June 30, 2017

Gospel: Mt 8:1-4
When Jesus came down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.
Then a leper came forward. He knelt before him and said, “Sir, if you want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to, be clean again.” At that very moment, the man was cleansed from his leprosy. Then Jesus said to him, “See that you do not tell anyone; but go to the priest, have yourself declared clean, and offer the gift that Moses commanded as evidence for them.”

REFLECTION:
What made the prayer of the leper effective? When you reread the gospel you will realize that his prayer is really an act of faith. First, the leper came forward, a frightening thing to do. To expose yourself to the group and express your need takes courage. Second, he knelt in front of Jesus acknowledging His Lordship and accepting that he, the suppliant is the petitioner. He makes his case with a humble stance. Fourth, he left it to Jesus to make a decision. “If you want to, you can make me clean…”
There is no doubt as to what Jesus wants for us. It is always about what is good for us. Hence allowing Him to do things that are best for us is to show a deep confidence in His benevolent and loving will, and a deep faith in His being Lord and savior. The humble faith filled action of the leper is reminder for us that Jesus always want what is good for us, and He delighted in giving that good.