Faith-Mission-Healing-Saints Cosmas and Damian

HOMILY WEEK 25 03 – Year I

Missioned to Proclaim and to Heal:

Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian

(Ezra 9:5-9; Tob 13:3-6; Lk 9:1-6)

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Just recently I discovered a brother Oblate, the late Fr. John Monbourquette, had written a book entitled How to Discover Your Personal Mission – the Search for Meaning.

 That book resonates with today’s gospel in which Jesus outlines a missionary mandate for the apostles that applies to us as well: Proclaim the Kingdom, bring good news, and be a healer.

The first thing to note is he gave them “power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases.” That power is really the power of powerlessness, the power of exousia, the power of a little child, the power that in the final analysis is greater than all other power. Exousia is the power God prefers to use and did use in the birth of Jesus as a baby, and his death on the cross – powerless in both instances. Can we learn from this humble reality lessons to be applied to our own ministry?

While there are many dictionary meanings for the word “authority” (auctoritatis in Latin), one should be to “author life,” to be lifegiving, to bless, affirm, draw out the best in others. To bless is to speak well of, to give life to others; to curse is not so much swearing, but to act in such a way that one drains life from another, especially by being critical and negative. Many young people, essentially, are growing up in a real sense “cursed” rather than blessed, feeling never good enough. Our authority as disciples of Jesus must bless and give life.

That being said, we are first of all to “proclaim the kingdom of God.” St. Paul, in Romans 14:17, describes the kingdom as the “peace, joy and justice of the Holy Spirit.” Peace is not a fleeting emotion, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit we can claim as believers. Joy is also not a passing emotion – it also is a gift of the Holy Spirit we can claim as believers. And justice, to my mind, is a right relationship with God, with all others in our lives, our own selves, and all of God’s creation. It is this we must proclaim.

The twelve departed and, we are told by Luke, “went through the villages, bringing the good news.” What is this good news that makes up the kingdom of God? I think first and foremost it would be that Jesus is the Messiah who came to redeem and sanctify, to forgive and to heal. We can now be forgiven all our sins, which Hebrews tells us God won’t even remember (so they no longer exist! – Heb 8:12). Now that is good news.

But that is not all – we are not only forgiven our sins (what we have done), we can also come to Jesus for healing of our sinfulness (that which made us do it) – our painful emotions, defects of character and negative attitudes. That is even better news, flowing out from the fact that Jesus is also the Risen Lord or Kyrios, reigning over all of creation, having overcome sin and death itself. That is also good news!

The gospel ends by informing us the apostles went about “curing diseases everywhere.” What are we to make of this? How many of us have actually been able to heal anything or anyone? I think this means we are to be a force for healing in our world – not just praying for physical healing, but also bringing a healing touch to others through our compassion, ability to listen, positive attitude about life, serenity and joy radiating from us. Noted author Alice Miller, toward the end of her life, realized more than all psychological expertise, people just needed a “listening witness” to heal. We are called to be that “listening witness” – something we can all do, and we will be bearers of healing.

Rita Hughes founded the House for Hope and Healing in Ottawa, a faith-based counselling service she was inspired to develop while in prayer expressing her frustration that healing wasn’t happening in the hospital setting in which she worked. For years people both rich and poor have found personal healing within those walls, and now she is hoping to develop an organization that will bring hope and healing to both people and the church struggling with the issue of sexual abuse.

Ezra, in the first reading, offers us hope within this mandate to proclaim and to heal. All too aware of the failings of the Chosen People, before, during and even after the exile to be icons of God’s presence here on earth drawing all nations back to God, Ezra reminds us we, like they, can always turn to God in a spirit of repentance and experience God’s faithful and persevering mercy, compassion, love, forgiveness and healing. On that basis, we can rebuild the temple, the church in our day, and experience the new life only God can give.

Today, the church honors two martyrs, Saints Cosmas and Damian, who gave their lives for their faith in Jesus and the way they carried out that mission to proclaim and heal. Legend has it they were twins, both physicians who practiced without charging fees, and who suffered martyrdom during a period of persecution. Around this legend grew another: a gruesome story of their suffering as well as a history of miraculous cures. After Emperor Justinian I claimed to have been cured of illness through their intercession, he honored the city of Cyr, which had the relics of the saints, and encouraged the devotion. In the 16^th century, both an oratory and a basilica were built in their honor. Along with the apostle Luke, Cosmas and Damian are patron saints of physicians and surgeons.

The Eucharist is a faith-filled meal offering us both forgiveness and healing, and empowering us to go out as did the apostles and martyrs Cosmas and Damian, proclaiming the kingdom, healing the sick and bringing good news to all.