Welling Up to Eternal Life

The leprosy left him, and he was made clean

A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said,
“If you wish, you can make me clean.”  Moved with pity, he
stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him,
“I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately,
and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed
him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one
anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for
your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for
them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole
matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible
for Jesus to enter a town openly.  He remained outside in
deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.

After celebrating the feast of the Lord’s baptism, the gospels
that follow all show Him beginning His teaching, preaching and
healing ministry.  This gospel passage shows him as a healer;
but not only an ordinary healer.  The passage showed Jesus as
a compassionate healer - One who was moved with pity.  When
the leper came to kneel down in front of Him and begged Him
for healing, Jesus did not hesitate and said “I do will it.
Be made clean.”

All of us need healing: moral healing, physical healing, and
healing in relationships.  When we are not well, we are often
isolated from the mainstream of life.  Some are in hospitals,
others are in psychotherapy and counseling, and others are
avoided because of their ill-will or bad behavior.  But this
gospel shows that if we humble ourselves and be like the leper
who goes to Jesus, kneels down, and begs for healing, Jesus
will never refuse us as He did the leper.  Jesus is very
compassionate and he is always moved by the sincerity and
the humility and faith of people.  Whatever it is in us that
needs healing, all we need to do is to humble ourselves,
have faith in Christ, and seek to be healed by Him in prayer
and in the sacrament of reconciliation.  For those who are
ill, they may request for the sacrament for the anointing of
the sick.

Note: This blog will end here and will continue in another
blog where its writing will be integrated with the themes and
ideas of seven other blogs in The Second Nexus.  So if you
want to continue reading gospel reflections for the weekdays,
just visit The Second Nexus.

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