Be made clean

Struck by disease, forced to live far from the community, and separated from the worship of God, a leper in Jesus' time is practically a “dead man walking.”

- 

There is also the stigma of being stricken by God because of personal sins. Because contact with the leper renders a person unclean, Jewish law orders lepers to stay away from people, warning them with the sound of a tiny bell attached to their ankle, and shouting, “Unclean! Unclean!” Jesus does not feel bound by such health restrictions.

Feeling empathy for the leper begging for cleansing, He touches him. The cure is instantaneous. Respecting the Jewish law, Jesus tells the healed man to present himself to the priest in the Temple and to offer gifts for his cleansing.

It is important to Jesus that the person should be certified as completely healed and healthy that allows him to be reintegrated in the mainstream of Jewish society. Jesus gives the man new life, a form of resurrection.

What prevents us from drawing closer to those who suffer bodily and spiritual ailments? Are we willing to open our hearts and stretch out our hands to our brothers and sisters in need?

First Reading 1 Sm 4:1-11