Leprosy, although now curable, has long been a highly contagious, incurable and deeply destructive disease, leading its victims to be forcibly excluded from society. This was the case in ancient Israel, and the events of today's readings are set in this context. Lepers had to live apart and warn people of their sickness.
In today's Gospel, the leper approaches Jesus. He shows great trust in the Lord and does not feel the need to keep his distance: such is the trust that Christ inspires. The Church wants us to learn that we do not need to keep our distance from Jesus, even when we feel we are spiritual lepers because of our sins. We can receive his saving and healing touch, especially through the sacrament of Confession. Once Christ touches us through Confession, we are ready for him to enter us in Holy Communion.
The leper managed to overcome despair. Many other lepers throughout history probably did not. The reality of their illness led to isolation, self-loathing and the need to flee rather than reach out to others. An essential part of healing is reaching out to others, to those who can understand and help us. Above all, we need the confidence to draw near to Christ for deep and lasting healing.
We do this through prayer, which does not have to be very sophisticated. The leper had a simple request to make: "I am a leper".If you want, you can cure me". It was not the quality or quantity of his words that moved Jesus, but the intensity of his desire and faith. This is beautifully expressed in these words: "Begging on your knees".
Jesus is moved by his humility and his faith. The leper does not assume failure, he assumes the possibility of success, he assumes the power of Jesus to heal him. The only thing in doubt was whether our Lord wanted to do it. Yes, the leper's attitude was flawed: several other accounts of miracles in the Gospels show people with absolute confidence in both Christ's power and his willingness to act. The leper is unsure of the latter. He does not yet understand the depth of Christ's compassion. In the same way, Our Lord heals the man knowing that his disobedience to His command and his lack of discretion will cause him trouble. But this also helps us, because it comforts us to know that Jesus does not demand perfect faith or faithfulness to show his mercy.
Homily on the readings of Sunday V in Ordinary Time (B)
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaA short one-minute reflection for these Sunday readings.
