Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
The Leper

In the Gospel he wrote, St. Mark narrates many instances of Jesus cleansing lepers. Leprosy, like leprosy today, is highly contagious. For this reason, in Leviticus, the Lord instructed Moses: “Whoever has a leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp”(cf. Lev 13:45-46). From this, we see that for the Jews of Jesus’ time, one afflicted with leprosy had to be separated from family and social ties, thus being isolated by the entire community.

When we sin against God, our souls are afflicted with a leprosy of the spirit. Sin and leprosy alike make us feel alienated—a sense of estrangement that keeps us trapped under the dominion of sin and death. Therefore, today, let us learn from that courageous man who approached Jesus seeking cleansing, and actively turn to God, asking for His healing. The merciful God will surely touch our wounds with His own hand, heal the diseases of our souls and bodies, and restore us to freedom.

Having received Christ’s help, and having drawn from the fullness of grace in Christ all the graces we urgently and with faith seek from Him, we should not continue to be self-centered. Instead, we must center ourselves on the Word of God, imitating the healed leper in today’s Gospel: boldly proclaiming God’s mercy and love to the world, and bearing witness to Christ through our actions.

Savior Jesus, have mercy on us and cleanse us. Amen.

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Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica