Be Made Clean— A Reflection By Ralph Iskaros

The Book of Leviticus, the third book of the Hebrew Torah and Old Testament, contains messages
from God to Moses to divulge to God’s people. We find writings related to religious, behavioral, and economic matters in it. In today’s reading from Leviticus, we learn of the laws concerning individuals infected with leprosy, an infectious disease that was once debilitating and highly contagious. It states that they should be brought to a priest, the priest to declare them unclean, and the individual must cry out “Unclean, unclean!” when they’re near people. Lepers are exiled from their homes and families to dwell apart in separate camps. More than just physical ailments, lepers must also endure being social and ritual outcasts.

We continue to read about Jesus the Healer in today’s Gospel. In St. Mark’s Gospel, he writes the
account of the cleansing of a leper who came to Jesus, kneeled, and begged Him: “If you wish, you can make me clean. Moved with pity, [Jesus] stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”” (Mark 1:40b-41). The leper knew that by Mosaic law, he had to stay away from people, including Jesus. He did not. Instead, the leper broke the law by coming to kneel before Jesus to beg him for healing. Imagine yourself being one of the people surrounding Jesus. Are you horrified to see the leper come into your midst or watch Jesus, in response, stretch out His hand to touch him to make him clean? The leper’s great faith in Jesus leads him to healing. When we are down and out, we should have that same faith in the love and mercy of Christ.

Love and mercy are the essence of today’s message in the New Testament reading. St. Paul instructs us to avoid offending anyone, and try to please everyone, not for our benefit but for theirs so they can come to Christ. He tells us to be imitators of Jesus. Putting others ahead of oneself as Jesus did is challenging, but expressions of genuine love and altruism can help us become more like Him.

More than healing the sick, Jesus’ ultimate mission was to bring salvation to all. After He made the
leper clean, He told him to see the priest, who would proclaim him clean and reinstate him as a
member of society. Instead, the Gospel tells us that the man publicized and spread his good news.
Bishop Robert Barron calls this Evangelization. He says: “At the heart of evangelization is sharing
an experience of the power of Christ. If it is just arguments that can strike people as empty words,
rather the greatest evangelist is the one who says: “I’ve been healed by contact with this Jesus,
and I want you too to have the same experience.” How were you cured by Christ? Let everybody
know about it.”

Today, February 11, 2024, is the 32nd World Day of Prayer for the Sick, instituted by Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis offers us this message: “At this time of epochal change, we Christians in particular are called to adopt the compassion-filled gaze of Jesus. Let us care for those who suffer
and are alone, perhaps marginalized and cast aside.”

Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord.