Baruch lived in the 6th century before Christ. He was a Jewish scribe and good friend of the prophet Jeremiah. In our first reading today, the Baruch sends a message from those in exile in Babylon to those who remained behind in Israel. The message conveys how they were contrite for their sins during their exile, how they recognized the ways they and their leaders strayed from the faith to which God was calling them. The people recognized the ways that they rejected the word of God in their lives, the ways that they turned away from him even though he brought them through the dessert to the land of milk and honey.
We commemorate Respect Life Month in October in our Catholic Church. I thought of this message from Baruch today in the context of Respect Life Month. I thought of the Gospel message we hear today, of Jesus lamenting how many towns and villages have not welcomed his Gospel message into their hearts. In a lot of ways, this month helps us looks at the sins we have as a society and the ways we need to return to the values of our faith. How can we be better stewards of the environment? How can we help those who are vulnerable in society, who are bullied, who are trying to overcome an addiction? How do we protect the unborn, the sick, and the aged? How do we address violence, terrorism, and anger in our society?
As we come today for the sacrament of anointing, the sacrament of healing, let us think about how we ourselves can be instruments of healing in our little corner of the world.
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