“We are called to be healed by the Lord.”
Homily of February 20, 2021
We like to remember these very luminous words, written by Father Paul Boudiquey in a contemplation of the Prodigal Son of the Gospel of Saint Luke. These words, I quote them to you:
« Accept to be loved. Accept to love each other. We know it's so easy to hate each other. Grace is to forget oneself. Grace would be to humbly love yourself like any of the suffering members of Jesus Christ ».
It is this grace that today's Gospel attests in the person of the publican, whom Luke calls Levi and whom, well placed to know, the Gospel of Saint Matthew calls Matthew because tradition thinks that it is him it's about. This overwhelming discovery of knowing oneself loved and then accepting in turn to love is the conversion of our friend Mathieu Levi to which we are also invited within this Lent.
It is a grace which bears fruit and which is shared since we see Mathieu going to invite his friends to come and share this meal of grace to which he invites them. May they too share this happiness of such a conversion. The Pharisees and the recriminating scribes resist. They will not understand that the Lord has this attention towards those who have the impurity, in their eyes, of sin:
« I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to convert ».
This word touches Pharisees and scribes. If their hearts were more humble, they would be filled with confidence since they too have to recognize that they need such a doctor. Whoever we are, we are called to be healed by the Lord.
This is perhaps one of the things to which Lent calls us. To live it in the Church, I suggest that you take up this prayer that we have already recited on Ash Wednesday. The one who nourished Louis Martin during his life of faith, a life he lived on Earth and which we have translated into the first person plural because this path is offered to all of us.
My God, our God
We want to give ourselves to you
Give us the courage
Strengthen our weak wills
If we don't have the strength to give ourselves to you
Attract us to the sweetness of your perfumes
Draw us after you by the bonds of your love Lord
O infinite misery, which your mercy alone can surpass
The less courage we have, the less light we have
And the more we have been worthy of your compassion, O good God.
Words which are not unlike those with which this magnificent Psalm 85 ended, which we can take up again in meditation:
You who are good and who forgive
Lots of love for everyone who calls you
Hear our prayers Lord
Hear our voice pleading with you...«
