Heal Your Spirit

First Reading: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1

There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish,
who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror,
son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite.
He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man.
There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul;
he stood head and shoulders above the people.

Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off.
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.”
Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim,
and through the land of Shalishah.
Not finding them there,
they continued through the land of Shaalim without success.
They also went through the land of Benjamin,
but they failed to find the animals.

When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him,
“This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.”

Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said,
“Please tell me where the seer lives.”
Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer.
Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today.
In the morning, before dismissing you,
I will tell you whatever you wish.”

Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head;
he also kissed him, saying:
“The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage.
You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel,
and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout.

“This will be the sign for you
that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.”

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him
length of days forever and ever.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
For you made him a blessing forever;
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

Gospel: Mark 2:13-17

Jesus went out along the sea.
All the crowd came to him and he taught them.
As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus,
sitting at the customs post.
Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
And he got up and followed Jesus.
While he was at table in his house,
many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples;
for there were many who followed him.
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners
and tax collectors and said to his disciples,
“Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
Jesus heard this and said to them,
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.
I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”

NAB

We all are accustomed to preventative care in medicine these days. We make sure we schedule our annual physicals, get dental cleanings, and take children to well-baby appointments. Even when we aren’t sick, physical health is on the modern mind all the time because we know how important everyday health is to the overall health of our bodies.

Today’s Gospel was a bit of a jolt for me. Jesus says, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Even while exercising, watching my nutrition, and scheduling my annual check-ups to keep my body in tip-top shape, I find it easy to put myself in the category of the spiritually healthy and just coast along. I don’t let myself miss a couple workouts in a row, but I can let Confession slide and barely think twice.

Just like when lack of care for my body opens me up to sickness, lack of spiritual care opens me up to sin. This lens helps me evaluate the state of my soul: do I need a trip to spiritual urgent care? Maybe it’s time to find an afternoon retreat. Just need a reminder to take my vitamins? I can set an alarm to pull me back into my prayer schedule. A round of antibiotics? Time for a novena.

I’ll stop before I stretch this simile too thin, but take a minute to evaluate your spiritual life to see where it could use a little healing.

Take a minute to evaluate your spiritual life to see where it could use healing.Click to tweet

How can you take care of your spiritual self today? Are you spending as much time caring for your soul as you do for your body?

photo by Edenn Yorks

Brigid Hogan loves the view of the Washington Monument from her apartment, her standing desk, the Green Bay Packers, and a good mystery. She tolerates taking the Metro to the office, where she works as a communications consultant. You can find out more about her here.