TODAY'S WORD

By


Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Rector and Parish Priest
Don Bosco Shrine
Lingarajapuram, Bangalore

Luke: 5:12-13 "the leper  bowed with his face to the ground and begged Him, “Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean.” Then Jesus touched him, and said, “I do choose. Be made clean.” Immediately the leprosy left him."


TODAY'S REFLECTION

The Gospel of the Day presents to us a leper… A man who was “full of leprosy” ( Lk 5:12)


One fine day, however,  this leper looks up and sees a small group of people following a Man.


That man, the leader, he comes to know…is Jesus.

The leper has heard about Jesus.  He would wish to hear Him.


But the Law did not permit to go close!

As the group passes their way, this leper man remembers what the Law taught Him..


And he begins to shout, “Unclean! Unclean! I have leprosy! Stay away from me! Unclean!”


But then a strange thing happens!! Jesus keeps coming closer to him.


His shouts increases… louder goes his cries…”Unclean, Unclean!”


But Jesus keeps coming closer and closer… till He has reached the leper man!

The leper has now been afflicted for many years.

He misses his family very deeply.


He knows he is at the edge of life… undergoing a slow death!


But…Before him, now stands, someone, who he has heard, has tremendous power!

… Before him, now stands, someone, who he has heard, can unshackle any bondage!

And so, with tears filling his eyes and dread filling his shocked face, he asks, ” Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean!” (Lk 5:12)


It was a cry of agony.

It was a wail of immense anguish.  He had suffered much.  He had been separated from loved ones for long.


Now he wanted a deliverance.  He wanted freedom from the captivity.


He wanted a wholesome life in his loathsome existence!

And then comes the spectacular words of Jesus, “I do will. Be clean!” (Lk 5:13)

The Lord touches him!


His body was touched!

His heart was healed!

His soul was cleansed!


Life was restored! Happiness was returned!  We may feel that life is unfair to us…

We may feel that existence is meaningless…

But… The Lord wants to restore us! … He wants to make us whole again!

Are u ready to be cleansed.


QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Do you and me also feel sometimes like a leper?

Situations of happiness being snatched away?

Moments of love and affection being afflicted?

Times of joy, serenity and calmness being affected?

Unloved? Rejected? Despised? Abused? Helpless? Hopeless? Dying?

We may be going through hard times…

Life is strange…

but the Power of the Lord is more strong!

Life is complicated…

but the Grace of the Lord is more compelling!


RESOLUTION

Let’s resolve to extend to Him our hands.. our hearts.. our lives so that the leprosy that is in the depth of our being may be cleansed and our trust in him may increase day by day knowing that without him we are nothing.

Have a blessed Friday knowing that The Lord is here to touch us!