Gospel: Luke 5:12-16
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:
How do you pray to Jesus when you want something from Him?
In today’s gospel we have a man sick with leprosy; he told the Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean (Luke 5:12).” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately (Luke 5:13).
The man sick with leprosy got what he wanted from Jesus for the reason that he humbled himself before Him. He did not only humble himself before Jesus, he also mustered enough courage to approach Jesus even if he was sick with a very contagious disease.
To have leprosy during that time was to have a dreaded disease, a sickness that isolate’s a person from the company of others. But it did not prevent the man sick with leprosy from going to Jesus, his sickness even fuelled him to go to Jesus. Where do we go when we are sick? Do we first go in prayer to Jesus and ask for His healing before going to somebody who could cure us?
Sickness is part and parcel of our life, for as long as we live we will also get sick. Therefore when we are sick let us not forget to first go in prayer to Jesus. Let us approach Jesus with humility and total surrender.
In sickness and in health in good times
and in bad let us always humbly go to Jesus. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
Excellent reflection. To often we go to Jesus as a last resort. Thanks for this reminder.
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