Homily of 6th Sunday
Year B in Ordinary Time
Jesus communicates the love and Mercy of God in signs that speaks more eloquently than words. This is what we must learn from Jesus today. He encountered a leper, instead of avoiding, rejecting or stigmatising him, he touched and cured him. He responded to the humble petition of the leper with no doubt, excuses or judgement but with compassion. "if you want to, you can cure me."
When Jesus touched the leper he not only dared touching something unclean, but also dared touching something forbidden by the Levitical law as we see in the first reading. Jesus is always ready to show us his mercy and to free us from whatever makes us unclean.
Paul implores us to take Jesus as the role model of our faith. "take me as your model as I take Christ ". This model of Jesus is that of sacrifice, caring for others, drawing closer to people especially in their weakness, sickness and ensuring that they do not feel rejected. The model of Christ refuses favouritism, segregation, branding of others, stigmatising the sick, or presenting them ungodly, deceptive and seductive options. Paul replicates this with his life and encourages us to do the same with our own lives.
My dear brothers and sisters, we may not be suffering the physical leprosy like the leper, but each one of us also carries wounds and scars. We may be suffering the leprosy of anger, or of bitterness, or of unforgiveness, or of greed, or of unfaithfulness, or of revenge, etc. What today’s Gospel assures us of is this: if we can find within ourselves the courage to bring our frailty, our brokenness and our failure to the Lord. He will welcome us with the same compassion, the same understanding, and the same generous love with which He welcomed the leper.
In him, we will meet the God who calls us and who offers us forgiveness, life and hope. He will help us, and heal us, in the ways that He knows are best for us. All we have to do is to come to Him with honesty, with humility and with hope, just as the leper did in today’s Gospel.
Have a blessed Sunday.
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