A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark 1:40-45
40 And a leper came to him beseeching him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And he sternly charged him, and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.
It would be too easy to associate only with people who desire comfortable lives, who wish just to be “towed along”, to be helped or assisted, or just to receive. With them you can play the part of big brother, making them dependent on you.
Your role ought to be that of forming responsible people who want to stand on their own two feet, like real men and women.
It is hard, but you must be decisive and help others to rouse themselves from inactivity, to think for themselves, to organise their own lives, to stand up for themselves, and if necessary to disagree with you.
In that way you will be truly happy to see them growing alongside you.
Card. François-Xavier Van Thuan
Spera in Dio!
Città Nuova, Roma 2008, p. 42
(published by the Priestly Branch of the Focolare Movement)
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