Monday, January 06, 2020

Reflection for January 10, Friday after Epiphany: Luke 5:12-16


Gospel: Luke 5:12-16
It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately. Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray.
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Reflection:
During the time of Jesus leprosy was seen as a condemnable sickness. To be sick with leprosy was perceived by many as punishment from God. That’s why those who were sick with leprosy kept their distance from the people because they were labeled to be shameful and sinful.

But how did the man in our gospel who was sick with leprosy behaved? Upon seeing Jesus he did not run away from Him, he instead went towards Jesus. Pleaded Jesus to cure him with his dreaded disease, and of course Jesus did not refuse the sick man he cured him immediately.

A few years ago I had a friend who was sick and was given a few months to live by her doctor. She asked me if I could give her Holy Communion, I first gently told her to go to a priest for Confession, Holy Communion and Anointing of the Sick. Then I asked her, when was your last Confession? She told me more than twenty years ago.

To make a long story short, she went to Confession and I asked her again, how did you feel after your Confession? She told me this: “I felt that a very big burden has been taken off from my back.” And she lived for a few more years belying the dire prediction of her doctor.

The modern leprosy that enslaves us now is our  many sins, this makes us gravely sick spiritually. Why don’t we go to a priest and confess our sins to him. We may not have been to confession for so long already.

It’s about time that we are healed from this grave spiritual leprosy. And it’s about time that this huge spiritual burden is taken off from our backs. – Marino J. Dasmarinas

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