If people were healthy from their birth until their death, without any maladies, i.e., without cancers, without flu, without Covid and so many other diseases, then our world wouldn’t need doctors, nurses or hospitals. But we all know that we do need them because we all get sick at times. In the Gospel reading, Jesus was accused of associating with sinners, so, his detractors argued, shouldn’t only He be hanging out with the saints, with those who are good and holy? But not sinners! He should stay away from them! I love Jesus’ response: I am the physician; I came to sick people to restore them to full health. Whenever we sin, we need forgiveness, we need help, and in fact we all do sin, our souls get sick at times. Should Jesus run away from us when that happens? Of course not. He came to us to bring us comfort and to heal us even in the darkest moments of our lives.
