Fr. Joeven Matugas sx
This Sunday's Gospel is about the story of a leper who approached Jesus, knelt in front of him and begged to be cured. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. The leper was cured and the leprosy left him at once.
According to the Law of Moses, it was prescribed that a person suspected of leprosy should go to the Priest for certification, and if found with leprosy, he was declared "unclean". He should then wear torn clothes, keep his hair disordered and lips covered. He had to cry "unclean, unclean" wherever he was going. He had to live outside the camp. (First Reading: Lev. 13:1-2, 44-46). This meant that the leper has to be isolated and ostracised by all.
In this dreadful situation, we can understand the agony and the misery of a person afflicted by leprosy. We too in our modern day know that lepers suffer grievous physical deformities, psychological traumas and moral degradation. How much pain torments them every day of their life.
In the Gospel story, we see that the leper has an intense desire to approach Jesus. He promptly expressed his desire to be cured. In response to his pleading, Jesus without hesitation, stretched out his hand and touched the leper. Everybody knew that the law forbade to touch lepers. By doing this one would become ritually "unclean" and could even contract the disease. But Jesus in his compassion did not care about the law, unjust and cruel, nor of the risk of contracting the disease.
The leper man was healed and became free to move about everywhere. He was restored to a normal life. He was liberated from the deadly and contagious disease that imprisoned his body.
I always remember the story of St. Peter Damian of Molokai, who belonged to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. He volunteered to take care the Lepers' Colony in Molokai one of the Hawaii islands. He became the Pastor and Doctor of the Lepers. He celebrated Masses with them. He was nursing those who were covered with sores and dying. Serving their meals. Constructing food and water facilities for them. Until such time that he himself contracted the disease of leprosy. He died a leper. He died with the lepers. And was buried in the cemetery of the lepers.
This is a great example for us all to imitate, if not in a leprosy colony or camp, surely by showing kindness, compassion and care for all who may be afflicted by unpleasant physical or moral situation.
This Sunday's Gospel is about the story of a leper who approached Jesus, knelt in front of him and begged to be cured. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. The leper was cured and the leprosy left him at once.
According to the Law of Moses, it was prescribed that a person suspected of leprosy should go to the Priest for certification, and if found with leprosy, he was declared "unclean". He should then wear torn clothes, keep his hair disordered and lips covered. He had to cry "unclean, unclean" wherever he was going. He had to live outside the camp. (First Reading: Lev. 13:1-2, 44-46). This meant that the leper has to be isolated and ostracised by all.
In this dreadful situation, we can understand the agony and the misery of a person afflicted by leprosy. We too in our modern day know that lepers suffer grievous physical deformities, psychological traumas and moral degradation. How much pain torments them every day of their life.
In the Gospel story, we see that the leper has an intense desire to approach Jesus. He promptly expressed his desire to be cured. In response to his pleading, Jesus without hesitation, stretched out his hand and touched the leper. Everybody knew that the law forbade to touch lepers. By doing this one would become ritually "unclean" and could even contract the disease. But Jesus in his compassion did not care about the law, unjust and cruel, nor of the risk of contracting the disease.
The leper man was healed and became free to move about everywhere. He was restored to a normal life. He was liberated from the deadly and contagious disease that imprisoned his body.
I always remember the story of St. Peter Damian of Molokai, who belonged to the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. He volunteered to take care the Lepers' Colony in Molokai one of the Hawaii islands. He became the Pastor and Doctor of the Lepers. He celebrated Masses with them. He was nursing those who were covered with sores and dying. Serving their meals. Constructing food and water facilities for them. Until such time that he himself contracted the disease of leprosy. He died a leper. He died with the lepers. And was buried in the cemetery of the lepers.
This is a great example for us all to imitate, if not in a leprosy colony or camp, surely by showing kindness, compassion and care for all who may be afflicted by unpleasant physical or moral situation.