18 YEARS 

CRIPPLED  IN  SPIRIT 

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily for this 30^th Monday in Ordinary Time is, “18 Years Crippled in Spirit.”

I reflect on the story of the lady in today’s gospel – Luke 13: 10-17. She has been crippled for 18 years. Her story connects me to the story of the man in the gospel of John – Chapter 5: 1-9 - who has been sick for 38 years.

I find it fascinating that numbers are given: 18 years and 38 years.

TWO KINDS OF BEING CRIPPLED

There are all kinds of problems – sicknesses – struggles.

Today let me say there are two kinds of struggles, sicknesses, problems – two ways of being crippled.

The first type are immediate problems – short term set-backs – like the flu – like a broken glass – like a sunburn. They are not forever.

A person has a car accident…. A person says the wrong thing …. A person loses his or her wallet…. A person  walks into the edge of an open cabinet in the kitchen and gets a cut or even a black eye.

Those problems are nothing compared to the second type of problems. These are the lifetime struggles: like having bad lungs or eyes or deep anger or depression or lust or jealousy or alcoholism or inferiority feelings.

SHOW ME

Everyone has a bottom drawer -  or the top back of a closet – or a place under a bed or where have you – where they keep their secret long term – lifetime problems – sins – worries – hurts – mistakes.

The lady in today’s gospel is stooped over for 18 years. The man in the gospel of John that I mentioned keeps crawling back over and over again to the healing water pool at Bethsaida – for 38 years.

When we see someone hurting, bent over, in bed forever, needing a walker or wheelchair, doesn’t our heart go out to/for  them?  Don’t we admire their patience and perseverance? Don’t we wish we or someone could heal them? Don’t we love those feel good stories or pieces on the evening news or YouTube – when someone is healed by a new process or what have you?

Well, Jesus sees this woman who is bent over for 18 years – and has pity for her – and heals her – just as he healed the man in John’s gospel who was handicapped for 38 years. Praise God.

AS PRIEST

As priest – and I’ve heard this from many priests – that we feel worthwhile – it makes being a priest seem like a great life choice  - when someone comes to us to talk about a lifelong problem – and they want to be healed if possible – or listened to….

They have been bent out of shape. They have  been bent over, worn down - they feel rotten, because they are holding onto a hurt from someone else – it could be abuse – for 18 or 38 years – and they finally talk to someone. 

Or it could be something they did wrong.

The Seal of Confession – the absolute secrecy of the Sacrament of Reconciliation – certainly helps.

I’ve heard many people through the years go “phew” in the dark other side of a confession box – because they’ve come to confess what’s been wearing them down for years. It could be stealing. It could be an affair. It could be a sexual mistake. It could be a lie. It could be a family apartheid.  It could be being dropped or someone broke our secret or what have you – years and years ago and we can’t seem to let the hurt go – or to forgive the other.  

And in this sacrament, this sacred sign from Jesus, Jesus heals them – forgives them or helps them forgive the one who hurt or abused or cut them. Not easy.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, “18 Years  Crippled In Spirit.”

That could be me – my story.

Today’s first reading from Ephesians 4: 32 to 5: 8 – is worth going through again. It begins with these words:

Brothers and sisters:
Be kind to one another, compassionate,
forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.

It then gives various problems, sins, addictions, struggles, that can be long time long term, sicknesses, hurts or what have you, for many people.

The Gospel – the Good News for today says they can be healed – our spirits lifted – even if we’ve been down for 18 or 38 of 58 years and we can walk away – renewed – forgiven – by the kindness and compassion of our Lord and Savior and Redeemer.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Painting on top: Woman Sick for 18 Years by James Tissot, c. 1890