Homily: The Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

2/16/2015

“If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.”

Mark 1:40-41

Jesus heals the leper.

In Sunday's gospel, Jesus heals a leper. This story from the Gospel of Mark is one of the many accounts of Jesus' healing ministry. What makes this particular story stand out is how Jesus encountered the Leper. As the first reading from the book of Leviticus indicates, lepers were outcasts in ancient society.

"When someone has on the skin a mark, lesion, or blotch which appears to develop into a scaly infection, the person shall be brought to Aaron, the priest, or to one of the priests among his sons. If the priest, upon examination of the skin’s infection, finds that the hair on the infection has turned white and the infection itself appears to be deeper than the skin, it is indeed a scaly infection; the priest, on seeing this, shall declare the person unclean." - Leviticus 13:2-3

Declared unclean a leper had to remove himself from public life, including worship in the temple. For a leper to approach a person on the street was an incredible act of bravery, and of faith. Jesus does not hesitate to heal the leper and send him on his way.

This story is very much applicable to the spiritual life. When we approach Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance we come to him as sinners, unclean because of our sins. We approach him for healing and reconciliation with God. Jesus makes us clean again, able to worthily participate in the sacrifice of the Mass, and to receive the grace we need to be holy and zealous disciples.

If you are feeling unworthy of God's love, unclean because of your sinfulness, Jesus has given you the opportunity to be made whole again. Whenever Jesus heals in the Gospels he doesn't just heal physical ailments, he heals the soul. There is NOTHING that we can do to make God love us, and nothing we can do to make him NOT love us; but by sinning we cut ourselves off from receiving that love. We chose to put up barriers that make us unable to receive the love of God freely given/ If you are in need of forgiveness, no matter how sinful you have been, no matter how long it has been, God's love is waiting for you, you need only break down those barriers by admitting your fault and going to confession. God wills it!

GET THEE TO A CONFESSIONAL!