Jesus first reveals himself to the disciples and to some chosen individuals before he publicly decares himself to be the One.

When the leper’s audacity brings healing, the prohibition not to tell anyone of what happened.

As soon as he leaves, he sings the praises of Jesus so much so, They have to share and proclaim it to others.

 

 ＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

1st Reading: Leviticus 13:1-2, 44-46

Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron,

"If someone has a boil, an inflammation or a sore on his skin which could develop into leprosy, he must be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of the priests, his descendants.

 

This means that the man is leprous: he is unclean. The priest shall declare him unclean; he is suffering from leprosy of the head. A person infected with leprosy must wear torn clothing and leave his hair uncombed; he must cover his upper lip and cry, "Unclean, unclean." As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean; and therefore, he must live away from others: he must live outside the camp.

 

Ps 32:1-2, 5, 11 (7) I turn to you, Lord, in time of trouble, and you fill me with the joy of salvation.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

Then, whether you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. Give no offense to the Jews, or to the Greeks, or to the Church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything. I do not seek my own interest, but that of many, this is: that they be saved. Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊

Gospel: Mark 1:40-45

A leper came to Jesus and begged him, "If you want to, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, " "I do want to; be clean."

The leprosy left the man at once and he was made clean. As Jesus sent the man away, he sternly warned him, "Don't tell anyone about this, but go and show yourself to the priest; and for the cleansing, bring the offering ordered by Moses; in this way, you will give to them your testimony."

However, as soon as the man went out, he began spreading the news everywhere, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter any town. But even though he stayed in the rural areas, people came to him from everywhere.

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"... at once he was made clean."

 Lectio Divina

 READ: A man with leprosy begged Jesus for healing, invoking the Lord's goodwill. Moved with compassion, Jesus made the leper clean. When cured of leprosy, the man received instructions from Jesus: not to tell anyone, to present himself to the priest and to do the rituals for cleansing.

 

REFLECT: Lepers were considered as unclean people. They were separated from the community to avoid contamination. Since they were segregated and people from the community did not have direct contact with them, they were the ones most unlikely to receive chesed or act of loving-kindness from the people in the community.

 

The people's goodwill was blurred. The goodwill supposedly aimed at others shifted the focus to the self. In today's Gospel, the man healed of leprosy first recognized Jesus' unwavering goodwill, a will that primarily considers the good of others. Jesus instructed the healed man to show himself to the priest and perform the prescribed rituals.

 

This was as if Jesus was telling the man, "You reach out to the priest because he will not do his sacred duty of reaching out to you. Let your performance of the rituals be the witness that you received chesed, the community's sacred duty, which you had been deprived of."

 

PRAY: Let us pray that the community where we belong may truly be a community that exercises acts of loving-kindness.

 

ACT: Let us do three concrete acts of loving-kindness this week to persons whom we see need chesed the most this time.