In the time of Jesus, society did not care for sick people as it does today. Those who came to the Lord to be healed of their diseases did not come from state-of-the-art hospitals and did not have advanced medications that could cure or at least dull the pain of their illness. Often, ancient society believed those who were sick were suffering a just punishment for their sins or the sins of their family. If their families would not care for them, those suffering maladies had to survive the elements. The sick, by and large, lived marginalized lives. Jesus offered them healing and shared the Good News.
In many ways, the universal Church looks back at St. Peter Claver because he, too, centered his life on serving marginalized people. The Seventeenth-century Spanish Jesuit journeyed to South America, where he was ordained and began serving the enslaved persons who arrived at the port city of Cartajena in the New World. As soon as a slave ship docked, the saint would board and care for those who survived the perilous journey from West Africa. He cared for their physical needs and shared the Gospel.
God calls us to share the love and truth of Christ with those we meet. We may not have the gift of healing, and we may not be ordained, but God nevertheless calls us to care for people who are outcast. Many people living on the periphery of society may never know the hope Christ offers his followers. But with God’s grace, they can come to know Jesus through our presence and love.
