Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” In today’s Gospel reading (Luke 5:12-16), Jesus heals a man with Leprosy. In the time of Jesus, leprosy was a disease of uncleanliness. People inflicted with this disease slowly rotted away and the disease ate the body. One was not suppose to touch or associate with people who had this disease. The Jews considered these people already dead and cast out of society. In the story the leper fell on his face in front of Jesus begging for mercy and said, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man saying, “I will; be clean.” The uncleanliness of the leper was washed away and he was healed. We too are afflicted with things that make our souls unclean. All we have to do is humble ourselves before God and ask for his forgiveness. Jesus will reach out and touch us and purify us. As we approach the Lenten season, we should strive to purify our souls. We should humble ourselves before God and ask, “Lord, if you will, make me clean.” Jesus demonstrated the purest form of love and compassion for the Leper by reaching out to him and touching him. Lent is all about love, forgiveness and sacrifice, about reaching out to God and reaching out to others. We too can experience this love by abandoning ourselves to God. As we learn to receive the love and compassion of God, we must also learn to give love and compassion to others.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, if you will, make me clean.

Purify my heart and soul so I can receive you more fully.

Help me to abandon the things that make me unclean.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon