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November 7, 2021

Sermon – The Seventh Sunday of Luke 2021

PASTORAL SERMON
The Seventh Sunday of Luke
By V. Rev. Timothy Baclig
November 7, 2021

Each of us not only personal material needs, but physical, emotional
and spiritual needs. We will soon begin preparing for the Feast of the Birth
of our Lord when the church prescribes forty days of abstinence, prayer and
good works. She does this for a reason. It would help us to understand that
if we are to do what God asks of us in helping others, our doing so is not
based upon the abundance of things that we have or whether or not we have
something to offer others. The church’s call and discipline to pray, fast and
do good works during advent is based upon our own spiritual needs.

Even though we are blessed with much to be thankful for materially,
we each have personal physical, emotional and spiritual needs. God created
us as whole persons. Good mental health is attending to our inner life. That
inner life is intricately linked to our physical and mental health. We can
easily become fragmented as persons in our day—loosing a sense of being
created as whole persons. When we need physical care—we go to the
doctor. When we need psychological care—we seek a counselor or
therapist. Then, when we need to build a relationship with God—we go to
church. But God did not create us as fragmented persons.

Moreover, for some, physical needs might be also be visible,
especially if we are sick or have a disability, for others a conversation or
facial expression might reveal an emotional need. But deep down inside of
each of us are things we may not even speak about, or might have a very
difficult time putting into words. That is what pertains to our “inner life”
that defines our spiritual needs.

The daughter of Jarius in spoken of in today’s Gospel lesson was an
only child, 12 years of age, and dying. The woman with the hemorrhage
who, in a crowd of people, touched the hem of Jesus’ garment was desperate
for healing. The needs of the woman and the daughter of Jarius were
obviously physical. In both cases, their condition personally affected their
emotional and spiritual life along with the lives of their loved ones and who
knew them.

If a person’s physical health is serious, especially if it becomes a
major drain to one’s resources and severely affects the lives of the members
of their family, it is not uncommon for life to be largely defined by their
physical condition; it dominates a personal conversation. Today, persons are
often seen and identified not for who they truly are: men, women and
children created in the image of God, but for what they may physically
become: sick, unemployed, an addict, or perhaps: frail, strong, or attractive.
God, however, sees and knows us as persons. He loves us equally as
His children as you and I would our own son or daughter. His supreme
sacrifice for us was for that very reason: We are His own, called to be the
inheritors of all that He has desired for us; regardless of whether we are old,
young, rich, poor, healthy, or sick. We are all His children, created in His
image to become the full inheritors as members of His Kingdom.

We are known, loved, saved and redeemed by a God of love who
came to save and heal us from every infirmity, but who also calls to be
loving, His co-workers, His helpers and ministers and His fellow servants.

Prayer
O Christ, our God, the giver of every good and perfect gift: grant that we
may in fear and love draw near to Thee and receive the much needed healing
from all of our infirmities. Forgive us our sins and strengthen us for Thy
service that we may glorify Thee in every word and deed; for Thou art the
God of love and of mercy and unto Thee do we ascribe glory together with
Thy Father who is from everlasting, and Thy life-giving Spirit; now and ever
and unto ages of ages. A-men.

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