Today’s Gospel, Luke 5: 12-13, a leper approaches Jesus with
reverence, respect and confidence. He
truly believes that Jesus will show the compassion that is our God. Trustingly, he says to the Lord: “…if you wish,
you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched
out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do will it. Be made clean.’” Jesus does not let the practices of His day
to stop Him from touching the leper, as, in His day, anyone who touched a leper
was declared unclean as well. Jesus acts
freely in accord with God’s will for this man.
He then orders him to tell no one. “Go,” He says, “and show yourself to
the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be
proof for them.”
Why didn’t Jesus want him to tell anyone? Because Jesus did not cleanse him to bring
attention to himself, to pile up accolades here on earth, or for the people to
fall head over heels in seeking glorious, triumphal experiences of the faith.
That is not what the essence of the spiritual life is about or what co-operating
with the will of God is about either.
Quietly, Jesus did what the Father asked of Him: show my compassion to
those who believe, to those who are respectful and reverend of My ways and My
thought, knowing that they are above those of humanity. How do I honor Jesus’ ways and commands?
Secondly, Jesus asked the healed leper to submit to the laws
of Moses. He does not want him to excuse himself from the ordinary ways and
traditions of his faith nor does he want us to do that. How obedient and humble am I in respecting
the commandments and the laws of the Church?
Do I follow the traditions of my faith humbly, respectfully?
Timely considerations...many feel the magisterium has compromised its authority and so use that as an excuse for by-passing mandates such as confession during the Paschal season. We need always examine our deepest motives.
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