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Gospel Reading for February 11, 2024 – Mark 1: 40-45
TRULY BELIEVE
A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched him, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once.
He said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.”
The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
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Nowadays, to stay healthy has become more popular than during the olden days. People have become more conscious of what they have to do to stay healthy. Adverts about the right food to eat – herbs and fruits, or the food we have to avoid, so too about the best massage to relieve ourselves of stress which is indirectly, a number one killer, are all over social media. Well, in the olden days, there were not so many people, so many machines and cars, etc. so the air was cleaner and agriculture produce used organic or natural fertilizers, competition at work was not as tough, most of the mothers stayed at home to rear their children to ably give them much love and care making them physically, mentally and emotionally healthy in prep for the future. So imagine, if Jesus that time could not enter a town openly because the sick came to him or were brought to him all over, what would have happened to Jesus if he were here with us now? What would have happened if Jesus were here with us during the covid pandemic?
But, look at what we now have, WE ARE SO BLESSED to have the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick for spiritual and physical sicknesses. Because Jesus sent his Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we can receive his healing power if we TRULY BELIEVE as the leper did. Nothing and no one can compare with God’s loving compassion!
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us to Jesus to heal us of all our illnesses, especially those of our loved ones and those who have no one to care for them!
