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Gospel: Luke 5: 12-16
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was;
and when he saw Jesus,
he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said,
“Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.”
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said,
“I do will it. Be made clean.”
And the leprosy left him immediately.
Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but
“Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing
what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The report about him spread all the more,
and great crowds assembled to listen to him
and to be cured of their ailments,
but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Leprosy was a disease that disfigured, and in some cases, slowly ate away at a person’s flesh.
Part of why people intentionally kept their distance from lepers was because they didn’t know how leprosy was contracted. Understandably, spotting a leper sparked panic.
When approaching the edge of town, lepers had to cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” A warning to others: stay away lest you become like me.
The damage caused by this disease was not only physical; it was also psychologically and emotionally devastating. Lepers lived entirely alone.
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Thus, the physical healing of this man’s body in today’s Gospel was only the beginning of his journey. Jesus did his part. He cleansed the man’s flesh.
But now the community must also do theirs. They must welcome him back, talk to him, touch a man they once feared, seeing him as a new creation, a brother in Christ.
In that sense, the community must also be healed, freed from the leprosy of prejudice and fear.
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It’s not always easy making room in our hearts for “lepers” who’ve been touched by Jesus – a person who’s hurt us, but seeks reconciliation; a recovering addict; a lost soul seeking your time and advice; someone who tests your patience but needs your love.
When they make room for God in their lives, we should make room for them in ours. So that, as Saint Paul says, “God who has begun this good work in them will bring it to fulfillment.”
May the Lord expand our hearts to become ever more like his.
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Image credits: (1) UNM Health Sciences Center (2) Osprey Observer (3) Saint James Catholic Church