Breaking Open the Word - 6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year B — February 14th, 2021

God’s Word is infinitely rich, and even though we hear the same Scriptures over and over again during the 3-year Lectionary cycle, we will never exhaust their treasures. Sometimes, for instance, familiar passages suddenly come alive with new meaning when we are facing a particular challenge. This was certainly the case for us as we pondered this Sunday’s readings in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The fate of the leper in Biblical times, as described in the first reading from Leviticus, was one of total isolation. As if the disease itself was not bad enough, the leper was deprived of interactions with family, friends, and even strangers; of physical touch from, or even closeness to, others; of the ability to hold a normal conversation; even of freedom of movement. How this applies in a powerful way to so many in our society who are suffering similar isolation due to the public health crisis that has been rocking the world for over a year! The elderly and the sick suffer perhaps the most, some having been unable to meet their loved ones since the beginning of the pandemic. The results of this isolation have been heartbreaking, and God’s words at the dawn of creation ring more true than ever: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” (Gen. 2:18)

The leper was also considered ritually unclean, unfit to worship in the Temple – he was isolated even from God. This, too, plays into our experience during the COVID crisis: churches around the world have been forced to close due to fear of contagion, and some Catholics have been unable to receive the Sacraments for nearly a year! For many, this suffering is even more difficult than the ubiquitous “social distancing” and the now-familiar “virtual-only” events. Like the leper in this Sunday’s Gospel, who longs more to be “clean” than to simply be cured, they beg the Lord for His intervention in this tragic situation.

In the face of all this suffering in the world today, what on earth could a group of cloistered Passionist nuns possibly do? The answer for us lies in our Constitutions, in the section on our vow of enclosure: “[the Passionist Nuns] joyfully accept their separation from the world also to sustain those in our society who are isolated or overlooked in a solitude which has been imposed.” (Const. no. 40, emphasis added) In other words, the voluntary isolation of our cloister is a powerful means of intercession for those in the involuntary isolation of pandemic restrictions. The Lord has called contemplatives to a greater solitude, not for the sake of escaping the problems of the world, but for the sake of more intense prayerful support of the world. The cloistered nun may be physically bounded by walls and fences, but her spirit is uniquely free to go wherever God’s grace is needed. Many of our Sisters could tell stories of times when the Lord has put a particular person on their hearts at the precise moment when – unbeknownst to the Sister – that person was most in need of prayer. However, while in Heaven will we see the full impact of our vocation, on earth we most often we do not see the fruits of our prayer. God calls us (and all those who offer up prayers of intercession) to persevere in the midst of darkness, to live at times in “naked faith,” as St. Paul of the Cross would describe it. Such prayer without the consolation of witnessing its effects requires the selflessness of true love which draws us to “lay down our lives.” It is the daily task of us as religious and of every Christian to grow ever more generous in this love.

Contemplatives also have a special role to play in alleviating the spiritual deprivation and “isolation from God” that so many feel due to the pandemic restrictions on worship. As living images of the praying Church, it is our vocation to celebrate the Liturgy each day on behalf of the whole Body of Christ. In these times when vast numbers of the faithful are barred from public worship, our duty becomes all the more solemn and important as we bring their petitions to the altar they are unable to approach. This special call to lift up the whole Church in prayer has been a powerful experience for us and for other cloistered nuns worldwide during this time of COVID-19, and we take very seriously our responsibility – and honor! – to be your representatives. We implore God daily for this virus to be eradicated so that all may once again join in God’s house to offer the Holy Sacrifice together! And until that day, we continue our lives of ceaseless prayer for strength and abundant grace upon every member of the Church.