Homily For Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B, 11th February, 2024

Readings: Lev.13:1-2.44-46, Ps 32, 1Cor.10:31-11:1, Mark 1:40:45

Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Emenike Onyia.

 

LORD HEAL US FROM PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL LEPROSY OF SIN

 

The ugly situation around us today is a great sign that humanity is very sick, we are very sick, sick from different ugly situations and in need of serious help. Though it may seem as if God has abandoned us. This may not be true because the compassionate love of Jesus in relation to human suffering is evident in the scriptures and even in our daily lives.  Little wonder, we have great events in the scriptures that illustrate the compassionate concern of Jesus in the struggles of humanity and how he wishes to set us free from the shackles of our troubles.

 

This is evident in the occasion of our Gospel passage today, where a leper, came up and bowed low in front of Jesus and said to him, if you will, you can make me clean. Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him and said, ‘Of course I will! Be clean!’ And immediately his leprosy was cured at once and he asked him to go and show himself to the priest.

 

For this was a man who was despised, feared, shunned and rejected in the society as a result of the regulations about leprosy as we have it in our first reading today, where the Lord said to Moses and Aaron concerning leprosy, that the priest must declare a man infected with leprosy as unclean. He must wear his clothing torn and his hair disordered; he must shield his upper lip and cry, “Unclean, unclean.” As long as the disease lasts he must be unclean, and he must live apart from the people.

 

The cause of leprosy in those days was not known, but today is known to be caused by bacterial infections that can be contagious through direct contact, either with the other person or with the items that the infected person had used. Now we can understand why Jesus asked the man to go and show himself to the priest and make the offering for his healing as prescribed by Moses as evidence for his healing and recovery.

 

Here, the healing touching of Jesus is very significant since no ordinary person would dare to touch a leper. Thus, we can think of the inner healing that must have occurred as a result of the touch of Jesus, that moment of physical contact that the leper had not experienced for a long time due to rejection. Touch is something we all need, but is so often lacking in our relationship with God and one another, and it is even becoming worse with the ugly situation in our today.

 

But this cannot stop Jesus from reaching out to his children who approached and called on him for healing and restoration. For when this man approached Jesus in humility, he became the object of divine attention. We too just like this leper, need healing, including the healing that comes from the touch of Jesus down to our souls darkened by sins, all we need is to approach Jesus in humility and we will become a person of divine attention.

 

The truth is that this leprosy is a deadly and contagious disease and in this context, it can be referred not only to physical leprosy, but another ‘leprosy’ which is far more dangerous than physical leprosy. That is the leprosy of the soul, which is caused by sin, especially deadly sins. Of course, sin is like that of leprosy, a deadly disease that affects both the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the human person and separates us from God and his people.

 

But what is sin? According to CCC no.1849, Sin is an offence against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is a failure in genuine love for God and neighbour caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as "an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.  Sin is grouped into two deadly and venial Sins. pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, anger, and laziness are examples of deadly sins. While gossip, impatience, or a failure to pray, lying, overeating, pride, and indulging in sensual pleasures

 

These deadly sins have virtues that are supposed to defeat or at least neutralize: 1) pride/humility, 2) greed/generosity, 3) lust/chastity, 4) anger/patience, 5) gluttony /self-control, 6) envy/charity or love and 7) laziness/diligence or commitment.

 

These deadly sins make our soul sick with leprosy and it is only God who can heal us of this sin through forgiveness which he had demonstrated in the case of this leper. Therefore the story of this leper is a good example of how we sinners can and should appeal to Jesus for cleansing, especially from our sins of pride, greediness, unforgiveness, hatred and all forms of immoral acts that corrupt the human souls. We should come in faith knowing that God is always willing to cleanse every sinner who comes to Him.

 

So, let us sincerely turn to God once again with all our hearts and with all our strength, just like the leper who came to Jesus with faith, knowing that he could heal him and make him better. Thus, whatever we do at all in our relationship with God and with one another, St. Paul tells us in our second reading, to do it for the glory of God and never do anything offensive to anyone. Rather we should try to be helpful to everyone at all times, taking Christ as our model.

 

Dear friends, I don’t know what type of leprocious problems you are passing through. Are you weighed down by sin or sickness? Are you feeling helpless and rejected? Or do we know people who are helpless and need some help? Do we feel the need for Jesus’s help in some part of our life? Let us pause for a moment and imagine Jesus looking at us. How does he see us? What are you saying to him and what is he saying to you?

 

Brethren, Jesus understands what we are passing through and he wishes to set us free from sickness, troubles, challenges and manipulations from the evil ones. He desires to be with us as we struggle every day to overcome the challenges in our lives, in our families, society and the world at large. Therefore, we should not be afraid to approach Jesus for healing, forgiveness and restoration, all we need is an active faith to receive the healing touch of Jesus like the leper in our Gospel passage today.

 

LET US PRAY: Heavenly Father, humanity is in deep darkness caused by different forms of leprosies and only your healing touch can restore us. For you know our innermost being and the challenges we are facing today, come to our aid we pray and cleanse us from all our physical, emotional, economic and spiritual leprosies affecting our soul, we ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Peace be with you.