Today's Gospel reading of
Jesus' healing of a leper is noteworthy for several reasons. First, we note the courage and faith of the
leper in approaching Jesus. Next, we see
the respectful and compassionate manner in which Jesus responds to the
leper. Finally, Jesus cures the leper,
even though he obviously dreaded the inevitable impact when word of this cure
would spread throughout the community.
It's remarkable that Jesus
touched this man in order to heal him, even though Jewish law deemed him
untouchable and unclean. In ancient
Jewish society, a leper normally would have been stoned or at least warded off
if he tried to come near a rabbi or Jewish teacher like Jesus.
Eleven centuries after
Jesus' encounter with the leper, there is a significant encounter that took
place between St. Francis of Assisi and a leper he met on a road. Even though this leper brought about
trepidation & fear in the eyes of St. Francis, he dismounted his horse,
gave the leper a kiss on his hand, & left him some money. This encounter
inspired St Francis on his journey of faith, on his conversion to help the poor
and to leave the materialism and superficiality of his previous life.
The Holy Spirit inflames
our hearts with the love of Christ so that we may reach out to others with
compassion and care, especially those who have been mistreated & rejected
in society. May the love of God impel us
to do as Jesus and St. Francis of Assisi did: to love all, to touch the
untouchable, to forgive the seemingly unforgivable. May we allow the Holy Spirit to fill our
hearts with the love and compassion of Christ for others.
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