February 12, 2012

6th Sunday of Ordinary Time

First Reading: Leviticus 13:1-2,44-46

    On those days, the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: "When a person has on the skin of his body a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of his body, he shall be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons the priests. he is leprous, he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him unclean; the disease is on his head. The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp."

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Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

   Brothers and sisters, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, so that they may be saved. Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Gospel Reading: Mark 1:40-45

   One day a leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Reflection: Fr. James Theophilus

   Leper comes to Jesus and asks him to clean him of his disease. Jesus wanted to heal him but much more than that he wanted to relate to him. He wanted to be with him; he wanted to identify himself with him. He wanted to be one with him and that is the reason he touched him. Only after doing this gesture of touching him he healed him. He made the leper feel at home with him before healing him.

   Jesus wanted this gesture to remain personal and not to announce to the others. The reason was that Jesus already had a crowd of people following him. Jesus could not travel openly in public. Could this be that Jesus did not want a crowd rather he wanted individuals to follow him (personal following and not a crowd following him). He wanted personal attachment and personal following than a crowd.