Imagine yourself being plagued with a debilitating condition, isolated from society, your neighbourhood, community, family members, deserted and shunned by spouse and friends. Imagine again the sick people at home and in hospitals, the elderly, the homebound, the orphans and the child-headed families and all the people who are isolated and looked down upon.
Think about the social, psychological and emotional anguish endured and experienced by someone in such a condition. Amidst this despair, we find a glimmer of hope that emerges with the presence of Christ in our lives. Christ comes to us today as God who heals his people, who reconciles them with himself and restores their relationships with their communities. The story of the healing of the leper in Mark 1:40-45 unpacks this. This story invites us to identify ourselves with both the leper and Jesus Christ.
The Gospel passage of Mark 1:40-45 opens with a desperate cry for healing and restoration by the leper. The leper approached Jesus with faith and humility and cried out: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Lepers of Jesus’ time were considered as outcasts, sinners and unclean. They lived in isolation and were not allowed to come into contact with people without leprosy. Those who came in contact with lepers were rendered unclean.
Leprosy was considered as a symbol of sin and was thought to be like death. In Job 18:13 it is described as Death’s First Born. The healing of the leper by Jesus meant the restoration of relationship between the leper and the society and the coming back to life one who was considered as dead.
We can identify ourselves with the leper. Leprosy separated the lepers from the rest of the world. We may ask ourselves: What is it that separates us from God? What is it that separates us from one another? What then is our leprosy today? First and foremost, let us acknowledge that any form of sin separates us from God and from the body of Christ. These days we can identify various lepers in our midst like drug addicts, refugees, victims of human trafficking, those experiencing marriage breakdowns, victims of corruption who are reduced to lives of paupers, victims of war in the Holy land between Israel and Palestine, and many other victims of different conflicts. These conditions separate us from one another and from God. These conditions need healing. Who then should be the voice crying for help? We are exhorted to be that voice. Like the leper in the gospel, we cry out to Jesus and say, Lord, we know you can heal us. Indeed, he is ready to help us.
In his response to the cry of the leper, St. Mark tells us that Jesus was deeply moved with compassion, he stretched out his hand, touched him and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean” (Mk. 1:41). Jesus heard the cry of the leper and answered his prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that Jesus hears the prayer of faith (CCC 2616). The cry of the leper was a prayer of faith. On his part, Jesus did something that was unexpected. He made physical contact with the leper. Jesus was not repulsed by the condition of the leper, but rather reached out and touched the untouchable. Instead of being defiled by the leper, Jesus cleansed the leper and instructed him to go and show himself to the priest. The priest’s task was to reinstate the man cleansed of leprosy into the religious community. Thus, the man regained the dignity he longed for and his relationship with the community was restored. On the spiritual level he was now able to worship with others in the temple.
In the spirit of synodality we can identify with Jesus. As we come in contact with our brothers and sisters who are isolated because of illness, poverty or because of some other reason, we are therefore exhorted to pray that we may be given the heart of Jesus so that we are filled with compassion towards them.
Mark also tells us that Jesus made a solemn injunction to silence the man from telling anyone about what had happened, but instead the man preached what had happened everywhere. The man did what Jesus will later command his disciples after his resurrection: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). The man cured of leprosy was as it were raised from the dead and was experiencing new life. He felt therefore compelled to proclaim Christ everywhere. What then can we say about our experience of Christ? As we experience the loving compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are bound to proclaim Christ to every creature.
This year, the Sixth Sunday in ordinary time falls on 11 February, which is the World Day of the Sick. It is also the feast day of our Lady of Lourdes. Pope Saint John Paul II instituted this day as a way of encouraging the people of God to offer prayers for the sick and those who care for them. Today’s gospel focuses on faith, healing and restoration of relationships. Pope Francis invites us to pray for healing and restoration of broken relationships. Thus, filled with the compassion of Jesus, let us extend the space of our tent and embrace all those who feel isolated because of sickness, old age or because of their social status. Let us bring the joy of the Gospel to all those who are enslaved by sin so that freed from the dominion Satan they can joyfully sing the songs of praise to the Lord.
May our Lady of Lourdes pray for us. Amen.