LIVING WORD - January 17, 2017 by Matthew M. Marasigan

The Man with a Withered Hand (Mark 3:1-6)

 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand.  They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. And he said to the man who had the withered hand, “Come forward.” Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved at their hardness of heart and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately conspired with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

REFLECTION

“I have to hands the left and the right. Hold up high so clean and bright. Clap them softly one, two, three. Clean little hands are good to see.”

Our Gospel today manifested the helping hands of Jesus to a man who had a withered hand.  Let me retell the story of Jesus in my own experience.

Again I continue to enter the seminary, then one Sunday after a tiring apostolate, a man came to our seminary who had a great problem. My conscience tells me to help the man but my body tells me to rest. A part of me tells me that I have already done many good deeds this past weekend. I can rest. So I let my body rest for a while but a voice near my window says “Matt may friend” then I answered back, “ah sige papunta na.” And so I went down and said to the man who had a great problem, “ano pong maipaglilingkod?” Bigas po brother…di po kasi ako makapagtrabaho dahil Malabo na po ang mata ko at naulan po lagi..bigas lng po para sa pamilya ko po…then I answered back, “naku tatay kakabalik lng po ng mga seminarista ih. . . tska po hindi po kami nagbibigay ng bigas…lutong pagkain po ang naibibigay…yun pong aming pinagsasaluhan ay yun din po ang aming ibinabahagi sa nangangailangan.” Then he replied, “ganun po ba brother… pwede ga pong pahingi ng pagkain…kahit ibalot ninyo na lng po…para maiuwi ko.” So, I went down to the kitchen to get the food and packed it the way he requested. Then I gave it to him saying, “tatay ito pa ang maitutulong naming sa inyo.” But the man remained silent as he looked on the food I brought. I could see in his eyes that he was disappointed and at grief. Then I said my goodbye “sige po tatay, ako po ay masimba pa.” Then I went in and prepared myself for the mass.  As I prepare myself, there was a guilt feeling inside me. In my mind and heart I could have done more. End of story.

            The gospel today reminds me [us] of what it means to help. First, “COME FORWARD”. I was reminded to come forward to them . . . to come closer . . . to be a friend who can listen and be silent with them in moments of despair or confusion, a friend who can stay with them in hour of grief and sadness, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing and but simply facing them to the reality of their powerlessness—a friend who cares. For there is nothing heavier than compassion. Not even one’s own pain so heavy as the pain one feels with someone and for someone. Coming forward to them.

Lastly, “STRETCH OUT YOUR HAND.” The gospel tells me to stretch out my hands, our hands to those who need our help. Those people are not coming here because they think I am are stupid, we are stupid. Rather they come here because they need help. They need someone who can come forward to them a hand who can stretch out to them. And they believe that my hands, our hands, is that hand that would help them. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “the purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” And I believe him. No one has ever become poor by giving and lending some help. I was challenged to stretch out my hand.

            To conclude my sharing, I was reminded again with the song which I shared at the beginning of this reflection, “I have to hands the left and the right. Hold up high so clean and bright. Clap them softly one, two, three. Clean little hands are good to see.” Now let me change the lyrics, I have to hands the left and the right. I hope I can use them to help some friends. And not just to pray some Hail Mary. This simple hands are good to see.