Thursday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time
Heb 3:7-14
Mk 1:40–45
Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “Of course I want to!” he said. “Be cured!”
I recently attended the 5th Lourdes Experience in Singapore, an event of prayer for the sick and devotion in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. I had decided to go mainly because my friend had asked me, and didn’t know what to expect other than that the event was expected to last an intimidating 5 hours. But perhaps, this relatively open mindset enabled the Lord and our Mother to speak to me more clearly, providing me the following takeaways.
Suffering is part of life – The first and most difficult segment was the Stations of the Cross, which had been ‘customised’ to draw parallels between Jesus’ Passion and a terminally ill person’s journey. While the Lourdes Experience was oriented on hope and healing, the Stations served as a gentle but emphatic reminder that suffering and death are inevitable, for us and our loved ones. I found it difficult to listen to the reflections, especially for the later Stations, though I also knew it was an opportunity to frankly face our mortality through a spiritual perspective. I can only ask the Holy Spirit for courage and wisdom to mature from this experience.
We have a Father and Mother who are always reaching out to us – I know well that our Father loves us to the point that He gave His only Son to save us (even if I don’t always embrace this in my approach to Him). But at the Lourdes Experience, I was particularly struck by one of the priests emphasising that we have both a Father and Mother. Perhaps it was because I’d been conditioned to be wary about ‘idolising Mary’; perhaps it was because I don’t really know how to speak to our Blessed Mother other than through the rosary (which can feel rather tedious). But this was the first time I’d thought of Mary as someone who loves us just as much as our Father does, who is just as willing to listen and to help if we know how to turn to her. (Fittingly, this realisation was also illustrated by the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in the centre of the stadium, which had been placed on a rotating pedestal that enabled everyone to view her face-to-face at some point). Over the next few weeks of Advent, I also received little reminders to turn to our Mother in times of need, which is most clearly illustrated in this homily from Bishop Barron, which also introduced me to the prayer to Mary, the Undoer of Knots.
Jesus is waiting for us to go to Him for healing – The Lourdes Experience theme was ‘Let it be done unto me‘, a mindset I have always struggled to embrace, even though I should want to. It seems as if it is one thing to strive to live according to God’s will and another to completely surrender to His plans for us. Even though this line was prominently displayed everywhere, I found myself occasionally wondering, with some discouragement, if I was too closed off to the healing which God wanted to give to my loved ones. But, during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, the centurion’s words “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.” (Matthew 8:8) popped into my mind. Was Jesus reminding me that His grace and healing would far surpass my worries to reach my loved ones, just as He had been able to heal the centurion’s servant without even meeting him? It was a comforting thought. Nonetheless I still felt slightly anxious as I watched our Archbishop slowly make his way towards us, but as he passed by with the host, I was suddenly struck by the certainty that Jesus wanted to heal me. That He completely understood where I was with my doubts and fears, and would help me to understand and accept His love and mercy. It was the first time I had thought of how God looks at us when we go to Him.
On a lighter note, I survived the 5-hour duration and found other segments pretty enriching too, particularly the recitation of the Rosary in various languages. Although the ‘spiritual high’ has started to fade, today’s Gospel passage is a welcome reminder of how we can seek healing from both our Father and Mother.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Jaclyn Lam)
Prayer: Lord, thank you for meeting us where we are. Please strengthen our faith in You and help us to trust in your grace as the centurion did.
Thanksgiving: Thank you for enabling the Order of Malta to bring the Lourdes Experience to Singapore. Lord, may the experience continue to bear fruit for them and all of us who attended.
OXYGEN 
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