Put yourself in the place of the leper we meet in this weekend’s Gospel. He is obviously in need. Due to the affliction found on his skin the law restricts this man from participation in the community. He is to be regarded as untouchable. He wants to be cured of his leprosy. He approaches Jesus with a request, “kneeling down he begged him and said: “If you wish you can make me clean.” “If you want to, you can cure me. Of course, I want to. Be cured. Of course. I have been waiting for you to ask. Why would you even hesitate?”
There is a certain hesitation on the part of the person in need, but there is also a certain humility accompanied by the courage to take the initiative in approaching Jesus. If you don’t put yourself within his reach, he cannot reach out and touch you. If you don’t speak out, he can’t hear you.
Wednesday begins the critical season of Lent. Critical to our spiritual health and wellbeing. Do we continue to drift along, seeing our spiritual diseases, whatever that disease might be as just a part of life, of who I am? I have been like this so long, why change? Our embrace of a lifestyle of over consumption? Food and drink are what we live and die for? A casualness about our integrity that varies according to the people we are with or the circumstances that we find ourselves in? Do we put people of different races than in our own into a leprosarium, unclean and to be avoided?
We can make this Lent the best one yet. It can be that Lent when we look at our spiritual diseases, come to the Lord, and say like the leper to Jesus: “If you wish, you can make me clean.” If we are serious about change, if we are disposed to take steps, even small steps – maybe gossiping about two people a day instead of ten --- if we make the start, we will hear Jesus say: “I do will it. I will be there with you. I will walk with you. I will encourage you. I do will it. Be made clean.
God bless! Have a wonderful week!