Ancient Wisdom, Modern Healing: Applying Biblical Teachings to Today's Mental Health Challenges

Julie South [00:00:04]:
Peace be with you. Welcome to your catholic corner. I'm your show host, Julie south, and I am so pleased that you're able to join me today as we dive into the word of God and his relevance to our lives today in the 21st century. Your catholic corner is here to help Catholics spiritually prepare for each Sunday's mass starting mid week. Each week you can listen to your catholic corner at the website yourcatholiccorner.com. your catholic corner is listened to all over the world. So wherever you are, I would love please for you to say hi to me in New Zealand. You can do that at the website yourcatholiccorner.com.

Julie South [00:00:51]:
please let me know where you are, where you're from, and what you enjoy, and even what you don't enjoy about the show. Promise to reply and say hi back. Today we'll be focusing on the readings for the 23rd Sunday in ordinary time in year B. That means that we're looking at the passages from the Book of Isaiah, letter of James, and the Gospel of Mark. Our main focus will be on exploring the themes of healing and faith as seen in the Old Testament, reading from Isaiah and the gospel passage of Mark. And to help you understand why the Catholic Church has chosen these specific texts for this specific Sunday, stay tuned because we'll be looking at a message of or the message, God's message of hope and healing, encouraging us who might be fearful to be strong and not be afraid as God will come to save us. And then in Mark's gospel, we've got Jesus healing a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment proving that his compassion, God's compassion and his divine power is there. Always.

Julie South [00:02:16]:
The people at that time are amazed, and they proclaim he has done all things well. Our readings and our prayers today shine God's light on the absolute and transformative power of faith and God's promise of divine healing and restoration. Remember that whenever we are gathered in Jesus name, like we are right here, right now, he is here with us, with you and with me. Today we are looking at the first reading from the Gospel, sorry, from the Book of Isaiah, chapter 35, verses four through seven. The second reading is from the letter of James, chapter two, verses one through five, and Mark's Gospel, chapter seven, verses 31 through 37.

Julie South [00:03:12]:
But before that, a quick word about your catholic corner, just in case this is your first time here, regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, whether you've only just heard of that man called Jesus, you're new to Catholicism or you're a cradle catholic my prayer is that your catholic corner will help bring God's word to life in your heart through insights, reflections, and practical applications that help deepen your relationship with God. Every Thursday we'll start preparing for mass by uncovering the richness hidden in each Sunday's Bible readings, from Old Testament prophecies to gospel parables. I invite you to join me and the parishioners of the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand, sponsors of your catholic corner so that together we can hear God's word and echo. Samuel, speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Now let's get back to today's show.

Julie South [00:04:25]:
If the term typology or the word typology is new to you, it refers to the concept that certain elements in the Old Testament serve as types or foreshadowing of someone or something. In the New Testament. It's a bit like God leaving us clues from the earlier scriptures that point to the fulfillment we find in Jesus and the New Testament today. This means that we're looking at what's going on in Isaiah and how that's going to be played out or emphasised and or confirmed in Mark's gospel. So let's have a look. What we have going on with Isaiah is this passage is all about God promising to bring healing and restoration, encouraging people to be strong and nothing because God is coming to save them. In Mark's gospel, Jesus heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment showing his ultimate power, his absolute divine power and compassion. The people are understandably amazed and recognize the goodness of Jesus works.

Julie South [00:05:41]:
The connection both passages, both readings shine a light and emphasise God's power to heal and restore. They show the importance of faith and to trust in God's promises. Both are about how God's intervention brings transformation and renewal. Now let's take that a little bit further. That's the we've just talked about the typological connection. Now let's have a look at metaphorical to help us understand just a little bit more, a little bit better. In Isaiah, the first reading that has been selected for this, the 23rd Sunday in ordinary time, the transformation from ignorance to enlightenment is given to us through the metaphor of the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then we have overcoming limitations and achieving renewal, symbolized with the metaphor that the lame shall leap like a deer.

