THE WORD
1Jn 5, 5-13 / Lk 5,12-16
Now Jesus was in one of the towns when a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Seeing Jesus he fell on his face and implored him. ‘Sir,’ he said ‘If you want to, you can cure me.’ Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, “Of course I want to! Be cured!’ And the leprosy left him at once. He ordered him to tell no one, ‘But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses prescribed it, as evidence for them.’
His reputation continued to grow, and large crowds would gather to hear him and to have their sickness cured, but he would always go off to some place where he could be alone and pray.
IN OTHER WORDS
In elementary school, I attended with friends Sunday Catechism in our barrio chapel until we realized that it was a “born again” group. The pastor was a leper so, in the end, everyone quit. The news spread quickly like wild re that the family of the pastor suddenly disappeared.
In today’s gospel, we are shown that leposy-in icted people were separated from the community. They were outcasts and the Jewish law forbade anyone from touching or approaching a leper. However, I admire the leper’s action and courage for coming out. This catchphrase “if others can, why can’t I?” may apply to his attitude in approaching Jesus begging to be cured: “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus’ response was really awesome: “I will, be clean.”
Unsuspectingly, we too in our own bodies have leprosy. It is spreading but Jesus Christ the Savior was born to heal us. We just have to keep our faith in Him and believe in his mercy and love. Let us be humble and accept what we are so that His answer to the leper will also be his answer to us when we beg His compassion. He neither discriminates nor favors. He treats everyone, like the leper, with kind heart and generosity, welcoming anyone who wants to return into his fold. Through the example of the leper begging Jesus, we are invited to reach out to others with compassionate care and love, to the abandoned and mistreated. God’s love impels us to do as Jesus did; to love the unlovable, to touch the untouchable, and to forgive the unforgivable.
Let us always remember that we have leprosy in our own bodies. The more we are aware of it, the more we become humble and kind to open our arms to the needy.
- Fr. Nelson Barbarona, SVD | Japan
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
