Reaching Out to Others on the Margins

In today's Gospel, Luke 5: 12-16, a leper approaches Jesus and says to him: "'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."

What would I do  if I were the leper? Would I  have the courage to approach Jesus, when I am supposed to be declaring myself unclean and staying away from anyone,  including Jesus?  Or, on the other hand, would I allow a leper to approach me, or would I yell out: 'Get away from me; you are unclean'? Or, simply, would I run the other way and not allow the leper to get close to me?

Hansen's disease, or leprosy, is rare today.  However, there are many persons who are ostracized today for other reasons: addictions, homelessness, ethnicity, social status, nationality, race,  various physical illness, mental diseases,  and so on.  Many people are locked in our jails and not given opportunities to rehabilitate themselves, to recover from addictions, to pursue an education that will give them the motivation to change their lives and be productive members of society. Some of our current leaders have put people in cages, locked them in detention facilities, or simply refused people asylum in our country.

Whom do I ostracize? Or, on the other hand, do I feel ostracized from some reason,  unwelcome in certain circles?  From whom do I stay away for any reason?  How welcoming am I to the stranger, the person who is afraid to speak out or be a part of "my circle"?  What's holding me back from embracing "the leprosy" within myself and therefore within another? 

Lord, have mercy on us for continuing to marginalize people? Forgive us for avoiding certain individuals, persons who are different from  ourselves, persons of others races, other ethnic backgrounds, other nationalities, other belief systems, other nations, other educational backgrounds and so on. Open our minds to be inclusive of others. Open our hearts to reach out in love and to find ways to grow in our understanding of others different from ourselves.