Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46, 1Corinthians 10:31-11:1 Mark 1: 40-45
Today’s gospel proclaims Jesus healing a man with leprosy. The gospel reminds us of those who are left out and lonely, as well as those who are the least, the last and the lost. We do not often notice them because they are not often mentioned, and we do not see them in public. Hence, the person with leprosy in today’s gospel is a symbol of those who are left out and lonely. For the person with leprosy, the feeling of being left out and lonely are more painful than the leprosy, and that made him seek for Jesus and ask for healing. St Mark write, “Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him.” He touched him with a single gesture, Jesus crossed the years of taboo and superstition and healed not only a disease but also a human being. Jesus gave a lesson to His church that we are to bring the gospel to everyone, even those despised by others. Again, by that single act, Jesus showed that beneath every external action is a person deeply loved by God. Jesus went beyond the outward appearance to the suffering human being within.
Today we are very quick to judge people by outward appearances. There is so much emphasis on the look, the image, how we dress. Many times, this is the part of us to which we do not pay attention to , but it is the part of us that is most important, the condition of our soul. That is what the healing touch of confession is all about. In the sacrament of confession, Christ Jesus touches us with His grace and gives us inner healing. That is why we should make use of the sacrament of Penance often. We can spend so much time and money caring for our bodies that we forget about our soul.
Let us give ourselves to Christ who bridged the gap between the unclean and the clean by faith and compassion.
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