today's other readings are Heb. 3: 7-14 and Psalm 95
Cleansing and healing. Those words come to my mind as I reflect upon our gospel for today.
A leper comes to Jesus and asks to be made clean, to be healed. Moved with pity, Jesus responds to the man's heart-felt request. And the man is now healed.
Where do we encounter healing in our own lives? it could be through any form of medical intervention. It could be through the cleansing we received with our baptism, when we went to confession, when we received the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Healing can happen in a poignant, heart to conversation with a spouse or sibling or close friend when an important matter is discussed and forgiveness is given and received. There is even the natural healing that takes place in our bodies when a cut turns into a scab and eventually disappears. Healing takes place in so many circumstances of our lives.
A question that comes to my mind is, what happens after the healing? For our leper, he goes and shares the fact that he has been cleansed and subsequently can take back his place in the community. But we never hear about him after that. Did he become a follower of Jesus? Did he reconnect with his family? What kind of work did he take up? Did he maintain that sense of gratitude in the way he lived the rest of his life?
Think of the many times that you were healed. Were you any different afterwards? If yes, how were you different? If no, why not? Did you thank the one who healed you, and especially, did you thank God?