REFLECTIONS ON THE WORD – 01/13/22 (Thursday)

Mark 1:40,44

40 And a leper came to Him beseeching Him, and kneeling said to Him, "If You will, You can make me clean."

44 and said to him, "See that you say nothing to any one; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to the people."

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https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

Blessed Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time! We see again the healing of the leper in our gospel reading for today. The leper was considered as unclean, and he had an illness. Perhaps, he realized that nothing could heal him from his sickness. Then, when he saw Jesus, he begged Him and kneeled before Him. This showed the humility of the leper and his recognition that only Jesus Christ could heal him. In His mercy, our Lord cleansed the leper, and He told him to go to the priest for a proof. More than a proof that he was no longer unclean, it was a proof of the healing mercy of our God. 

There are many times in our lives when we may be overconfident with ourselves thinking that we will always do good things by our own effort. When pride enters us, we will be surprised to see that we fall to many temptations of sins. In reality, we become spiritually ill and spiritually unclean for us to be more humble and acknowledge that it is only by God's grace and mercy that we can be healed. This is why He gives His Sacraments to us, especially the gifts of confession and Eucharist. If we commit grave sins, and we are genuinely sorry for them, God is calling us to be cleansed like the leper through confession. And, we can be more like our Lord Jesus as we receive Him in the Eucharist. The sacraments are the vessels of God's grace, and He will strengthen us to practice more virtues and acts of mercy. This transformation in our lives will be the proof of His Merciful Love. As we deepen our spiritual life and as we participate in the sacraments, our good works will glorify Him. 

May we always humble ourselves and acknowledge that only Jesus can heal us by His Mercy. When we offer ourselves to Him in humility, He will bring us closer to His Sacred Heart. Let us go to the priest, the instrument of Christ's mercy, in the sacrament of reconciliation. Here, Jesus will cleanse us and forgive us of all our sins. As we partake of Jesus in the Eucharist, He will strengthen us and make us more like Him who is also patient and compassionate towards more people. To be able to praise our God in our words and deeds will lead us to joy and peace. This is the proof that He brings us to the light of His truth.

Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic