In the scripture passage from Saint Mark’s Gospel (Mark 1:40-45) we have the account of the meeting between Jesus and the leper. In the time of Jesus lepers were ridiculed, they were forced to live apart in social isolation as outcast from society – left alone and marginalised. So this leper would have been looked upon in scorn. Yet in spite of this social exclusion the man with leprosy came pleading on his knees to Jesus, believing that he could heal him ‘If you want to…you can cure me’ he said. Jesus reaches out in compassion towards the leper and immediately stretches out his hand and heals him. ‘Of course I want to!’ he said. ‘Be cured!’ And the leprosy left the man at once and he was cured. Despite the instruction of Jesus to the man to keep quiet and say nothing to anybody, but rather to make an offering for his healing as prescribed by Moses; the leper announces the miracle of healing which Jesus has performed everywhere.
We are told that the leper in the Gospel eagerly goes before Jesus in anticipation of receiving his healing. The leper, though he had lost everything in terms of dignity and respect from those around him, was rich in faith – and it was this faith that saved him. The greatness of God is very evident here. Like the leper, we too can be healed and renewed by Jesus through our faith. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are cleansed of our sins and renewed in the healing love of God while in the Sacrament of the Eucharist Jesus gives himself to us as real food which sustains us and strengthens us in the power of God’s love. We can be witnesses of the healing love of God by sharing the testimony of our faith with others. In that way we can draw others to encounter the presence of God and his unconditional love.
