Sunday, February 8, 2015

Cycle B - Year I:   

15 February 2015: Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time 
(Liturgical color: Green)

Mark 1:40-45

Jesus heals a leper!



Have you seen a picture of Pope Francis comforting and hugging a severely deformed man? It is a touching and moving picture captured on camera and circulated in the internet. The picture speaks a thousand words of the Pope's humanity and caring attitude towards the sick and suffering people, the flock entrusted to his care as the Vicar of Christ on earth.



That inspiring picture connects to an incident in our Lord's ministry as narrated by the evangelist Mark in this Sunday's Gospel.



The Gospel narratives present the moving story of Jesus healing the leper who "kneeling down begged him and said: 'If you wish, you can make me clean.'" (Mk 1:40)

 



Now lepers were outcasts of society in Jesus' time. Consider a leper in our Lord's time, how leprosy gradually eats away at the body, how it has no cure, and how it makes a man unclean for Temple worship. In fact, the Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper.



Moved with pity, Jesus did the unexpected. He stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and granted the man his request to be cured. Thus, Jesus demonstrates the personal love, compassion, and tenderness of God in his physical touch of the sick man avoided by society. Our Lord met the man's misery with compassion and tender kindness. By physically touching the "untouchable" leper, Jesus communicated the love and mercy of God very powerfully in a sign that spoke more eloquently than words.



The healing of the leper shows that Jesus indeed is the One to come. Because it is written that when the Messiah comes, the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. As with all his miracles, our Lord's healing of the leper displays his divine authority. The physical healing manifests Jesus' power over the natural world.



Let us reflect on the Gospel message in our practical life today.



There is an intriguing parallel between leprosy and sin. Because both render us unfit for worship. We can see leprosy as an apt image of sin because  sin destroys the soul like leprosy destroys the body.



With this in mind, do we seek the Lord with expectant faith, like the leper in the Gospel story? Remember that no one who sought Jesus out was refused his help. Even the "untouchables" and the outcasts of Jewish society found help in our Lord.



The Lord Jesus is always ready to show us his mercy and to free us from whatever makes us unclean.



How do we approach the "untouchables" and outcasts in our present society, especially those we find difficult to love? Do we offer them mercy and help as Jesus did to the leper?



In our time, Jesus needs our words and actions, our hands and our hearts, to continue to reach out to the lonely, to alleviate the pain, to bridge the gap that separates people. Let us follow the Lord's examples of mercy and compassion with the leper in this Sunday's Gospel, and the rest of our brethren who need our love and care.





A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.



Ad Jesum per Mariam!


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