Use the schema explained above: Tell God about the situation, listen to God and scripture, dialogue with God as you reflect.
Step One,
Lord, we do not understand life and death, except that we know they both happen. I more friends and relatives who suffer illness as they and I get older. Life seems more precarious to us now. We see others our age pass away, we see still others on the precipice of life and death and each of us seems more preoccupied with our health than ever before. We understand that your Son came to give us Life. We believe that Jesus, the Christ, conquered death. We do believe but we are still uneasy since for the most part we do not know the time or place. We do not know who will leave us or when. We fear that our companions may suffer, may be anxious, and we do not always know what to say to them,
When we worry about ourselves and these others, we already know that You know. We are obviously not telling You anything that You do not know, or do not care about. So why do we tell you? If you know our inmost thoughts, why do we have to use words to tell you? I guess, we don’t need to but we can share it with you with or without words, we can know in your unconditional love, you are caring for us and for our loved ones.
I can name every day, the people whom I want to pray for, not because You need to know, but I need to know that you particularly, an individually, care for and love this person. And though I may make suggests to You, as a friend of yours, I know it is presumptuous of me to tell You what is good for this person—like cure this person immediately, or take this person before they suffer, or comfort those who are anxious for their loved ones, may fear losing them or may be disturbed by their suffering.
Help me to reflect on the Resurrection. To remember how Jesus was anxious in the Garden of Gethsemane, suffered at the hands of cruel people, but willingly gave Himself up for us, did indeed rise from the dead, and return to us in His same, but glorified body and continues to be present to us, accompanying us and has paved the way for our own resurrection.
What am I to think or know about You, Lord, when I contemplate illness, sickness, mortality? Help us Lord to know more about You, discern about the relationship between You and us, and how can we love You more as You love us.
I know from St. Paul as he wrote in Romans, “If God is for us, who can be against us.” So, help us to live accordingly, to make our needs and worries known to you– acknowledging the fact that you already know and care, and readily keep us safe in the palm of your hands.
Step Two
Reflection on Scripture
| 2 Kings 5:1-19
Elisha Cures Naaman’s Leprosy. 1 Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram, was highly esteemed and respected by his master, for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram. But valiant as he was, the man was a leper. 2 Now the Arameans had captured from the land of Israel in a raid a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife. 3 She said to her mistress, “If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4 Naaman went and told his master, “This is what the girl from the land of Israel said.” 5 The king of Aram said, “Go. I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents, six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.
6 He brought the king of Israel the letter, which read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” 7 When he read the letter, the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed: “Am I a god with power over life and death, that this man should send someone for me to cure him of leprosy? Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me! 8 When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king: “Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.”
9 Naaman came with his horses and chariot and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent him the message: “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.” 11 But Naaman went away angry, saying, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand there to call on the name of the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the place, and thus cure the leprous spot. 12 Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”* With this, he turned about in anger and left.
13 But his servants came up and reasoned with him: “My father, if the prophet told you to do something extraordinary, would you not do it? All the more since he told you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God. On his arrival he stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 Elisha replied, “As the LORD lives whom I serve, I will not take it.” And despite Naaman’s urging, he still refused. 17 Naaman said: “If you will not accept, please let me, your servant, have two mule-loads of earth,* for your servant will no longer make burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the LORD. 18 But may the LORD forgive your servant this: when my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down there, as he leans upon my arm, I too must bow down in the temple of Rimmon. When I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please forgive your servant this.” 19 Elisha said to him, “Go in peace.” |
Romans 8:15-39
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. 19 For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; 20 for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; 23 and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that sees for itself is not hope. For who hopes for what one sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait with endurance. 26 In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God’s will. 28 5We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 7 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those he predestined he also called; and those he called he also justified; and those he justified he also glorified. 31 8What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? 33 Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. 34 Who will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. 35 What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 36 As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Put together what you told God about the situation with what God has said to you. Dialogue
Example:
Have your conversation with God. What did you hear. Can you put yourself into the situation described?
Response to God:
I have read your Word in both Romans and Kings. I put myself in the place of Naaman suffering from leprosy. I can feel his anxiety and rejection by the community. How lonely to be sick like that. He is facing this illness alone. Your prophet has pity on him and asks You to heal him. You do and the story ends with Elisha saying go in peace.
I see a different healing in what St. Paul has written. If I’m reading his letter or perhaps he’s preaching and I’m there. What am I hearing him say. The illness of my friend and possible death really worry me. Paul is saying to me, Jesus changed everything. He conquered what we most fear for ourselves and our friends. Paul is looking at me and saying, “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels or principalities, nor present things nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus our Lord.” I ask Paul, “how do I help my friend who is seriously ill feel God’s love in a way that is not dismissive of his suffering. “
Paul says, “Love your friend. Listen attentively. Ask him/her what they are feeling. Show the same concern that Jesus showed to the sick who came to him. God may not cure the illness but cures the anxiety. Remember, for those who love God and are called – everything works out for the good – even this passage from life to death to new life.”
Paul goes on to say, “Listen to their anxiety, listen to their feelings, don’t dismiss them, but know as scary as this is for them and for you, Christ has conquered death and experienced it Himself, just so your friend can pass through with Faith and Hope because God loves them”
Lord, I still feel inadequate to help my friend through this illness, help my friend whom I know you Love.