with great deeds and power. Jesus worked miracles, cast out demons and taught with authority. God ultimately freed Israel from slavery in Egypt at the Passover, that event when the first born of the Egyptians were killed and the Hebrews were spared because they had marked their doors by blood of a lamb. Jesus ultimately frees us from the slavery of sin and death through His Passion, death and Resurrection. We call these events the Paschal mystery in order to make the link to the Egyptian Passover explicit (“Pasqual” comes from the word “passover”). Now it is the blood of Jesus and not a lamb that saves us. Christ is the new Moses who has brought about our true Exodus.

Jesus continues to free us from slavery. We sometimes think that Jesus’ freeing act is only something that He did once in the past, distant from our personal experience. This is a mistake! Jesus desires to liberate us from slavery here and now. One way we experience slavery today is in addictions. With our constant connection to the internet via computer, smartphone and tablet, one kind of addiction has become widespread today: pornography addiction. New technology has made pornography easily available, free and anonymous to use. 70% of people have come across pornography accidentally and the average age of first exposure is 11. Pornography functions like a drug, creating a real addiction. All this has lead to the fact that many, both men and women, struggle with addiction to pornography. 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women acknowledge they are addicted to pornography. Just about everyone, religious or secular, admits it is a problem. A couple months ago the secular men’s magazine magazine GQ published an article called 10 Reasons Why You Should Quit Watching Porn. The article explains the negative effects of pornography. It destroys intimacy in a marriage. For those not married, it damages their ability to ever have an intimate relationship with someone.  Many want to stop but cannot. The feeling of being enslaved to this addiction can make people extremely discouraged and isolated. It is all too easy to give into hopelessness, thinking there is no way forward.

The message of today’s Gospel brings light into this darkness: have hope because Jesus came to free you from this slavery! There is help available (here is a good place to start). Patiently work to overcome this addiction knowing that Jesus’ love, mercy and strength accompanies you every step of the way. Nearly 2000 years ago when St. Peter was imprisoned, wearing the chains now on display in San Pietro in Vincoli, he must have felt that he might never be free of them. Jesus, however, intervened in his life and broke these bonds. We need to trust that in our lives too Jesus will intervene in the same way, freeing us from all that keeps us enslaved.