Julie South [00:07:01]:
If you go back to your english classes, remember that a metaphor is if there is like so we've got to leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. We also have hope and life emerging in desolate and barren places, being depicted with the metaphor that waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. Then in James letter, what we have is the contrast between societal status and superficial judgments being illustrated with the metaphor of gold rings and fine clothes versus dirty clothes. We've also got the spiritual richness and true wealth being highlighted with the metaphor that the question that is being asked has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith? Then finally in Mark's gospel, a couple of metaphors. We've got spiritual openness and receptivity being symbolized by the word ephtha, which means be opened. We've got Jesus power to transform lives and bring about understanding being represented when he says he makes the deaf hear and or when they say he makes the deaf hear and the mute speak, as you can see or hopefully as you can hear. The overarching themes for today's three passages are all about transformation and renewal. Each of these passages we have highlighting a shift from limitation or from lack, one of lack perhaps of scarcity to fullness and restoration.

Julie South [00:09:00]:
Whether it's about physical healing or brought about through physical healing, spiritual enlightenment or the breaking down of societal barriers. The power of faith and divine intervention. God's intervention is being underscored to us, reminded to us that huge change can happen and renewal can take place in us and in the communities that we live in if we just about to have faith. This means perhaps that we need to dig a bit deeper, perhaps to be encouraged, to be a bit more introspective, to be a bit more prayer like, and to focus on our own transformation, which can only come about with faith and with prayer and with trust. It means going a bit deeper, perhaps to letting go, perhaps to focus more on the internal rather than the external and the superficial. With that, for example, we've got true wisdom, purity, purpose. These come from within, and it's these that are reflected in how we live and how we interact with the world. Think back to last week if you went to mass.

Julie South [00:10:27]:
Similar perhaps to what Jesus was stressing then when it was all about it's within us that is important, and it's within us that keeps us clean, not about looking good on the outside. So collectively today we've got these metaphors teaching us of the importance of sincerity, of action and our inner morality in our spiritual and everyday lives. God is reminding us, as always, to focus on genuine values and to express our beliefs, our christian beliefs, our catholic beliefs, by doing more of what Jesus would want us to do, more of what he would do if he was with us right now, where everybody could see. And that's to show more compassion towards others. Now let's pray together. And as we reflect on these Bible readings that we're going to be praying together with, let us be inspired by God's call to each of us, to you, to me, for us to be strengthened by his blessings and encouraged to share his message of love and healing with others. Let us be evangelists and let us be. Let others see us as being christians by what we do and what we say.

Julie South [00:12:09]:
First reading from the book from the prophet of Isaiah, say to those who are of a fearful heart, be strong. Do not fear. He is your goddess. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense, he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand shall become a haul in the thirsty grounds.

Julie South [00:12:53]:
Springs of water. The word of the Lord. A reading from the letter of James. My brothers and sisters, do you, with your acts of favouritism, really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes, then say, have a seat here, please. While to the other who is poor, you say, stand here or sit at my feet. Have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers and sisters, has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? The word of the Lord. A reading from the gospel of Mark. Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went by way of Sidon towards the sea of Galilee, in the region of Decapopolis.

Julie South [00:14:38]:
They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears. And he spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, ivatha, that is, be opened. And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he plainly then Jesus ordered them to tell no one. But the more he ordered them. The more zealously they proclaimed it, they were astounded beyond measure, saying he has done everything well. He even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak the gospel of the Lord.

Julie South [00:15:51]:
What are you hearing God say to you through these passages? Remember that he speaks to us in different ways, to each of us in different ways. What I'm hearing in my heart might be different from how he touches your heart. So what am I hearing? Well, to trust in God's healing power. To pray regularly for myself and for others, to embrace faith and compassion, to show kindness to those in need, regardless of their status, regardless of how they look on the outside. And then to be open to God's work in my life, that's the hard one, right? To keep my heart open to God's guidance. Somehow that is probably the hardest of all, especially when I think that he's not listening to me. So what was God saying to you? What did you hear? I would love to hear from you, please, and how this episode maybe helps you. I do hope that this episode does help your spiritual journey.

Julie South [00:17:07]:
My prayer is that this podcast deepens your understanding of God's word and all that is beautiful about the catholic faith. Please share this show with your friends and family. It's free and it's a great way for you to help evangelise and to grow, to help them grow in their faith and to help the church grow, because we really do need everybody to spread the word. All you have to do is ask your friends and family to visit your catholiccorner.com and invite others to listen. Will mean the world to me if you do this. Thank you very much. Wherever you are in your journey and wherever you are in the world, I pray that God's love fills your heart and that you'll join him at the Eucharist this coming Sunday in your local parish. And talking of parishes, a big shout out to all the parishioners at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton, New Zealand for their support.

Julie South [00:18:12]:
This is Julie south signing off until next week. Peace be with you, God blessed.