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A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you
wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his
hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made
clean.” Mark 1:40–41
If we come to our divine Lord with faith, kneel down before Him and
present our need to Him, then we also will receive the same
response given to this leper: “I do will it. Be made clean.” These
words should give us hope in the midst of any and every challenge
in life.
What is it that our Lord wills for you? And what is it that He
desires to make clean in your life? This story of the leper coming
to Jesus does not mean that our Lord will grant any and every
request we bring to Him. Instead, it reveals that He wills to make
us clean of that which afflicts us the most. Leprosy in this story
should be seen as a symbol of the spiritual ills that afflict your
soul. First and foremost, it should be seen as a symbol of the sin
in your life that has become habitual and slowly does great damage
to your soul.
At that time, leprosy not only caused grave physical damage to a
person, but it also had the effect of isolating them from the
community. They had to live apart from others who did not have the
disease; and if they came near others, they had to show they were
lepers by certain external signs so that people would not come in
contact with them. Thus, leprosy had both personal and communal
ramifications.The same is true with many habitual sins. Sin does
damage to our souls, but it also affects our relationships. For
example, a person who is habitually harsh, judgmental, sarcastic or
the like will experience the ill effects of these sins on their
relationships.
Returning to the statement of Jesus above, consider that sin which
not only affects your soul the most but also your relationships. To
that sin, Jesus wishes to say to you, “Be made clean.” He wants to
strengthen your relationship by cleansing the sin within your soul.
And all it takes for Him to do that is for you to turn to Him on
your knees and to present your sin to Him. This is especially true
within the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Reflect, today, upon your closest relationships in life. And then
consider which of your sins most directly hurts those
relationships. Whatever comes to mind, you can be certain that
Jesus wants to rid you of that spiritual leprosy within your
soul.
My divine Lord, help me to see that which is within me that most
harms my relationships with others. Help me to see that which
causes isolation and hurt. Give me the humility to see this and the
trust I need to turn to You to confess it and seek Your healing.
You and You alone can free me from my sin, so I turn to You in
confidence and surrender. With faith, I also await Your healing
words, “I do will it. Be made clean.” Jesus, I trust in
You.
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Featured image above: Christ cleans leper man By Sibeaster, via
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