For this Sunday’s Gospel and other Mass readings, click here!
I love seeing how the different Mass readings connect. In the first reading, we see how lepers were exiled from their community. They would live isolated from everyone else, and when they were around others, they would make sure everyone knew they had leprosy by yelling “unclean!”
If I were in their shoes, I would feel so insignificant. I would wonder if anyone missed me or if anyone was thinking about me at all. I would feel so embarrassed to claim that I was “unclean” around everyone. I can picture people crossing over to the other side of the road, staring, and whispering to each other about me. It breaks my heart to think that this was the reality for people with leprosy thousands of years ago.
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The leper in this Sunday’s Gospel reading had incredible faith. Not only did he recognize Jesus, but he approached Him. In a time when no one would dare to get close to a leper, Jesus let this one come near to Him to encounter Him. The leper recognized that he was unclean, but he brought his illness and the ugliness that came with it to Jesus. I can picture him kneeling there, sore and broken, knowing he’s unclean. Through it all, he gathers his faith and humility to ask if Jesus could make him clean.
Looking at my own life, I realize that I often feel too unclean to approach Jesus. I convince myself that Jesus doesn’t want to hear me confess the same sins again. I don’t feel worthy to adore Him or sit and listen to Him talk to me in prayer. Sometimes, it’s hard to believe that He loves me so much that He died for me so that I could be with Him forever. Before I let these thoughts break me, I muster up my faith and approach Him anyway. I fall before Him, I show Him that I’m unclean, and I say “If you wish, you can make me clean.” And out of His infinite love, He does.
He makes me clean each and every time I fall before Him, and He can for you too.
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