The Feast of St John of God.

"Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” (Luke 4: 27).

Monday 8th March 2021, in the 3rd Week in Lent is the feast of St John of God. (1495 - 1550). Religious. Born Portuguese. Worked and died in Spain. A prodigal of some sort in his younger days. Once he was converted at the age of 40, everything changed. He became fired up with ministry to the poor and the sick. John was a man of many talents and at various times became farmer, soldier and merchant. I knew St John of God as a pamphleteer because at the time I first read his biography, I used pamphlets for evangelization. He became my patron saint and is still one of my patron saints.
St John of God is the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, booksellers, pamphleteers.

Our key Scripture for today touches on the profundity of how God works in the world otherwise called the Divine Providence, Divine Plan, Design, Blueprint. Naaman the Syrian is so unlike our saint, John of God. Naaman is a great soldier, like a Field Marshall. He is of the stature of Ike Eisenhower but Naaman was a leper. The story of his cure in the first Reading (2 Kings 5: 1 - 5) is my favorite story in the Bible.

Naaman was Syrian and not Jewish. Yet God extended His merciful love to Naaman and healed him of leprosy.
St John of God was a Portuguese vagrant. God called him to live in Spain where he worked and founded the Order of Brothers Hospitallers of St John of God still serving the Church today.

"Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus!
My soul is waiting for the Lord,
I count on his word, because with the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption. (Psalm 129: 5, 7).

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com