I will; be clean

2 Kgs 25:1-12, Mt. 8:1-4. Today's first reading presents us with how our compassionate God allowed Jerusalem, the holy capital city of His covenanted people, to be destroyed, its Temple burnt to the ground, the survivors of the long siege to be deported, with only a remnant left behind. There is a deep mystery in the narrative. In today's Gospel, Jesus heals the leper, weeps over Jerusalem as He announced its second destruction, this time by the Romans (Cf. Lk. 19:41). Yet hope continues to spring up, for “Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing” (Ps 126:5). The elderly couple – the ancient Jerusalem – will give birth to new life. Such is the covenant law of a compassionate God. Wretched would be a term to explain the state of a leper: ostracized, helpless and hopeless.

Apart from the bodily illness, lepers also suffer social discrimination because anyone who touches them would be pronounced unclean according to the Levitical law (13:45-46). He was full of courage to enter into the human community to touch Jesus. He needed someone more than human to restore him back to his humanity and dignity. He transgressed the norms of religion in order to be able to enter into contact with Jesus. The faith of this leper in Jesus is striking. The gracious response of Jesus: "I will; be clean" is His way of treating anyone in need. Jesus did the unthinkable by touching him. He came close to the sick person in His loneliness and exclusion. Jesus threw off the norms of His time to restore a person to dignity. His compassion knows no barriers. As Jesus reached out to the leper, God in Jesus has reached out to all who are enslaved to evil. In all these events, Jesus revealed the true face of our God. Sin makes the soul wretched. Only the healing power of Christ can miraculously take away our sins and restore us to the joy of living. We need to turn to Jesus, accept our inability to heal ourselves and seek Divine help.

May the Lord turn our sorrows into joy and heal the world from coronavirus! Amen!! Remain safe and have a glorious day!!!